A TUNNEL will be built under a railway crossing at the centre of a safety row by March next year – at a cost of £4 million to the taxpayer.

Network Rail, the authority responsible for the UK's railway network, will construct the underpass beneath the tracks near Ingatestone station as a replacement for Footpath 37.

The path has been closed since September 2011 on the grounds that it is unsafe – despite the fact that there has never been a fatal accident or even a near miss on the crossing.

Villagers have been campaigning to get the footpath reopened but Network Rail has dug its heels in, insisting it is not safe to do so due to "insufficient sight lines" for pedestrians.

As previously reported in the Gazette, the firm had decided to erect a new crossing some 300m away off Heybridge Road.

To do this, Network Rail contractors had hacked back vegetation to the rear of properties in Heybridge Road – sparking anger from residents who said the security and privacy of their homes was being compromised.

As a result of this latest development, however, this plan will no longer go ahead.

Darren Hepple, 48, who has lived in Heybridge Road for the past 19 years, said: "We are overjoyed that Network Rail have decided not to go ahead with the temporary diversion but now they need to stick to their word to put an underpass in.

"The ball is firmly in Network Rail's court now and we really do need to see some positive moves from them to ensure we have a tunnel by next year."

He said we he was looking to set up a residents' group to start dialogue with Network Rail in order to return the area at the rear of his home to the wildlife sanctuary that he says has been damaged by the works.

Network Rail laid out its latest plan at a packed and at times fractious public meeting at Fryerning Parish Hall on Wednesday.

The firm's route managing director Richard Schofield said it was likely that a planning application for a tunnel under the railway could be expected in the next three months.

Speaking at the meeting, he said: "We are absolutely committed to solving this problem and we are committed to putting in a tunnel.

"It is not as easy as bringing in a tractor, but we have made stunning amounts of progress in the last six weeks."

Brentwood and Ongar MP Eric Pickles, who has campaigned for the crossing to be reopened, said: "I am more optimistic about the situation than I have been for a while.

"It's been a shoddy episode, but nevertheless, we seem to have an agreed way forward.

"But the important thing is to keep Network Rail to their word."

John Saxton, chairman of campaign group PROWL37 said: "Network Rail's credibility has gone from zero to a woefully negative value.

"Network Rail has increased its estimate of the tunnel cost to what would pay for the construction of about fifty houses. "

In order to keep Footpath 37 closed, Network Rail has periodically had to seek permission from Essex County Council.

A council spokesman said: "The current position is that Footpath 37 will remain closed until a permanent subway construction is built .

"Network Rail will be applying to Brentwood Borough Council for planning permission to build the new subway.

"The current temporary footpath diversion put in place by Network Rail will also be removed.

"Any fencing and draining works will be a matter for Network Rail to address."

A TRAVELLER who beat a father of four unconscious with a metal pole following a dispute about a child's quad bike has been jailed for three years.

Wayne Buckley, from Heybridge, subjected David Holroyd to a "dangerously persistent and prolonged attack" in July last year and was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday.

The brutal incident left Mr Holroyd, 39, with a broken jaw, a fractured cheekbone and a permanent scar across his nose.

It also traumatised his wife and 16-year-old daughter, who both witnessed the salesman being battered unconscious outside his home in Woodham Road, Stow Maries.

"I'm pleased he's in jail but I would've thought he deserved a longer sentence," said Mr Holroyd. "He's just trouble, I know people in Maldon who won't walk on the same side of the road as him."

The attack stemmed from an incident that unfolded more than six years ago when Mr Holroyd believed his children's quad bikes were stolen by Buckley, of Hillar Close.

"I didn't have any evidence but I was sure it was him," Mr Holroyd told the Chronicle after the hearing. "He was near the house and then the next night they were gone."

"The night of the incident I had been round a friend's house and as I left to go home I saw Buckley with some lads standing in the road, which was strange because we live in the middle of nowhere.

"We ended up having words about the quad bikes and then Wayne turned around and asked me to fight."

Angry and upset by the confrontation, Mr Holroyd admits he then made insulting remarks about Buckley's links to the travelling community, but from there the situation rapidly escalated out of control.

"My family came out the house and told me to come inside, but as I turned to walk away he hit me with a weapon – and that's the last thing I can remember," added Mr Holroyd.

Buckley beat Mr Holroyd, who has four daughters, unconscious with a metal pole taken from the boot of his car before police were called and he was rushed to hospital.

Buckley had denied striking Mr Holroyd with a weapon, claiming instead that he had punched him with a clenched fist.

But this was rejected by the court, who found him guilty of the attack last week.

Passing down the sentence, Judge Silas Reid described the assault as serious, adding that the only appropriate punishment was prison.

"This was a dangerously persistent and prolonged attack with a weapon. He was walking away from you and it took place in front of his wife.

"It was an absolutely terrifying incident to see and his wife was left screaming in fear."

VANDALS damaged a newly refurbished play park just days before its re-opening.

The Love Lane play equipment was officially opened on Friday and was deemed a success for local campaigners the Ongar Mums Group (OMG) and the Ongar Town Council.

However, the vandals decided to set the grass and rubbish bin alight, graffiti the fence, pull up protective matting and carve names into picnic tables.

The damage, which happened on May 8, has since been repaired by the council.

The vandalism was captured on CCTV and the footage has been passed on to the police.

OMG's Liz May said: "It is just really disappointing.

"It had only just been built so you wonder why they had to do it."

She added: "The council repaired it very quickly so I am thankful for that, but it didn't need to happen."

OMG raised nearly £1,800 for the refurbishment and suggested the idea to the town council earlier this year.

Town council clerk Aimi Middlehurst said: "It was regrettable that it happened but the damage was minimal and the park is up and running."

A FARMER and former parish councillor died after falling from a petrol tanker at his airfield in Rayne.

David McGregor suffered critical injuries after the incident at Rayne Hall Farm, Shalford Road, last Thursday at around 10am.

An air ambulance took Mr McGregor, who was in his 70s, to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Doctors and paramedics tried to resuscitate him on the way but he was later pronounced dead.

A former Rayne parish councillor, Mr McGregor was known in the village for being very community minded – even selling part of his land so that All Saints Church next door could expand its churchyard.

Steve Park, 65, of Rayne Hall Green and neighbour of Mr McGregor for ten years, said: "He was a prominent person in the village and he'll be sorely missed."

Another neighbour told the Chronicle: "He was a great neighbour and a nice guy, it's such a shock."

He had previously collapsed in a local Tesco but at this stage it is unknown whether this incident and the events surrounding his death are connected.

Health and safety officials attended the scene on Thursday and are still investigating the non-suspicious death.

The head teacher of Brentwood County High School, Stephen Drew, has landed his own TV series, sending parents and children back to school.

Drew found fame in Channel 4's fly-on-the-wall series Educating Essex as deputy head of Passmores Academy in Harlow, and it was from that BCHS governors decided to appoint him as a replacement for Carol Mason who stood down last spring.

He will now feature in a six-part series, with a working title All Back To School, in which he will help to turn around the lives of young people with problems.

Seen as a tough disciplinarian in Educating Essex, governors at BCHS turned to him in a bid to improve round the school's performance after demanding change when it received a third satisfactory Ofsted rating in a row in February 2012.

At his appointment the 40-year-old said he wanted to aim for the school reaching a good Ofsted level by the end of the year.

In the new Channel 4 programme, he will work with children aged between nine and 12, many on the brink of permanent exclusion, at a residential summer school.

He will work with a team of specialists to get the best from the youngsters but parents will also be in the school to witness the troublesome behaviour and have their own parenting skills examined.

Katie Boyd, who commissioned the series for the station, said: "He is one of the most inspirational and generous-minded teachers in Britain, with an incredible track record. If anyone can turnaround families at rock bottom, he can."

A BRAINTREE businessman is pleading for the public's help after £50,000 worth of sports gear was stolen in a burglary on his warehouse.

The burglars made off with a haul of top of the range Adidas, Mizuno and Asics trainers, along with a variety of clothes, hockey shoes and sports equipment from Alliance Sports in Dunmow Road, Rayne.

Neil Stanhope, owner of Alliance Sports, said: "They were obviously professionals and had cased the place out beforehand.

"It's very frustrating as a small business to have this inconvenience and hassle caused by mindless thugs who just want to break in, take what they want, potentially endangering people's jobs and employment."

The raid happened on the night of April 23. The thieves smashed their way in causing considerable damage to one of the warehouse walls.

The shoes and clothing stolen was of a specialist variety, as the sports outlet mainly stocks equipment and clothing for clubs and enthusiasts.

"The products stolen weren't the kind of stuff you can just get in a general high street store, it's quite unusual so it would be easily spotted if people know what to look for," he said.

"Hopefully someone will recognise the stolen items and we would appreciate anyone with information coming forward to police."

Police want to speak to anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area or may have been offered cheap sportswear.

Anyone with any information can contact PC Daniel Parrish at Braintree police station on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Firefighters are currently tackling an incident in Little Leighs, Chelmsford involving 20 tonnes of hay that is alight. 

The incident began at around 3pm this afternoon and crews are still attempting to manage the blaze in the village on Church Lane.  

It is anticipated they will remain for some time to come. 

A WOODSMAN who moulded country parks across Essex so well that he was compared to landscaping legend Capability Brown has died, aged 86.

Nature-lover Vic Fisher started his career as a woodsman and keeper at Weald Country Park in Brentwood in 1953, earning £6 a week.

The father of four, who attended King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, ended up as parks manager for Essex County Council, retiring in 1977 before relocating to Norfolk.

Reflecting on her father's career, his youngest daughter, Anne Fisher, 53, said: "He moulded the parks across the county and was described as like Capability Brown."

Mr Fisher, a former Merchant Navy seaman, died in the company of his family on May 3 at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford after suffering a stroke on April 29.

His legacy can be seen in country parks across Essex but, according to Miss Fisher, Weald Country Park held a special place in his heart.

When he started out at the park in 1953, he brandished his billhook and scythe and began the task of clearing the area and thinning the forests with some gusto.

"There were no chainsaws back then," said Miss Fisher, who was born in the keeper's lodge at Weald Country Park.

"Everything was done by hand and with backbreaking hard work."

The retired care home manager added: "He loved nature and was incredibly knowledgeable on all things outdoors.

"He could talk for hours on the subject."

Miss Fisher said she will remember her father as a person who could strike up a conversation with anybody.

She said: "Wherever he went he would find someone to talk about nature with."

Mr Fisher's love of the countryside filtered down through the family – indeed his daughter Valerie married his deputy John Wells.

His eldest daughter Angie Radley, 65, a retired horticulturalist, said: "The parks were his life. Our whole family is only happy when we are outdoors."

It was only a change in the nature of his job that prompted Mr Fisher to leave and become a nurseryman up in Norfolk, living in Briston until his death.

Mrs Radley explained: "He left because of the increasing paperwork.

"He loved being outdoors and it just kept him inside.

Mrs Fisher added: "All the parks in the county, from his favourites at Thorndon and Weald, through to those on the borders of Suffolk bear his mark.

"He touched so many people, including those who had the misfortune to be caught poaching rabbits in the park.

"At over six foot, the sight of him and his Labradors would send any poacher running."

Mr Fisher was born and raised on a farm near Writtle and, according to Miss Fisher, he considered himself "a proper Essex boy".

She added: "He despised the TV's recent view of Essex and would have broken the telly if he had to endure The Only Way Is Essex."

When it came to sport he was said to be anti-football and would often refer to the stars of today as "overpaid idiots who just fall over".

Mrs Radley added: "He was a boxing man – he used to box when he was in the navy."

His family thanked Broomfield Stroke Unit for caring for Mr Fisher.

Those wishing to make donation in his memory should give to the unit.

He leaves behind widow Doris, four children, nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

DID you know Mr Fisher? Leave your comments below or email the newsdesk on editorial@gazette-news.co.uk

A DRUNK partygoer has reimbursed a taxi driver £10 after she fled without paying her fare – but left her company ID in his cab.

Martyn Oakley, 38, picked the woman up outside Evoke nightclub on Wednesday, April 17, at about midnight.

After dropping her off in Springfield she refused to pay and stumbled to her door, but left her work ID behind and was also caught on his CCTV camera.

The woman paid the £10 fare into his account after she was contacted by the Chronicle and then the police, although she has not apologised to him directly.

The Chronicle has chosen not to name her, however, after she expressed fears that she would lose her job.

"I accept the fare, but it's about stopping these people doing runners.

"It's not about the money," said Chelmsford-based Mr Oakley.

"I told the police that I'm out here to make a living, it's my livelihood.

"At the end of the day it's happening more and more and if you ask any drivers down on the station rank you will get the same old story."

After calling police, they attended at about 12.30am and Mr Oakley says they came complete with a dog unit.

The woman, who is very upset about her actions, agreed to make amends after the Chronicle spoke to her and got her partner to call Mr Oakley.

Mr Oakley, like various other cabbies who want more police and CCTV protection, highlights Section Three of the Theft Act 1978.

It states that a person who dishonestly makes off without having paid, with intent to avoid payment, is guilty of a criminal offence.

Last year Mr Oakley picked a woman up from Evoke nightclub to take her home to Stapleford Abbotts – a £70 fare – yet she refused to pay, leading to an argument, before her father came out – kicking and denting his car.

BRAINTREE Town boss Alan Devonshire says it has been a quiet couple of weeks since the season ended in the Blue Square Bet Premier and that no enquiries have been made for his players yet.

"Things are fine at the club at the moment. I'm keeping myself busy working," he said.

"There isn't any news on any player departures just, it's been quite quiet, but there might be something by the end of this week. I've had no phone calls from clubs for my players either."

After finishing in ninth place at the end of last season, Devonshire insists he doesn't want to get carried away by an even higher finish next year and that staying in the division is the first aim.

"At the end of the day, it's going to be harder next year but all we've got to do is stay in the league," he said. "The aim is to do to what we've done over the past two years and that's to stay here, that's what it's all about.

"I don't want to get carried away because it's going to be difficult again."

And with Southend United and Portsmouth arranged for pre-season matches, the boss says the club are working on other games

He said: "We've got a couple of good pre-season games lined up, so I'm happy with that – we're working on some other ones to arrange at the moment."

A DISTRAUGHT Chinese expat is offering a £600 reward to anyone who can recover his wedding day photos after his Chelmsford home was burgled.

Sky Fong, 38, who lives with his wife Happy in a house share in Meadgate Avenue, is struggling to sleep at night after the photos, which included some of his late father, were taken.

Mr Fong, who lost about £1,600 worth of belongings on April 26, has even put up reward posters in his local Co-operative and on lampposts in the area.

Speaking to the Chronicle, he pleaded with readers to help bring the burglar to justice so he can be reunited with his pictures.

"Please help bring my memories back," he said.

"I couldn't sleep for two days and I feel like no one can help me, so I put posters nearby so I can give some money to anyone who can find it," said Mr Fong.

"If I get them back I would be really happy. The poster says £400 but I will now pay £600 because I also lost all my pictures of my daddy who just passed away.

"I'm no rich man but these pictures are so important. Money can't buy those memories."

As well as the two hard drives containing more than 300 professional photos, he lost a sports bag, a hair dryer, an iPod, a memory stick and a Sony Ericsson phone.

Mr Fong, who moved from Hong Kong about nine years ago, was at work at the IZUMI Chinese buffet restaurant in Brentwood between 1.10pm and 11pm when his home was raided.

He and his wife, who married in Tunbridge Wells in 2009, are both devastated following the incident, while Mr Fong says he wakes up in distress at 5am every morning.

Mr Fong had just returned from China on the Saturday before the incident, after taking the body of his father, who died in March, back home.

"Sometimes at night I would turn on the computer to see the pictures of my daddy," he said.

"It was really upsetting when me and my father argued in hospital, but we could still talk to each other again later and stop arguing.

"It's really horrible now that we can't speak. He passed away and I can't do anything. I don't want anybody to feel that, it's horrible."

The entire five-bedroom house share was raided yet fellow residents have declined to speak to the police, and also the Essex Chronicle.

Anyone with information can either contact Detective Constable Chris Sydric on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Mr Fong also urges readers to contact him directly on 07861 499 879 if they can help.

A TENNIS prodigy from Billericay has been showcasing his talents in front of national scouts. Alexander Groves, 11, was invited to the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton where he played in front of the LTA Talent ID team, aiming to spot future top players.

A total of 41 youngsters were invited to the sessions, with one held at Roehampton and another at the Bolton Arena.

Even at the tender age of 11, the LTA are able to identify possible elite players with the right attributes to make a real impact on the sport.

Groves, who goes to New Hall School in Chelmsford, said: "I didn't have many nerves at all because I think it was something like my fifth talent ID, so I knew what to expect.

"It was good though. I've been working really hard on my forehand so I hoped I could show that."

The day was overseen by LTA head of talent management, Andrew Lewandowski, who was impressed by what he saw.

He said: "The players performed really well and showed lots of ability across a number of different tasks.

"These tested qualities including athletic ability, coordination, speed and agility and a real natural talent and love for the sport.

"It was fantastic to see so many enthusiastic and talented players give it their all.

"The LTA are committed to developing and supporting talent, and we now have the systems in place to give players like these the best possible chance of reaching their potential, so I look forward to seeing them progress."

A CHELMSFORD taxi driver who claims he was reversed into by a fellow cabbie over a territory dispute is furious after police chose not to prosecute.

Driver Arron Grattin caught the Maldon-registered taxi picking up a group of revellers from Duke Street, Chelmsford, in the early hours of May 5, despite it being unlicensed to work in the area.

As both cars dropped off the large group of passengers on Bank Street, Braintree, at 2am he decided to confront the man in his cab.

"As soon as I dropped my group off I saw the other car drop his passengers round the corner," explained Arron, 22, from Braintree. "I went over to him and asked why he was taking fares from Chelmsford when he is not allowed.

"He got annoyed and wanted to drive off, so he reversed his car and hit me three times.

"Now I'm on crutches and I can't really work because the impact has damaged the nerves in my knee."

The injured 22-year-old then says he waited 90 minutes for police after reporting the incident, but claims no officers arrived.

"I called back after an hour and they said they were really sorry but there was nothing they could do," added Arron, who pays £400 per year for his taxi licence.

"I was not going to wait any longer for an ambulance so I tried to get into my cab and drive, but I had to stop and order one because it was too painful.

"When I got to the hospital they said to rest it out as long as possible, it has affected my livelihood."

He is outraged that police have dealt with the matter through neighbourhood or community resolution, an approach where the officer decides if criminals and their victims can agree to resolve an offence without the need for a prosecution.

From May 2010 to June last year, Essex Police dealt with 6,386 crimes using Neighbourhood Resolution.

Many of the crimes relate to common assault, shoplifting and criminal damage. However, more serious offences such as blackmail, grievous bodily harm and death threats have also been dealt with in this way.

"I don't think that is the best message to send to other people – that you can get away with something as terrible as that if it is your first offence.

"I thought this incident would have been more than enough, but what needs to happen? Does someone need to be killed? It shouldn't have to get that far."

Arron, who has been a cabbie for just a year has now arranged a meeting with staff at Chelmsford City Council to discuss how they can do more to assist fellow taxi drivers.

"We want people to realise that if you are licensed in Maldon you do not come to Chelmsford and start nicking our work because your area is not doing so well.

"People who have been doing this job in Chelmsford tell me it has always been the same; it is a free-for-all," he added.

A police spokesman said: "Police investigated a collision in Bank Street, Braintree, between a car and a pedestrian.

"The incident occurred between 3am and 3.10am on May 5 where a 22-year-old suffered injuries to his leg.

"A 35-year-old driver from Maldon was dealt with by community resolution."

COMMUNITY-MINDED residents in Ongar and North Weald are now being trained to respond to emergencies such as flooding – and possibly save lives in the process.

The Community Emergency Response Volunteer (CERV) initiative was launched at North Weald Airfield.

The scheme is initially being rolled out across Epping Forest and Harlow but could be adopted countywide if it proves to be a success.

It came out of Epping Forest District Council's (EFDC) plans for the 2012 Olympics and involves training up people in the community to help out and respond quickly in the event of a public emergency.

"They could be involved in anything from flooding to dealing with snow," said Tom Knibbs, emergency planning officer at EFDC.

"Their training would be geared towards the issues that are most likely in their area.

"This could be being prepped on opening up evacuation centres, such as village halls, or getting out and gritting paths in winter.

"Initial training will be done by the Essex fire service and monthly two hour sessions will keep the volunteers up to scratch.

"Having these volunteers within the community could be lifesaving because getting emergency services on the ground, especially in rural areas, can be slow."

He added: "Part of the training will just be myth-busting. For example, some people believe that they can't go out and grit paths because they might be sued, but this simply isn't the case."

Mr Knibbs, who lives in Chelmsford, has been working on the scheme for more than six months.

"It was born out of our Olympic planning," he said.

"We decided to have volunteers trained up in the event of an emergency at the Lea Valley Centre, especially in the case of an evacuation.

"From this came the idea of having the scheme across the district and today we have finally launched."

To deliver the scheme, the council is working in partnership with Harlow Council, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, the Cabinet Office, and Voluntary Action Epping Forest (VAEF), an umbrella group for voluntary and community organisations in the area.

The fire service will provide the training for the scheme while VAEF will help to recruit volunteers.

Jacqui Foile, chief officer of VAEF, said: "We hope to bring in volunteers to this scheme.

"We recruit for many charities and have worked with the council before.

"Hopefully we can work together to really lift the scheme off the ground and get it rolling."

If you wish to volunteer or want more information, visit www.cerv.co.uk

MASTERCHEF judge Gregg Wallace served shoppers in Chelmsford barbecued food to mark the launch of a new range of garden furniture in his name.

The TV star turned chef for the day as he cooked on the Gregg Wallace Firepit and Grill and signed copies of his book Life On A Plate at the Kensington Garden Furniture Store in The Riverside Retail Park, Chelmsford.

Steve Worricker, joint owner of Kensington, said: "Every year we exhibit at the Ideal Home Show, and my business partner, Russell, met Gregg there. We decided to produce a product together and it's been very well received so far."

There was also a prize draw for an Essex Chronicle competition to win a meal for two with Gregg.

The winner was Angela Allan from Springfield, Chelmsford, who will get to dine with Greg Wallace at one of his restaurants in either Putney or Bermondsey.