A TRADER believes fallen fruit from two crab apple trees is posing a danger to pedestrians, and has called for the trees to be removed.

Kaye Thurgood, the owner of card shop Sincerely Yours in Hutton Road, Shenfield, said she had seen several people slip over on the crab apples, and one pensioner required stitches after a fall outside her shop.

Mrs Thurgood told the Gazette: "The fruits of the tree just coat the floor and get trodden into a slippery mess.

"It's not an accident waiting to happen – the accidents are already happening and they will just get worse.

"It would help if the council at least pruned the trees or cleared up the fruit, but they don't.

"I don't hate trees – in fact I would like more of them in the street, however this tree, at this point of the path, is hazardous.

"I have seen so many accidents, often involving elderly people and I am just highly concerned that something more serious will happen."

Mrs Thurgood said she had contacted Brentwood Borough Council but to no avail.

She added: "Pruning it regularly would help and so would sweeping up the fruit quickly when it starts dropping, but in the four years I have been here I have only seen it pruned once."

Clive Othen, the chairman of Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, said: "We are concerned with the number of incidents involving people slipping over on the fruits and injuring themselves.

"We would not like to see the removal of trees permanently.

"However, we would support the replacement of them with mature trees that are more suitable for the road.

"We are prepared to help pay towards these improvements."

An Essex County Council spokesman said: "Brentwood Borough Council undertakes inspection and maintenance on behalf of Essex Highways. Removal of healthy trees is unlikely.

"In my experience, in exceptional circumstances, there may be reason to remove a single tree if it is producing a significant excess of fruit and it was thought to be in the public interest.

"Pruning would only really have effect on fruit production in the year it was undertaken so is not really a viable solution to these type of issues."

A borough council spokesman said: "As part of our schedule, we sweep the pavement at Hutton Road for detritus, including any fallen fruit, every weekday.

"We would only prune the trees upon request from Essex County Council.

"There is no scheduled works for trees at this stage."

THE U13 girls' basketball team from St Martin's School in Hutton will play in the national finals this weekend after beating West Park School (Derby) 91-37 in the quarter-final of the competition.

The girls' U15 team narrowly missed out on a quarter-final place, losing to Northampton School for Girls 67-74.

Teacher and coach Tara Allen said: "This year's basketball season at St Martin's has been outstanding.

"Three girls' teams made it through to their respective age-group Essex Cup finals, with the U12 team being crowned county champions against Fitzwimarc School, Rayleigh.

"For our U13 girls to achieve a place in the last four in the country is exceptional."

NEW Essex signing Hamish Rutherford is an overseas player who ticks all the boxes, according to coach Paul Grayson.

The 24-year-old Kiwi joins the county as a replacement for Rob Quiney whose shoulder injury has forced the end of his tenure with the Essex squad.

Rutherford, who plays first-class cricket for Otago, is currently in this country as part of the Black Caps' Test and Twenty20 squad but will become available for all formats of the game once those schedules have been completed.

Grayson is delighted that the county have been able to bring the talented left-hander in for the remainder of the season.

"He is someone who ticks all the boxes. He's in the country, he has a visa and he's a good replacement for Rob.

"It's an opportunity for him to play league cricket and we welcome him to the club.

"I'm sure he'll have a massive impact.

"The coaching staff and myself look forward to working with him and are pleased that he is joining Essex.

"He is an attacking opening batsman that will definitely benefit us in both the Yorkshire Bank 40 competition and Friends Life t20 too.

"I was very impressed with how he played for New Zealand this winter against England and Hamish comes highly recommended from some good judges in the game, so will be a great acquisition for us I'm sure."

Rutherford quickly acclimatised to English conditions when he took 126 off the England Lions attack in a warm-up game at Leicester recently. He won the first of his three Test caps when selected to play for his country against England at Auckland in February 2013 and it proved to be a stunning debut.

The left-handed opening batsman struck 171 at Dunedin in March 2013, the seventh highest score on Test debut. In 25 first-class matches, he has accumulated 1,954 runs at 44.50 including a highest-score of 239 for Otago against Wellington in the Plunket Shield in March 2012. He has completed five other first-class hundreds plus seven half-centuries.

Son of former New Zealand captain Ken, in the 2011-12 Plunket Shield, Rutherford hit three centuries in four matches.

He has also made three T20 international appearances, all against England with his debut at Auckland in February 2013. In 45 T20 career innings including internationals, he has scored 952 runs at 21.15 embracing three half-centuries with a highest score of 87.

A renowned T20 specialist, Rutherford becomes the second Essex overseas signing for the competition joining Australian Test bowler Shaun Tait.

He is expected to make his first appearance for the county in the Yorkshire Bank 40 match with Scotland at the Essex County Ground on Sunday, June 2.

A GARDENING PR guru says she is lucky to be alive after her trailer carrying materials for the Chelsea Flower Show crashed on the M3.

Yet despite the scare, 51-year-old Claire Hart shovelled pots, garlics and rhubarbs back into her trailer and arrived in Chelsea just in time to help win gold for a Coggeshall-based seed company.

Kings Seeds, who are celebrating their 125th anniversary, won the 'environmental' category on Monday in their debut year.

Claire said her accident, after a tyre on the four-wheel caravan burst, could have cost them the gold.

"I could have been killed and written other people's cars off in the process," she said.

"It would have been harder for us to win if I had been in hospital but well, the show must go on."

Mrs Hart, who started marketing for the Monks Farm company last year, was journeying from her Ilminster home in Somerset when the pig trailer's wheel burst on the M3 near Basingstoke last Wednesday.

Because she was thankfully trained in how to skid, she swivelled herself 360 degrees into a lay-by. The trailer, which was raised off the ground, was destroyed.

Mrs Hart added: "The contents of the trailer were spewed all over the road and there were crates everywhere.

"I thought our garden designer Kathy Crouch is going to kill me, then I thought, "oh no", my friend Belinda, who owns the caravan, is going to kill me, and then I looked at the car and thought my husband is going to kill me!" said Mrs Hart, who was left unhurt and was surprisingly calm.

After fellow drivers rushed to help her, she shovelled terracotta pots on board to get to the show.

Kings Seeds' 15ft by 10ft wide garden was decorated with salad crops and an anniversary plaque made from seeds.

The Coggeshall team made it in four days within a budget of £15,000 – which also covered their hotel stay. Judges praised their victory as show debutantes.

Kings Seeds managing director Les Day, 60, said: "It's absolutely marvellous – we were all jumping up and down, we were so happy. It's brilliant to have won in our first year at Chelsea and we certainly weren't expecting it.

"We went there because it was our anniversary and we actually got to speak to the judges who said they were thrilled with our nostalgic display. They said it reminded them of how their granddads grew in the old days."

The son of a Second World War veteran who died in a house fire has spoken of his grief and disbelief at his father's death.

Phil Porter, who lives in Snakes Hill, last saw his 90-year-old father Harold, known as Boysie, the night before the fatal fire on November 4 when he spent an hour and a half with him chatting at his home.

Phil was just nine years old at the time.

After spending several years in care, Phil said his father was ultimately there to look after him in later life.

Phil, who is married to Pamela, 65, said, "I couldn't believe he was dead.

"I was talking to him for an hour-and-a-half the previous night.

"I used to see him every day I used to be able to pop in at all times of the day.

"He meant the world to me.

"He was not just a father, he was my mother and a friend too.

"I even took over his tree surgeon business."

He added: "We sometimes had different opinions but we always got on well together."

Phil admitted he has struggled to cope with his loss and said he had returned to the house, sometimes in the middle of the night, in the days after the tragedy.

The pair often talked about Boysie's wartime experiences – stories which Phil said were not always appreciated by his siblings.

Phil said: "My sister said that his wartime experiences were all he talked about but that was important to him. People complained that all he wanted to do is talk about the past but his response to that was he couldn't talk about the future, it isn't there.

"He had a wicked sense of humour – he had his wits. He was sharp and he could remember everything but the one thing he would not talk about was Burma. At least I've got his medals."

A PSYCHIC medium accused of hypnotising her lover claims she has been unfairly targeted because of her profession.

Tracie Long, 49, from Chelmsford, has rubbished courtroom claims that she duped ex-boyfriend Jim Gotobed into parting with cash – and his wife – using her psychic abilities during their brief affair.

She was also shocked by Chelmsford magistrates' decision to drop her harassment claims against the former racing driver after she reported his alleged behaviour to police following their split in October 2012.

"He threatened to kill me, he wouldn't leave my friends alone, and he reported me to the Spiritual Workers Association," Ms Long said after the trial.

"But I'm sure he was let off out of sympathy. He has a brilliant crying act that he probably used in front of the magistrates.

"I didn't even get to share all the background, which would have made such a difference."

In a trial at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court last week , Mr Gotobed, 50, was cleared of all charges of harassment brought by his ex-girlfriend

The court heard he had felt "hypnotised" after his meetings with the psychic medium, who he claims encouraged him to leave his wife of 25 years, and spoke of a "dark force" about him when she carried out tarot readings – claims that Ms Long fiercely denies.

The Romford resident went on to tell magistrates he had lavished up to £12,000 on the psychic after selling his racing car, guns, and guitar collection, as well as arranging for his wages to be paid into her account – although he is now unemployed.

But despite being accused of an "evasive testimony", Ms Long maintains that the claims in court were "nutty" and "ridiculous".

The connection between the two began 30 years ago when they were teenage sweethearts, even enjoying a brief spell engaged to be married.

But the pair began speaking again in February last year after making contact on Facebook.

"We spent the afternoon just talking. He said he had become interested in spiritual work," said Ms Long, who wants to open a training school for those hoping to become psychics.

"Just before I left he grabbed me, told me he had always loved me and then kissed me.

"He did offer to leave his wife but I told him several times not to do that for me, but only for himself.

"When they separated we did become involved and for a couple of weeks he even stayed in my house, although he upset neighbours and just sat at home so I quickly changed my mind and asked him to leave.

"I started to try and put some distance between us, but the more I did that the stranger his behaviour became.

"When it finally ended I felt relieved but it turned out that was just the start of it all."

Ms Long alleges that Mr Gotobed then began a tirade of harassment against her, her family and friends in an effort to get her back, which she reported to police on several occasions, and which culminated in the trial on May 15.

But rather than implement a restraining order on Mr Gotobed, who is now back living with wife Josie at their Romford address, or find him guilty of harassment, magistrates dismissed Ms Long's version of events.

"I can't believe what he's been saying about being hypnotised – I don't even know how to hypnotise anyone and if I did why would I target a short, fat man with no money?

"The only reading I carried out for him was in an attempt to contact his dead grandfather to find out where some money had been stashed away.

"He knows about my profession, and for whatever reason he's used that to target me and exact revenge for the relationship.

"People have told me to play the victim but I won't do it, I'm a strong person."

The Spiritual Workers Association did carry out an investigation of Ms Long but found no breach of their ethical code and reinstated her membership after a brief suspension.

She is now looking forward to time away from Essex on her international tour beginning this June and hopes to carry out readings in San Francisco, Ireland and the rest of the UK.

"To be honest I think his is a false victory because he's just ended up making himself look ridiculous," she added.

A SINGLE mother evicted from her home and forced to live in a hotel at taxpayers' expense has finally been housed by her local council.

Lisa Bowman, 33, now lives in Widford, Chelmsford, but the situation has not been completely resolved for her.

"It's only temporary, I could be here 24 hours or a year, but there's a fast turnover. The last woman who was here left after a week-and-a-half," Miss Bowman said.

"I was expecting to get a bedsit but I've actually been given a two-bedroom property, which is great because I can finally cook properly, bath Alfie and store our belongings.

"We can start doing normal things that we couldn't do before.

"But I don't know how long it's going to be so I can't settle down. Alfie can crawl around and have a bath without hurting himself. I can store food properly as well."

Miss Bowman was forced to move out when her landlord decided to sell the property.

But with nowhere to go she had to move into the Miami Hotel in Chelmsford, where she shared a bed with her son for six weeks, before finally being given temporary accommodation on May 14.

Miss Bowman could not afford to move into another private flat after leaving her job to have her son and was relying on milk vouchers, child tax credits and maternity pay, which has now stopped, to survive.

Her dilemma divided our readers, with scores of people writing in or leaving messages on our website to have their say.

"It was heart-breaking watching my son suffering every day and to see him change," she said. "He became so frustrated – he even bit me really hard on my finger and nearly drew blood.

"He was just getting really angry and he never used to be like that – he used to be a perfect, happy little baby.

"He's got very clingy because we spent so much time in one room, he gets upset when I leave the room to go to get something.

"Hopefully, he can get back to normal soon once we get a proper routine," Miss Bowman added.

She has even taken her fight as far as the Prime Minster – writing to Chelmsford MP Simon Burns, Duncan Lumley, councillor for Chelmer Village and Beaulieu Park, as well as David Cameron himself.

Miss Bowman said: "I won't let this go, you'll do anything for your kids. I've lost a stone just from not eating properly."

A Chelmsford City Council spokesman said: "Banding is based on need rather than the time a household has spent on the housing register. The time it takes to secure permanent accommodation is dependent on a number of factors, including how many suitable properties are available and how many other people are bidding on those properties. This changes on a weekly basis.

"It is common practice to move a household out of B&B accommodation as soon as temporary accommodation becomes available."

The Essex Birdwatching Society's May Field Trip was by luxury coach to the splendid north Norfolk coast, to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Reserve at Cley on a fine, bright day. Even before boarding the coach in Chelmsford a Sparrowhawk was seen perched on the gable roof of the County Hotel. On route Common Buzzard and Kestrel were seen, plus a Barn Owl flying adjacent to the road and farmland species of Bullfinch, Pheasant and Red-legged Partridge.

Once reaching our destination some of the group went to the hides where a selection of waders and water fowl were noted, including Avocet, Redshank, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Bar- and Black-tailed Godwit, Shelduck, Pintail, Gadwall, Pochard, Lapwing with young, Greylag Geese with goslings as well as Little Egret. Others in the group headed along the path leading to the shingle embankment protecting the Reserve from the sea. The elevated path allowed excellent views over the vast reed bed, where Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Bearded Tit were all seen along with three hunting Marsh Harriers.
  
Another section of the group took a stroll along Blakeney Point where a Bluethroat had been seen the previous day and again reported earlier during the morning. The sun was warm and the sea calm with the aroma of seaweed as the waves broke on the beach. In the clear blue sky Common, Sandwich and noisy Little Tern were returning from fishing trips far out to sea to their nesting colony further along the 'Point'. Cormorant and a group of five adult Gannet flew low over our heads. On the expanse of shingle towards the saltmarsh Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover and Little Ringed Plover were amongst the nesting species. We were also successful in locating the Bluethroat, a rare visitor from Scandinavia.

The refreshments and homemade cakes served in the Centre were very welcoming and enjoyed while looking out across the Reserve towards the sea where many Swifts, Swallows and House Martin were seen catching insects during the stillness of the early evening. Altogether the group identified nearly 90 species during the full day visit at this 'Mecca' for birds and everyone interested in bird watching. For further details and information about future friendly Field Trips along with other activities see the Essex Birdwatching Society website WWW.EBWS.ORG.UK

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 based on this that BCHS governors decided to appoint him as a replacement for Carol Mason, who stood down last spring.

Mr Drew, the head since September, will now feature in a six-parter called All Back To School, in which he will help to turn around the lives of young people with discipline problems.

Seen as a disciplinarian in Educating Essex, governors wanting to turn round the school's performance turned to him when it received a third satisfactory Ofsted rating in a row in February 2012.

All Back to School will feature children aged between 9 and 12, most of whom are on the brink of permanent exclusion from schools outside of BCHS.

Mr Drew will work with a team of specialists to help settle the kids into their own schools and allow them to benefit from the best possible education.

The children's behaviour won't be the only thing put under the microscope – their parents will also be going back to the classroom, where they will witness their child's bad behaviour first hand, as well as having to address their own parenting skills.

The six-programme series follows children and their parents as they spend time at a residential summer school run by Mr Drew. Looking at how the families function before, during and after their stay at the summer school.

Mr Drew said: "I watch very little TV so I don't know if I make good TV. I am told that is the case but I wouldn't be so presumptuous to assume that.

"One or two people have said something about my TV appearance in school but I don't make a big thing of it. I try to keep life outside school separate.

"It will be four weeks during which a whole raft of people will be brought in to support families and their children to be more successful in engaging in school life and organising themselves to give better opportunities for the future. A wide range of professionals will be used including teachers and family workers."

Channel 4 commissioning editor Katie Boyd said: "We're absolutely delighted to be working with Stephen Drew again.

"He is one of the most inspirational and generous-minded teachers in Britain, with an incredible track record."

A date for the show to air has yet to be fixed.

A DEDICATED husband and wife team – who communicate to one another at work via walkie-talkies – are celebrating their garden centre's 20th birthday.

James and Kate Richmond boasted just £1,000 between them when they married 25 years ago.

Yet with her passion for growing and his financial know-how, the two set up what is now Highwood's Greenbrook Garden Centre.

"It doesn't feel like we've been here five years, let alone 20 – it's gone very quickly," admitted keen cyclist and music-lover James.

Kate said: "When we first started I never thought we would become as big as we are now. We've grown at least ten times as big."

'Big' is an understatement, as the duo and their staff must communicate via a radio network because the five-acre site is so extensive.

Kate, a mother-of-two, said: "Because this is such a big site we don't always see each other. In fact, we can go an entire morning without seeing each other.

"But when we do work together, side by side, we don't really have a chance to be husband and wife, whereas we can be husband and wife at home."

The couple attribute their success, to buying-in high-quality products from as far as Holland, Spain and Italy, and then selling at affordable prices to scores of loyal customers and others who come from further afield for their gardening items.

And not just those who come in for instalments of compost – the couple say they get visits from "the suits" towards the end of the day too.

"Towards the end of the day we get the suits who come around to wander and simply to unwind. You know them and you don't approach them – you just let them have their time to themselves.

"You know they don't want any help and just want to walk around and unwind after a stressful day," said art enthusiast Kate.

Through the mazy routes of the centre, the team boast entire sections devoted to pots, sheds and more exotic products.

Kate says she is particularly proud of their Senetti plants from Holland, which exploded on to the market five years ago. They also currently boast a deal on hanging baskets at £9.99 and a three-for-£12 on 70-litre multi-purpose compost bags.

Now looking towards their 21st year, after their landmark earlier this month, the two are hoping for a sunny summer.

"The weather is our biggest driving force," said James.

Among the employees are 53-year-old Heather Cooley, who has been with them more than seven years, Jackie Hoskins, 12 years, and loyal Warren Bond, who has stuck with them for 17 years.

Highwood customer Mary Murrell said: "Nothing dies here unless I do something wrong, and it's because of the quality of the plants I buy here for sure."

THE Essex Tourism & Hospitality Awards are reflective of the Essex tourism and hospitality industries.

The awards act as a development opportunity in skills training and professionalism, and play an integral role in encouraging and rewarding excellence, innovation and commitment in the industries.

The awards are open to tourism and hospitality businesses and the excellent people who work in them. Please take the time to explore the website to find a category suitable for you. Simply by taking part you could improve your business performance in terms of turnover, profitability, quality, sustainability, staff morale and customer satisfaction.

The climax of the whole Essex Tourism and Hospitality Awards competition is, of course ... the winners award ceremony.

This glittering evening is built entirely around the finalists. By making it to the ceremony, all finalists will have demonstrated that they are the very best of Essex Tourism & Hospitality.

The ceremony celebrates success and excellence and is a showcase for Essex's fabulous products. Above all it provides finalists with a moment of well deserved glory which can be used to market, promote and improve their businesses still further.

The awards ceremony also acts as a beacon for all tourism and hospitality businesses in Essex, encouraging them to raise their game and become members of this quality elite.

All finalists will receive two complimentary places at the awards ceremony on Wednesday , October 23 at Boreham House, Chelmsford with the option to purchase extra tickets or whole tables.

Sponsored by Southend Airport

This award recognises the personal and professional achievement and contribution by an individual over many years to the Essex tourism industry.

An emphasis is placed on the activities and contribution of the nominee outside the expectations of normal employment. Suitable candidates may self nominate or be nominated by another party.

Please visit www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/tourism awards to make a nomination or to enter.

Sponsored by Colchester Institute

Young Chef of the Year is truly one of the most aspirational categories of the awards programme.

We are looking for a promising young culinary superstar who can show us they can put together an exciting and innovative menu and cook it!

If you are learning to cook at school or at home and you have a passion for cooking then send us your entry.

Colchester Institute is proud to be sponsoring the Young Chef of the Year category.

The hotel and catering industry is one of the largest for employment in the United Kingdom and the college understands the importance of encouraging the next generation to gain qualifications and experience in this ever growing field.

It has never been more important to ensure young people learn to live a healthy lifestyle, beginning with the ability to cook a range of nourishing food.

By sponsoring this category, Colchester Institute aims to highlight the importance of this to the next generation of chefs.

Students should be aged between 12 and 15 years and attending school or college in Essex.

How to enter

You can enter at www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/ hospitalityawards and click on the 'Young Chef of the Year' category! Or call Anne Pocock for an entry form on 01245 400878.

Sponsored by Chelmsford City Council

Customer service is at the heart of every successful business, so it is the contact with the customer that counts.

The moments of truth that your customers have with your organisation, from hitting your website, to phoning your organisation, to ordering a product or service, to receiving it and of course being able to help when things go wrong.

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There are three categories in the Customer Service of the Year Award

Best Restaurant Service

Best Tourism Service

Best Tourist Information Centre

Closing date for entries Friday, July 12.

For details of all the categories in the awards programme and how to enter visit the awards web site www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/tourismawards or www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/hospitalityawards

CONCERN is growing over proposals for an "overpowering" addition to Maldon High Street.

The application for a modern development of five residential houses and retail outlets has led to objections that it is simply a "massive block" out of keeping with neighbouring properties.

"This commercial proposal does not seem destined to thrive or if it does, it will be to the detriment of nearby premises such as those long-standing empty ones in Wenlock Way or in the High Street," said Judy Lea, of the Maldon Society.

"The number of units is achieved by a massive block, out of keeping with its neighbours and with a totally inappropriate roof line.

"There are areas of the High Street which perhaps could and should revert to housing, with commerce clustered in areas near to public car parks for example.

"If initiatives such as this application are allowed to spontaneously alter the footfall on the High Street itself, the cumulative effect will leave it in a more derelict state, which will be counterproductive."

Town councillors appeared to agree with this view after voicing objections at a meeting last month.

Comments were made on the "overpowering" nature of the proposals and members voiced their concern that work appeared to have already started on the site.

But architect Michael Tarring, of JC Starr Developments, believes the plans present a chance for regeneration.

"The scheme provides an exciting opportunity to contribute to the rejuvenation of the lower end of the High Street through an improved streetscape with greater retail facilities, a small number of high quality apartments and the forming of an attractive destination," said Mr Tarring

"This in turn would enhance the quality of street life, activity and footfall down Quest Place."

A date has not yet been set for discussion by Maldon District Council, despite a target decision date of May 21.

BADDOW Spartak Pumas U9s are celebrating a magnificent treble after going a whole season undefeated.

The Chelmsford team capped off a superb season last weekend when they lifted the Osea Spring League to add to the Dengie Osea League and the Osea League Cup.

Manager Simon Weedon said: "We have been together for three years, and the last two seasons have been appalling.

"We lost every week and the boys got to the stage where they just expected to lose.

"This season they have been outstanding and with our final game we finished winners of the Blackwater and Dengie Osea League, Osea League Cup Winners and Osea Spring League Winners."

The team formed three years ago starting out as a development squad just training.

"We joined the Blackwater & Dengie league as U7s, and played as under 7s and under 8s and didn't win a thing," said Simon.

"In fact, we have only won literally a handful of games in those two years and it was not unusual for us to lose by six or seven goals every week.

"This is our first official season playing competitive football and the transformation has been amazing. We have played 25 games, won 22 of them and drawn three, a whole season undefeated, scoring 123 goals and only conceding 26."

AN ENGLISH teacher who nearly died on her wedding night from a rare disease is sharing her experience with others after recovering.

Shenfield High School's Sarah Thomas, 30, spent six weeks in agony before being diagnosed with a condition called Central Nervous System Vasculitis.

She suffered a series of strokes and fell gravely ill while in Cyprus for her wedding and it was only after she was flown back to the UK and taken to Queens Hospital in Romford that her illness was diagnosed.

She now wants to warn others about the vasculitis group of diseases to try to help people get early diagnosis.

Mrs Thomas, who lives in Dagenham with husband Dean, 37, had suffered with joint and muscle pain for several years.

However, it was in August 2011, when she travelled to Paphos to marry Mr Thomas that matters came to a head.

"When I arrived in the morning I started to get stomach pains which worsened and became severe," she said. "I was put into hospital and they couldn't work out what was wrong with me.

"They let me out to get married for six hours before I had to return and I spent my wedding night there.

"They released me a few days later and that's when it all got worse – I had strokes and was put back in hospital. They decided I wasn't allowed home unless a doctor took me."

A doctor escorted Mrs Thomas on a flight back to the UK and once she arrived she was taken to Queen's Hospital. She said: "I went back to hospital where they put me in a stroke unit and I was the youngest by three decades.

"Thankfully, a neurologist had read into vasculitis and thought I should be tested for it.

"Finally, after six weeks in hospital I got a diagnosis."

Mrs Thomas explained how she was affected.

"I lost my speech and still have nerve damage in my hands and feet," she said.

"Being an English teacher it was quite embarrassing when Year 7s were better at writing than me."

She added: "I am very thankful that the school has supported me and helped me get back into work – you need to focus on something.

"I lost part of what I thought I could do. It's taken some counselling and time – now I know I have to constantly go to the doctors and am on medication and pills to keep my immune system in check.

Mrs Thomas said that the charity Vasculitis UK had been a great support for her, particularly in the aftermath of her time in hospital.

She said: "The cause of the condition is unknown and it seems it can strike at any time.

"More research needs to be carried out and the charity Vasculitis UK is trying to get more money to do that research – the more the better."

Mrs Thomas added: "Up until ten to 15 years ago the percentage of those living beyond the first two years was 20 per cent, but now it's more around 70 per cent. I want to make people aware and try to help out the charity.

"When you type the condition into Google you find horrifying things when you just want some good news.

"Speaking to the charity, particularly John Mills who runs it and also has vasculitis, was nice – it's good to talk to people that have it and could say they understand."

Mrs Thomas' husband Dean, 37, recalled what it was like during the most traumatic stage of his wife's illness.

"I was running on automatic, focusing on the time at hand," he said.

"The arduous part was waiting for diagnosis, not knowing what was happening and how it would affect our lives in the long term.

"I can't thank the staff at the Royal Artemis Hospital in Paphos and the staff on Sahara A ward at Queens Hospital, Romford, enough."

Mrs Thomas' mum Debbie Hewitt, 56, from Wokingham in Berkshire, struggled to explain how she felt seeing her daughter suffer.

She said: "It is hard to express such fear, anxiety and sheer heartbreak to have seen her suffering as she has.

"In looking back I am so pleased we all took that trip to Cyprus as I believe without all the tests and care my daughter was given there we may never have found out that she was suffering from vasculitis."

Mrs Thomas is planning to organise a walk along the Thames in June for people with vasculitis.

She said: "You generally don't hear of people with vasculitis walking long distances."

For more information visit www.vasculitis.org.uk