WINGER Charlie Henry has called on Chelmsford City fans to stick with their new-look side – insisting manager Dean Holdsworth "will get it right".

The Clarets sit third from bottom of the Conference South table after just two wins in their first eight games.

Last week's impressive 2-0 win at Ebbsfleet United was followed up with a lacklustre showing at Dorchester on Saturday.

Henry was one of the few players to emerge from that game with any credit and the recent signing – who has played under Holdsworth at Newport and Aldershot – is adamant things will pick up.

"Dean's a great manager," he said. "Whether it's now, in a month's time or next season, he will get it right.

"His first season at Newport they didn't do great but the next season they went up.

"He's a great man-manager, he lets you go and express yourself and I like working for him.

"Chelmsford is a great club and the fans are brilliant from what I've seen so far. It's just disappointing that we haven't been able to give them as many results as they deserve.

"They turn up in their numbers and we haven't been getting the results so far but hopefully things are changing and if they keep turning up, hopefully we will get the results for them."

Henry, 26, has made three appearances for the club and been lively in them all, although he concedes that he would rather have not had a good afternoon personally and been part of a winning side at the Avenue Stadium.

He added: "I've been happy with my own performances but I'd rather us have the three points and me have not such a good game.

"I was frustrated more than anything. We had chances to win the game, we probably had chances to win two games but we can't give goals away like we did and we've got to start taking our chances."

Attention now turns to the FA Cup on Saturday when the Clarets face a potential banana skin at Southern Premier League Biggleswade Town.

And Henry knows only too well the prospects of an FA Cup upset, having been part of the Macclesfield side which beat Cardiff last season.

He added: "I'd have much preferred another league game to try and get over Saturday because we go there against the underdogs and they've got nothing to lose and we've got everything to lose.

"I had a good run in the FA Cup last year at Macclesfield.

"We beat Cardiff in the third round and then we played Wigan, we lost 1-0 but we didn't deserve to lose and they ended up going on to win it.

"Anything can happen in the FA Cup, we've got to go there in the right frame of mind."

SHENFIELD School are celebrating a hat-trick of county cricket champions after two of their girls' teams triumphed in their finals.

The U17 boys were already champions after their win over Saffron Walden, and this time it was the U15 and U13 girls who had their chance in the limelight – both, again, taking on Saffron Walden.

And both triumphed, much to the delight of the school's cricket academy director Richard Abson-Bennett.

He said: "It has been a great week for Shenfield cricket.

"Having reached seven county semi-finals and won three county titles it has been a memorable cricket season for the school.

"The hard work that the players have put in over several months has really paid dividends and they deserve all the recognition for these significant achievements."

The U15 girls played at Saffron Walden and went into the game as favourites having beaten their opposition on the way to claiming the indoor title in March.

Shenfield skipper Mady Villiers won the toss and took the wise decision to bowl first on a damp pitch.

Poppy Timson, 13, opened the bowling and took 3-4, before Georgina Lewis came into the attack and took a further 3-12.

Saffron Walden rebuilt to reach 68-6 after their 20 overs, but this was never going to be enough with Villiers in the Shenfield ranks.

She dispatched her first ball for four and went on to score 30 not out from 28 balls and was well supported by Anna Wood who made 13 as Shenfield reached their target with nine overs and seven wickets to spare.

The U13s were at home for their shot at glory, where they were put in to bat.

Shannon Drewe and Ellen Hoad did a fine job at the top of the order with a partnership worth 40 before Timson hit 21 from 20 balls as Shenfield reached 97-5 in their 20 overs.

Saffron Walden made a good start, but Timson came to the rescue with three key wickets in a fantastic spell, and with Hoad, Sadie Kirrane, Tonie Abbott , Adele Knapp and Sophie Clarke also in the wickets Walden finished on 73.

LES WHITTON admits it is frustrating to have to try out new players in competitive action as he looks to shape his Brentwood Town squad.

Without a second-string side, Whitton has to throw new players straight into a match situation, and it is making things difficult for his team.

Ahead of last night's scheduled trip to Chatham, the Blues had recorded just a solitary league win – but in the wake of Saturday's incredible 5-5 draw at Ware, Whitton insists his side will turn things around.

"We don't have a lot of time to work with the players," he said. "And we also want to try players out but we've got no reserves, no Capital League side, no U21 side so if I want to try someone I have to try them in games and it's not ideal.

"We're trying to get players in to strengthen things up at the back but we're not getting time to work with them to get them going out how we want to play.

"But that's the way it is. It's going to be a difficult season for us but everybody knows that we've got to improve our defending.

"At the end of the day we've got to start picking up points. I'm so confident that we will, no problems.

"It's harder to score goals than it is to stop them and the sooner we stop conceding goals we'll be fine.

"We haven't been outplayed by anyone so far, teams at the top, teams in the middle or anyone else, nobody.

"We're in every game that we play, we've not been smashed or embarrassed and we're enjoying our football."

Saturday's game at Ware was, in many ways, Town's season in a nutshell.

They are proving to be leaky at the back, but strong going forward, and their never-say-die spirit was shown as they hit back to earn a point despite being down to ten men.

And Whitton is happy with how his side look going forward – even if they need to tighten up at the other end.

"It wasn't great defending," he added. "But having said that, the goals we scored were really good goals and I'm really pleased with them.

"It was good two-touch football and moves where we got behind them and squared the ball.

"But obviously the defending wasn't great.

"We scored two goals when we had ten men. We've scored in every game and we're ok going forward, it's just the defensive side we've got to sort out and where we're such a young side, mistakes are going to be made but we've got to learn from it and not make the same mistakes."

The Blues host in-form Cheshunt – who are scoring goals for fun at the moment – on Saturday, and Whitton is hoping his side can get a bit of luck against Omer Riza's men, who beat Romford 4-0 last weekend.

He added: "We've got youngsters who want to learn but it seems that every mistake we make is being punished.

"We don't seem to be having the rub of the green.

"Going forward it's fantastic, we play some good stuff and we're scoring some great goals but the defending is a worry."

BILLERICAY Town manager Craig Edwards is baffled at criticism being levelled at his new-look side.

The Blues made it four wins in five games on Monday night with a 2-1 win at Hendon in what Edwards described as a "fantastic game".

But that came on the back of a 1-0 loss to lowly Carshalton on Saturday, and Edwards – whose side were relegated from the Conference South last season – is unhappy at the critics of his men.

"I've read some of the criticism of the boys and it's just pathetic," he said. "We're a young side, we've changed virtually all the personnel and brought in a very young side.

"We've changed the system, we've changed the way we play, we play some really exciting football.

"We might not win every game but we're improving with every game.

"We play great, entertaining football but obviously you can't please everyone."

The entertainment the Blues are capable of serving up was superbly illustrated in the win at Hendon.

Ricky Sappleton – who had been sent off in the dying stages at Carshalton – grabbed both goals in the opening 11 minutes, and Edwards insisted it could have been even more.

"It was a magnificent win," he added. "I thought we were tremendous.

"It was a marked improvement on Saturday. I thought they were as good as any side we've played this year.

"We've played the top team and we've played Carshalton who were one from the bottom and I've seen no one who's blown me away and I've seen no whipping boys – there's a fag paper between the lot of them.

"I thought Hendon were a very, very exciting team. I had a good chat with their manager after the game, he's a great up and coming manager and I thought they played some fantastic football and we did as well.

"It's not often as a manager that you can really enjoy a game because usually you are so engrossed in it, what's going wrong, what's going right, but it was a great game of football.

"We scored two superb goals, we hit the post three times and their keeper's pulled off three unbelievable saves.

"It was such an open and attacking game, the surface was good, it was quality and to come away winning it, I was absolutely delighted.

"We've had three away games in a week, we've got six points from them and that's a great return."

Town now head to Southern League side St Albans in the FA Cup second qualifying round on a high after that win.

And Edwards said: "We will be big underdogs but we go into it in great confidence.

"This is our fourth away game in a row and if we can take the form we've shown in the others into that, then there's no reason why we can't cause an upset."

STRIDING down a quiet Springfield road in broad daylight, these two young men are being sought by police to answer questions about 37 Chelmsford burglaries.

The victims include a man who shouted at and scared away hooded criminals prising open his Linnet Drive front door at 3.30am last Tuesday, while £1,020 in cash was stolen from a Meon Close home earlier that morning.

Speaking to the Chronicle, Acting Superintendent Steve Ditchburn said he had never heard of so many burglaries in such a short space of time.

Yet as a county council meeting takes place today to discuss street lighting approaches, the former Met police officer shrugged off any suggestion that the spike in burglaries is related to the night-time blackout.

"While there are burglaries at night time there are also burglaries in the day time," said the district commander of Chelmsford, Maldon and South Woodham Ferrers.

Mr Ditchburn, who has had about four letters protesting the switch-off, was responsible for telling the city council which lights he wanted to remain on.

He said: "I don't think the switch-off has caused an increase in crime, yet what has increased is the community's fear of crime because of the feedback I've received.

"But whether the two are connected I don't think so, just look at Maldon which has seen a reduction in crime year on year since its switch-off.

"But the switch-off hasn't discouraged burglary and in darkness it isn't so easy to assist in the description of suspects – it is something I'm looking into."

The recent spate of burglaries had reached 37 by Sunday.

Jewellery and a laptop were taken from a Christy Avenue home at about 5.15pm on Monday, while a Boreham home was broken into just before 6.10am on Tuesday.

On Monday, a family trapped an intruder in their home after returning to Byron Road just before 3.50pm.

Emma Boniface, of Wordsworth Court, Chelmsford, has been charged with aggravated burglary.

Mr Ditchburn said that homeowners detaining burglars was rare and advised against it, especially as the intruder may have a weapon.

"This is the most I've witnessed in such a short space of time," added Mr Ditchburn, whose officers spend hours patrolling hotspots to tackle the city's "priority problem".

Burglary is one of just two offences for which crime figures across his districts have risen since last year, along with serious violent crime.

All offences are down by 300 on his patch in 2012, a 5.6 per cent reduction.

There have been 5,457 burglaries across Essex this year already compared with a 7,740 total last year, while there were 6,511 recorded in 2010.

In September last year in Chelmsford, the total stood at 28 by the end of the month.

"The fear of crime is the main problem. We want people to feel safe in Chelmsford because it is a safe city," said Mr Ditchburn.

"If you look at other cities we are very low on crime but it's people's perception that is always difficult to crack."

Mr Ditchburn said the two men, photographed near Aldi supermarket on Springfield Road on Monday, September 9, could hold crucial answers.

Anyone with information should contact detectives at Chelmsford police station on 101.

A PRO-CANNABIS picnic held in an Essex park turned into an impromptu medical consultation session when residents turned out to ask if the drug can help their ailments.

The Essex Cannabis Community hosted a picnic in Chelmsford's Central Park on Saturday in support of the medical use of cannabis.

Terry Virgo, 72, from Melbourne, Chelmsford, arrived looking for help with pain relief as he suffers from skin cancer and prostate cancer.

"I came here today to find out if I can get any help with my issues with cancer," he told the Chronicle.

Terry was recommended Rick Simpson Oil by an avid user and cannabis convert Lee Cruz, 27, from Southend.

Lee said: "It makes me feel good that I can recommend something for Terry to try – I know that the oil can do the body good for all sorts of things – it hasn't got to be smoked."

The oil was invented by American Rick Simpson who claims to have cured his own skin cancer in 2003 by using oil he created with a cannabis plant.

Terry added: "I have no issues with anyone using cannabis and certainly not these chaps who have been very kind and friendly – I don't smoke at all but I'm willing to look into the medicinal benefits. They haven't tried to rip me off or sell me anything, they just gave me advice."

Organiser Danny Kelly, 29, said: "This is why we wanted to hold something like this so we can help educate people about how cannabis can help them – people can come together and talk about what works and what doesn't and we can all learn. There's a lot of misinformation about cannabis and we feel it's time for a grown-up conversation about its use."

Danny feels that smoking cannabis helps with his ADHD more than medication.

He said: "I only took the pills a few times before my family took them away – so many children act like zombies because of them. When I got older I started smoking and it really helps me. I'm not saying it's a cure for everything – but it helps me."

Alex Johnson, 26, from Wickford, has been using cannabis oil and smoking cannabis since a bout of depression six years ago.

He said: "Cannabis has really helped with my depression and helped me get out and make the most of my life.

"In my opinion we need to let as many people know as possible about the benefits of using cannabis."

Don Barnard, 71, from Witham, has been campaigning for the medical use of cannabis since 1974 and said: "We are friendly people and we are willing to discuss any issues that people want – we make sure that no children are anywhere near us when we smoke.

"There is a lot of hypocrisy that surrounds the use of cannabis – people have been using the plant for centuries to help kill aches and pains and as skin oil and large pharmaceutical companies still do."

And when asked about a possible link between psychological issues and cannabis he said: "I know of no scientific evidence that supports the idea that cannabis causes psychosis."

Andrew Osborne, 23, was attending from South Woodham Ferrers and said: "I'm tired of feeling like a criminal and having to sit at home with the curtains shut."

Three previous pro-cannabis events have been held in Chelmsford without any arrests. An Essex Police spokesman said: "Police were not made aware in advance that there was a pro-cannabis meeting happening. Once officers were advised they patrolled the area. No cannabis was smelt or detected by the patrolling officers."

Lucy Dawe, from Cannabis Skunk Sense, a charity offering support for families affected by cannabis use, said: "New research suggests that prolonged cannabis use can cause psychosis. Damage to the brain cannot be reversed."

KENYAN children's charity Arise and Shine has expressed its gratitude to more than 200 runners and well-wishers who took to the lanes of Stock on Saturday.

The event, in its fifth year, attracted more than 85 adult runners and more than 100 fun runners to the 5km route.

The adult race kicked off at 10.30am, with the kids' fun run at noon, supported by the Billericay Striders, who marshalled the run, and it concluded with a barbecue, stalls, a karate display, and a raffle at the village hall.

Organiser Kirin Welch, 45, of Mill Road, Stock, said: "It's been a really successful day – it's great to raise money for such a fantastic cause. The kids see that the charity is helping children their own age, so they really relate.

"It's been lovely to see everyone from the village and further afield and it's also a great chance to get outdoors for a healthy pastime along a really scenic route."

Some of the children performed on stage after the run, with images of some of the 100-plus Kenyan youngsters who have been helped by Arise and Shine shown on screens behind them.

Matt Stevens, 34, who co-founded the charity eight years ago, said: "The charity is directly influenced by the good work done here at these local events. We currently rent a children's home in the Rift Valley, Kenya, for children who have lost parents, often to HIV, but also to other causes.

"A big thank you must go to everyone who took part.

"We have 30 children aged from four to 18 in our care and this money can help us provide for even more."

The Smith family – Mark, 50, Alyson, 47, and Nathan, 16, of Billericay – were taking part in the fun run for the first time, after spotting a poster at Billericay Station. Alyson said: "It's been an amazing day along a really scenic route- with a friendly atmosphere that suits the whole family.

Mark added: " It's been very well organised, with plenty of stewards directing us and some wonderful people supporting from the road side."

Nathan, who finished ahead of both his parents, said: "I will definitely be back next year because it's been a fun morning – It always feels good to beat your mum and dad and I'll probably do the same next year, too."

SUMMER tunes, special portraits, storytelling and a tea party marked the 50th anniversary of Wickford library.

The celebration saw a performance by Wickford Junior School Choir at the Market Road library. The children sang songs from their summer show and painted pictures of the library staff.

Current and former staff and members of the public joined the festivities on August 18, which included an afternoon tea party and displays from the Wickford Community Archive, demonstrating the town's history.

Library supervisor Loraine Severn said: "It went really well – the children sang and that was very popular.

"The community group spoke about the work they do and the children created some really nice pictures. The tea party was a good chance to catch up with old and new staff and friends."

In the evening, there was a session run by the Ladygate Scribblers, an association of people who like to write stories, in which they created tales with members of the public about the library, which was opened in 1963, and celebrations in general.

Terry Flitman, head teacher at Wickford Junior School, said: "We have had a close relationship with the library since I started at the school 14 years ago, and we were really happy to be part of the anniversary.

"The choir went down really well and I was glad to see people support the event. The choir entered a regional competition in Leigh last year and they won – they have reached a really high standard and they have a fantastic music teacher."

Mr Flitman explained that the children go to Wickford Library, just a stone's throw from the school, to exchange books.

Maurice Wakeham, committee member of the Wickford Community Archive, added: "We had a big display of photographs.

"People were invited to speak of their memories, and to bring things in that they wanted to find more about."

Mr Wakeham explained that the group come to the library every third Saturday of the month, from 10am until noon, to speak to people about Wickford history. The group were at the library on August 28 for a special session.

He added: "It was a great chance to celebrate the anniversary of the library's being here since it moved off of the high street 50 years ago."

A FORMER Ingrave resident has found a novel way of combining his hobby with fundraising for the hospice that cared for his wife before she died of breast cancer.

David Bardwell took a vintage motorcycle to the Isle of Man to complete a lap of the famous Tourist Trophy circuit in memory of his wife Pam, who died aged 60 in 2009.

On his 1949 350cc Mk VIII KTT Velocette, Mr Bardwell completed the 37-mile circuit at an average speed of 74mph, just 4mph less than the same model managed when it was entered in the original Isle of Man TT in 1949.

Mr Bardwell, 62, who now lives in Wales, said: "In its day this motorbike was one of the best of its kind and the opportunity to ride it around the TT course was an amazing and thrilling experience for me.

"I wanted to share some of that pleasure by getting sponsorship and raising as much money as I could for Saint Francis Hospice because they provided my wife Pam and me with amazing care during her illness and made the last few weeks of her life as comfortable as they could possibly be.

"Pam and I were married for 37 years and she was a loving and very hospitable person who was always there to help others who needed it and she is very much missed.

"Without the help of Saint Francis Hospice, I would not have managed to nurse Pam at home where she wanted to be."

Mr Bardwell's ride and sponsorship raised more than £820 for the hospice.

Lauren Josman, fundraising events manager at the hospice in Havering-atte-Bower, said: "Thanks to David and all those who supported him in his ride in memory of Pam, other patients and their families across Brentwood, Havering and neighbouring boroughs will be able to receive care from our specialist nurses and doctors in their own homes."

A STATE-OF-THE-ART football facility for the community will kick-start its career in North Weald on Saturday.

Plans for the five-a-side pitch and function room – boasting Sky Sports and a seven-foot HD television – have been two years in the making.

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday manager Peter Shreeves will be on hand to pass on some tips and tricks throughout the big launch day.

The man behind the plan is Bradley Smith, who owns the land at the North Weald Golf Club.

He said: "We have been planning this for two years and we really got the ball moving earlier this year.

"We have had great support from the local parish council who have really got behind this facility.

"There is nothing like this is in the area – if you want to play five-a-side you have to travel to Romford or elsewhere."

The benefit to the community is a key part of the business, which is a joint venture between him and his wife Stacey.

The 47-year-old said: "We want to work with local schools and let them use this facility for free if they want to.

"We are not a not-for-profit business, but being affordable and giving something back to the community is incredibly important to me.

"We are not just focusing on being here for the younger people, although that is very important – we want to offer something for all ages.

"We are looking into doing walking football for the over 60s, which is basically football but without running.

"It means those who love a kick about but don't have the ability to peg it around on a pitch for an hour-and-a-half can still have fun.

"We will be running our own leagues and tournaments and hopefully lots of people will get involved."

Mr Smith, who has owned a nursery on the site for three years, is looking forward to the launch, which hundreds of people are expected to attend.

The father-of-two said: "We will be having a hog roast, a professional freestyler, a football tournament and training sessions. It is free to turn up at and I hope loads of people come along to join in the fun."

Stacey Smith, Bradley's wife, added: "It has been a long time in progress and it is great to finally be able to have a launch event.

"We will be putting loads on for the day and it will be very emotional to finally see it completed.

"The facility will be incredible, we have 3G pitches and brand new facilities all going in."

The tournament on the day will be the Joe Daines Memorial Trophy, named after Mr Smith's grandfather who had a great love of playing football.

It is expected to become an annual event in memory of the former FA-qualified referee who died at the age of 96.

The launch day is being held at Shooters Football, off Rayley Lane, between 11am and 5pm.

For more information log on to shootersfootball.co.uk

STRICTLY fever has arrived in Essex with the launch of a gym class inspired by the classic dances featured on the show.

Stock Brook Country Club, near Billericay, added Fit Steps to its class timetable around the same time the latest series of the very popular BBC1 show got underway – and it has proved an instant hit.

The class was created by Strictly Come Dancing dancers Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite, alongside series six contestant and Olympic swimmer Mark Foster.

Fitness instructor Ashleigh Buckley, from Wickford, explained how the Strictly duo were personally involved in selecting her as one of the Fit Steps instructors.

The 26-year-old said: "We did a full day's course of non-stop dancing, followed by an assessment.

"Unlike other classes, we then had to wait a week and a half to find out whether we'd passed or not.

"It was worth the wait though." Participants have the opportunity to learn steps from dances such as the quickstep and jive as part of a strenuous workout regime.

It is hoped the class will soon become a permanent fixture at the club and Stock Brook fitness manager Phil Minot told the Gazette the club was always hopeful it would be well received by members.

The 24-year-old, who lives in Benfleet, said: "We decided to try it at the club because we thought it would fit our membership demographic.

"The class is getting busier and busier so it looks to have been a good decision to have it here.

"There's no doubt the Strictly connection has been an important factor in its initial popularity with people.

"The feedback we have had so far has been great – people are saying it is a really fun way of exercising."

Ashleigh's enthusiasm for running the class stems from her background as a professional dancer and she says it is ideal because it has allowed her to do what she loves doing again.

She explained: "I love Zumba but it's very freestyle, whereas this is more my sort of thing because it's all about technique.

"It pushes me as well because I've not danced professionally for a long time.

"I used to be a dancer but then I had my daughter.

"The lifestyle that goes with dancing isn't that family friendly so I started doing fitness, which means I can work classes around her."

A typical class includes 12 dances split across five different dance genres.

The absence of a dance partner might seem strange, but Ashleigh insists this has no bearing on the enjoyment or the fitness benefits.

She said: "A lot of people think that, as it's inspired by Strictly, it will be partner based, but for Fit Steps you don't need a partner.

"Although it's mainly cardio based, you are simulating the same holds as if you did have a partner, so there is an element of resistance training to the class.

"People that do the class love it."

This is a view shared by regular Fit Steps participant Jane Collins, from Stock, who admits she jumped at the chance to join a class allowing her to combine exercise with dancing.

The 36-year-old said: "I like it because it's a fun workout and I love dancing.

"A class that combines both of these things suits me down to the ground."

There was some frustration from Ashleigh about the fact the Strictly name cannot be used to advertise the class.

However she is optimistic about its future and cited Zumba as an example of a class that existed for quite some time before really taking off.

She added: "I hope it's here to stay, I really do.

"Zumba was around for years before it got massive, so I think it is one of those things that will take time.

"It's a case of getting the word out and making people realise that it is a dance class and not a step class."

For more information visit stockbrook.com

DESPITE harsh criticism from the judges following his own interpretation of a disco classic, Essex boy Sam Callahan has once again sailed through the live shows, taking him one step closer to the X Factor title.

The 19-year-old failed on last Saturday's episode to impress Gary Barlow with his version of Relight My Fire, a disco song from 1979 that Take That covered with Lulu in 1993, but he was first to learn he'd received enough votes to avoid the sing-off on the Sunday results show, and punched the air in disbelief.

The singer/songwriter from Great Totham now joins the final eight acts fighting it out for the reality show title, and has promised to give 100 per cent to each of his future performances in order to silence his critics.

After hearing particularly harsh criticism from Gary Barlow and Nicole Scherzinger, Sam said: "I think that since Boot Camp I came up and said look, this is not The Voice, this competition is the X Factor and I know I haven't got the best voice in this show, I've said that from day one, but I come out and give 100 per cent each time.

"And I will continue to do that, and continue to work hard to try and please everyone."

The former Sylvia Young Theatre school pupil came out fighting on Saturday's live show with a boxing-themed performance of Relight My Fire.

But he was torn apart by Gary, who looked horrified at Sam's rendition of a song he himself covered with Take That at the peak of their fame.

"You're a lovely lad… but I hated that performance, I really did," said the 42-year-old, who later lost his own act Kingsland Road in the sing-off.

"The vocals were really exposed. You're not the best singer in the competition and the problem for you is that everyone else is so much better than you."

Despite being told it was "a great performance" by Sharon Osbourne and that he was one of the hardest working contestants in the competition by mentor Louis Walsh, Sam appeared deflated at the comments.

But the public proved their huge support for the self- confessed "flirty fella" when it came to the telephone vote, with presenter Dermot announcing the former Woodham Ferrers pupil as the first through to the next round of live shows.

AN ARMY of dog walkers armed with luminous pink paint to spray dog mess could be deployed by Braintree District Council.

The proposal comes after the authority featured on an episode of BBC current affairs programme Panorama, which praised the cleanliness of the district and its work tackling litter.

Council members say they intend to take the fight against litter louts to the next level.

Leader of Braintree District Council Graham Butland said: "I'm really proud of the great team work by the public, staff and members.

"I just find it so annoying that we have to spend so much taxpayers' money to clear up rubbish that could be spent on other things.

"We aren't doing this to raise money, we're doing this because we're fed up with all the litter.

"We can learn lessons from other councils on other issues, but on this I think we've got this right.

"I would quite like to implement what they do in Manchester and some other places, where a group of volunteer dog owners spray any dog mess they find with biodegradable luminous spray.

"It makes it more visible and the idea is to shame irresponsible dog owners into clearing up after their dogs.

"If you travel along some routes on the A120 you know when you come into Braintree because the verges are clearer.

"It's about applying pressure and keeping the message going, everyone has to do their bit.

"I've reported someone I saw throwing a cigarette butt out the window of a moving van, he was fined £75, but because he was in a works vehicle he was then charged with another offence of smoking in a workplace."

A year ago a controversial Pick It Up campaign was launched in which a poster depicting a child apparently eating dog mess was used to encourage walkers to clean up after their pets.

In June 2010 Councillor Wendy Schmitt even posed in a plastic box filled with rubbish and rats as a publicity stunt to launch a crackdown on miscreants.

She said: "I think it's absolutely wonderful for the staff who go out there and pick up after those who leave litter on the streets.

"To get national recognition was a real pat on the back for our staff and volunteers.

"The majority of people feel empowered because they know that if they report something to us we will take action.

"It's really utterly shameful, a lot of people take the opinion that it's someone else's fault.

"In Braintree we want to provide people with better education so this attitude changes.

"The best example is that of someone who had to pay £717.56 to the courts instead of the initial £75 for throwing a cigarette butt on the floor – that was an expensive cigarette.

"Levels of cleanliness have improved greatly and as a council we have overall a 93 per cent satisfaction rate from the public."

At the Keep Britain Tidy awards last month the district council won two awards, one for environmental champion Karen Brown and one for Wendy Schmitt who was named elected member of the year.

The authority was runner-up for the Stamp Out Poo campaign in Flitch Way.

The council attributes the success of its strategy to working with local businesses.

Cherry Lewis-Taylor, franchise owner of McDonald's in Braintree, Maldon and South Woodham Ferrers, supports the strategy.

At the drive-in restaurant in Braintree staff write car registration numbers on food wrappers, initially to identify them when they park.

However, police and environmental enforcement officers can then trace customers who drop the wrappers.

Since the campaign was launched, fast food litter has dropped 55 per cent, cigarette litter 48 per cent and the issuing of fixed penalty notices has increased by 250 per cent.

Since the launch of the Pain In The Butt campaign in August more than 100 fixed penalty notices were issued to people dropping cigarette ends.

THESE images show what the £2.4 million transformation of Wickford Swimming Pool will look like if the planning application submitted to Basildon Council is accepted.

This application follows the council approving the complete renovation and refurbishment of the pool as part of a £3 million investment into Wickford town centre.

The plans were approved by cabinet on October 10 and councillors say this is just the start of more investment to come.

The planning application has been submitted to Basildon Council on behalf of Sports and Leisure Management who run the facility. The plans see a new fitness suite created as part of an extension and alteration to the existing building.

The extension will include a new main entrance and reception, changing rooms, studios and fitness suite. The swimming pool will also be refurbished and the works will significantly expand the range of services available.

Malcolm Buckley, cabinet member for regeneration and community safety at Basildon Council, said: "I am pleased the application has been submitted and the images that accompany it show how the building will be transformed, outside and in.

"Investing £2.4m in the pool to create a high quality leisure facility and a new fitness suite will bring it up to modern standards. This is absolutely vital to raise the levels of physical activity in the town, and increase the income into the facility.

"This project, along with other work in the pipeline is going to make a major difference to the feel and vibrancy of the town, encourage investment and give the people of Wickford public facilities they deserve."

Kevin Blake, cabinet member for leisure and arts at Basildon Council, added: "This proposed investment just adds to the tens of millions that we have already put into sports and leisure across the borough.

"We want this to be a Sporting Village for the north of the borough.

"This renovation will completely transform an ageing facility and encourage more people to get active and be healthy."

If the plans are approved, it is expected that work will start by January 2014, with the refurbishment of the pool and changing rooms completed by early April 2014 and the new fitness suite opening by the end of June 2014.

Work to further enhance the high street is being discussed and may include improved paving, additional greenery, new street furniture, shop front improvements and bringing market stalls to town on a more permanent basis.

TWO hairdressers from Chelmsford are having the time of their lives – styling hair for X Factor contestants.

Zoe and Nathan Jasztal, both 36, own the Silhouette du Barry salon in Moulsham Street.

But every weekend, they leave their hairdressing business and head up to Wembley in London to have their talent shown to millions by the eight remaining contestants – including Sam Callahan – who hope to sing their way to fame.

The pair, who work with award-winning hairdresser Jamie Stevens on the ITV show, look after the contestants' hair plus 10 dancers' hairdos and are always working due to the constant rehearsals and camera runs that occur throughout the day before the curtain goes up.

"It's amazing fun," said Zoe.

"For us it's just the fact that it's live and there's a lot of jumping and leaping around.

"To make sure that their hair looks good throughout the shows, it's edge of the seat stuff for hairdressers."

Zoe, who has styled contestants' hair with her husband on the show for the past three years, has also styled Sam Callahan's hair, saying that "he is very picky about his hair, but so would I be if I was going on TV".

She also added that "the boys are the vainest" of the contestants and the designers "spend up to twice as long than the girls" fixing the boys' hair.

Despite the pressure of running a six-day-a-week salon, Nathan and Zoe also managed to find the time to help on style guru Gok Wan's live fashion show which was broadcast in the summer.

But despite their foray into TV, it is the salon that they still call their home and main project, and Zoe said clients and staff there had been very supportive during their 10-weekend absence.

But after the show is over on December 15, there will be no let-up for the pair: they'll be heading into one of their busiest weeks of the year before Christmas.

CHELMSFORD'S DVLA office has shut after nearly 40 years in the city, leaving 55 people without jobs.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency office, in Hoffmanns Way, has closed – as will the 39 other such offices around the country by the end of the year – to turn the DVLA into a "digital business".

Barry Cooper, 61, who worked as an admin clerk there for five years and now faces the prospect of unemployment, said: "I think without doubt everybody would have carried on working there. "We had no wish or desire to move on."

The centre served about 500 people a day.

Mr Cooper, who lives in Springfield, said that you could have a new documentation in about 15 minutes at the local office, but now the only contact available with the agency is via its head office in Swansea, Wales – and that could take anything up to three weeks.

The office, which has now been dismantled, was closed to the public on Friday, October 25, at 5pm and shut its doors to its employees six days later.

THE people of Maldon turned out in force to voice their concerns about flooding at the first events of their kind in the town.

The events, hosted by Maldon District Council and Essex County Council, invited the public to Heybridge Primary School and the Plume School to meet staff from the Essex Partnership for Flood Management and ask questions about surface water flooding.

Much of the talk at the Plume School event was on how these agencies could avoid another incident like the one on August 24 this year when a number of homes and businesses across the district were flooded due to heavy rain.

Proposals to build 4,410 new homes in the district over the next year were also discussed.

Partners attending the event included the Essex County Council's Flood and Water Management team, Maldon District Council's planning team, Environmental Protection, Emergency Planning teams, The Environment Agency, Anglian Water, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, Essex Highways, and MDA Community Flood Consultants.

Juliet Revill of Langford said: "Our problem is with the lack of flood resistance when the new proposed houses will be built.

"Floods are very common in certain parts of Heybridge and I just don't see how the new proposed development will help with that at all."

At the event the Maldon and Heybridge Surface Water Management Plan was launched.

It considers flooding from sewers, drains and groundwater, runoff from land and small watercourses and ditches that occur as a result of heavy rainfall.

David Brennan of Wantz Road, Maldon, had his conservatory flooded on August 24.

He said: "We would have liked to have spoken to Essex Highways about their responsibilities with the drainage but they were not here. We were quite fortunate not to have any really bad damage this year.

"We were offered some quite good advice by Essex County Council and by MDA flood consultants, who were very helpful, and we will take some of it for sure."

The surface water management engagement events were held on October 29 at Heybridge Primary School and on November 1 at the Plume School.

One resident from Maldon, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "They said that the flood on August 24 was a one-in-100-year flood but with climate change that could be much more common.

"A lot of people came very close to having real damage done to their properties so everyone needs clearer direction next time – these events are a good idea but they still need to let people know personally."

Essex County Councillor John Jowers, cabinet member for libraries, communities and planning, said: "These events can show that we are all very capable of working together, which is hugely important when one piece of land can be owned by up to four different authorities.

"We think that a lot of local people may know their areas better than us at council level so we want to help use their expertise as best we can."

"We want to solve the problems by working with local people and listen to the advice from local people at events like this."

Gary Richardson from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service's Maldon and Chelmsford emergency planning unit is tasked with helping people understand what to do if an emergency occurs.

He said: "We are trying to make the community resilient to the types of issues we face with flooding and we look to help from the community to assist us where they can.

"This is the first time that all these authorities have come together so hopefully this can help everyone involved."

At the event Mary Dhonau OBE of MDA community flood consultants gave advice about the risk of flooding to homes.

Mary, whose former home in Worcester flooded 12 times in 11 years, said: "I enjoy letting people know about the dangers of flooding and the people in the Maldon area should understand about some of the procedures that can be taken – because sandbags can only help so much.

"You can lose so much to flooding and it's such a horrible feeling, but there are some very easy and practicable steps that you can take to make it less likely."

TESCO plans to build a new collection point at its Great Notley superstore.

The proposal will feature a new collection pod and canopy where customers will be able to drive in and collect items they have bought on the internet.

This will include a van delivery side and customer bay and be placed in the existing car park, taking up ten spaces.

However, Graham Butland, leader of Braintree District Council and a Great Notley resident, has reservations about this extension of the store's capabilities.

He said: "At the moment I have concerns because I need to know more about it and what it will mean if this goes ahead.

"I'm trying to gauge residents' views through Twitter and Facebook. I'm on an evidence-gathering mission at the moment.

"I don't believe they've got this same set-up at Marks Farm, in that it doesn't go through a residential area as it would in Great Notley.

"It would bring a lot of traffic into the area, so I'm really interested in finding out what constituents think."

Mr Butland has already got some feedback through residents' social media groups, with a range of responses.

AN EXHIBITION showcasing prints, paintings and drawings by a group of amateur artists can be enjoyed in Brentwood.

The display held at Brentwood Library presents work from the Brentwood Art Society and will be available to view for three weeks.

It features work by 20 artists who are interested in print making, painting and drawing, with a traditional focus.

The Brentwood Art Society has been in operation since 1958 and meets twice a week at Brentwood School.

Anna Hughes, of the Avenue, Brentwood, is chairman of the group. She said: "The exhibition is a good opportunity for people to look around and also buy some original and unique art.

"It has been run every year since the 1960s and we are all amateurs but some teach art."

The retired art teacher added: "I joined because wanted to find like-minded people and have been a member since 1994."

The society has tutored sessions on Monday nights, life drawing on Thursday nights, painting weekends and trips to galleries.

The free exhibition at the library in New Road will run during opening hours until November 28.

Those interested in joining should contact club secretary Margaret Hurst on 01277 227205.