A SUPERMARKET has opened on the site of a former pub.

The Morrisons M Local on Hatfield Road, Witham, will add 20 new jobs to the town's workforce and will be open from 7am to 11pm every day.

The grand opening took place at 9am on Friday and was performed by children from nearby Howbridge, Chipping Hill, and Holy Family primary schools.

Barry Wells, store manager, said: "We are proud to be opening an M Local in Witham and creating 20 new jobs for local people.

"Fresh food will be at the heart of our store and as a team we will work hard to be a positive addition to the local community."

Residents have been reminiscing about some of the building's glory days as the Jack & Jenny pub, which closed in April last year.

Steve Thomas, 49, from Witham, said: "I remember one Saturday evening I walked in and Tony Adams, the Arsenal captain, was in there propping up the bar.

"It was the day after they won the Premier League on the Friday night with the last kick of the game.

"I remember thinking that was the last person I expected to see in there given the circumstances.

"The best governor the place had was John Quy, a proper old school landlord.

"He was the type that wore a blazer and grey trousers, and always wore a tie.

"I went in there one Christmas Day lunchtime and there was a tray on the bar full of single whisky shots for his regulars.

"You wouldn't get that these days.

"It's a shame because the Jack is less than a minutes' walk from my house, which is why I'm so disappointed it's no more."

Witham Town Council and some residents who live near the site down Maltings Lane were strongly against the proposal for a store on the site.

They raised concerns about antisocial behaviour after Braintree District Council approved the same licensing hours for the shop as the pub had enjoyed.

Residents were also concerned about the possibility of increased traffic in the road from lorries and cars from customers.

The lights at the store were also a hot topic at a Braintree District Council meeting in May when some councillors raised concerns about the brightness and amount of lights on the shop.

Councillors initially deferred a decision to grant the licence until clarity on the opening times could be given.

ESSEX roads boss Rodney Bass has made a plea to the Government's Highways Agency for urgent safety improvements on the A12 after a spate of serious accidents.

Essex County Council's cabinet member for highways and transportation has drawn-up a four-point wish list which he believes could improve safety on the notorious road and save lives after seven crashes involving 27 vehicles in just one month, which left 11 injured and one dead.

The Conservative wants arrow markings painted on the road to help drivers maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, a ban on HGVs overtaking between 6am and 8pm and signs on both sides of the Witham Bypass saying "Slow Down", "Maintain Distance" and "Keep Alert".

He is also calling for the restoration of A12 police patrols, which were cut due to budget constraints, and is offering taxpayers' cash to part-finance them.

"Safety is of the utmost importance for our residents and I would like to see the Highways Agency and the Government take these actions as soon as possible," he said.

"Something needs to be done urgently. I'm not asking for it to be widened, although I do believe it should be a motorway," added Cllr Bass, who regularly uses the A12 to travel from his Wickham Bishops home to County Hall.

"Essex County Council is prepared to put £100,000 to set up police patrols again, which were really good at preventing accidents and improving road safety."

On Wednesday morning last week two crashes involving a total of ten vehicles brought the A12 London-bound carriageway to a standstill. The first, involving three cars, was at 6.25am between junction 21 at Witham and junction 20b at Hatfield Peverel.

The second crash at 7am involved seven vehicles, including a lorry, at junction 20 Hatfield Peverel. A lorry driver has been questioned by police on suspicion of careless driving.

On June 19 seven people were injured, including two young boys, in a five vehicle accident that blocked the London-bound A12 between Howe Green and Galleywood.

On June 21 former beauty queen champion Bonnie Hiller from Tiptree was killed when her Mercedes crashed into a bridge support at Kelvedon.

Three months ago Essex Police announced officers would be stepping up an operation to reduce collisions on the trunk road.

The Highways Agency said chevron arrow markings would be unsuitable for the A12 as "traffic speeds are inconsistent due to the frequency of junctions".

A spokesman said: "We're committed to keeping the roads safe and reliable. Just recently we announced the A12 Kelvedon resurfacing scheme which covers about 3,000 square metres of surfacing, with an estimated scheme cost of £500,000.

"Margaretting bypass resurfacing and two pinch point schemes – Kelvedon and Hughes Corner average speed camera.

"Restricting heavy vehicles from overtaking can make journeys more reliable and improve safety. However, this solution is not appropriate for all sections of our network.

"Preventing lorries from overtaking requires all lorries to travel at the same speed as the slowest vehicle.

"This can result in long lines of unbroken traffic in lane one, preventing other drivers from joining or leaving the road.

"We have previously investigated a lorry overtaking trial for the A12, but due to the frequency of junctions believe this would not provide an effective method of reducing congestion."

But Cllr Bass was adamant it should be done, adding: "I'm making four tangible suggestions to improve safety, all these measures will help reduce the number of incidents. If the Highways Agency don't want to listen then we are going to see more and more accidents on the A12.

"Until lorries stop making dangerous manoeuvres and take greater care and attention, incidents will increase, the road haulage industry must make big adjustments in the way they drive on the A12.

"If you ask the people of Essex what we should do, they would say do all four suggestions.

"The A12 is an express way and should be treated as such. The M11 trialled a ban on overtaking lorries and everyone could see how well that worked and wanted that trial brought back."

MORE than 100 people attended a garden party in Southminster to celebrate volunteering in Maldon and the Dengie and thank those who give their time.

The event, held at the Knightswood Centre, Steeple Road, on Saturday (June 28) was arranged by staff at the Maldon District Community Voluntary Service (MDCVS) and the Dengie Project Trust in appreciation of the work the volunteers do for the charities.

Sarah Laskar, director of the MDCVS, said: "It was an absolute success and some of the feedback we received about the day was fantastic.

"Our volunteers are the backbone of our service and do a fantastic job, so it was wonderful to say thanks for all of their hard work and effort."

Volunteers were treated to a glass of Pimm's, cream scones and a selection of cakes, whilst being entertained with live music.

The event was sponsored by Magnox through its Social Economic Good Neighbour Fund, and guests included Maldon MP John Whittingdale, district councillors and parish councillors.

Giving out certificates of appreciation to the volunteers, Mr Whittingale said: "I am very pleased to be here to thank these volunteers and also to highlight the importance of volunteer time given to all charities throughout the community.

"Without the dedication of volunteers many services could not be provided to local people."

Those present at the garden party are responsible for a range of support, from helping with gardening, supporting vulnerable adults, driving community vehicles and acting as trustees of the charities.

Volunteer Jean Grant, from Maldon, who helps with the Harbour Project for MDCVS, said: "It was a wonderful occasion.

"I hadn't expected it as I just love to volunteer."

"Everyone has worked so hard to make it nice and make us all feel very special."

In March, MDCVS received nearly £250,000 from the Big Lottery Fund to provide support to people at risk of poor mental health and social isolation to get involved with their community.

They also hope to start a number of new schemes in August, including the Maldon Shed project, where members of the community can pursue practical interests, sharing tools, skills and resources.

Anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering should contact Maldon and District Volunteer Centre on 01621 851891, volunteering@maldoncvs.org.uk or visit www.maldoncvs.org.uk

A BUPA spokesman insisted Admirals Reach staff had learnt from the incident by installing security pads inside the rooms and "strengthening our risk assessments".

During the inquest George Mason's daughter Amanda Malin described Benbow House, one of five purpose built houses, as more like "an institution".

When she visited him with her partner about three days before he was found drowned, she said her father was allowed to walk around without his glasses.

The home in Ridgewell Avenue consists of 158 rooms, with those in Benbow House dedicated to dementia patients.

A spokesman said: "We work hard to balance our residents' desire to be independent in their home with the need to be secure. Our residents' welfare is always our number one priority.

"We have made changes to our code-operated entry doors, reviewed all care plan documentation, and strengthened our risk assessments to ensure we understand the needs of individual residents.

"The coroner is satisfied that the home has taken all appropriate action.

"This was a tragic accident and we would like to again send our condolences to Mr Mason's family."

A spokesman for Essex County Council, the authority responsible for safeguarding the elderly, said: "The council carried out a full investigation in the aftermath of Mr Mason's death and continues to work closely with Bupa in an effort to improve the quality and safety of its care services."

ESSEX head coach Paul Grayson was delighted by Jesse Ryder's "first big contribution" with the bat.

Ryder hit his first County Championship century for Essex on Monday to build a platform as they reached 541 all out on the second day against Gloucestershire.

The New Zealander smashed his way to 133 from just 164 balls, including 15 fours and four sixes.

Grayson said: "Going into lunch on day three with a lead of 317 was obviously a massive position for us to be in. The guys bowled really well on the first day, especially in the morning session.

"I am really pleased for Jesse with his first big contribution in the four-day format. He hasn't really made a big score with the bat so far in the Championship but he batted exceptionally well. He took the attack to the bowlers and it paid off."

Essex managed to pile on the pressure batsman, with the top five all reaching at least 50.

That included a maiden first-class 50 for Nick Browne, who put on a partnership of 139 with Tom Westley for the first wicket.

Ravi Bopara also continued his good form with a watchful 147 from 302 balls, before Tom Smith eventually bowled him.

"I was delighted for Nick (Browne) to get his first half century. He has performed well in the second team and it was nice for him to get a score.

"Tom (Westley) is also hitting the ball well and Ravi (Bopara) is just continuing on the great form that he is in."

The Eagles next outing is T20 Blast action against Surrey in front of a sell-out Chelmsford crowd. Grayson's side are currently top of the South Group, having won seven of their eight games.

"We are going really well in that competition," Grayson said. "There have been some brilliant team performances as well and, when they have been needed, some top individual scores.

The way that we have been playing in the T20 is as good as I have seen and we are all looking forward to entertaining a packed crowd against Surrey."

CHELMSFORD Athletic Club's Hayley McLean was celebrating after breaking her personal best at the British Championships this weekend.

The 400m hurdler came third in the final at Birmingham and ran a time of 56.43 seconds.

The 19-year-old from Stanford-le-Hope said: "It was fantastic. I felt pretty good in the heats and knew that if I could go out there and attack the hurdles then I could get a good time. But I couldn't believe that I got a new personal best.

"Conditions weren't perfect either but my stride pattern and everything else just clicked into place at the right time. It was my target for the year to get 56.5 seconds and to have done that already is great."

McLean will be part of Team England's Commonwealth Games squad travelling to Glasgow this month, the most important competition of her senior career.

And McLean is delighted that she has hit top form at the right time.

She said: "It has given me such confidence for the rest of the summer and now I just want to continue that for the rest of the year.

"With the Commonwealth Games just around the corner the plan is just to carry on with the training programme and remain injury-free. That's the key thing, to go to Glasgow in great shape and ready to go."

Fellow Chelmsford runner Jessica Judd, who will be competing in the 800m, will join McLean in Glasgow.

Judd had a difficult British Championships, finishing fourth in the final running a time of 2m 2.73 seconds.

McLean added: "It is fantastic to have two people from Chelmsford going to Glasgow. It is great running there (Chelmsford) and they have been so good to me.

"I am really proud of the club and I am hope they are of me too."

Writtle College's huge landscape artwork celebrating the Tour de France's passage past the institution is beginning to take shape.

The college is creating the giant stylised image of a racing cyclist out of more than 300 bales of haylage in a field on its 220-hectare estate. The aim is for the artwork to be viewed from the helicopters following the Tour de France as it goes past Writtle.

The project, which has received funding from Active Chelmsford, is being created in a field near to Roxwell Road.

The dynamic abstracted image of a cyclist moving at speed was designed by one of the Contemporary Art and Design degree students at the College, Georgina Elizabeth, following a competition. 

The design was pixelated and then laid out on a giant grid in the field, with each pixel being a bale. 

The bales, which are being put in place using a forklift truck, are from the College's own fields as well as those kindly donated by local feed merchants Thorogood's.

Writtle School of Design – the flagship design school based at the College - will create a time-lapse film of the artwork under construction from a scaffolding tower. 

They will also create another film of the helicopter fly over.

College principal Dr Stephen Waite said: "Having the Tour de France go past Writtle College is an historic occasion in our 120-year history and gives our students and staff the opportunity to participate in a world class sports and cultural event. 

"We have a beautiful main building and picturesque campus set on 220 hectares, but we wanted to create an artwork that would celebrate this momentous occasion and be seen by the helicopters as they fly over the route.

"As a college with a long history in providing inspiring specialist courses for the land-based industries, we thought it would be fitting to create an installation in the environment, which is bringing together our expertise in design, agriculture and sport."

Georgina, 29, from Holland-on-Sea, said: "My design was of course influenced by the race but I wanted it to be dynamic and eye-catching so, with that in mind, I designed a stylised rider that was easy to pixelate and re-create in the field using rectangular bales.

"As soon as I learned the Tour de France was passing through the area I wanted to help Writtle College be a part of this iconic event and I am thrilled that my design was chosen and will potentially be seen by thousands of people."

A SINGLE mother has accused health bosses of "dragging their heels" over the decision to grant her an NHS-funded breast reduction.

A reviewing panel from the Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group met on Wednesday (July 2) to consider the case of Kim Mills, of Trenchard Crescent, north Springfield, who says her 38KK breasts are destroying her life.

Yet the group failed to reach a decision and deferred the case to be reviewed on Wednesday, July 23, by the Mid Essex CCG Exceptional Cases Panel.

"I think they're dragging their heels really, I think they're scared to make the decision," said the 32-year-old office worker.

"My understanding of an appeal is you get a yes or no answer, that's the whole reason it goes to an appeal, so to me they're scared of it being a wrong decision and that if they said yes, it would open up a whole can of worms.

"They had the opportunity to defer it at the first meeting (in June). That's my life they are dragging on, they're not taking into consideration that I'm a person and that I'm suffering every day."

Miss Mills, who was diagnosed with arthritis in May, is grateful however she will be able to attend the panel meeting on July 23.

The mother-of-two will have five minutes to argue her case at Mid Essex CCG's headquarters in Springfield, which sits below the Essex Chronicle offices.

Miss Mill, who says she struggles to bathe her four-year-old daughter and even walk due to the weight of her chest, is expected to hear if her case was successful a week after the meeting.

In a letter to Miss Mills this week the Essex Commissioning Support Unit write: "Unfortunately the Group was unable to make a definitive conclusion, and it was therefore felt appropriate that your application be heard at the Mid Essex CCG Exceptional Cases Panel.

"This meeting is scheduled for 23 July 2014 and will enable a wider audience to hear your case."

THE M11 is now open in both directions after lorry overturned and chemical flooded across both carriageways yesterday evening.

No other vehicle was involved in the accident between junctions 7 and 8 of the M11 that was closed from around 5.10pm to 10am this morning while the spill was cleared.

Highways Agency Traffic officers, Essex Police, Essex Fire Service and the Environment Agency, worked throughout the night and into this morning and the south-bound carriageway re-opened at 10am, with the north-bound carriageway opening at 5.50am.

A 25 metre section of the southbound carriageway and the gulleys of the northbound carriageway were covered with a chemical foam after a lorry overturned at around 5pm on Thursday evening. The foam started to solidify on contact with the carriageway and also penetrated the surface.

A 150 metre exclusion zone was put in place until it could be established that the foam was not releasing toxic fumes.

The chemicals were identified as melamine formaldehyde resin and phosphoric acid, and of a low risk, the HGV was cleared and the road was reopened.

Fire crews from Harlow, Stansted, Epping and Grays attended the scene at around 5.10pm yesterday and left at 11pm.

Caner Okanay, Highways Agency operations manager, said: "We would like to thank drivers for their patience last night and this morning while we cleared the carriageway of a significant chemical spill on the M11.

"The nature of the chemical involved meant that we had to ensure none of it reached the water course. This meant we had to jet wash the carriageway surface and then use gulley suckers to ensure all of the liquid was removed and safely disposed of away from the scene."

The Environment Agency were also at the scene until 1am this morning carrying out assessments on environmental impact and drains alongside the carriageway were covered to ensure the chemical did not reach the water courses.

Organisers have put their plans are in place, the road closures have been outlined, and the county is set for the teams to arrive in Essex for leg 3 of the Tour de France - but who exactly are the teams and

See below for everything you need to know about the elite cyclists winging their way past the county's roads:

Teams

Team Sky

C. Froome GBR

B. Eisel AUT

V. Kiryienka BLR

D. López ESP

M. Nieve ESP

D. Pate USA

R. Porte AUS

G. Thomas GBR

X. Zandio ESP

Movistar

A. Valverde ESP

I. Erviti ESP

J. Gadret FRA

J. Herrada ESP

B. Intxausti ESP

J. Izagirre ESP

R. Plaza ESP

J. Rojas ESP

G. Visconti ITA

Katyusha

J. Rodríguez ESP

V. Isaichev RUS

A. Kristoff NOR

L. Paolini ITA

A. Porsev RUS

E. Silin RUS

G. Smukulis LAT

S. Špilak SLO

Y. Trofimov RUS

Tinkoff-Saxo

A. Contador ESP

D. Bennati ITA

J. Hernández ESP

R. Majka POL

M. Mørkøv DEN

S. Paulinho POR

N. Roche IRL

M. Rogers AUS

M. Tosatto ITA

Astana

V. Nibali ITA

J. Fuglsang DEN

A. Grivko UKR

D. Gruzdev KAZ

M. Iglinskiy KAZ

T. Kangert EST

M. Scarponi ITA

A. Vanotti ITA

L. Westra NED

Cannondale

P. Sagan SVK

M. Bodnar POL

A. De Marchi ITA

T. King USA

K. Koren SLO

M. Marcato ITA

J. Marino FRA

F. Sabatini ITA

E. Viviani ITA

Belkin

B. Mollema NED

L. Boom NED

S. Clement NED

S. Kruijswijk NED

T. Leezer NED

B. Tankink NED

L. ten Dam NED

S. Vanmarcke BEL

M. Wynants BEL

Omega Pharma - Quick Step

M. Cavendish GBR

J. Bakelants BEL

M. Golas POL

M. Kwiatkowski POL

T. Martin GER

A. Petacchi ITA

M. Renshaw AUS

N. Terpstra NED

M. Trentin ITA

AG2R

J. Péraud FRA

R. Bardet FRA

M. Chérel FRA

S. Dumoulin FRA

B. Gastauer LUX

B. Kadri FRA

S. Minard FRA

M. Montaguti ITA

C. Riblon FRA

Garmin 

A. Talansky USA

J. Acevedo COL

J. Bauer NZL

A. Howes USA

B. King USA

S. Langeveld NED

R. Navardauskas LTU

T. Slagter NED

J. Vansummeren BEL

Giant

M. Kittel GER

R. Curvers NED

K. de Kort NED

J. Degenkolb GER

D. Devenyns BEL

T. Dumoulin NED

C. Ji CHN

A. Timmer NED

T. Veelers NED

Lampre

R. Costa POR

D. Cimolai ITA

K. Ðurasek CRO

C. Horner USA

S. Modolo ITA

N. Oliveira POR

M. Richeze ARG

J. Serpa COL

R. Valls ESP

FDJ.fr

T. Pinot FRA

W. Bonnet FRA

M. Delage FRA

A. Démare FRA

A. Jeannesson FRA

M. Ladagnous FRA

C. Pineau FRA

J. Roy FRA

A. Vichot FRA

Lotto

J. Van den Broeck BEL

L. Bak DEN

B. De Clercq BEL

T. Gallopin FRA

A. Greipel GER

A. Hansen AUS

G. Henderson NZL

J. Roelandts BEL

M. Sieberg GER

BMC Racing

T. van Garderen USA

D. Atapuma COL

M. Burghardt GER

A. Moinard FRA

D. Oss ITA

M. Schär SUI

P. Stetina USA

G. Van Avermaet BEL

P. Velits SVK

Europcar

P. Rolland FRA

Y. Arashiro JPN

B. Coquard FRA

C. Gautier FRA

Y. Gène FRA

A. Pichot FRA

P. Quémeneur FRA

K. Reza FRA

T. Voeckler FRA

Trek USA

F. Cancellara SUI

M. Busche USA

M. Irizar ESP

G. Rast SUI

A. Schleck LUX

F. Schleck LUX

D. van Poppel NED

J. Voigt GER

H. Zubeldia ESP

Cofidis

D. Navarro ESP

N. Edet FRA

E. García ESP

C. Lemoine FRA

L. Maté ESP

R. Molard FRA

A. Petit FRA

J. Simon FRA

R. Taaramäe EST

Orica

S. Gerrans AUS

M. Albasini SUI

S. Clarke AUS

L. Durbridge AUS

M. Hayman AUS

J. Keukeleire BEL

M. Matthews AUS

S. Tuft CAN

S. Yates GBR

IAM Cycling

S. Chavanel FRA

M. Elmiger SUI

M. Frank SUI

H. Haussler AUS

R. Hollenstein SUI

R. Kluge GER

J. Pineau FRA

S. Reichenbach SUI

M. Wyss SUI

Net App

L. König CZE

J. Bárta CZE

D. De la Cruz ESP

Z. Dempster AUS

B. Huzarski POL

T. Machado POR

J. Mendes POR

A. Schillinger GER

P. Voß GER

Bretagne

J. Bideau FRA

A. Delaplace FRA

B. Feillu FRA

R. Feillu FRA

A. Fonseca FRA

A. Gérard FRA

F. Guillou FRA

B. Jarrier FRA

F. Vachon FRA

The runners and riders to look out for in each team

Team Sky - Chris Froome

Tinkoff Saxo - Alberto Contador

Movistar - Alejandro Valderde

Astanaa - Vincenzo Nibali

OmegaPharma-Quickstep - Mark Cavendish

Giant Shimano - Marcel Kittel

Cannondale - Peter Sagan

BMC Racing - Tejay van Garderen

The key milestones and winners in 2013

General Classification – Chris Froome– Yellow Jersey

Points Classification – Peter Sagen– Green Jersey

Mountains Classification – Nairo Quintana– Polka Dot Jersey

Young Rider - Nairo Quintana– White Jersey

Team Classification - Team Tinkoff Saxo

Combativity Award – Christophe Riblon

The key milestones and winners in 2012

General Classification – Bradley Wiggins– Yellow Jersey

Points Classification – Peter Sagen– Green Jersey

Mountains Classification – Thomas Voeckler– Polka Dot Jersey

Young Rider – Tejay Vangarderen– White Jersey

Team Classification – Radio Shack-Niassan

Combativity Award – Chris Anker Sørenson

Definitions

Yellow Jersey

• Leader of the race with the lowest accumulative time through the stages.

Green Jersey

• The leader on points. The points are gained through sprint sections.

Polka Dot Jersey

• Worn by the 'king of the mountain' the rider with the most points through on the designated climbs.

White Jersey

• Given to the rider who is under 26 with the lowest accumulative time

So who's your money on? Check out our tips here or and get the rest from the Tour de France here.

The Leader of Essex County Council, Cllr David Finch, has called on former council leader Lord Hanningfield "to do the right thing" and pay back money the council says he owes Essex taxpayers - effectively writing the debt off.

Cllr Finch said he had accepted the recommendation of the Council's Audit Committee, which met on Monday, not to pursue legal action to recover nearly £51,000.

Lord Hanningfield has previously said he has no intention to pay the amount.

The committee, acting on advice from independent legal experts and the council external auditors, agreed with counsel's view that the cost of pursuing the case would be significant with uncertain chances of success.

Cllr Finch said: "This about doing the right thing. It is about choosing to spend money on providing care, education, and roads, instead of spending it lining the pockets of expensive lawyers.

"I've made sure this situation can never happen again and our governance is now second to none.

"But I am still as angry and frustrated about this situation as Essex taxpayers are.

"So I am calling again on Lord Hanningfield to do the right thing and repay the money he owes."

AN investigation has been launched into the cause of a scaffolding collapse at a building site in Braintree.

The side of the five storey Riverside structure, behind the railway station, came crashing down on Tuesday morning at around 10am.

Paula Marten was walking her dog near the River Brain shortly just as the scaffolding collapsed.

"When I went past at about 9.30am and the scaffolding was up, but then when I walked back it had all come down.

"A lady I see walking her dog a lot said her nephew was working there and was really shaken up after it happened," said the 50 year-old of Beadon Drive, Braintree.

The Riverside development is being built by Parkland and will be made up of 55, one and two bedroom affordable flats, that are around halfway through an 18 month project, due to finish in December this year.

A spokesman for the Black Notley based developer, said: "On Tuesday of this week we suffered a partial scaffolding collapse.

"The site was subsequently closed and the incident was inspected by our structural engineers and health and safety consultants, and the police were also in attendance.

"The access road and pathway were temporarily closed to the public until the structure was made safe by our independent scaffolding contractors.

"No site personnel or members of the public were injured and our health and safety consultants are undertaking an investigation into the causes of the incident in conjunction with health a safety executive with whom the incident was promptly reported.

"Parkland takes its health and safety responsibility very seriously and will conduct a full investigation into the incident to ensure this type of incident doesn't occur again and to fully understand the causes."

TRAVELLERS have pitched up on grassland in Braintree and have been camped there for the last to days.

The travellers arrived yesterday evening and parked around three caravans and three lorries on a patch of land near Mill Park Drive.

Braintree District Council street wardens and the Essex Police officers visited the site and asked the travellers to leave as soon as possible.

A spokesman for the force said: "We were notified that the travellers arrived on the land yesterday, we supported the council who served the notice of eviction this afternoon.

"They have been given until Sunday morning to vacate the area and we will be working with the council in regards to that."

The travellers now have 48 hours to leave the Mill Park Drive area.