Updates on Friday, 7 July 2017
Ambulance driver cleared of causing death 77-year-old pedestrian
Witham armed robber gets 15 year sentence
Squatters take over 'unlocked' former Job Centre building
Fire service staff visit high-rise block residents over safety concerns
'Care will continue' as provider pulls out, council leader says
MP vows to prevent 'diminishment' of hospital services in Southend
Colchester sign goalkeeper released by Premier League club
Mears Group, a major firm providing home care for elderly and vulnerable people, is withdrawing its services to Essex County Council after 15 years.
It says its decision is "over concerns for safety and pay conditions".
A series of public consultation events start today, about growth at Stansted Airport.
Bosses want to handle 44 million passengers a year by 2030. At the moment the airport handles 25 million passengers.
Essex is bracing itself for thunderstorms. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather alert, and is warning of flash flooding.
Image source, Getty ImagesA man's still in a critical condition in hospital after being bitten by a dog in Walton.
The 73-year-old became unwell last Tuesday, two days after he was attacked in Naze Court, off Old Lane. Police are still looking for the dog's owner.
Image source, Google
Nic Rigby
BBC News
An investigation's started to try and work out what caused a fire last night, involving a stack of cars, at a scrap yard in South Ockenden.
Image source, Essex County Fire and Rescue ServiceAt its height, 40 firefighters were at Dennises Lane dealing with it; some were looking after cows in a neighbouring field.
There are no reports of any injuries.
Image source, Essex County Fire and Rescue ServicePolice say they've found a family from Canvey Island who went missing.
Cheryl Wilkins, 31, and her young sons, Dylan and Leo, turned up in Torquay last night.
A second man has been arrested over the death of a Stanford-Le-Hope man at a petrol station on the M25.
Image source, GoogleHughie Saunders, 20, died after being attacked at Cobham services (pictured) in Surrey last week.
An 18-year-old man has already been charged with his murder, and is due to go on trial later this year.
Lucy Martin
BBC Weather
A warm start to the day, with sunny spells after any early fog.
Increasing risk of thunderstorms mainly later in the day, with local intense downpours and possible hail, bringing the risk of sudden flooding.
Feeling very warm and humid by the afternoon, with highs of 26C (79F).
Get the latest on the weather where you live on the BBC Weather website.
Nic Rigby
BBC News
Hello and welcome to BBC Local Live for Essex.
We'll be providing the latest news, sport and travel for the county from now until 18:00.
But first we'll have the weather coming up shortly.
Have a great dat
Vera Warren, 93, and sister Edna Bright, 91, were aged 11 when they joined their church choir.
Read MoreThat's all from the Local Live team for Essex today - but, of course, we will update this feed with any breaking news overnight.
Take a scroll down the timeline to see the stories that have been hitting the headlines across the county today.
We will be back at our keyboards from 08:00 tomorrow - join us then.
Have a great evening.
A summer crackdown on drink and drug-driving led to nearly 110 people being arrested in Essex last month.
The 107 arrests made were slightly up on the nearest comparable figures collected two years ago.
Essex Police's , externalCasualty Reduction Manager Adam Pipe said it was "disappointing" that so many still flout the law.
"Not only are we arresting people, but 8.5% of collisions that we've attended come back as showing that a driver was positive so we've still got a significant number of collisions that have occurred through drink or drugs," he said.
A suspected robber has been arrested after being tackled by members of the public at a post office today.
Image source, GooglePolice received reports of a robbery in Market Street, Harwich, at around 12.20.
A man demanded cash from the till but was then stopped from leaving by members of the public.
Officers arrested a 30-year-old from Harwich on suspicion of robbery and he is in custody for questioning.
Conservative James Duddridge is the first MP to take advantage of relaxed dress rules and speak at PMQs without a tie.
Read MoreThe defence'a closing speeches will start this afternoon in the case of Simon Dobbin, who suffered permanent brain damage after being attacked in Southend two years ago.
Image source, Family photoMr Dobbin, who's a Cambridge United fan from Mildenhall in Suffolk, was assaulted near The Railway pub after a match and can no longer walk or talk.
Thirteen men, aged between 21 and 41, from Essex, deny conspiracy to commit violent disorder.
The prosecution at Basildon Crown Court has claimed the attack was a "carefully prepared ambush".
The trial continues.
A body has been found in a Colchester river after a man went missing following a night out at the weekend, police have said, external.
Callum Brown, 21, of Wivenhoe, disappeared after going out with friends to the Cube Bar in Colchester and was last seen just after midnight on Saturday morning.
A member of the public found the body in Lower Castle Park at about 11:20 today.
It's not been formally identified, but Callum Brown's family have been informed of the discovery.
Officers say, at this stage, the death isn't being treated as suspicious.
A safety warning has been issued about releasing paper lanterns into the sky after one got snagged on a TV aerial in Southend last night.
Firefighters were called out to reports of a roof blaze at about 22:20.
When crews arrived at the house in Rackenford they found the lantern hadn't sparked a fire, and managed to climb on to the roof to retrieve it.
Neil Fenwick, from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, external, said it showed how "dangerous" they could be.
"These lanterns are made to be launched over the sea and they are not appropriate for use inland," he said.
"They often land still alight and if they land on something flammable fire can soon spread, especially in this in dry weather."
Hughie Saunders, nicknamed Quhey, died from head injuries after a fight at Cobham services.
Read MoreThe man in charge of a re-organisation of Essex's hospitals has insisted casualty units will not be downgraded.
NHS managers have been considering turning Basildon into a specialist accident and emergency department, which has prompted fears about the future of Southend and Broomfield.
But Basildon Hospital's Chief Transformation Officer Tom Abell has told BBC Essex there are no plans to close the units.
He said: "We are not proposing to shut the doors - what we are looking at are other opportunities whereby patients could be seen and treated in the A&E department and transferred to the most appropriate specialist centre.
"We currently do that with certain conditions already."
An 18-year-old man accused of murdering a former non-league footballer in Grays has appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court this morning.
Image source, Elliot MercerIt's alleged Jack Taylor, from Oakley Close in the town, stabbed Kevin Malthouse, 24, (pictured right) in the early hours of Saturday in Blackshots Lane.
Mr Taylor appeared with a white bandage on his head and a scratch on his right temple and spoke to confirm his name.
His barrister, Michael Crimp, indicated he would plead not guilty.
The next hearing will take place on 29 August, while the trial should start on 20 November.
Mr Taylor has been remanded in custody.
A 22-year-old man, who was also arrested, has been bailed pending further inquiries.