A POLICE officer has been dismissed from the county's force for gross misconduct.

The officer, who was based in the Tendring district, had lied while looking to take on two extra jobs from outside companies while he was suspended over an separate matter, a conduct panel heard yesterday.

The panel, chaired by ACC Maurice Mason, found that he had lied about the circumstances when he applied for the jobs, failed to tell his force about the employment and asked another officer to act dishonestly.

The officer, who has not been named for legal reasons, was also on a final written warning in relation to his behaviour at the time of the allegations.

ACC Mason said: "The public of Essex demand their police officers behave and conduct themselves to the highest moral and professional standards.

"This officer breached the standards of professional behaviour set out in the schedule to the Police Regulations 2012.

"These breaches are considered so serious that there is no other possible proportionate outcome and his further employment by Essex Police is untenable."

Students will able to collect their A Levels from early in the morning on Thursday.

The time of opening will vary from school to school, with many opening their doors from 7am tomorrow. The earliest opens at 6.30am.

Those interested in tracking their progress to see whether they have got into the university of their choice can do so via the Ucas tracking system.

Students who are unable to wait for their results, or who simply do not wish to collect them in public, can collect them by text or email.

A man has been re-arrested on suspicion of the murder of Colchester man James Attfield.

Mr Attfield was found seriously injured with over 100 stab wounds in Castle Park off Guildford Road shortly before 6am on Saturday, March 29. He died a short time later at the scene.

Yesterday, an 18-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested in Southend and is currently being questioned by detectives at a police station.

He was one of seven people arrested on Thursday, August 7.

The other six people, a 27-year-old woman from Colchester, a 27-year-old man from Colchester, a 57-year-old man from Colchester, a 25-year-old woman from Southend, a 23-year-old woman from Ipswich in Suffolk and a 31-year-old man from Colchester, were later released on police bail until Wednesday, September 24 pending further enquiries.

Two men, aged 33 of no fixed address, remain on police bail also until late September pending further enquiries after they were arrested in connection with James Attfield's murder earlier this summer.

In total, nine people have been arrested in connection with the murder.

An investigation has been launched after Essex Fire Authority was forced to take £15 million out of its reserves to pay debt it did not know it owed. 

The authority, which holds Essex Fire and Rescue Service to account, has been building up a £1.8 million shortfall every year since 2006. 

It claims the debt has accumulated due to changes in the accounting of injury payments – a discrepancy it claims the Department for Communities and Local Government also missed. 

The service now has to find savings of £7.7 million, instead of the previous £5.9 million forecast, over the next three years. 

"Although this presents an additional challenge, Essex is still far better off than many fire authorities nationwide who have already had to look to job cuts and station closures to balance their books," said acting chief fire officer Adam Eckley. 

"This was a genuine oversight by a number of parties and was brought to the fire authority's attention as soon as it was discovered. We will now move forward and put this behind us while we concentrate on preparing for an uncertain future."

Alan Chinn-Shaw, the Essex Fire Brigade Union chair, said the latest news is a concern for the service.

"It would be a travesty now for the safety of the public, through a financial oversight, if we had to employ fewer firefighters," said the chairman.

"I am almost sure it will affect frontline services."

The treasurer and finance director of Kent Fire and Rescue Service will conduct the independent investigation.

Today is International Left-Hander's Day.   As a southpaw, myself, I know fights for some forms of equality barely get noticed.   It may not be a big fight.   If I've understood the statistics correctly, you've a 1 in 10 chance of being left-handed.

Some fights still need fighting, however small they are.

Q1)Since 1981, how many US President's were people who'd been born left-handed?

Q2)Paul McCartney was one of two left-handed member of the Beatles.   Which guitar did he play; bass, rhythm, or lead?

Q3)Who was the first left hander to walk on the Moon?

Q4)Who's the only left-handed member of Prince Charles' immediate family?

Q5)Who was the only left handed member of the cast of "ET: The Extra Terrestrial"?

Q6)Feminist and author Germaine Greer is a leftie; her most famous work was which 1970 nonfiction book?

Q7)True or false; Jimi Hendrix was right handed.

Q8)Which left handed tennis player won the Singles Title at Wimbledon nine times, and the US Open, four times?

Q9)Which left-handed actor appeared in 'Apocalypse, Now', 'What's Love Got To Do With It' and 'The Matrix'?

Q10)On a left-handed pair of scissors, which digit operates the cutting blade?

Just as a final thought … ?

I'm a southpaw, as I've already said.   I've grown up, as many others, knowing how a kid's confidence can be undermined by teachers at school: using phrases like "Wouldn't you find it easier, using your other hand?"

How quickly kids will throw around phrases like "Thicko" or "*******" when they see you placed in a remedial handwriting class.   (Kids are lovely, aren't they?)

Quite how undermining disapproving looks from authority figures can be.

Some fights aren't big: but still need fighting.

Here's last week's questions and answers …

Questions.

Q1)World War 1 started a century ago, this week.   When which European country was invaded?

Q2)That country was invaded by neighbouring Germany.   Germany was acting after their allies fired on Serbia.   Who was that German ally?

Q3)Germany started its invasion after the ally's crown prince was shot.   That heir was Arch-Duke whom … ?   (There's a band named after him, if that's any help.)

Q4)The Arch-Duke was shot by Gavrilo Princip.   In which city: Belgrade, Sarajevo or Vukovar?

Q5)When Germany invaded its neighbour, the neighbour declared war: as did one of its allies.   WHICH ally: the UK, US or UAE?

Q6)That ally was a member of the Triple Entente: with two other countries.   France was the second member.   Which Empire was the third?

Q7)On which date in August did Germany's invasion start: the 4th, 5th or 6th August, 1914?

Q8)What type of weapon saw their first serious use during the First World War: poison gas, tanks or submarines?

Q9)Four Imperial powers collapsed as a result of the war.   Name one of then.

Q10)Finally … Roughly how many military personnel died as a result of the war: 10 million, 20 million or 30 million?

Answers.

A1)Belgium.

A2)The Austro-Hungarian Empire.   (It's now Austria and Hungary.)

A3)Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

A4)Sarajevo.

A5)The UK.

A6)The Russian Empire.

A7)4th August.

A8)All three: gas, tanks and subs.

A9)The German empire, Russian empire, Ottoman empire and Austro-Hungarian.

A10)10 million.

If you'd like a frequent challenge, you can visit Nik Nak's Old Peculiar, and try the Daily Teaser: today's is at the top.

If you need quiz questions in a hurry, you're also welcome: you'll find the free Friday Questions Sets — covered by the Creative Commons License* — very handy.

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Enjoy the week, folks.

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V Festival veterans and former regulars can be heard to bemoan the change in line-up since the early days of the event in Hylands Park.

Do you remember the days of Daft Punk, The Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers? Or even Suede and the Beautiful South?

May believe its followed the 'mainstream' route in a bid to attract a younger crowd as the summer festival season appears to expand every year.

Take a look below at some of the posters through the years and see if they jog any memories.

A beautician has failed in an attempt to have a curfew lifted which would have enabled her to attend the V Festival.

Bridie Beverton, from Tiverton, wanted the conditions of her community order - handed down after she admitted to assaulting two men outside Tesco in her home town - varied by magistrates in Exeter yesterday (August 12).

The court heard she wanted to set off at 4am on Saturday, August 16 to attend the event to be back by Monday, August 18 - but the curfew means she must stay at her home in Queensway between 9pm and 6am until the curfew ends on September 23.

The V Festival will feature performances by artists such as Justin Timberlake and The Killers in front of tens of thousands of revellers at Hylands Park in Chelmsford.

Ms Beverton, appeared in court last month, accused of beating Daniel Rumble and Damien Cowell outside the Tesco in Blundell's Road.

She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a community order placing her on curfew for two months and ordered to pay £100 in compensation to the victims.

The court heard Beverton had purchased the tickets earlier this year, though they were not normally sent out by ticket agents until around five days before the event.

Following a hearing lasting less than five minutes, the chairman of the bench told Beverton: "We are all in agreement that the application is refused."

I've been to every V Festival since the first one at Hylands Park in 1996 but this year, after 18 festivals, I've decided to give it a miss. Here's why…

1 The line-up

When the V Festival first started it was, more or less, a Britpop and indie event, with Pulp and Paul Weller the headline acts for the first one in 1996. Since then brilliant acts like Blur, Prodigy, Radiohead, Morrissey, Queens of the Stone Age and PJ Harvey have played Hylands Park but it's been a long time since I've been excited about the line-up. V has become a very mainstream, predictable, chart-orientated festival over the last 10 years that doesn't get the pulse racing.

2 The people

Festivals used to be where you'd find a lot of other like-minded music fans. It doesn't feel like that at V any more… I'm sure a lot of people are just there to be seen and get wasted… and maybe they'll see the headline act if they haven't passed out. Perhaps because of the mainstream, chart-friendly acts its opted for in the last few years, V seems to be drawing a different crowd to what it used to. My idea of fun these days isn't trying to navigate my way round heaving crowds of bare-chested, muscle-bound blokes and fake-tanned girls in hot-pants and designer wellies who view a festival as a chance to pose and preen.

3 The slog

V Festival is on a huge site covering acres of Hylands Park. If I want to see a band on the main stage and then catch someone at the Arena stage, it's hard work getting from one end of the site to the other, both in terms of ground covered and the sheer amount of people you have to get past. It seems like too much hassle at times so you end up staying at one stage, watching a procession of acts you're not really interested in.

4 The expense

Festivals are expensive. You're not looking at much change from £200 for a weekend ticket (including a booking fee of more than £10) and when you factor in over-priced food and drinks (yes, you can pay £8 for a 'gourmet' burger), the whole event will cost you a few hundred quid. I have to think very carefully before spending a few hundred quid these days.

5 Festival fatigue

There was a time when a music festival was something special, when there were just a few taking place over the summer. Now there are a few every weekend. With so many festivals on the calendar now, there are very few surprises in terms of the acts booked. V seems to be one of the worst culprits on this front but I guess with so many festivals there are only so many acts to go around. Smaller events with edgy, up-and-coming acts seem a much more appealing prospect to me these days.

Jack and Amelia were the most popular names given to babies last year in the region which includes Essex.

Oliver and Harry were the second and third most popular in the east of England, according to information published today (August 15) by the Office for National Statistics.

But overall, Oliver has become the most popular name given to a baby boy nationally overtaking Jack and Harry in five of the nine regions. 

Former X Factor star and Witham resident Olly Murs is believed to be behind the surge in popularity of the boy's name.

Newcomers to the top 10 include Oscar and George, which replaced Alfie and Riley, climbing from number 17 to seven and number 12 to 10 respectively.

And for the girls, Poppy replaced Lily in the top 10 most popular names, climbing from number 13 to seven.

Mohamed has gone up by two places to 77.

Top 10 names for boys in the east of England in 2013

1. Jack
2. Oliver
3. Harry
4. Charlie
5. George
6. Thomas
7. Oscar
8. Jacob
9. William
10. James

Top 10 names for girls in the east of England in 2013

1. Amelia
2. Olivia
3. Emily
4. Jessica
5. Isla
6. Poppy
7. Ava
8. Isabella
9. Lily 
10. Sophie

A con artist posing as a police officer has been attempting to trick her way into resident's homes with a suspected phone scam.

Police have urged people across Essex to be on their guard against a woman claiming that her name was Sarah and that she was based at Basildon police station.

Two of the calls were made to people in Hockley who both suspected that 'Sarah' was a trickster and she quickly ended the calls.

But a man in Cambridgeshire who was also targeted, was told by 'Sarah' that she was based in Essex and wanted to call round to search his home as part of an investigation. He then ended the conversation and called Essex Police.

Insp Mark Rayner at Basildon said: "All three calls were made on Wednesday August 13 and fortunately all the people who received the calls hung up and contacted us.

"But we are concerned that there might have been other people who fell for the story and might have let a stranger or strangers into their homes.

"We urge everyone in the county to be vigilant if they are called by anyone claiming to be a police officer wanting to do a house search.

"If you do receive a call, hang up but try dialing 1471 to get the caller's number, make a note of the conversation then call 101 to report the incident to Essex Police. If someone calls you then turns up at your doorstep dial 999 immediately."

Police inquiries are continuing into the calls but they are not being linked at this stage to a series of telephone frauds by bogus police officers who tricked their victims into handing over bank cards or large amounts of cash.

This year's V Festival in Chelmsford is a great chance to see some of the most important and influential names in pop music play live.

Forget the young upstarts and whey-faced whippersnappers, here are five golden oldie acts to catch at Hylands Park this weekend

1 Chic featuring Nile Rodgers; Virgin Media Stage, Sunday

Rodgers formed Chic with Bernard Edwards in 1976 and their distinctive blend of disco, soul and funk made them one of the biggest bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Rodgers remains one of the most influential musicians/producers around, most notably working with Daft Punk on their last album which included worldwide hit Get Lucky.one

2 Blondie; MTV Stage, Saturday

The most memorable act to emerge from New York's post-punk and new wave scene of the late 1970s, Blondie reached beyond the confines of their beginnings and were huge stars around the world thanks to hits like Atomic, Call Me and Heart Of Glass and breakthrough album Parallel Lines. Still going strong, the band have sold more than 40 million records worldwide and their songs remain as popular as ever.

3 The Human League; Arena Stage, Saturday

They might be best known for their huge chart success in the 1980s, but Sheffield band The Human League's roots were in the experimental electronic movement of the late 1970s. They evolved into synth-pop pioneers and racked up a succession of charting singles like Love Action, Don't You Want Me, Sound Of The Crowd, Fascination and Human in the 1980s and becoming stars around the world.

4 The Stranglers; Virgin Media Stage, Saturday

Originally The Guildford Stranglers, the members of one of the most enduring acts of the 1970s had their roots in blues, jazz and classical music before seeing the attraction of the punk. Singles like No More Heroes, Something Better Change and Peaches established as part of the wave of anarchy in the UK in the late 1970s while 1982 single Golden Brown was a huge hit which showed the band's more reflective, mellow side. The band have continued to experiment over the years while still touring and recording.

5 The Wonder Stuff; MTV Stage, Sunday

The Wonder Stuff emerged from the short-lived 'grebo' scene of the Midlands of the late 1980s which also included Pop Will Eat Itself and Crazyhead. Marrying guitar riffs with pop tunes, the band showed a talent for writing hit songs with Size Of A Cow, It's Yer Money and A Wish Away all charting and frontman Miles Hunt's outspoken opinions getting them plenty of media attention. A collaboration with comedian Vic Reeves on the single Dizzy in 1991 saw them reach the top of the charts.

A LONDON underground worker blackmailed by a woman with sexual abuse allegations has today been cleared of rape.

Wesley Eselojor, 50, of Belvawney Close, Chelmsford, has been acquitted of eight counts of sexual abuse of a girl between 12 and 16 years old.

The Chelmsford Crown Court jury of 10 women and two men returned their verdict in less than two hours following the four-day trial.

Speaking after his acquittal the father-of-three said he was looking forward to getting some sleep and returning to work on Monday after a hellish year.

"All the allegations were completely false," said the Nigerian expat.

"I just want to say thank you to the jury. They've seen through the lies that she put to them. Apart from that, that's all I can really say, I just want to go home now.

"I haven't slept, I haven't eaten properly, maybe I will just sleep and forget all of this, that's all I can say."

Mr Eselojor claimed the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, ambushed him with allegations trying to extract money from him.

Indeed prosecutor David Wilson told the court on Monday how the woman last year sent a text message to Mr Eselojor threatening to tell police and her family that he raped her as a child if he did not pay her £5,000.

Mr Eselojor immediately showed the message to police prompting an investigation and his arrest.

When the woman gave evidence behind a screen on Tuesday she said she did not report the offences as a child, a period when she considered suicide, as no one would believe her.

"Today is the hardest thing I've ever done, I've got no reason to lie, why would I make it up?" she said, before she broke down in tears.

Defending barrister Charlotte Newell however continued to pour scorn over her evidence, calling her a compulsive liar.

Mr Eselojor also told the Chronicle: "When she sent the message demanding £5,000 by Friday, saying she would tell her mother, her father, her brother, her aunt if I did not give it to her, I thought I have to go to the police or she will continue doing what she wanted.

"I was angry, really angry, and in my mind I thought I have just got to go to the police straight away."

Family and friends attended court each day to support Mr Eselojor, including his brother Peter Wog who claimed the entire investigation has wasted time and money in court.

"I'm very grateful to them, they have been very supportive," said Mr Eselojor.

Eselojor had been accused of four counts of indecent assault, one count of indecency with children and one count of rape.

A WORLD record attempt headed by an Essex firm of solicitors has raised over £2,000 for charity.
Kerseys solicitors, which has an appointment office in Colchester, helped organise an attempt for the largest number of fairies gathered in one place last month.

The attempt fell short of a Guinness World Record - but raised a record amount of money, totaling £2,360.
The funds, which topped last year's amount by over £300, will go to the Woolverstone Wish Appeal. It will help refurbish the chemotherapy outpatient clinics and day unit at Ipswich Hospital.

Sharon Wragg, 45, a conveyancing executive at Kerseys solicitors, had been the driving force behind the record attempt.
She said: "The amount raised is amazing and I'm so grateful to everybody who helped support the event on the day including our wonderful entertainers and stallholders.

"It was disappointing not to beat the World Record, especially as we thought we had got the record last year. But the most important thing is that we raised valuable funds and awareness for such a worthy cause.

"Cancer affects most of us in some way and the hospital does great work to treat people with the illness.

"But the hospital needs the funds to help provide a more private and comfortable environment for every patient, which will go some way to making an awful experience just that little bit more bearable."Kerseys solicitors, who have already raised over £7,000 for the appeal, headed the event in collaboration with Ipswich Borough Council, Ipswich Arts Festival (Ip-Art) and the Woolverstone Wish.
Around 800 people gathered at the Town Hall in Ipswich with their wings, wands and tutus to raise money for the Woolvestone Wish appeal – just short of the record of 871.

 Kerseys managing partner Anthony Wooding said: "I'm very proud of the team at Kerseys and the various organisations and members of the public who got behind this event."The charity has raised £675,784 to date and has a target of £800,000.
Cheryl Thayer, chairman of the Woolverstone Wish appeal committee, said: "We are extremely grateful to the staff at Kerseys for their fundraising and support for the appeal."A special thank you goes to Sharon Wragg, who has been instrumental in organising the fairy events.

"The fairies event was a huge success that not only boosted funds but also raised awareness of the Woolverstone Wish."
 On June 23 of last year, a total of 821 people gathered on the Cornhill in Ipswich. They beat the previous record of 786 people. 
But the record was broken the previous day in Lichfield, Staffordshire, when 871 gathered in aid of St Giles Hospice (UK). 
To find out more about the Woolverstone Wish or to make a donation, visit http://www.woolverstonewish.org.uk/

THE time-honoured celebratory student results leap was more than justified at Great Baddow High School after going one better than last year.

The specialist sports college managed a 99 per cent pass rate with 47 per cent A* to B, and a pass rate of 100 per cent in 18 subjects.

Headteacher Carrie Lynch said: "We are delighted with the result of our sixth formers this year.

"It's a marginal improvement on last year and I'm really pleased the vast majority got into their first choice university places and those that haven't have secured their insurance place, and those going on to the next step of what they want to do.

"They're off across the country to do everything from physics to art to drama, a whole range of subjects."

Matt Metson, 18, of Great Baddow, is off to Birmingham to study physics after securing A*s in physics, maths and chemistry.

"I feel really great," he said. "I knew I was accepted before I got to school because I looked at the UCAS website and it said I had got in. It was supposed to show you at 8 but it was on a bit early this morning.

"But I didn't know I had got the top grade in all of them. I'm a bit dumbfounded.

"I was quite calm, I wasn't that nervous.

"I've no idea what to expect from university life but I love the course and can't wait to get stuck into that."

Vanessa Fenlon, 18, of Galleywood, achieved A*s in physics and maths, and As in further maths and chemistry.

"I think I did amazing," said Vanessa, whose mum Teresa Ghoneim is a physics teacher at the school. "I knew I had got at least A*, A, and A as I had got into my uni but I didn't expect to get A in further maths, I thought I would get a C".

Off to Durham University to study engineering, she added: "I'm a bit lost for words."

Laura Talbot, of Longfield Road, South Woodham Ferrers, opened the envelope to discover she had an A in biology, and Bs in geography, psychology and general studies.

Mrs Lynch described her as "an exceptional role model within the whole school and within our resource base for hearing impaired students".

Soon off to Sussex University to study psychology, Laura said: "I feel really excited before and a little bit nervous. I think there will be new opportunities and making new friends and trying new things out.

"It's sad to leave school but it won't be difficult to keep in touch and meet up when we can."

George Shaw, of Hill Road, Chelmsford, is heading to Nottingham to study law, after securing an A in geography, A in history and a B in English.

He said: "About a week ago I started worrying about it and it was in the back of my mind.

"I'm feeling relief definitely, it's been two years of hard work. I'm happy with them, pretty happy.

"I don't get homesick very easily and I'll be coming back in Easter and Christmas to meet up with friends."

Other high flyers include Zoe Copping, heading to York University to study bio-chemistry after securing three As and two Bs.

Celine Jennings achieved A* in art, As in media and history and Bs in English language and general studies.

Her identical twin sister got an A in art, with Bs in English language, English literature, psychology and general studies.

Mrs Lynch continued: "It's really thrilling.

"It's an incredibly tense time for them, so much is riding on the outcome and you can see the anxious look on their faces followed by relief.

"I've been teaching 30 years and I won't ever tire of that."

Nine of the 3,000 ducks rescued from Norton Field Farm are believed to have been abandoned in a lake.

The white Aylesbury birds, which have had their wings clipped, were first spotted near in the water at Danbury Country Parks more than a week ago.

It comes just weeks after hundreds of people descended on the farm, just off the A414 between Writtle and Ongar, back on the first weekend of August after farmer Iain Chisholm said he could no longer afford to keep them.

Andrea Gabriel, the ranger at Danbury Country Parks, said the ducks had been left at the mercy of dogs, foxes and wild ducks. She added they were struggling for food.

Passers-by have been dishing out white bread, but it is well-known these are bad for them.

She said: "I have been checking on them every day, but as they can't fly, they could be attacked by foxes or even dogs.

"People can't just dump ducks here – they are used to being fed, and if they had been left in one of our larger lakes they would have been torn to shreds by the wild ducks there."

Apart from the welfare of the rescue ducks, Ms Gabriel also said that the nine ducks were affecting the existing balance of the lake, adding: "We have baby moorhens that have just been born, and they are now competing with nine large ducks for food".

Although Ms Gabriel said she would like an animal rescue charity to re-home the ducks, she isn't keen for the public to take them individually, in case they are dumped somewhere else.

Sue Russell, a regular dog walker in Danbury Country Parks, said: "I first saw the ducks about a week and a half ago, and they were right by the edge of the water looking really scared.

"After about six days, I noticed they had finally gone into the water, but down here there are so many people with dogs, and because the ducks are used to people they follow them.

"If they keep doing that, one of the dogs is going to go for them."