A BURNHAM man has been charged with drink-driving following the launch of Essex Police's Summer Anti-Drink-Drive campaign.

Rodney Adams, 46, of Ferry Road was due to appear before magistrates on Wednesday (June 5) after being arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The arrest came just three days after the launch of the countywide campaign in which officers are aiming to crack down on those who choose to get behind the wheel under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

They will be stepping up road checks in towns with bustling night time economies and rural areas where some drivers believe they have less chance of getting caught drunk behind the wheel.

Adam Pipe, Essex Police's Casualty Reduction Manager, said: "Drinking and driving is a lethal combination but for reasons I will never understand there are still some selfish and foolish people who choose to drink and drive, putting themselves and the lives of other innocent road users at risk.

"We are all hoping for some warmer weather soon and want everyone to enjoy their summer. But with the arrival of the sun comes lazy afternoon BBQs, drinks in pub gardens and the temptation to have 'just one more'.

"Just one or two pints of beer or a glass of wine could put your over the limit but we're pushing home the message that just one drink is too many."

Visitors to the Essex Police website will be able to find out how many people are arrested for drink driving during the campaign.

A totaliser showing the number of people breathalysed and found to be driving over the legal alcohol limit will be regularly updated at www.essex.police.uk/summerdrinkdrive

POLICE believe burglars who stole a safe, cash and passports from a Roxwell home are connected to the culprits behind a Pleshey burglary on the same day.

E-fits of the suspects have been released after thieves forced open a bungalow back door in Vicarage Road, where they were earlier spotted, between 8.30am and 11.15am on Friday, May 17.

Between 10.15am and 1.15pm, thieves also broke through a downstairs bathroom on Pleshey road, taking jewellery, cash and a uniquely designed mug.

The men are described as white and between 19 and 22 years old. One has dark brown hair and "sticking out" ears and was wearing light grey tracksuit bottoms with a light grey long sleeved top. The other man has ginger hair, pale skin and was also wearing a light grey long sleeved top and grey tracksuit bottoms.

Anyone with any information should contact Chelmsford CID on Essex Police 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A POLITICIAN has condemned a court order forcing him to pay almost £2,000 in unpaid tax as an "abuse of process" by the council he sits on.

Maldon district councillor Stephen Savage was ordered by magistrates at a hearing on Wednesday last week to pay the authority £1,942.92 to settle his council tax arrears, which have built up since 2010.

But the unemployed representative for Maldon East launched a tirade against council officers during the hearing in which he accused them of breaking a prior agreement in taking him to court over the matter.

"Maldon District Council has brought a malicious case aided and abetted by the local authority. I believe this was about more than council tax, it was personal," Mr Savage told the Chronicle after the hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court.

The 62-year-old told magistrates that he had reached a prior arrangement with both senior officers, and the chief executive, at Maldon District Council that he would pay £57 each month in council tax, about 50 per cent of what was due.

He maintained the temporary agreement was in place until a wider decision on his entitlement to benefits could be reached.

"Then for reasons I do not know the council have abandoned that undertaking and proceeded to court," added Mr Savage, after the decision last week.

"Before I first even appeared at the magistrates I allowed a fellow councillor to intercede on my behalf and try to broker a deal to avoid it reaching this stage. I had offered to pay the whole lot in one lump sum but officers refused the money."

However, after listening to Mr Savage's allegations against the council, District Judge John Woollard issued the liability order forcing him to pay the unpaid tax which dates from April 2010 to April 2013, and warned that if the former town mayor failed to do so he may face enforcement proceedings.

The case follows a series of disputes over claims made by Mr Savage, who was prosecuted by the Department of Work and Pensions for falsely claiming Jobseeker's Allowance between 2007 and 2009, although he was later found not guilty in January 2011.

Then the Government tried to get him to pay back £5,000 in benefits they said he was not entitled to because he was claiming expenses as an elected councillor.

He still maintains his benefit entitlements are yet to be decided.

"So how on earth can the council work out council tax?" he asked during the hearing.

Mr Savage, who received 254 votes in the 2011 elections, also believes any victory by the council is undermined by the expense of taking the case to court.

"They have just wasted taxpayer's money with no benefit," he said.

District councillor Adrian Fluker had tried to intervene prior to the court case on Mr Savage's behalf.

"Mindful of the legal costs involved and given the complexity of this case I made an offer of settlement to the local authority on behalf of Mr Savage. The offer was refused," he said.

A statement from Maldon District Council said: "The council takes rigorous action to recover all council tax debts."

It added: "

"We would not refuse to accept payment, and if full payment of the summonsed amount was made prior to the court hearing no further action would be taken, and the application for a liability order would not be pursued."

ARMED police raided a house in Braintree and arrested a man in connection with trafficking more than 1,000 kilograms of cannabis and amphetamines.

Coggeshall Road was closed at around 6pm by undercover officers last Wednesday as a helicopter and armed police from the Serious Organised Crime Agency searched the property.

A 42-year-old man, who had recently moved back to Braintree from Belfast, was arrested in connection to two drugs seizures at Felixstowe Port last year.

The arrest on May 29 was the result of an investigation after the discovery of 500 kilograms of cannabis recovered in March 2012 and the subsequent seizure of 998 kilograms of cannabis and 100 kilograms of amphetamine in July 2012.

The drugs were found in lorries being transported from Europe on container ships, hidden in a consignment of household goods.

A police spokesman said: "A 42-year-old man from Braintree, Essex, was arrested on Wednesday evening by officers from the Serious Organised Crime Agency in connection with two drug seizures at the Port of Felixtowe – 500 kilos of cannabis in March 2012, plus 998 kilos of cannabis and 100 kilos of amphetamine in July 2012."

The suspect has been released on bail while inquiries continue.

AN ALCOHOLIC who stole frying pans to pay for booze has been spared jail and celebrated by going to the pub.

Stephen Carter, 55, of Temple Grove Park in West Hanningfield, stole four non-stick Ceracraft pans worth £119.96 from Wilkinson in The Meadows Shopping Centre in Chelmsford to sell on at half-price to his friends.

The thefts amounted to £119.96 but he was forced to pay compensation to Wilkinson for just one of the £29.99 pans, along with an unpaid £80 fine and a £60 victim surcharge.

The father-of-three , who claims he drank eight cans and four pints of beer before attending Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Thursday, told the Chronicle after the hearing: "It's a result.

"I could have gone to prison and I was really scared I would. I even got someone to look after my pets but now I am just going to get drunk.

"I might ring people up now and see who is about for a drink, but you'll never see me in that court room again, no way, not on my life, it's cost me more than it was worth.

"I should have just paid the £80 fine straight off – I drink more than that in a day."

Mr Carter first stole one frying pan and paid for another pan on May 8, before going straight to Lloyds Bar in Chelmsford to sell them to a buyer for half price.

Other friends, however, said it was unfair they were not accounted for, so he returned on May 13 to steal three more.

Yet security guards tracked him down to the same city centre pub – where he is now barred – and recovered the three pans.

The former Ramsden Heath boy, who has lived in a mobile home in West Hanningfield for 15 years, was also given an 18-month supervision order in which he must meet with probation officers regularly, and 24 alcohol awareness sessions.

Probation officer Peter Jaynes, who gave evidence to the court after interviewing Mr Carter, said he had freely admitted needing treatment.

"He admitted that he stole the frying pans to fuel his alcohol consumption.

"He is desperate for help. He has already completed an alcohol abuse programme in 2008 and went six months without drinking, but that all changed when his father died in 2009 and he has drunk ever since.

"He has drunk since he was 12 years old, so he is a heavy drinker, but he isn't in the best health. He is taking depression tablets and carries a colostomy bag," said Mr Jones.

"He is covered by housing benefits and pays council tax on top of that. All the while he also has to support his children. He has a 25-year-old, a 21-year-old and a nine-year-old by another parent.

"He can't read or write and doesn't want to seek help at this time."

Jonathon Taylor, mitigating, said his thefts on both occasions were not sophisticated and therefore did not qualify as a serious offence.

"He has pleaded guilty as well, so I think that should be taken into account," Mr Taylor added.

STANDING taller than two large men and stretching more than 70 metres across a garden wall, this is believed to be the largest wisteria in the country.

Now the star attraction at Wickham Place Farm, in Wickham Bishops, the wisteria sinensis is drawing visitors from far and wide as late spring approaches and its flowers are at their best.

"People are astonished by the size of it. It is fairly unique, there is nothing quite as big as this in the country," said Judith Wilson, the plant's proud owner.

"The decision to grow it was madness really. It seemed like a good idea. I never much thought of quite what I was producing and how much work it creates, but it brings people a lot of pleasure and makes them smile."

The 57-year-old has trained the plant along the wall for the past two decades and its mauve flowers now cover the entire side of the two-acre walled garden.

In previous years the unpredictable weather has killed the wisteria's delicate flowers, in particular when temperatures plummeted to below freezing in early spring last year.

But now the labour-intensive care, including the 25 hours it takes to prune just one side each spring, has paid off, with hundreds of visitors flocking to the centre on each open day this year.

Since it opened in 1996 the centre in Station Road has welcomed thousands to its 14-acre gardens, which boast an abundance of climbers, roses, shrubs, perennials and bulbs.

There are also unusual plants for sale and a selection of tea and cakes available.

The garden is open every Friday in June, July and September from 11am to 4pm, but it will be closed in August.

Admission is £4 for adults and is free for children with all proceeds raised from the gardens donated to the National Gardens Scheme and Farleigh Hospice.

Call 01621 891282 or visit www.wickhamplacefarm.co.uk for more information.

ESSEX Spartans American football team saw their nightmare season continue with a 44-8 destruction at the hands of the Kent Exiles.

The Spartans' senior side struggled in the heat as the Exiles prevailed, but it was the performance of the Billericay team's fledging youth squad that deserve the headlines, making their return to gridiron after a long absence.

Playing in a friendly scrimmage against the Exiles' own youth squad, the young Spartans can be proud of their performance as they displayed both determination and enthusiasm to hold their own against a vastly more experienced Kent side.

"It was great to finally give the guys a chance to test themselves against other opposition in a real game environment," said Spartans' youth coach Steve Mitchell.

"This experience has given them the confidence to know they can compete at this level and turn this team into a real force in youth football."

While the junior team flourished, a senior team short on numbers floundered.

A Norris Owusu kick return followed by an Osi Nzeako conversion gave the visiting team eight points, but a powerful display by the home Exiles ensured they secured a convincing 44-8 victory to give them the season sweep over the Essex outfit.

"It was a disappointing scoreline," said a reflective Spartans head coach Marc Saunders. "However, I am really pleased with how a massively depleted defence did today and our offence made significant improvements on the field."

The loss leaves the Spartans still looking for their first victory of the 2013 campaign, which they will be hoping will come when they face off against the Maidstone Pumas on June 9. Kick-off is at Hannakins Farm and set for 2.30pm.

For more, visit www.essex spartans.co.uk

MUSIC fans should head to Romford this weekend, where they can win a piano signed by top musician Jools Holland.

The instrument, manufactured by Yahama, will be the prize in a free draw which you can enter if you visit Musicland Romford on Saturday or Sunday.

The prize is being offered as part of a musical extravaganza which the store's owners are holding to mark its appointment as a Yamaha European centre of excellence.

On Sunday there will be an in-store performance from Britain's Got Talent finalist Jean Martyn, dubbed the International Star of the Concert Keyboard.

Since reaching the final of the TV show in 2011, Jean, from Brewood, Staffordshire, has become one of the UK's most popular keyboard performers with YouTube videos of her playing attracting millions of hits.

Holland, meanwhile, made his name in the band Squeeze in the 1970s before going on to form his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and present Later...with Jools Holland on BBC2.

Musicland, which can be found at 54 North Street, sells pianos, keyboards and guitars as well as brass and woodwind instruments and printed music.

It was founded in 1989 by Ray Spillman and Brian Reeve, who now have a branch in Bromley too.

Mr Spillman told the Gazette this week: "We are thrilled to have secured Jean Martyn for our gala weekend celebrations and we can promise a musical weekend to remember.

"We've been privileged to be part of the Romford music scene for almost 25 years now, and we're looking forward with renewed optimism to becoming one of Yamaha's very few centres of excellence."

For more information about this weekend's events, call 01708 737977 or visit www.musicland.co.uk

A "CRATER field" of potholes on a sharp bend are being neglected by the council, it has been claimed.

The road defects, which can be found on a tight curve in Mill Lane, High Ongar, have been getting progressively deeper for months.

This is despite High Ongar resident Scott Wardrope reporting the issue to Essex County Council nearly two months ago.

He told the Gazette this week: "It is dangerous and not right. The holes are just going to get worse and worse, and will cause an accident if they don't get repaired.

"My partner nearly had an accident on that corner when she had to swerve to avoid them – these are not small holes.

"I drive on that road twice a day in order to get to work – you have to slow right down to avoid doing any damage when you hit the potholes.

"People are even going on to the other side of the road. This could cause a serious accident."

Mr Wardrope, an investment banker who lives in Mill Grove, added: "The attitude of the council towards the potholes is just wrong. They should make an effort to fix them quickly.

"If they are just prioritising then how they can claim this is not a priority I have no idea.

"They haven't even made an effort to put in a temporary fix. The holes are metres long and pockmark the road.

"It is right on a blind corner so no one can see them until the last minute.

"They are a real hazard and a threat to safety. It is surprising that nothing has happened yet – the road is broken up like a crater field."

Fay Hewett, the owner of Balloonatics in Ongar High Street, said: "Potholes around here are terrible.

"The council should do something about it before more accidents happen."

The mother-of-three continued: "It is starting to get ridiculous.

"The state of our roads has just got worse and worse and the council haven't even attempted to fix most of them."

A county council spokesman said on Monday: "Essex Highways inspectors will be carrying out a full inspection of the site this afternoon and following this, road defects in that location will be prioritised and repaired.

"Following the budget announcement in January 2013, we will be spending more than £180million over the next four years on maintaining and enhancing the road network.

"Demonstrating our commitment to giving Essex residents quality highways, an additional investment of £35million will also be added to the £180million over the next two years.

"We are continuing to monitor conditions and carry out repairs as quickly as possible, with highways gangs focussed on fixing potholes, especially safety critical defects that have been reported to us.

"We are also increasing our capacity so we can repair as many potholes as we can.

"We continue to urge residents to report road defects, such as potholes, using the reporting tool on the Essex County Council website which will help us to repair road defects as quickly and efficiently as possible."

See www.essex.gov.uk/highways for details.

THE sons of a man jailed for sending one of them a birthday message on Facebook have condemned the ruling as "cruel and ludicrous".

Garry Johnson, 46, was sentenced to 28 days behind bars at HMP Chelmsford last month for breaching a court order which prevented him from publicly naming his son Sam after simply wishing him a happy birthday for his 21st.

The order follows an acrimonious divorce eight years ago in which a judge imposed the gagging order on the dad to prevent him from discussing the case publicly.

But sons Adam and Sam – who are not subject to the same order – are outraged at the court's decision to silence their loving father.

"My dad is a good father and has never been in trouble with the police. He was treated like a criminal. This ludicrous gagging order should not exist and must now be lifted," said Sam Johnson, a telesales manager and former professional footballer.

"Both Adam and myself are adults. This cruel ruling is now hanging over my father to silence him about the sons he loves for the rest of his life. That is a terrible thing in what is meant to be a free country."

The life-long order prevents Mr Johnson from mentioning his relationship with either of the boys, now 18 and 21, at any point in the future, even to congratulate them via an announcement in a newspaper or on social media.

Following the divorce both sons chose to live with their father despite allegations that Mr Johnson was neglectful, and failed to feed them properly – accusations that proved to be unfounded.

In late April Mr Johnson, who lives near Laindon, received a letter from Chelmsford County Court officials summoning him to appear at Basildon Magistrates.

According to his sons the 46-year-old was escorted to the hearing by security guards with no warning he might need a lawyer, or face imprisonment, when His Honour Judge Damien Lochrane handed down the sentence.

Basildon and Billericay MP, John Baron, said: "I have helped Mr Johnson and his sons – who always wanted to live with him – over several years.

"To find he has been imprisoned for sending a birthday message to one of them is troubling.

"Whilst I appreciate the need to protect children, the family court system often ignores the legitimate wishes of families. This needs to change, and quickly."

Although Mr Johnson has now been released from HMP Chelmsford his sons have spoken out to build awareness over decisions taken out of the public eye in family courts.

ELEVEN people in shared accommodation say they could be made homeless after a Premier League footballer and his former Playboy model wife bought the house and told tenants to leave within two weeks.

Lee Barnard, a Southampton FC player who has been on loan at Oldham and Bournemouth this season, and Tonya French, 26, a model from Chelmsford, bought the 14-bedroom property in Maltese Road, Chelmsford, last month.

Residents then received letters saying they had to be out within two weeks, contrary to the law, which says tenants must be given two months' notice. The new owners even offered a £100 incentive for people to get out on time.

In a second letter to tenants, dated May 25, the residents were told the amenities would be switched off from 11am on June 1, regardless of whether anyone was still living there.

But after the angry tenants contacted Chelmsford City Council, new letters were issued, giving them the required two months' notice.

Some tenants are on a mixture of housing and disability benefits. A number of them have previously been homeless and are now trying to rebuild their lives.

Sandra Keeble, who has lived in the building for five years, said: "Some tenants here are on incapacity benefits and some people who lived here used to be homeless so would find it hard to find other accommodation so quickly.

"We were told to get out with our belongings by June 1, but there was no chance of us finding the money for two weeks.

"We are being completely bullied and there are no legitimate contact details to get in touch. Nobody has a way to contact the new owner, we've tried the number on the bottom of the letters but it just goes straight to voicemail and no one replies to the e-mails we've sent.

"I think it's abhorrent and horrible. I'm flabbergasted that I'm effectively being bullied out of my home."

The residents say that since the handover their internet access has been cut off, the regular cleaner no longer turns up and only one of three cookers is functioning.

Ray Ellis, 52, a resident of nine months who is currently on disability benefit, said: "I just ask for more time to find somewhere else to go, we're not finding it easy to find an alternative."

Three of the 11 residents have left the property since they were told to get out.

Rob Saggs is the operations manager of CHESS, a charity that aims to rehouse and provide shelter for homeless people in the city, and has worked with some of the tenants of the Maltese Road building.

He told the Chronicle: "I'm pleased that the council have intervened and worked in partnership with tenants for the best result.

"The last thing we want to see is people we have worked with over the last few months and years, who have successfully found private rented accommodation and turned their lives around, to be on the streets again. Imagine how they would feel."

Lee Barnard, 28, the owner of the property, said: "It's just a misunderstanding with the handover from the previous owner who said we only had to give them notice of a day, so with the rent-free period and £100 we felt it was a good offer.

"The council are fully aware of the situation and are happy with the arrangements, the first letters were just sent out with the wrong date."

A Chelmsford City Council spokesman added: "I confirm tenants did contact us and they were advised they have been served an illegal notice and that they don't have to leave by June 1.

"We informed them of their rights and offered our help and support in finding new housing when the tenancy ends.

"The new owner has been advised of their legal obligations and the new owners have been completely compliant and are now following the correct legal process."

THE AMBITIOUS vice chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University says he is hoping to increase its profile across the world ahead of the university's 21st birthday celebrations.

Professor Michael Thorne, 61, an author, editor, musician and proud father-of-three, said the uni already boasts schools in Trinidad and Tobago and Malaysia, as well as the campuses in Chelmsford and Cambridge.

Yet in five years' time Prof Thorne, who has been at the university since 2007, hopes to champion more international research.

"For me it's about continuing on that path we have put a huge amount of effort into," said the 61-year-old of Rivenhall.

"I want to continue championing our research and I am hoping the government, when they publish our research, I hope we will come to see that Anglia Ruskin has moved forward massively. I want to move forward internationally."

Prof Thorne, a University College London graduate, said Anglia Ruskin was "quite the nicest" place he has worked.

He said his colleagues were supportive when his wife of 39 years died of cancer in November 2011.

"Colleagues were unbelievably supportive – we were living through it all here," he said.

Of the upcoming 21st anniversary, marking the development of the new Chelmsford campus in 1992, he said: "It's an exciting time for us.

"We'll be celebrating the day John Ruskin opened the Cambridge School of Art in October 29, 1858, because that's where it has its origins."

The University has spent £80 million in the past five years and plans to spend £90 million in the next five years.

All former students and staff of the university, the old Anglia Polytechnic or even prior institutions such as the Mid-Essex Technical College, Chelmer Institute and Essex Institute of HE, are invited to attend a celebratory ceremony on June 15.

This event will feature a buffet lunch and a drinks reception.

There will also be a talk by the university chancellor Lord Ashcroft.

ESSEX County Council has unveiled a new bus which will provide mobile community support to the county's young people.

The Essex Youth Bus will offer a number of resources for residents aged 12 to 18 in communities that have little or no provision for youth services.

Council Chairman, Kay Twitchen and Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Ray Gooding officially launched the new service in Chelmsford last week.

Councillor Twitchen said: "I am sure this new bus will be a fantastic resource for the young people of Essex. I am extremely supportive of our Youth Service and very passionate about the work they do. I really do appreciate their hard work and the difference that they make to young people's lives."

Young people using the service will be able to visit the bus for a safe place to get confidential advice on a number of different topics including drugs, alcohol, employment and sexual health.

Essex County Council has experienced success in the past using similar mobile units as a way to provide large numbers of young people with important social services.

The new bus will be mainly used to cover residents in south Essex, but will provide support to all areas when required.

A SHOCKED church parishioner is offering a £5,000 reward for the return of an ancient brass Bible stand stolen by burglars.

The lectern, believed to weigh about 100kg and worth £30,000, was taken when thieves smashed through the vestry door of St Mary's the Virgin Church in High Easter.

And after the incident – the third theft from a church in mid-Essex in two weeks – parishioner David Kelsey has sent out a stern message.

"You just don't steal from a church and you especially don't steal from High Easter church," said the 49-year-old member of 27 years, whose church also had lead stolen last year.

"I am now taking anything of value out of the church because this is happening more and more. We are having to change our strategy.

"What's happened is absolutely horrible. This lectern has been polished through generations and whether people like it or not it is part of our community and it's part of our faith."

Mr Kelsey, who also owns The Punch Bowl restaurant next door, believes about three burglars were responsible for the raid at about 3am last Thursday.

Police say the vestry's external wooden door was smashed through using multiple crowbars, which may also have been used to dig up the lectern, which is about 200-years-old and situated in the church's nave.

"It's a very symbolic object to us and an important part of the church. We love going to this church and we love everything about it but somebody has to stand up now and be counted.

"We are a strong parish though and hopefully this will make people pull together. It won't affect services and it won't stop our worship in any shape or form," said Mr Kelsey.

Despite discovering the church smothered with mud and broken wood last week, parishioners still gathered for Sunday's service. The congregation and interim preacher Liz Paxton even prayed for the suspects at the service.

"We prayed they would not prosper but that they won't ever put themselves into such a position and mindset again," said Mr Kelsey.

"I would always hope that these people now put their strengths into something more conductive and I hope these people find other ways to make a successful living."

The church, in The Street, which can boast up to 80 in its congregation and hundreds for funerals and weddings, is coined by locals as the 'cathedral of High Easter'.

Before this incident, between May 21 and May 22, a priest's home in Braintree Road, Braintree, was broken into, along with adjoining 'Catholic rooms' but nothing was stolen.

Days later, however, various 18-inch candlesticks and a brass chalice, worth about £600, were stolen from the Church of St James in Great Saling, a village north of Braintree, between May 23 and May 27.

An Essex Police spokesman said the incidents were not being treated as though they are connected.

THERE is a new name at the top of the T Rippon Mid-Essex Cricket League after Springfield suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Chignal.

The previously unbeaten Springfield had Chignal in trouble at 109-8 after Fazal Rahman had top scored with 36, but a last-wicket stand of 34 took them to 159 all out.

Simon Dance finished with 5-23 for Springfield, but his side made a stuttering start to their reply.

Jimmy Symonds hit 53 to give Springfield a chance, but with Tom Bird taking 5-23, they were bowled out for 147, giving Chignal their first win of the season by 12 runs.

And Bentley took advantage of Springfield's slip to go top.

Asked to bat first, the home side made 288-7, with Phil Coleman top-scoring with 72, Greg Larkin making 67, and 62 from Damien Larrett.

And in reply, they bundled Old Chelmsfordians out for 120, with Matt Coleman taking 3-27 and Steve Flack 3-33.

Elsewhere, Stock chased 185 to beat Rayleigh by three wickets, High Roding beat Aythorpe Roding by 138 runs thanks to 90 from Reece Hussain and 5-47 from Mel Hussain, while Hatfield Peverel bowled out Great Baddow for 115 and chased their target for the loss of five men.

In Division One, Thurrock maintained their 100 per cent start with 43-run win over Ingatestone, while Rettendon kept up the pressure with a 39-run triumph at Little Waltham.

Burnham overcame Herongate by 18 runs in a low-scoring encounter.

Batting first, the visitors carded 149, with number nine Robin Whittaker top scoring with 35.

Herongate made a steady start to 47-2, but then lost four quick wickets to slip to 58-6.

Being two men short, the visitors only needed two more wickets to win and although Chris Turrel (26) and Stock (44) steadied the ship, Burnham prevailed, with Whittaker taking 5-55.

Writtle beat Great Totham by six wickets after bowling out the visitors for 90, while Little Baddow trounced South Weald by 211 runs, skittling their opponents for just 66.

Results: Premier Division: Rayleigh 184 all out lost to Stock 185-7 by three wickets; Chignal 159 (Rahman 36, Dance 5-23) beat Springfield 147 (Symonds 53, Bird 5-35) by 12 runs; Great Baddow 115 (Gunalan 57, Cleary 5-26) lost to Hatfield Peverel 116-5 (Everett 45 not out) by five wickets; Bentley 288-7 beat Old Chelmsfordians 120 all out by 168 runs; High Roding 291-7 (R Hussain 90, Palmer 56) beat Aythorpe Roding 153 (M Hussain 5- 47) by 138 runs.

Division One: Great Totham 88 (Cook 4-23, Anderson 3-18) lost to Writtle 90-4 (Hughes 35no) by six wickets; Burnham 149 (Whittaker 35, Turrel 3-51) beat Herongate 131 (Stock 44, Whittaker 5-55) by 18 runs; Rettendon 182-9 beat Little Waltham 143 by 39 runs; Little Baddow 277-6 (Cole 91, Golding 44, Sharma 3-63) beat South Weald (Newton 5-14) by 211 runs; Thurrock 248-8 beat Ingatestone 205 by 43 runs.

Division Two: Stock II 205-7 (Martin 66, King 37) beat East Hanningfield & Great Bursted 198-9 (Bassett 47, Stevens 47, Raeburn 5-53, Wharram 4-34) by seven runs; Brookweald 192 (Yausaf 48, Simmons 3-36) beat Rankins 120 by 72 runs. Havering-Atte-Bower 229 beat Bentley II 200- 9 by 29 runs; Canvey Island 256-9 (Casson 77, Hannah 4-56, Brenson 4-66) beat Hatfield Peverel II 108, (B Picking 37, Downey 3-38) by 148 runs. Rayleigh Fairveiw 164-5 (Collins 74, J Fitzwalter 3-26) beat Great Waltham 157 all out, (N Dhanjal 31, J Lawson 6-39) by seven runs.

Division Three: Broomfield 236-7 (O'Riordan 71, McIntosh 85) beat Southend on Sea and EMT 197-8 by 39 runs; HACC 212-8 (Humphries 51) beat Rayleigh II 105 (Crane 3-11) by 107 runs; Springfield II 161 beat Woodham Mortimer 112-9 by 49 runs; Eastwood 194-9 (Deeming 42, Robinson 38, Storey 4-47, Moon 3-30) beat Galleywood 129 (Bennett 50, Reeve 38) by 65 runs); Rainham 228 beat Tillingham 103 by 125 runs.

Division Four: Rayne 213-9 (Sainsbury 57, Dawson 44 beat Ongar 108 (Ayres 69, May 3-34) by 105 runs; Gt Baddow II 120 ( Clarke 53no, Marshall 3-20, Woolfenden 3-24) lost to Terling 121/6 (Taylor 40) by four wickets; Springfield III 180 (Vince 57, Cook 41no, Yasin 3-40, Baines 3-46) lost to Purleigh 181/5 (Bowles 39) by five wickets; OC's II 254/3 (Bowerman 87, Barnstone 64no) beat Lt Baddow II 206/10 (Mewis 104, Barnstone 4-48) by 48 runs; Willow Herbs 275-3 (Harris 103no, Jones 51) beat Boreham 78 (Walsh 6-18) by 197 runs.

Division Five: Writtle II 244/3 lost to Gt Totham II 250/3 by seven wickets; High Easter 169 (Spalding 74, Kendrick 5-20) lost to Gt Waltham 173-5 by five wickets; Thurrock II 207/8 (Henry 70no, Fenner 3-26, Elliott 3-48) beat Ingatestone II 119/6 (Elliott 33no) by 88 runs; Havering A-B 182 Gentle 55, French 54, Hurley 43) beat Sandon Sports 171/9 (Pearce 36, Mills 6-33, Lewington 3-46) by 11 runs; Lt Waltham II 145 (Jones 3-43) lost to Rankins II 146/9 (Warner 50, Nelson 4-38) by one wicket.

Division Six: Rayleigh III 169/9 lost to Aythorpe Rodin II 170/4 by six wickets; Rayleigh Fairview II 250/4 lost to Danbury 251/1 by nine wickets; St Johns Billericay beat Bluehouse by walkover - Bluehouse have withdrawn from the league; Brookweald II 265/3 (Ekers 106no, Watson 68) beat Rettenden II 186/6 (Fillary 69) by 79 runs.

Division Seven: Hornchurch Athletic II 175-8 (Gill 64, Stock 4-44) beat Hockley 1st 174-7 (Paige 83, Oneill 4-34) by one run; Mountnessing 126-8 (Dziadulewicz 3-36) lost to Marconi 127-3 (Chapman 63no) by 7 wickets; Eastwood II 122-10 (Heath 31, P Booker 4-43, Malik 4-36) lost to Roxwell Blues 123-5 (Ankush 43no) by 5 wickets; South Weald II 170-9 beat Bentley III 165 by five runs; Herongate II 177 (Wicks 49, Patrick 40, Hodges 38) lost to South Woodham Ferrers 181-7 (Stuart 57, Broken-brow 42) by three wickets.

Division Eight: Burnham Sports II 104 lost to Woodham Mortimer II 105-6 (Beames 58) by four wickets; Southend on Sea and EMT II 204-7 (Ward 99, Ross 48) beat Old Chelmsfordians III 148 by 56 runs; Tillingham II 112 beat Rayleigh IV 89 by 23 runs; E Hanningfield and Great Burstead II 115-10 (Chaudhry 55, Feraday 29, Cronjager 4-26, McDermott 4-2) lost to Stock III 117-5 (Gornby 47, Lewis 40, Box 4-21) by five wickets; Terling II 179-8 lost to Great Wakering 180-6 by four wickets.

Division Nine: Rayleigh Fairview III 79 lost to Rainham II 81-4 by six wickets; Boreham II 147-8 (Healey 56, Harvey 3-26) lost to Willow Herb II 149-3 (G Grumpt 61no) by seven wickets; Broomfield II 247-4 (Turner 100, Broyd 49 no, Simmons 3-71) beat Navestock & Ardleigh Green II 82-7 (J Need 5-9) by 165 runs. Canvey Island II 118 (Burrill 49no) lost to Chignal II 119-4 (Lee 47, Shah 47no) by six wickets; Rankins III 186-7 lost to Springfield IV 187-6 by four wickets.

Division Ten: Great Baddow III 117 (Smith 32, Leonard 3-21) lost to Eastwood III 120-0 (Tindall 65no, Roake 33no) by ten wickets; Thurrock III 184-8 lost to Rayleigh V 186-6 (Catling 82) by four wickets; Wickham 174 (Street 5-26) beat St Andrews 173 (Girkin 60) by one run; South Woodham Ferrers III 201-6 (Cox 54no) beat Galleywood II 97 (Day 51, Hatcher 4-30) by 104 runs; St Johns Billericay II 106 (Spooner 34, Santy 4-20) lost to Havering-atte-Bower III 107-5 (Stanbridge 40no, Lately 3-24) by five wickets.

Division 11: Old Chelmsfordians IV 113 (Bull 61, MacMillan 5-24) lost to Wickham II 118-0 (Long 69no, Rodgers 35no) by ten wickets; Bentley IV 96 (Crispin 41) lost to Little Baddow III 97-1 by nine wickets. Rayne II 99 lost to Hornchurch III 100-4 by six wickets; Eastwood IV 183-5 lost to Great Totham III 186-6 by four wickets; Thurrock IV 83 lost to Rayleigh VI 85-4 by six wickets.

A DOZEN squash players took part in the second running of a memorial tournament for former Brentwood resident Alan Paul.

The tournament was a massive success last year, and it again proved to be a fantastic day of squash.

Based at LA Fitness in Chindits Lane, Warley, the event was again won by Paul Cousins, of Herts, the club's top player, who beat Havering's Joe Smith 2-0.

Cousins started on a score of minus 20 in each game but worked his way through four long matches to face Smith (minus six handicap) in the final.

The semi-finalists were Paul Kirby, of Brentwood, and Jonathan Jordan, of Ingatestone.

Organisers Barbara Sanderson and Oliver Rowe said: "We welcomed back many players and their supporters who helped get the tournament off the ground last year.

"Congratulations to Paul Cousins for retaining the title and thank you to all who contributed towards our Cancer Research donation."

Players' entry fees and a raffle netted £125 for the charity.

Alan's daughter Petra Wagner presented the trophy to Cousins at the club where her father played until his death in 2011, aged 75.

BILLERICAY Town Council is flushing more than £19,000 of taxpayers' money down the pan each year by paying for a "Dr Who" public toilet used just nine times a day on average.

That is the view of Billericay resident and former town councillor Terence Gandy, who this week called on the authority to dispense with the revolving door public toilet in the car park behind Iceland off the High Street.

Mr Gandy, of Norsey View Drive, wants the council to terminate its contract with Healthmatic, the firm which provides the futuristic water closet.

However, the authority has told him in a letter that it will be hit with a financial penalty of £125,000 if it pulls out of its 15-year contract early.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, Mr Gandy has learned that the cost of running the toilet in the 2012/13 financial year was £19,646.

Further data allowed him to calculate that, on average, the toilet is used just nine times a day.

Mr Gandy said: "Nineteen-thousand pounds a year is an unacceptable expenditure for a facility ignored by residents. As there are nine years of the contract remaining, it is envisaged that the public convenience will cost the taxpayer approximately £180,000.

"However, the town council has agreed that if the contract was terminated then rate payers would be saved £55,000."

John Buchanan, chairman of Billericay Town Council, told the Gazette: "The termination rate (£125,000) would mean to continue paying for the public toilet even though it was not there.

"The council intends to continue to provide this service to the people of Billericay.

"Whatever the merits of having a public convenience, it must be better to have one, than to be paying for one and not having it."

In March this year, Basildon Borough Council pledged to invest £100,000 to refurbish the public toilets and swimming pool in Wickford.

The authority also recently renovated the toilets at Lake Meadows in Billericay at a cost of £50,000.

Mr Gandy said: "I applaud the refurbishment of the Lake Meadows toilet but this has led to questions from residents as to why the quality of the toilet in Lake Meadows is so superior to the toilet provided in town.

"Given the vast sums being spent in Basildon on expensive building projects, while the residents in Billericay have to make do with a Dr Who toilet in the town, criticism is justified."

A spokesman for Basildon Borough Council said: "The public toilets in the High Street car park were requested by Billericay Town Council and are maintained and paid for by the town council. There are still public conveniences in Lake Meadows, which are maintained by Basildon Borough Council."

CHILDREN played in the street while adults got to know their neighbours during a 'Big Lunch' street party.

Robin Hood Road, Brentwood was closed to traffic on Sunday as residents dined together in the sunshine. Around 200 people gathered outside as part of a national initiative to encourage communities to get together.

Penny Richardson, 51, organised the event in aid of the Havering-atte-Bower charity, Saint Francis Hospice, with each household giving a donation to the cause.

Miss Richardson's father, who died in February from cancer, was cared for by the hospice.

She said: "I wanted to thank the hospice for their work and it's a charity which affects people locally.

"There is a lot to celebrate this year, as well as it being the sixtieth anniversary of the Queen's coronation we also celebrated the fact that Father Jenkins, who lives on our road, has been vicar for 25 years. Two ladies are also expecting babies."

She added: "The lunch couldn't have gone any better – we had fantastic weather and a fantastic response.

"For the children it was heaven as they never normally get to play in the road – it gave them so much freedom."

The event raised £600 for Saint Francis Hospice.

SAILING sisters from St Lawrence Bay are heading to Belgium next month after being selected to compete in the Cadet World Championships.

Lucy Terkelsen, 15, and her younger sister Cally, nine, have been given the call after impressing in trials held over the past two months.

The final qualifier was held in Burnham-on-Crouch last weekend, having also been to Rutland and Poole in their bid for selection – and the pair finished 30 points ahead of their nearest rivals.

Their mum Gilly said: "They've worked very hard. All those months of training have paid off, so it's very pleasing.

"Lucy's been sailing since she was about nine. She started off with her other sister Laney and then swapped over to her little sister this year.

"They've done very well."

The girls come from a sailing family – their grandfather was one of the founding members of the Stone Sailing Club which the girls represent, while their dad Karl took part in the Cadet World Championships in Australia back in the 1970s.

And Mrs Terkelsen added: "It is a family thing and we're all tremendously proud.

"Sailing is often seen as an elitist sport but anyone can get sailing very, very easily.

"We've just had an open week at the Stone Sailing Club and had around 40 or 50 children on the water there, a lot of them for the first time.

"There are boats that anybody can pick up quite cheaply and get on the water.

"It does get quite expensive when you're travelling around the country at this time of year, but that's where our commitment goes." "

Lucy attends Ormiston Rivers Academy and Cally is a pupil at St Cedds Primary School in Bradwell-on-Sea.

And their mum revealed that Lucy in particular is hoping to make sailing more than just an extra curricular activity in the future.

"Sailing is Lucy's absolute passion," she added. "She lives and breathes it and obviously she'd like to go a long way – she'd like to be an Olympian and get a gold medal.

The World Championships take place in Nieupoort, West Flanders in Belgium from July 25 to August 3.

WAVING banners high above their heads and screaming at the top of their voices, children at Margaretting Primary School turned out in force this week to support their Britain's Got Talent hopeful.

Former pupil Jordan Clarke, otherwise known as JJ, will perform in the live final of the hit ITV1 show with his band Luminites tonight.

The foursome won their semi-final last Thursday with their alternative rendition of the Bee Gees hit Love Somebody, seeing off seven other contestants to join the final ten.

Since the Margaretting pupils returned from their half-term break on Monday, the playing fields have been abuzz with excitable BGT gossip.

Taking a quick break from rehearsals, the 18-year-old singer told the Chronicle: "It's such a lovely feeling to know that the place where I grew up, and where the teachers who were once giving me school reports, are getting behind me.

"Margaretting is a small place but it's one I hold really close. I love all the people there and can't thank them enough for their support. I can't put into words how much I mean that."

French-born JJ, who comes from a family of singers, said he remembers playing Joseph in the C of E school's Year Six production of the namesake musical.

"The main thing I remember was being a lot smaller, having a much higher-pitched voice, but feeling the same nerves I felt before going on the BGT stage," said JJ, who revisited the school in 2011 to see the year group perform the same musical.

"There's a bit of a difference between the local village hall and a studio airing live to millions of people, yet somehow before I perform anywhere I get a huge rush of butterflies. I don't think that will ever change."

Deputy head Teresa Harper, who has been at the school since 1989, is the only member of staff remaining who taught JJ.

The 56-year-old said: "He was a smashing kid. He was such a hard-working student and funny too, all those things ideal in a student. He was one of just four or five students in his year group at the time, it was so small.

"I remember him coming back to watch Joseph two years ago – he just sat there crying, and that's the sort of kid he is, sensitive and such a nice lad."

Shortly after JJ left the school, all the staff travelled to London to watch him in his first major stage production at Sylvia Young Theatre School in London.

The former Chelmsford Athletics Club member, and Brentwood Athletic footballer, benefited from a scholarship to the performing arts college.

"We're like a family at the school here and it's what we'd do for any kid," said the deputy head. We are all so proud of JJ here and we know he was always destined for stardom."

The band, whose ages vary from 18 to 22, was formed about two years ago .

They have toured schools across the country ever since but now have the chance of winning £250,000 and the opportunity to sing in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance.

JJ's proud mother Sharon, also mum to his three singing sisters, said: "The amount of people ringing us has been overwhelming," said the 53-year-old, who was at the ITV studio in Wembley Arena to watch the band triumph in the semi-final last week.

Speaking before Saturday's final, JJ said: "The guys and myself are going to be rehearsing every day this week, pushing really hard to find a song we think people will enjoy by putting a Luminites stamp on it. Hopefully we get one!"

The band have been compared to American rappers the Black Eyed Peas by stern TV judge Simon Cowell, while fellow finalist, Irish guitarist Jordan O'Keefe says they are the ones to beat.

JJ added: "There has been so much talent on this year's show, I really feel it's been one of the toughest ones to be a part of.

"To be able to say I got to the final with my band is such an achievement. I feel over the moon to have come this far."

To find out how Luminites fare, tune into ITV1 at 7.30pm tonight, and don't forget to vote.