Chris Flynn
BBC Essex

A lorry driver has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after a steam engine fell off the back of his truck and seriously injured six people.

Philip Last, 53, of Northgate Street, Great Yarmouth, has also been banned from driving for 21 months and will have to take and pass another test if he wants to drive again.

Last had previously pleaded guilty to six counts of causing injury by dangerous driving.

He was driving along East Mersea Road in West Mersea, when the steam engine fell from his low loader in September 2015. 

Sentencing him at Ipswich Crown Court, Judge David Goodin told Last: "You are an experienced driver of heavy vehicles.

"You had the advantage of specific trading to know how to secure this six tonnes of metal to ensure no movement.

"You took a shortcut. You knew it was a shortcut.

"The sentence I must pass on you and your future, it must be a sentence of immediate imprisonment." 

Chris Flynn
BBC Essex

The driver of a lorry from which a steam engine fell and crashed into a bus has said he was "horrified" by the incident.

As we've been reporting, Philip Last, 53, of Northgate Street, Great Yarmouth, is being sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court for causing injury by dangerous driving.

He had previously pleaded guilty to six counts of the charge.

During mitigation, the court was told Last was "genuinely and truly sorry".

He was "extremely horrified" and "devastated by the unintended consequences", it was heard.

Last had no wish to drive a heavy goods vehicle again, the court was told. 

The hearing continues. 

Spare a thought for the family who donated their piano to Bishop's Castle Community College last November, unaware that it contained over 900 gold coins.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme believe the piano was first purchased by two men from Saffron Walden in Essex in 1906 - they were music teachers and piano tuners.

What happened after that is unclear, but it was bought by a Mr and Mrs Hemmings in Saffron Walden in 1983, so they could teach their children to play and they moved to Shropshire in the late 1990s.

Last year, the college asked for donations of musical instruments and the Hemming family donated their piano, to enable children to carry on learning.

According to the 1996 Treasure Act, the Hemming family will receive nothing.

Chris Flynn
BBC Essex

A crash which saw a steam engine fall off a lorry and hit a bus was an "accident waiting to happen", a court has heard.

Image source, Essex Fire Service

Philip Last, 53, is being sentenced for causing injury by dangerous driving at Ipswich Crown Court.

Last, of Northgate Street, Great Yarmouth, was driving along East Mersea Road in West Mersea, when the steam engine fell from his low loader in September 2015. 

He pleaded guilty to six counts of the charge.

The court has heard the bus driver, Michael Birch, underwent seven operations and suffered, among other injuries, a punctured lung and fractured hip, arm and collarbone. He is unable to drive again.

The passenger who was sitting behind Mr Birch had a fractured pelvis, punctured lung, kidney injuries and fractured shoulder.

Another man had to have reconstructive surgery to his face while a woman was left with an arm deformity.

The prosecution said it was a "tragic coincidence" that the bus was coming the other way at the same time, and added "it was an accident waiting to happen".

The hearing continues.

A man charged with murdering a woman at an Essex holiday park has been remanded in custody, to appear in court again later this year.

Skye Page appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court via a prison video link today, charged over the death of Carolyn Hill at the Waterside Holiday Park in St Lawrence Bay.

The 51-year-old died at the park on Easter Monday.

Mr Page, 37, from Dunkirk Road in Burnham, is expected to enter his plea at the same court on 29 June, and a provisional trial date was scheduled for 2 October.

Essex Police has shown overall improvement, according to an annual report into the state of policing across the country.

Image source, Google

The report by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, external rates forces in three key areas: police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy.

Essex's police force was praised for its success in preventing crime, tackling anti-social behaviour and how it helps to reduce reoffending.

But it still needs to improve the way it supports and protects vulnerable victims from harm, the report said.

The report also recorded two specialist visits to Essex Police from the National Child Protection Inspection.

The first addressed concerns over child protection and revealed widespread failings. Essex Police, external showed marked improvements during the second visit, the report said.

A hoard of 913 gold sovereigns and half-sovereigns found hidden inside a piano has been declared treasure by a coroner.

The instrument was originally made in Essex in 1906 and the hoard was found by a piano tuner under the keyboard, whilst it was being tuned at Bishop's Castle Community College, in Shropshire.

Image source, PA

The coroner ruled that as the original owners couldn't be found, it would become the property of the Crown and any reward would be split between the piano tuner and the college.

As we've been reporting, Douglas Carswell will not be standing in the coming 8 June general election.

The former UKIP - and now independent - MP for Clacton said he will be backing the Conservative candidate in the constituency.

He said: "Having been an MP for about half my adult life, I believe that it is time for me to move on to other things. 

"I look forward to being able to read newspapers without appearing in them. 

"It has been the highest honour to have represented Clacton in the House of Commons."

Mr Carswell was the only UKIP candidate to be elected as an MP at the 2015 general election.

He quit the party last month after falling out with its leadership.

Image source, PA

The MP for Clacton, Douglas Carswell, has announced he will not be seeking re-election and will instead back the Conservatives.

Image source, PA

He had recently quit UKIP and said he would continue to represent his Clacton constituency as an independent.

But following Theresa May's announcement of a snap general election this week, he has said he will not be standing. 

He said: "It is sometimes said that all political careers end in failure. It doesn't feel like that to me today. 

"I have stood for Parliament five times, won four times, and helped win the referendum last June. 

"Job done. I'm delighted."

He will be voting Conservative on 8 June and will be offering his support to whoever the Clacton Constituency Conservatives select as their candidate.

Clacton MP Douglas Carswell has announced he will not be seeking re-election. More to follow.

Two men who admitted a £3m credit card debt purchase fraud will be sentenced in the summer.

Image source, Peter Walker

John Metcalfe, 58, of Lodge Road, Writtle, and Michael McKeon, 45, of Court Drive, Fleet, Hampshire, changed their pleas to guilty when their month-long trial was due to start in February.

The court was told they set up consumer and commercial credit card debt purchase schemes over almost four years.

The case was mentioned at Chelmsford Crown Court today.

Metcalfe, pictured, and McKeon will be sentenced on 11 August.

A teenager who died after the car she was driving struck a bridge was a talented sportswoman, her family said.

As we've been reporting, Carys Hammond, 18, of Bradfield, was killed in the incident at Brickman's Hill, between her home village and Mistley, just before 19:25 on Monday.

Image source, Facebook

In a statement, her family said: "Carys had a talent for sport and a passion for cricket, playing for three local clubs. 

"She had hundreds of friends who just loved to be in her company. 

"She had a sparkle that always lit up a room and she was a ray of sunshine to us all." 

Woodham Mortimer Cricket Club said: "The club is sad to hear of the passing of Carys Hammond, a former ladies team player for WMCC and Benfleet CC.  

"Our thoughts are with Carys' family and friends at this sad time."

It said a minute's silence will be held ahead of its friendly match with Benfleet this Sunday.

Tributes have been paid to a "vibrant" and "intelligent" 18-year-old who died after the car she was driving struck a bridge.

Image source, Essex Police

Police were called to Brickman’s Hill between Bradfield and Mistley just before 19:25 on Monday.

Carys Hammond, of Bradfield, who was driving a Fiat 500, died at the scene.

In a statement, her family said: "Carys was vibrant, intelligent, vivacious, and a totally loved daughter and sister, who was adored by all who knew her.

“She was so full of life and truly touched the heart and souls of everyone that knew and loved her.

“We cannot find the words to describe the utter devastation that we as a family and her friends are feeling."

As we've been reporting this morning, a burlesque club is opening in Chelmsford.

Club Tantalise will be the county's first burlesque venue and its owner Nas Mel insists it will be for everyone over the age of 18.

• In its original form, burlesque contained no strip at all. In 17th Century Europe, burlesque was theatre that appealed to working class values and parodied the politics of the upper classes.  
• Only in 20th Century America, did striptease become its main attraction. And it is this American form of burlesque that has been most influential in recent years.  
• In John Hess's report, burlesque dancer Eliza DeLite said: "It's about what you are NOT showing, and teasing the audience with fabric and costumes." 

Here is a video of BBC Essex's Sadie Nine having a go:

As we've reported, Essex is going to get its first burlesque club.

Club Tantalise is to open in Chelmsford.

It is the brainchild of Nas Mel who also owns Katz Gentleman's club in Basildon and Diamonds and Strings in Watford.

He said it will offer something different for the city's nightlife - and there will be no stripping or lap-dancing.

But concerns have been raised.

Natalie Collins, part of the Essex Femininst Collective, said: "I would say it's a Trojan horse to be able to open a club which involves some form of stripping while not having to get a strip club licence. 

"What you find is where clubs are denied a stripping licence in parts of the country, they then open as burlesque clubs."

The county is to get its first burlesque club, called Club Tantalise in Chelmsford.

Owner Nas Mel said there has been a resurgence of the performing art which dates back to the 17th Century. 

He said: "It's a fantastic thing to watch and there's nowhere to see it in Essex.

"We wanted to put something together that would draw a crowd into the Chelmsford nightlife."

He said it will not include stripping or lap-dancing. He said it would be a table-seated environment for men and women of all ages over 18.

A lorry driver who admitted dangerous driving after a steam engine on the back of his truck crashed into a bus, seriously injuring six people, is due to be sentenced today.

Philip Last, 53, was driving along East Mersea Road in West Mersea, when the steam engine fell from his low loader in September 2015.

Last, of Northgate Street, Great Yarmouth, pleaded guilty to six counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He will be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court this afternoon. 

We'll bring you more on this story as we get it. 

Dave Wade
BBC Local Live

A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a motorbike rider died in Bottesford last year.

A 33-year-old from Braintree, Essex, will appear at Leicester Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, Leicestershire Police said, external.

Christopher Williams died on the A52, travelling towards Grantham on his Honda motorbike, on 25 May.

The 25-year-old, formerly of Wolverhampton, had been living in Derby at the time.

Police are appealing to people in south Norfolk to remember where they were on Tuesday, 4 April.

Image source, Norfolk Police

Officers are searching for Nigel Kedar, 52, from Clacton, who was last seen walking southbound along the A140 corridor through Dickleburgh.

They are keen to speak to anyone who travelled through the village, Scole or Diss.

Nigel's sister Diana Mays appealed to anyone who may know where her brother is: "If anything's happened, or he feels he can't come home it doesn't matter, just tell him to come home. 

"Whatever he's done we can sort it, we love him, we just want him home," she said.