Patrick Byrne
BBC News

That's it from the Essex Live team today, so goodbye.

We'll be back from 08:00 tomorrow, bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather updates as they happen.

• Today, we've seen the opening of the High Court hearing into Michael Barrymore's damages claims following his arrest by Essex Police when a body was found in his pool
• The mystery of whale bodies being washed up on North Sea shores has also occupied our attention
• The Duchess of Cambridge, who's president of East Anglia's Children's Hospices, has recorded a message to mark the beginning of Children's Hospice Week

Scroll down the page to see details of these stories and more.

If there's anything happening that you'd like us to know about, you can click the "Get involved" button at the top of the page to send us the details.

Julie Reinger
BBC Look East weather

A dry night, with long clear spells and a few mist patches across the BBC East region.

The winds will eventually become light north westerly.

A minimum temperature of 8C (46F) - although in some places it could remain in double figures.

Tomorrow will be fine and dry with sunny spells.

Feeling slightly cooler, with a mainly light west to north westerly wind, and sea breezes around the coast.

Maximum temperature: 22C (72F).

BBC Weather has a more local forecast for where you are.

A hospice near Harlow has appointed a new chief executive with 11 years experience in the sector.

Sarah Thompson will head Hastingwood-based St Clare Hospice, external from the senior management team at St Joseph's Hospice in Hackney, where she was director of fundraising and engagement for four years.

Image source, St Clare Hospice

Before that she was a fundraiser for a hospice in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.

She said: "I grew up locally, went to school in Loughton and have settled with my own family nearby.

"St Clare is a much-loved household name across our local community.

"So it's a privilege to be part of such a well-respected organisation which plays a huge role in the lives of families throughout West Essex and East Herts."

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

The arrest of entertainer Michael Barrymore on suspicion of murder and rape, six years after a man was found dead in a swimming pool at his Essex home, was "wholly unnecessary", the High Court has been told.

His counsel Hugh Tomlinson QC said that there was "no evidence whatever" of rape and the cause of the death of Stuart Lubbock, 31, from Harlow could not be ascertained.

Mr Barrymore is suing Essex Police for "loss of earnings" after the force admitted his arrest was unlawful.

Image source, PA

Mr Barrymore was keen to co-operate with the investigation and had been interviewed, he added.

Mr Lubbock was found in the swimming pool at the house in Roydon near Harlow in 2001.

John Beggs QC, for Essex Police, said they admitted the arrest in 2007 was unlawful as the officer did not have reasonable grounds for suspecting Mr Barrymore of the offences.

Det Con Susan Jenkins, told to carry out the arrest, was delayed in traffic and the other officer, from a surveillance team had not been briefed.

Notwithstanding the "technical unlawfulness" of the arrest, Mr Barrymore could and would have been lawfully arrested by Det Con Jenkins, said Mr Beggs.

He added that Mr Barrymore had suffered no loss as a result of the unlawful arrest, because he would have been arrested in any event.

The senior officer who re-investigated the case was Det Supt Gareth Wilson, who is currently the Chief Constable of Suffolk Police.

Giving evidence, Mr Wilson was asked by Mr Tomlinson whether the investigation had been "bungled" and was an "embarrassment" to Essex Police.

Mr Wilson acknowledged there were "some significant issues" and there was criticism in the media and from Mr Lubbock's family.

He added: "I do not think it was Essex Police's finest hour."

He denied that he was "fixated" on there having been a murder.

He said: "That's incorrect. I actually kept a very open mind about what might have happened and who may have been involved in it."

The hearing, expected to last five days, was adjourned until Tuesday.

A video message, recorded by The Duchess of Cambridge has been released to mark the beginning of Children's Hospice Week.

In the message, Kate, who's president of East Anglia's Children's Hospices, external (EACH), asks us to celebrate the extraordinary children’s palliative care and hospice services that are there for the UK’s 49,000 children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

More than 360 of those are supported by EACH at its hospices in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk (which also serves children in north Essex).

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

A 19-year-old woman has been subjected to an attempted sexual assault in Colchester.

Essex Police say the victim was grabbed from behind while walking along a wooded area near Montgomery Junior School on the St Michael's estate on Sunday afternoon.

Image source, Google

She was forced to the floor before screaming and kicking the suspect who ran off.

He's described as black, aged about 19 and 5ft 5ins tall.

Detectives said it was a frightening attack, but they believe it was an isolated incident.

London boroughs breach the law by not telling councils when they send homeless families to their area.

BBC Weather Watchers

After the spectacular late spring dawn pictured at Chappel in the Colne Valley by one of our BBC Weather Watchers, the skies cleared until a stark blue settled over places like Chelmsford at lunchtime.

Image source, Essex VDub girl

Image source, Bcalmed

Image source, Shantelle

Skies are due to become even clearer this evening and overnight with everywhere staying dry.

A few mist and fog patches may form during the early hours, but it will remain mild.

Minimum temperature: 12C (54F)

More details from BBC Weather:

The Duchess of Cambridge has recorded a message to mark the beginning of Children's Hospice Week.

Kate, who's president of East Anglia's Children's Hospices, external (EACH), recorded the message on a visit to meet families at the hospice in Quidenham in Norfolk in January.

Image source, EACH

In it she speaks of the difference that children's hospice and palliative care services can make.

Image source, EACH

EACH currently supports more than 360 children and young people with a life-threatening condition in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and North Essex.

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

The husband of a missing 64-year-old woman from Southend is pleading for her to get in touch.

Patricia Finnie disappeared more than 10 days ago.

Image source, Essex Police

A search for Mrs Finnie began on 11 May and she was last seen in the Southchurch area after going to see a friend, police said.

Husband Gordon has issued a statement, appealing for her to get in contact.

He's "deeply concerned for her well-being" and her family and friends are "in great pain and missing her badly", the statement said.

His wife is urged to contact her mother, Mr Finnie or Essex Police to "work out any issues that may be troubling her".

She is described as white, 5ft 6ins tall and of medium build.

The entertainer says his wrongful arrest over the death of a man at his home destroyed his career.

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

Entertainer Michael Barrymore should get substantial damages from Essex Police over wrongful arrest after the death of a butcher at his home in Roydon near Epping in 2001.

His counsel Hugh Tomlinson QC told the High Court the arrest and detention destroyed his career.

Mr Barrymore, 65, was arrested and detained in June 2007 on suspicion of the rape and murder of Stuart Lubbock, 31, from Harlow, who was found in the swimming pool at his house.

Image source, Ian West/PA Wires

Essex Police have now admitted the arrest was unlawful, as the arresting officer did not have reasonable grounds to suspect that Mr Barrymore was guilty. Mr Barrymore's claim, including aggravated and exemplary damages, is for more than £2.4m.

Mr Tomlinson said Mr Barrymore had "great sympathy" for Mr Lubbock's family and had always made it clear he would do whatever he could to help them find out what happened.

"He has also made it clear he did not kill or assault Mr Lubbock," said Mr Tomlinson.

"Although he was arrested, he was never charged with any offence and the Crown Prosecution Service subsequently made it crystal clear there was no basis for any charges.

"Our case is that when speculation, rumour and conjecture are put to one side, it is clear there is no evidence against the claimant in relation to any offence concerning Mr Lubbock."

The hearing is expected to last all week.

Southend United player of the year Ryan Leonard has the option in his contract extended, but six players are released.

Firefighters expect to extinguish a fire, which has been burning in Nazing near Harlow for nearly a week, within the next 24 hours.

Caroline Kingdon
BBC Local Live

Three boys have been questioned by police after a memorial garden in Norwich was vandalised.

It happened at Valley Primary Academy where the garden was created in tribute to seven-year-old Summer Grant.

She was killed in March last year when a bouncy castle she was playing on was blown away by high winds at a funfair at Harlow in Essex.

The search is on for a fourth boy too. Police say they've been studying CCTV footage.

Since the vandals struck, the memorial garden has been repaired.

Local people and businesses have donated plants and flowers to help get it back to its best.

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

Police are investigating up to 20 deaths over the past 17 years at an NHS-run mental health unit in Chelmsford.

The inquiry has begun following the death of Matthew Leahy, found hanged at Linden Centre in 2012.

The North Essex NHS Trust, external said patient safety was a "top priority".

Essex Police told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme it was "conducting initial inquiries into a number of deaths which have occurred at the Linden Centre since 2000".

Matthew Leahy (pictured with his mother Melanie) was admitted to the Linden Centre in 2012, aged 20, after his mental health problems had spiralled following cannabis use.

The Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust said the history of serious incidents at the Linden Centre was of "great concern". It added it was "improving systems to ensure that investigations are carried out rigorously".

During an inspection of the Linden Centre in August 2015 by the regulator, the Care Quality Commission, inspectors reported that "one patient attempted to strangle themselves with a ligature". A year later they found safety was still a concern.

"The trust must ensure that action is taken to remove identified ligature risks," the report said.

Last week, an inquest jury found that another patient, Richard Wade, died in May 2015 at the Linden Centre after staff failed to remove a dressing gown cord that he used to take his own life.

A fourth male is hunted after the memorial garden to a bouncy castle accident victim was damaged.

BBC Sport

Essex wrapped up a thumping innings-and-97-run victory over Hampshire inside three days at Chelmsford.

Image source, Rex Features

Resuming on 92-7, still 268 in arrears, Jamie Porter (5-24) polished off the tail to leave the visitors 115 all out.

Following on, Hampshire again lost regular wickets, with Porter (2-21), Simon Harmer (3-23) and Neil Wagner (2-39) bowling them out for only 148.

Centuries from Alistair Cook and Tom Westley set the platform for Essex, who temporarily go top of Division One.

Roger from Burnham-on-Crouch asks BBC Essex political reporter Simon Dedman for details about the leading political party attitudes to funding social care.

You can contact Simon (via Twitter @SiDedman, external) and ask other Election 2017 questions which are puzzling you.