After leader of Essex County council David Finch took the decision not to pursue Lord Hanningfield for £51,000 in expenses resident David Kirkwood believes it's time we finally left the former leader alone and focused our efforts elsewhere. 

IN LAST week's Chronicle, Liberal leader Cllr Mike Mackrory called for Essex County Council to embark on legal action to recover £51,000 from Lord Hanningfield for alleged misuse of a corporate credit card (see page 8).

He has taken it upon himself, like many before him, to publicly castigate this man. He calls for him to be summarily dragged through the courts presuming to know that Lord H must have done wrong.

There is, it seems, no end to this zeal for retribution, now reduced to tediously picking through credit card payments, searching for anomalies, years after they were checked, audited then filed away.

I think Cllr Mackrory does a great deal of good and he is a formidable, forthright man and a fine leader. Lord H was too, let's not forget that.

This man has suffered enough and is depleted and not able to spring as he once would to his own defence. My sense is Lord H needed to have sprouted some claws and fought back, rather than exhibit an exhausted lacklustre defence that is encouraging people to attack him more.

But I have not been torn from my position and thrown into jail as a septuagenarian and subject to the glaring rage of national attention.

Joanna Killian, Essex County Council chief executive, legitimately makes expenses claims on top of her near quarter of a million pounds a year salary just as when Lord H was leader.

Elected members receive very little and yet contribute so much and we pay Joanna Killian the equivalent of about a dozen hard working council employees.

I think if we are so concerned about money we should concern ourselves with why it is people who deal with everyone else's money feel they should get a significant share of it, as if the association endows them with exceptional powers.

Can it be that those 12 men and women are so very unexceptional compared to Joanna Killian? Personally I doubt it – most likely Joanna Killian is simply grotesquely overpaid.

Our zeal has been misplaced; we need to look at how and why we sanction these huge salaries. I wonder does this chief executive take much time off sick for example, what are her perks, her various pension contributions, does she buy in advice, consultants and cover for services her prodigious salary was intended to include in her job description?

Four or five thousand pounds a week means we can expect a great deal, what do we get though, really what do we get and how do we know we are getting it?

We know for sure that Joanna Killian heads up a culture exemplified by her hugely disproportionate salary, but not much else.

These often unremarkable people have a few well-turned phrases mostly extolling their self-proclaimed money-saving talents and then they slavishly maintain a low profile come what may.

They are people attached to significant salaries and are very keen to keep them and this demands they are innocuous, the diametric opposite to what we require.

And so this meaningless pursuit of a tired, unwell and deeply traumatised septuagenarian man who gave so much for so long keeps the attention away from where it should be directed.

We look to a fair society made from equals and yet at the centre of our county council exists a plutocracy we are all paying to maintain, that is perverse. We should put a stop to it. 

Now that Essex is baking in the heat of summer, what better way is there to make the most of the ongoing sunshine than head out into the great outdoors for a picnic?

The people of Essex are spoilt for open spaces to choose from, and we've selected 10 places to pack up a picnic for the day.

1. Promenade Park - Maldon

Located on the banks of the Blackwater estuary, Promenade Park's scenery provides a great backdrop to a picnic. The park has undergone major refurbishment in recent years, and currently features a lake with fountains beside their dedicated picnic area. 

It also has two playgrounds as well as a state of the art splash park; providing the children with something to do, while the adults enjoy the picturesque landscape.

Opening times: 10am to 4pm

2. Cudmore Grove - Mersea Island

Cudmore Grove offers visitors a trip to the seaside. Located at the eastern end of Mersea Island, the park includes a sandy beach backed by a large expanse of open grassland, perfect for summer relaxation, picnics and taking in the views of the River Colne.

Parking is £2.50 for the day, while bosses say the money will go towards maintaining and enhancing the area

Opening times: 8am till dusk

3. Epping Forest - Epping

Epping Forest covers 6,000 acres of greenery. The extensive forest, along with areas of grassland and wetland exhibit a multitude of places to enjoy a picnic.

With mile upon mile of parkland, forest and meadows, you shouldn't get bored...

Opening times: 9am till 5pm

4. Castle Park - Colchester

Castle Park is an area of vast green, with its main attraction being The Castle - the largest Norman Keep ever built in Europe now renovated into a museum. 

The park also has a 24 acre award-winning landscape, providing plenty of large areas for people to lay down their picnic blanket and enjoy lunch.

Open all the time

5. Weald Country Park - Brentwood

Large green space means its perfect for a picnic, while the wildlife areas offer with the option of meeting a wildlife of captive deers and plenty of birds.

The park also offers educational walks and tours, as well as activities for children. 

Opening times: 8am till dusk

6. Danbury Country Park - Danbury

Set within the grounds of Danbury Palace, Danbury Country Park's modest and relaxing settings seem perfect for a picnic. 

Barbecues are not allowed, but renovated gardens and lakes combine with the adjoining woodland and meadows. The parks modesty contrasts with many larger parks, offering a tranquil setting for picnics.

Opening times: 8am till dusk

7. Hylands Park - Chelmsford

Chelmsford's largest and most well known park has more than 574 acres of parkland, including an ancient woodland, grassland, ponds, lakes, and formal gardens. Easily accessible for the A414.

Hylands House serves as a backdrop for much of the park, restored to its former glory in 2005

Opening times: 7:30am till 10pm in July, and till 9pm in August

8. Heybridge Basin - Heybridge

Heybridge Basin is a little haven along the Blackwater estuary, with quaint grassy areas and picnic benches gifting visitors a wonderful environment for a picnic.

While eating, you may we be joined by birdwatchers and boat owners. The area contains two nice pubs - The Jolly Sailor and The Old Ship - allowing visitors to treat themselves to a drink.

Open all the time

9. Great Notley Country Park - Great Notley

Great Notley Country Park covers some 100 acres of open space, which is managed and conserved for the benefit of wildlife and the community.

The site was formerly arable farmland and has been transformed into a mixture of wetland and open grassland - deal for a picnic. 

Opening times - 8am till dusk

10. River Lee Country Park - Waltham Abbey

River Lee Country Park located within Lee Valley stretches between Waltham Abbey in Essex and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire.

This 1,000 acre park has a huge variety of activities such as dog agility courses and white water rapids, alongside wide open landscapes.

Open all the time

Such is the broad appeal of the V Festival that it will no doubt attract the seasoned festival goers - and those a bit wet behind the ears.

Familiarise yourself with the event at Hylands Park, with the potted history below - all the way to V

A is for August

The one constant in an ever changing festival is the fact the event takes place this month.

B is for bottle

Plenty of these will be in evidence at the festival this year, for drinking from and for answering a call of nature. as Cher Lloyd discovered to her cost in 2012. The former X Factor contestant was pelted with bottles of urine and left the stage upset.

C is for comedy

The V Festival has a comedy stage. Sean Lock, Milton Jones, Jon Richardson, Eddie Izzard and Josh Widdicombe count among the stars to have appeared. This year sees Alan Carr, Adam Hill and Paul Chowdhry each perform a set.

D is for dry wash gel

For all those camping at V this year, this is a must. Whilst there is nothing that can beat a nice hot shower, this is the next best thing.

E is for extortionate prices

One of the main criticisms of the event is its corporate nature. £7 burgers, £2 bottles of water and £10 programmes, the only way to see the times artists are performing, have been criticised

F is Futures Stage

Formerly known as the Virgin Media Undercover Tent, the Futures Stage showcases new and emerging talent. Alex Clare and Embrace are headlining the stage this year. The Enemy, Jamie Cullum and Misha B all performed last year.

G is for general release

The much-anticipated date in which tickets go on general release is etched in most V goers' minds very early in the year. Tickets for the event itself range from £96.90 for a day ticket and £303.95 for a VIP camping trip.

H is for Hylands Park

Since the very first V festival in 1996, Hylands Park's 574 acre site has played host to the Chelmsford half of the event.

I is for incidents

One thing for certain is that the police and medics have to perform as well as the artists. Volunteers at St John Ambulance gave first aid to more than 650 people at V Festival 2013. There were more 100 arrests made, including 22 for drug offences.

J is for Justin Timberlake

Rumours circulated for weeks as to the identity of this year's headline act -  and joy was confirmed when pop superstar and actor Timberlake signed up as the main man alongside other superstars including Ed Sheeran, Kaiser Chiefs and Tinie Tempah.

K is for (The) Killers

Nevada's finest have been semi regulars at V since 2004 and will no doubt have a massive following at this year's festival.

L is for line-up changes

From damaged vocal chords to undisclosed reasons, last minute line-up changes are as much a feature of the festival as the artists themselves.

Last year was particularly unpredictable, Beady Eye, Little Mix and James Arthur all withdrew in the days leading up to the festival, resulting in plenty of changes.

M is for mud

Whilst not a notorious as Glastonbury, our delightful summer weather can still cause V goers to consider wellies as essential wear. It also warrants an event to rival the array of music and comedy on show, mud sliding.

N is for nachos

In terms of nutritional value, this doesn't score particularly highly. However it is readily available at V and does compliment the expensive alcohol very nicely.

O is for Olly Murs

Witham's favourite son has been a fixture in the previous three festivals at Hylands Park. He won't be there in 2014 however.

P is for Pulp

The blueprint for V Festival originally came from Pulp's frontman Jarvis Cocker announcing he would wished to play at two outdoor venues in two days. It was Pulp's promoters who thought of putting the events on in both the north and the south. The idea of putting more artists to the bill shortly followed. From the original two stages and tent, the event has grown to four stages and a comedy tent at both sites.

Q is for queuing

One of the drawbacks of the festival comes from the disruption caused by queuing. In previous years, Essex Police have advised festival goers not to arrive before the opening time at Hyland's Park, usually Friday at noon.

The main area usually opens at noon on Saturday and on Sunday, acts will finish at 11pm.

R is for rock

V was once known as a rock festival, but now looks well and truly mainstream. Pop acts and former X Factor contestants are now as commonplace as indie and drum nad bass acts as its appeal has widened.

S is for Staffordshire

Weston Park in Staffordshire has hosted the northern half of V Festival since 1999. It had previously been held at Victoria Park in Warrington and Temple Newsam in Leeds. 

More than 170,000 festival goers were spread across the northern and southern versions of the event.

T is for Tulisa

The former N-Dubz singer was involved in an altercation with celebrity blogger Vas Morgan at last year's event in Hylands Park and has subsequently been found guilty of the assault.

U is for unruly

Doves star Jez Williams had to content with the "unruly" side crowd at the 2010 Festival, prompting a foul mouthed tirade whilst the band performed their set. They are now on a break.

V is for the Virgin group

What better way to end this guide than with the giant conglomerate who has made it all possible. The Virgin Group has been the main sponsor of the festival each year, and also sponsors the main stage.

Detectives investigating the murder of James 'Jim' Attfield in Lower Castle Park in Colchester want to trace a woman he spoke to on Facebook days before he was stabbed to death.

The victim, described as vulnerable, was knifed more than 100 times before his body was found on March 29.

Efforts to find his killer have so far come up short and Essex Police detectives have been reviewing his Facebook account, Jim.Attfield.

Detective Superintendent Steve Worron, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "It appears he may have been in contact with a woman who went on holiday around the time of Friday, March 21 and was due back on the Saturday that he was killed. 

"From posts James made on his page it is believed the woman likes dancing, pottery and may have sung karaoke with him.

"We would like this woman to contact the investigation team so she can tell us about her knowledge of James. Also if anyone was friends with James on Facebook and they haven't yet spoken to police officers please get in touch as we would like to speak to them."

Police are also continuing the investigation into the murder of Nahid Almanea, fatally attacked on the Salary Brook Trail on June 17. It is being run parallel with the Attfield probe.

There are a number of possible witnesses to both murders that have been asked to identify themselves to the police but they have not yet made contact with Essex Police.

In relation to James' murder, detectives still want to trace a man and woman seen sitting on a bench in Lower Castle Park on the night before James died.

Det Supt Worron said: "The man and woman we would like to speak to were seen sitting on a bench in Lower Castle Park, near to where James was found.

"They were spotted at 11.30pm on Friday, March 28, sitting at opposite ends of the bench, near a man who was sitting on the grass.

"It is unknown whether they knew each other, but they may have been a couple who had an argument earlier in the evening and so were sitting apart, not talking to each other.

The man was white and is of a stocky build. The woman is described as white. They need to contact us. It may be embarrassing or difficult for them to call but a man has died and it is vital they come forward."

A man arrested after a fatal collision on the A132 has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

The 45-year-old, from Wickham Bishops, was detained on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after the crash in South Woodham Ferrers. He has been bailed to re-appear in November.

Josh Marlow, 22, died after his motorcycle was in collision with a VW Golf at around 8.30am on Friday (July 25).

The Tour de France took place in Essex earlier this month, but it wasn't welcome news for everybody. Old and Grumpy columnist Derek Threadgall laments the rise of the Lycra lout:

Clearly, the Tour de France route through Essex gave pleasure to many people – but not for me.

Now that the last Tour de France lycra lout has left our shores, I can relax. A pity our homegrown lycra louts didn't follow them to France.

Let me be clear: I am not anti bicycle, I am anti what some cyclists have become today. There are three main groups: Lycra louts, those who cycle to work and other necessary trips, and those who cycle for fun.

Lycra louts jump lights and get rather upset if a driver overtakes them too close for their comfort; I write as a victim of a lycra lout's verbal and physical attack on my car's passenger door and on my wing mirror.

What is up with these people? Here I must declare a peripheral interest. My father, like many thousands of other men, found it difficult to readjust to civilian life after serving in the forces during the Second World War.

A carpenter by trade, he made a bizarre decision to run a bicycle sales and repair shop; this was fun for me as a nine-year-old, especially when packing and selling fireworks in November.

Bicycles then were nothing like the monstrosities sold today. Eons ago, the best birthday or Christmas present a young boy could have would be his first two wheeler bike, in some cases a result of parental bribery concerning an imminent 11-plus examination.

For the record, I passed my 11-plus – just (no bribery involved I must add). Acquiring a new bicycle opened a new world of adventure and freedom to roam. Of course, those golden days were different to today's cycling nightmares.

We didn't need helmets, we didn't need hi-viz jackets, we didn't need cycle lanes, we didn't ride on the pavement and we employed a high-tech answer to avoid long trousers getting enmeshed in the cycle chain; we used a humble pair of cycle clips or tucked our trouser bottoms into our socks.

Best of all, we didn't need to chain our bikes to a railing to avoid them being stolen; we propped them on a kerb or against a fence or a tree aware that they would be there when we returned.

We took cycling seriously but sometimes, would do something silly and exciting, and a little bit dangerous.

A local open air roller skating rink closed during winter providing an opportunity for a scary football match between skater friends and we cyclists.

American football was child's play compared to our bizarre match. Inevitably I graduated to my father's personal bicycle – a whizzy Humber with a Sturmey Archer three-speed gear change and front and rear lighting generated from redistributed energy from the rear wheel when in motion. On many occasions, I cycled some 20 miles to have tea with my maternal grandmother and be home in time for supper.

In the late 1940s as new cyclists, the local council offered a free on road Cycling Proficiency Test which I passed and have my pass certificate to prove it (somewhere).

I have to smile when I see a modern family, dad, mum and 2.4 children all togged out with space helmets and hi-viz jackets cycling serenely in line – and illegally on the pavement.

Cycling on the road is far too dangerous; sadly, they are right. Much as I enjoyed cycling, there is no way I would take my chances on our congested roads. The culprit for this, is, of course, the rise and rise of the motor car, an irreversible impediment to safe cycling.

Perhaps someone could enlighten me as to when the lycra louts abandoned the race track to commandeer an unhealthy expanse of our highways. Maybe, the lycra louts never used a racetrack, in which case, why do they ride on public roads dressed for racing? It's a funny old world.

CCTV images of two men and a woman have been released by Essex Police after perfume was stolen from a Boots in Chelmsford.

On July 14, shortly after 3pm, at the Chelmer Village Retail Park store two men and a woman selected three bottles of perfume from the display and left the store without paying.

Officers are keen to speak to the people pictured in the CCTV images in connection with the investigation.

The first suspect is described as a white male, in his 30s, of stocky build and he was seen wearing grey shorts with a grey vest and black trainers. 

The second male suspect is described as a white male, in his late 30s to early 40s and of slim build. He was wearing a baseball cap, blue shirt with a rucksack on his back. 

The female suspect is described as a white female with dark hair. She was wearing blue jeans and a blue top.

Essex Police have released CCTV images of the three suspects they want to question, anyone who recognises them should contact PC Christopher Leavett at Chelmsford police station on 101.

The man depicted in this e-fit is wanted by police after an attempted robbery in central Chelmsford. 

The young man, in his early twenties, approached a 23-year-old man on Parkway, near the Army and Navy roundabout shortly before 10.30am on Thursday, July 17, and demanded he hand over his property.

When the victim refused he was grabbed by the neck but managed to break away and flee the area. 

The suspect is described as a white man, in his early 20s, with blonde hair and approximately 6ft tall. He had a local accent and was seen wearing a grey top with light blue jeans.

Anyone who recognises the man depicted in the efit is asked to contact Pc Ryan Morrison at Chelmsford CID on 101.

TWO people are trapped in a car after it collided with a petrol station on the A12 this afternoon.

Firefighters are working to release the pair trapped after a car collided with the shop at the BP petrol station on the A12 at Kelvedon.

Fire crews were called at around 12.50pm and two fire engines from Witham are at the scene.

Petrol pumps and the power supply to the shop have both been isolated as crews work to release the casualties.

TWO women had to be cut out of the car they were in and taken to hospital after it crashed into the front of a petrol station on the southbound A12.

The collision happened at around 12.50pm this afternoon (July 29) at the BP garage close to Kelvedon.

Two fire crews from Witham, an ambulance and a paramedic car rushed to the scene to free the women from the twisted wreckage of their blue Ford Fiesta.

They were successfully cut from the vehicle by 1.46pm and taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

PC Jason Howard was on the scene inspecting the damage after the casualties were freed from the crumpled motor.

He told the Chronicle: "It was a single vehicle collision, the two ladies in the car were removed from the wreckage and taken to Broomfield Hospital by ambulance with what is thought to be slight injuries.

"The cause of the accident is not yet known and we are investigating the circumstances around what happened."

Police closed the forecourt while the emergency services tended to the injured driver and passenger, who sustained minor injuries.

Two employees were working in the store at the time of the accident.

Customer service worker Manoj Kumar arrived for his afternoon shift at the petrol station at 2pm when he discovered the damage.

"It only just arrived for work and saw this, I can't believe it. But the important thing is that the people in the car are alright," said the 32-year-old.

Starbucks employees working in the next door coffee shop said they only realised the emergency services were speeding to the BP garage when they ran outside to see what was happening.

Police ask that anyone who saw what happened should contact PC Howard at Stanway Roads Policing Unit on 101.

MORE than 100 people came together on a Chelmsford estate to celebrate 10 years of the Melbourne Project.

The mission, which was launched in 2004 by two nuns, runs activities including a homework club, toddlers' group and older people's 'wisdom' group, many of which provide a lifeline to the public.

Sisters Margaret and Moira, who live in a base in Anderson Avenue, have helped to build a sense of community in the area where there previously was none, and have people "knocking on their doors day and night".

"We have been working in this area for 10 years," said Sister Margaret at the Scout hut on Langton Avenue, where the party was held on Saturday (July 19).

"We wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to the masses of volunteers that we have, but also some funders here and the people of the Melbourne area for being open to welcome us."

A barbecue was sizzling away with food, while colourful salad looked delicious on plates, and laughter from young and old members of the group filled the air.

Green and red colourful flags fluttered in the breeze to attract people in, as did the smiles of people manning the front gate.

"We were teachers at New Hall School and we finished. We thought that we still had a lot of life in us and were in this to build a community," Sister Margaret continued.

"They did not know what nuns were at first – we ran our base in Anderson Avenue so that people know they can come to talk about whatever their issues are at the time. It's open to everybody."

And people have benefited not just from this, but also the various other clubs that the community has created, which were hailed in 2010 by a government minister as a shining example of how to reduce anti-social behaviour.

Member of the toddler group, Mandy Crabtree, 38, of Salerno Way, has been attending it for eight years and was there with her most recent addition to the family – Samuel, aged five months.

"There's a lot of stuff for kids and babies to do. It's a nice place to come to – it's not the same atmosphere in other places," she said.

"The nuns are lovely people, you go to another group and they are quite stuck up. We get on with everybody. I would not go anywhere else.

"I have been in Melbourne for 15 years and there was nothing for any older children before. You now see people who come here and you stop them and have a conversation."

Elsewhere, members of the 'wisdom group' for older people, also had positive things to say.

"Without this I would have been doing the washing," joked Georgina Cutter, who has been going for five years.

"We have people ranging from 46 to 90. Everybody gets on really well and if there's anything we need to know we talk and inform people."

"A lot of people like to come because that's the time when they can talk to somebody," added Margaret Keating, who has been going for seven years and added that at least 25 to 30 members attend each week.

In the corner, two Chelmsford County High School students, Regan Mudhar and Tiffany Hui, both 17, were playing folk music on guitars.

"It has been really nice and very enjoyable," said Regan. "We have been helping out in the homework club for a year – our school's sixth form does community service. It was difficult to start with but I think the project is worthwhile."

Tiffany added that it had given her the bug to work on similar projects in the future.

MORE than one in six 11-year-olds in the district are fat, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics.

The research shows 17.5 per cent of children in Year 6 – around 251 pupils – are obese.

The average for Essex is 16.08 per cent, while national figures stand at 20.54 per cent.

Published last week, the study found more than 4,000 children in the area live in poverty too.

Of the district's 148,000 population, 15.4 per cent of children are part of families living on means-tested benefits or low income. That compares to 16.63 per cent for the county and 20.54 per cent nationally.

The figures come from a survey of 1,000 households in the district in 2012 and 2013.

Life expectancy for women varies from 81 to 86 according to wealth, and 77 to 84 for men.

The inequality is attributed to insufficient access to medical care and education for the poorer in society and is linked to the number of recorded smoking-related deaths a year in the district of 211.

The levels of A* to C GCSE grades, including maths and English, for deprived children are lower than the national average of 60.68 per cent at 52.3 per cent. The county as a whole averages 59.68 per cent.

But incidents of sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis were better than the average across the country.

The profile was designed to give the council a picture of Braintree's health to help the authority and health services understand the community's needs, improve the population's health and reduce these health inequalities.

The council considers reducing the obesity in adults and children, as well as the number of hip fractures in over 65s, a priority.

CLEVER kids went head-to-head with their peers from rival schools in a general knowledge quiz contest.

The youngsters, aged from seven to 11, were put to the test in round after round of quick-fire questions in the first event of its kind for the schools, which form the River Chelmer Partnership.

Finishing first was the team from St Pius X Catholic Primary School in Melbourne, which scored a staggering 990 points. The host school Boreham Primary finished in second with 690 points.

David Franklin, head of Chelmer Valley High School who set up the partnership 20 years ago, presented the cup to the champions. Mr Franklin, who will retire this summer, said: "I was delighted to be present at the inaugural River Chelmer Challenge Cup.

"The quiz is a great opportunity to celebrate the annual success of our River Chelmer schools."

Each school in the partnership was invited to send one or two teams of four pupils which must be made up of students from Year 3, 4, 5 and 6.

The other schools taking part were Newland Springs Primary School, Little Waltham Primary, Great Waltham Primary, Broomfield Primary, Great Leighs Primary, Ford End Primary and Melbourne Park Primary.

Morning all and welcome to today's travel.

Roads

8.21am: Two lanes are now closed on the M25 heading clockwise between J29 for the A127 (Romford) and J30 for the A13 (Lakeside), because of an accident.

7.54am: There is stop-start traffic on the M25 anti-clockwise between junction 28 for the Brook Street Roundabout and junction 25 for Enfield. 

7.30am: There is the normal queuing traffic at the QE2 Bridge on the M25, while the orbital motorway also has slow traffic between junction 26 for Waltham Abbey and junction 25 for Enfield in the roadworks area.

The M11 has not escaped from this, with the southbound traffic between junction five for Loughton and junction four for Woodford meaning that cars have to remain in second gear – and nor has the A13, with slow traffic reported London-bound between North Stifford and Lakeside.

Trains

7.30am: On Greater Anglia, intercity trains between Norwich and Diss on the way to and from London may be delayed by up to 30 minutes after an earlier problem at a level crossing.

The 7.39am Gidea Park to London train and the 8.38am Ilford to London service have both been cancelled due to train faults.

London transport

7.52am: The Circle, Hammersmith and City lines have severe delays, while the Metropolitan is suspended between Wembley Park and Aldgate and running with minor delays on the rest of the line due to a signal failure at Baker Street. 

7.30am: On the Tube, there are minor delays on the Circle line anti-clockwise due to an earlier faulty train.

But they have got off lightly compared to the London Overground, which has no service between Shepherd's Bush and Willesden Junction due to a faulty freight train.

Underground and local buses are accepting their tickets via any reasonable route.

The latest phase of improvements at Chelmsford's notorious Army and Navy roundabout will start next month. 

Work to create an additional lane along Parkway between the busy junction and the Odeon roundabout, and extend the left-turn slip lane will begin in September and is expected to continue until April next year. 

The development will also include creating a wider footpath and cycle path, a two-stage signalled toucan crossing, and re-locating the existing pedestrian crossing further west, at a safer distance from the roundabout. 

County councillor Rodney Bass, cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: "By increasing capacity, this important new scheme will ease traffic from the Army and Navy roundabout heading both to the city centre, West End, Chelmer Waterside redevelopment, and away from the city. It will also improve safety for all who use the roundabout. Following extensive planning and traffic modelling, the works are taking place at night to minimise disruption."

He added: "Inevitably though, there will be some impact on the road network in the short term. We do ask for patience and understanding from residents and road users. The work is being carefully co-ordinated with other projects in the area and also with the impending reconstruction of the A138 Chelmer Viaduct and River Bridge."