You can find out more about the constituency here.

Sonia Watson
BBC Essex

The county's fire service was called out to nearly 14,000 incidents between April 2016 and April 2017 - almost 6,000 of which were false alarms.

BBC Essex has been told the majority of them are unavoidable and are usually by people calling 999 because they genuinely think there is a fire.

But after firefighters were called to a block of flats in Chelmsford 11 times in the last two weeks because of a faulty system - yes that's 11 times - BBC Essex learned that 40% of the fire service's call-outs are false.

And 2,500 of those are due to faulty alert systems..

Image source, Martin Addison/Geograph

Sonia Watson
BBC Essex

Essex Fire and Rescue Service was called out to more than 2,500 false alarms in the last financial year - due to faulty alert systems.

About 40% of its call outs were false alarms last year.

Assistant divisional officer Paul Gardner said the service works with businesses to avoid unnecessary call outs.

Greater Anglia is warning rail passengers about serious delays on its services.

The line is blocked between Chelmsford and Whitham...

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

Today will be dry and breezy but cloudy early on with skies brightening up later.

Some warm and sunny spells will develop.

Maximum Temperature: 19C (66F)

More details from BBC Weather:

Good morning from the team. We're here to bring you all the latest news, sport weather and travel as they happen throughout the day.

Almost 1,000 polling stations opened their doors across Essex about an hour ago and will remain open until 22:00 - and this will be a politics-free zone until then.

BBC Essex has discovered the county's fire service responded to hundreds of false alarms in the last financial year - we'll bring you the latest on that and other news across Essex.

Simon Dedman
BBC Essex political reporter

The leader of UKIP, Paul Nuttall, has told the BBC that his party has got a good chance of getting a new MP in the county in the general election.

UKIP's deputy leader Peter Whittle is standing for election in the South Basildon & East Thurrock constituency.

Both men have been campaigning in Basildon this afternoon. Mr Nuttall believes it's "winnable".

"Essex is strong part of the country for UKIP," he said.

"I think we've got a good chance of taking Thurrock. We're only 800 votes behind last time. It would take only a tiny swing for us to take that seat.

"Of course we are the opposition on the council there and we're targetting it to make sure we can get over the line."

That's all for our live updates today, thank you for joining us.

One of our main stories has been a dog which died after a kitchen fire in Braintree.

Elsewhere, an arrest was made in Basildon after "hoax bomb threats" were made to a church.

Scroll down to read more on these and other news items for the county.

We'll be back from tomorrow from 08:00 on what will be the day of the general election.

Have a great evening.

Julie Reinger
BBC Look East weather

There'll be outbreaks of rain spreading north-eastwards overnight, turning heavy at times.

Light to moderate south-westerly winds will give us lows of about 12C (54F).

The last of any overnight rain will clear tomorrow morning to leave a largely dry day with some bright or sunny intervals.

Some showers are possible but they won’t be for everyone.

The winds will pick up to a moderate to fresh south-westerly leading to a top temperature of 19C (66F).

There is just the small risk of some thunderstorms late in the day moving up from France.

Get a full forecast where you live, from BBC Weather.

Dawn Gerber

Greater Anglia has revealed a mock-up of its new look trains. The company is investing £1.4bn in an entire new fleet. Commuters travelling on the Norwich to London intercity service, the Stansted Express line and on some regional routes will have these new carriages.

A teenage boy has been stabbed in the leg in what police believe was a "targeted attack".

Image source, Google

The incident happened at Oaklands Crescent, Chelmsford, at about 18:25 yesterday.

The victim, aged in his mid-teens, was walking with a group of people when he was approached by three men on bikes.

One of the men then pushed him against a fence and stabbed him in the leg.

Two of the suspects are described as white and the other was mixed-race. One of the suspects wore a maroon jumper and two were wearing dark clothing, police said.

Det Sgt Dan Smith, from Essex Police, external, said: "This appears to have been a targeted attack against the victim and there is no reason for the wider public to be concerned.

“The victim’s injuries were not life threatening."

As we reported earlier, a dog has died after a fire broke out at a kitchen in a Braintree home.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service said it is believed the family pet jumped up on the cooker and accidentally turned it on. Items left on the cooker set alight and the kitchen was destroyed by flames.

BBC Essex reporter Pete Walker has been at the scene.

He said: "People living on this quiet residential cul-de-sac have told me they are devastated by the death of a pet dog in a fire at their neighbours home.

"Family members returned home yesterday evening to find the property full of smoke.

"They attempted to rescue the dog but it had died, and were themselves affected by the smoke which has left the house uninhabitable.

"Neighbours, friends and relatives are planning to clean up the fire damage at the home later this week."

A man has been arrested on suspicion of "making a bomb hoax" following threats towards a church, police say.

Image source, Google

Essex Police, external said officers were called to reports of a man making threats towards Swan Mead Christian Fellowship in Church Road, Basildon, shortly before 10:30 today.

Armed police attended and a 44-year-old man was arrested.

The church was closed to the public while officers searched the area.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of making a bomb hoax following threats towards Swan Mead Christian Fellowship in Basildon.

More to follow.....

A fire which saw five heavy goods vehicles going up in flames was started deliberately, police said.

The blaze broke out on Oxford Road, Clacton, shortly after 00:30 last Wednesday.

Essex Police said suspects entered a secure yard and set fire to the vehicles, causing an additional lorry to also be damaged.

Image source, Google

Meet the students who are now in the top 2% of the population in terms of their IQ.

A 27-year-old man from Harlow is due to appear before magistrates after a motorcyclist performed wheelies and took a selfie while driving on the M6.

Officers filmed the biker on Saturday afternoon between junction 12 and Stafford services, Staffordshire.

The motorcyclist was was seen riding his Yamaha R6 in a dangerous manner while speeding at times, the police said.

The 27-year-old has been charged and will appear in court at a later date.

A 24-year-old man was left with leg injuries after he was hit by a car which mounted the pavement and then drove off.

Essex Police, external said the incident involving a Ford Focus happened on King Edward Road, Laindon, at about 11:25 yesterday.

Police said the man's injuries were not life threatening.

Image source, Google

The animal is thought to have leapt on to it and accidentally turned it on, causing items left on it to catch fire.