DRIVING cautiously over the bumpy terrain, Robert Moreton listens carefully to instructor Sam's directions.

"Move up to second gear now, indicate to turn left," she tells him. "Oh, would you like a mint?"

Robert, 16, turns to Sam. "Watch the road!" she warns.

"See, that's how easy it is to be distracted when driving. You have to learn not to be."

This is Robert's first driving lesson, a 15-minute taster behind the wheel on an off-road track. An hour later he will watch a film portraying young drivers being seriously injured when they fail to pay attention to the road.

He and 44 other sixth formers from Shenfield High School are experiencing Roadster: an all-day event run by Essex County Council, the police, fire service and driving instructors.

The aim is simple – to make sure these young people do not become casualties on the road.

Robert said: "I was nervous at first but it was easier than I expected. I will feel more relaxed next time. We've all learnt a lot."

Alex Rickenbach, who begins driving lessons in April, said: "I feel more confident now. I'm pleased I've been able to come along and have a go."

Sam Carter, who owns Sam's Learners, said: "I have had two friends involved in very serious road accidents, one of whom died as a result of not wearing a seat belt in the back of a car and I am passionate about passing on road safety advice.

"Roadster gives teenagers road safety awareness before they start driving so hopefully it will stick at the back of their minds. I think it should be compulsory for all 16 and 17-year-olds.

"I offer them a mint to show them how easy it is to be distracted. Hopefully they will remember that."

Tony Milhill, who runs APass4U driving school, has given a taster lesson to around 3,000 teens since he started taking part in Roadster.

He said: "The enthusiasm from these young people is brilliant.

"They come away not only having learnt something about road safety but also they have had fun."

The Shenfield students have come to Barleylands in Billericay. In a barn, Trading Standards' Chris Missen talks about buying used cars.

He said: "The advice we give is to text the registration of the car they are thinking of buying to check its history. "It costs £3 but is money well spent."

Jordanna Clark, 16, said: "It's useful to know this and to remember not be taken in by the look of the car."

Road safety officer Gillian Beale said: "One of the aims of this day is to show them that driving is fun but it can all go horribly wrong. The day is balanced with some grim and some fun stuff."

Officers from Essex Fire and Rescue also showed a film called Driving with Grace about an incident involving a young driver ploughing into a group of friends in Southend a few years ago.

ARE the regulars at the White Horse the most generous pub fundraisers in the UK? The landlord certainly thinks so.

Owner Jason Jopson, 45, says in six years the patrons of his Pilgrims Hatch hostelry have raised more than £120,000 for a number of good causes, mostly local.

He has organised a series of events including the popular annual beer festival, bike ride and the inaugural Oktoberfest and music concerts this year, all of which have been well supported.

The father of two, who is also a director of Brentwood Brewing Company, says customers at the watering hole in Coxtie Green Road, always dig deep when there is a worthy cause to support.

"It's a pleasure owning the White Horse, I never realised there were so many generous people in such hard times, and I do want to thank them for their continued support," he said.

"People have not known in the past how much money we have raised in total, so I think the regulars will be quite surprised.

"The charities that get support are not government funded, the majority of them.

"Any of us could be in the situation of caring for a serious ill child or somebody affected by cancer, I just think these are such good charities that need our support.

"But also we've have some really good fun along the way."

The pub has held a sponsored beard grow, a race night, and collection boxes regularly sit on the bar.

Since 2006, Jason, supported by his regulars, has raised £34,150 for SNAP (Special Needs and Parents), as well as £10,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Other charities to have benefited include Little Havens Children's Hospital, Saint Francis Hospice and Essex Air Ambulance.

Mr Jopson, who lives in Pilgrims Hatch, says he is a "local man who has bought a local pub".

He added: "I am just a local lad of the estate and this is me giving back."

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL: Brentwood Town Ladies suffered a second successive defeat at the hands of Cambridge Women in Town's first league outing for two months, with the visitors eager to avenge their FA Women's Cup first-round reverse seven days previously.

In almost identical fashion to their last trip, Brentwood trailed 2-0 at half-time and had to make all the running after the break in a desperate attempt to steal a point.

The match may have taken a very different course had Kerry Stimson's third-minute effort not bounced off the woodwork, and Cambridge's opener in the 13th minute came marginally against the run of play.

Laura Baker's pass inside found Sophie Thompson and, despite Brentwood appealing for offside as she moved the ball on to Laura Bright, the forward made no mistake and slotted home confidently.

Three minutes later, ex-Watford custodian Layla Prior was called upon to smother Thompson's attempt beside the base of her right post and push away Faith Hewitt's drive round the opposite upright.

Stimson threatened again for Brentwood, travelling around Emma Jenkins before stabbing over from an acute angle, but Cambridge proved they were in the ascendancy when Baker and Bright combined in an intricate move in the 24th minute that required all of Prior's powers of anticipation.

All the hard work was undone two minutes later when one-time Chelmsford City player Brown made it 2-0.

Despite failing to end 2012 on a high, this Brentwood squad can be proud of their achievements in the calendar year.

Billericay Sports B kept themselves in contention for the runners-up spot in the Brentwood & District Table Tennis League Premier Division with an 8-2 home win over visitors Billericay A.

Twenty-one of Sports' points have come from Alex Abbott who has enjoyed seven straight maximums. Mike Johnston and Keith Ashton supported in this match, picking up two wins each. Both lost to Gary Ward.

John Parodi and Dave Carter were the visitors' other players.

Selex B hover close to the bottom of the table and were beaten 3-7 at home by Cranston Park. Four players collected two wins – Paul Brown for Selex was denied his maximum by Paul Morris (2 wins), John Mansfield (2 wins) denied by Chris Aukett, and Terry Timms (2 wins) by Brown. Kevin Smart was Selex's third man.

Writtle A and Selex B fielded two players each. Matthew Brown was unbeaten in two games against the Selex duo of Garry Hartgrove and Trevor Ward. Dave Moles remained scoreless. The doubles point for the visitors gave them a 5-4 win -- their first of the season.

In the first division, Billericay Sports D lost 3-7 at home to Buttsbury A. John Darling scored two wins and Mick Joslin one, but that was all the team could collect. Malcolm Henstock was pointless against an unbeaten Paul Sturton, Sue Hickman (2 wins) and Caroline Cole (1 win).

Buttsbury A followed up with a welcome 9-1 home win over Mountnessing B, who could field only two players in John Newman and Jon Dyson. Dyson picked up the solitary point against Cole. Gary Carr and Sturton were unbeaten for Buttsbury and they jump to second place in the table.

A Sports D team, with Danny Dempsey in for Darling, saw a reversal of earlier results and claimed a 7-3 away win at Billericay C. Malcolm Henstock was unbeaten for the visitors, Mick Joslin (2 wins and Dempsey (1 win) over Brian Farmer (2 wins), Stan Dyson (1 win) and Adrian Atkinson (nil points). Bob Garson, David Humble and Brian Steward all collected two wins for Brentwood B in a 6-4 win over Mountnessing A. They came up against an in-form Mick Morris who was undefeated. Steve Nicholls and Dave Finlayson were unable to assist although a doubles point made the score look more respectable.

Leaders of the second division, Brentwood Hard, maintained their position, defeating second-placed St Joseph's Hutton 6-4 for a welcome away win. Peter Childs was unbeaten, Greg Cooper claimed two wins and Nick Wright one over Mike Pratley (1 win), David Barnes (2 wins) and Ron Grief.

Buttsbury B began their match with a full side against Buttsbury C but Frances Hutt had to retire after one tie. Alan Tofts and Peter James could only gather two points from the remaining games and ended 2-8 against an unbeaten Graham Sturton, Ray Horton and Louis Brown (2 wins each).

LET us all share some Christmas spirit.

How is your preparation for Christmas going? Mine really began with the Victorian evening in Ingatestone on November 30 and singing with the Ingatestone Choral Society my first rendition of Hark The Herald Angels Sing of the year.

I think I sang it 17 times last year. It is a lovely carol and I can honestly say I do not tire of it. I posted my first Christmas cards and gifts next day, destined for the USA and Uganda. Christmas is a great time for reconnection with family and friends that we may not see as often as we would like.

In the world of Skype we can instantly be connected with everyone. Perhaps there is increasingly something old-fashioned about Christmas cards. Yet I know I like the sound of them dropping on the mat and seeing who they are from. I am sure many older people, not so internet savvy as some, enjoy receiving cards. It has been said to me this year, "The problem with cards is the cost of postage. It cost more to send than to buy."

It will be sad if we stop sending cards. It does remind people that they are remembered and often brings back memories of times spent with the sender.

Busy times for some can only emphasise loneliness for others. Christmas is a time when people can feel isolated. As Ingatestone Churches Together this year, we have produced a Christmas card listing services across the denominations in our town.

We have been encouraging people to give them to a friend or acquaintance and offer to accompany them to service. I know that many people like to come with family to church specifically at Christmas. Of course all clergy would like people to come more often. But it is wonderful to see families and groups of friends coming to share in the celebrations. There is something about being in church on Christmas Eve that touches the heart of many people. It connects not just with people now, but also with people who have celebrated the season down through the ages.

BRENTWOOD Cathedral played host to this year's BBC Essex Celebration of Christmas show.

Ian Wyatt of BBC Essex hosted the ticket-only event, which drew a crowd of about 750 people, filling nearly all the seats at the Ingrave Road cathedral. The service was led by the Bishop of Brentwood, the Right Reverend Thomas Mcmahon.

The Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Lord Petre read Carol by Elizabeth Jenning at the service.

He was among the distinguished guests, including BBC Essex presenter Dave Monk and Sister Teresa of the Community of Our Lady of Walsingham at Abbotswick, who read at the service on Sunday afternoon.

Dean of Brentwood Cathedral Martin Boland told the Gazette: "The day was a huge success.

"It bought together all different communities in Brentwood.

"We had the Royal Legion band, we had choirs from our schools, we had the cathedral choir and all sorts of different people reading.

"It was a great occasion and people from all over Essex came to the cathedral for that celebration."

Southend Girls' Choir soloist Hannah Wallen sang In The Bleak Midwinter and Brentwood Cathedral Choir soloist Julia Wilson-James sang Holy Night.

A Great And Mighty Wonder by the late Sir Phillip Ledger, made its debut at the service, performed by the Brentwood Cathedral Choir.

The famous church musician, who was director of music at Kings College, Cambridge, died last month.

Father Boland added: "It was the last carol he wrote before his death.

"He wrote the piece for Brentwood Cathedral. It was written specifically for the master of music [at the cathedral] Andrew Wright."

BBC Essex will be broadcasting the recording on Christmas Eve at 5pm and at 6am on Christmas Day.

Tune into 95.3FM to listen to the wonderful music.

I WOULD like to share some of the tips we've learned over the years on how to keep dogs safe in winter, along with a few of our other furry friends.

Snow balls can form on long haired dogs – even shorter haired breeds can gather these on their feet, and once they have formed they need to be left to melt (hairdryers can help if your dog will tolerate it). They are very painful for your dog to walk on, so if you spot them, take the dog home for a break. Vaseline between the toes, and keeping long fur trimmed can help. Leave some fur on, as it will help to protect their pads from frozen ground.

If you have a dog whose fur collects snow balls, these can't be removed, time has to melt them so if you are walking your dog please leave plenty of towels and your heating on to keep your dog warm once you return.

We have a lot more small dogs this year, so we might change to a street walk to keep them out of the deepest snow. You could consider us for daycare for the worst days so they can defrost at my house where the heating is always on.

Young, elderly, ill or infirm dogs may need a coat when outdoors this winter.

Dogs with short coats such as greyhounds or Staffordshire bull terriers to name just two would also appreciate a coat.

If your dog's ears and paws are cold, your dog is probably cold.

Older pets should have a soft bed with raised sides to protect them from draughts. Dogs can be very stoical so get down on the floor and see how their bed feels. Arthritic pets may need slower, shorter walks.

Not sure if your dog is sore? Do they lick the same spot a lot, are they slow to get out of bed, or stiff and perhaps a little grumpy if disturbed? Some limps are very subtle and may not be noticed. A trip to the vet could make your pet more comfortable.

It can be just as dangerous to leave a dog in a cold car as a hot one – make sure your dog is warm enough if you have to leave them for a short while, or that they have a coat or a blanket if at the back of a large vehicle – heating can take some time to warm up the back.

Ice and snow usually lead to gritting lorries. The salt and other materials can irritate your dog's feet, so you may need to give them a wash when returning from a walk; try not to let your dogs lick their feet in case they ingest something that could make them ill.

Dogs, but in particular cats, have a great liking for antifreeze due to its sweet taste. Keep it well away from your pets because it can be fatal, and don't let them drink from puddles where cars may have been parked.

Rabbits and guinea pigs are often left outside in the winter. Rabbits can deal with this as long as they are not in a draught or getting damp. For guinea pigs it's pure misery. Bring your guinea pigs into a shed or unused garage, and give them, and rabbits, thick newspaper under the bedding to help insulate. Make sure they have plenty of extra bedding – their sleeping area should have enough hay and straw for them to make a nest, it should reach right up to the top – changed more frequently as if it gets wet (either rain or urine), it will freeze.

Bubble wrap is your furry friend's best friend, so try using that to insulate, then cable tie a plant pot to the inside of the hutch and put the water bottle in there (you may need to cut a hole for the spout). Once the hutch is insulated it reduces the risk of the bottle freezing, but keep a spare water bottle to hand to swap them over if one freezes. If you can't get bubble wrap, blankets or a duvet can be used, but only if you can ensure they are covered by a 100 per cent waterproof cover, and water can't creep up from the bottom. If they get wet, your bunny will suffer. Don't forget to spend time with your pets, even if it is cold and dark outside.

ABANDONED in sub-zero temperatures, Fluffy the corn snake was close to death – until kind-hearted staff at a Brentwood animal sanctuary stepped in.

The three-foot long reptile was found dumped inside a poky vivarium to the rear of Pets at Home in Harlow at around 10am on Tuesday, December 11 – a day when the mercury dropped to -2C.

Worried staff took the serpent in and called the RSPCA but when the charity was unable to help they got in touch with Hopefield Animal Sanctuary instead.

Jess Roche, an office worker at the Sawyers Hall Lane safe haven, then jumped in her car and drove to Harlow to collect Fluffy.

The brightly-coloured snake, whose gender and age have yet to be ascertained, is now recuperating from its ordeal inside a warm and more spacious vivarium in the sanctuary's visitor centre.

Jess, 20, said: "It was probably out in the cold for an hour or two so it is amazing that it survived really.

"Surely whoever dumped that snake must have known that, in those weather conditions there was a good chance it would have died."

Jess, who has worked at the sanctuary for the past year, said she was worried that the reptile would escape from its two foot vivarium while she drove back to Hopefield.

As things turned out, the inquisitive serpent got out and went for a slither around her office shortly after it arrived at the sanctuary.

The snake, one of some 300 animals in Hopefield's care, now has a new four-foot long vivarium, kept at a constant temperature of 30C and complete with a little house in which it can hide.

Jess, who lives in Chelmsford, said: "It seems really friendly and we decided to call it Fluffy because we hope it means children won't be scared of it.

"Snakes are very friendly when they have been handled well and we are trying to educate children that they make good pets too – just like guinea pigs and hamsters."

Sanctuary manager David Schlaich, 32, said: "The vivarium it was found in wasn't acceptable at all because there wasn't a lot of room in there but that aside it isn't underweight and it looks well.

"It is very protective of its vivarium but once it is out it is very friendly and it hasn't tried to bite anyone, which is a good thing.

"If it keeps coming along as it has done so far then we will be able to let visitors handle it."

Mr Schlaich, who has worked at the sanctuary for the past 15 years, also believes the snake has had a lucky escape.

"If it had been out there in the cold for much longer it could have died," he said.

"It is lucky to be alive."

A Pets at Home spokesperson said: "We are very relieved that Hopefield Animal Sanctuary is able to accommodate the animal.

"Our store teams are trained to a very high standard and care passionately about pets, in fact 92 per cent are pet owners themselves.

"We encourage any potential pet owner to come into store and speak to our team before deciding which pet is right for them, to prevent unfortunate situations like these from arising."

For more information about Hopefield, call 01277 201 110 or visit www.hopefield.org.uk

TWO men from Havering have been jailed at the Old Bailey following a Flying Squad investigation into 13 linked robberies against shops in east London.

Robert Russell, 21, of Leybourne Crescent, Harold Hill, was jailed for eight years and four months and Daniel Marston, 29, of Waterloo Road, Romford, was jailed for four years after both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery.

The men were among a gang of five who targeted small businesses including supermarkets and newsagents over a three-month period.

Wayne Lawrence, 29, of Thompson Road, E17, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to possess a firearm and imitation firearm and robbery on October 30.

He was sentenced on Friday to 14 years' imprisonment.

Stephen Nelson, 26, of no fixed address, was jailed for nine years and four months.

Joseph Henry Adams, 22, of Halbutt Street, Dagenham was sent down for three years and four months.

The gang used threats and violence against staff and were known to carry firearms and a hammer to steal cash and cigarettes.

During a robbery at a newsagents in Barking involving three of the suspects, a female member of staff was struck with a crowbar.

An investigation – codenamed Operation Losap – was launched by the Flying Squad based at Barking and on March 1, detectives swooped on Nelson, Lawrence and Russell after they entered a newsagents on Grosvenor Road, E17.

The men were found to be possession of a firearm. Further inquiries led to the arrests of Adams and Marston.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Corner, of the Flying Squad, said: "The Flying Squad and the Met are committed to tackling violent offenders who carry weapons and are a danger to London's commercial communities.

"We understand the threat posed to many independent businesses and are committed to working with them to prevent offences and detect offenders."

The offences were carried out against 13 addresses, including Tina's Newsagents in Romford High Street on February 9.

THE husband of Brentwood Mayor Anne Coe says he is to close his Twitter account, claiming it had been hijacked by another user.

Paul Barrell, who tweets as @sadcopper, wrote at 4.03pm on December 13: "Sadly some unknown persons have been using my account to post twitters I have not agreed to. This acc will be closed."

It is not clear how many tweets were posted without the consent of Mr Barrell, an ex-policeman of Weald Road, South Weald.

Unauthorised access or use of another person's Twitter account is an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

A series of tweets had been issued from his account on Tuesday evening after a Brentwood Borough Council meeting, where a decision to award grants totalling £54,745 to 25 community groups was called in.

The call-in was requested by three Tory councillors – Will Russell, Roger McCheyne and Mrs Coe – although all three voted not to take the matter further.

After the meeting, Councillor Russell Quirk tweeted: "Tonight's proceedings so spurious that even the three cllrs (sic) that started the process voted against their own motion to revise revision."

Resident Ann Cardus replied: "Mad as badgers, the lot of 'em."

Then a message was issued from Mr Barrell's account, which read: "I don't know who you are but it is important we hold all our councillors to account (sic) you are clearly stupid."

Cllr Quirk replied: "Paul. Not the sort of comment people expect from the Mayor's consort. You should apologise to Ann Cardus." No reply was forthcoming.

A separate tweet from Mr Barrell's account said: "All the chairs (sic) charities and his cronies got money!"

Another tweet to Phoenix FM presenter Jules Bottazzi read: "@JulesBottazzi @ldkatz71 funny how Russel quick (sic) speaks on your radio station all the time. Just shows we need regulation on the media."

Ms Bottazzi said: "I received a couple of sarcastic messages from someone I didn't know on Twitter, full of murky innuendo.

"Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was from the account of the mayor of Brentwood's consort.

"The account user insulted various other figures that night and called a resident 'stupid'."

Station manager Paul Golder joined the Twitter debate, saying: "The user seems angry at anyone who was pleased community groups are getting their money.

"The account has also said publicly that we need to be regulated because we allow our councillors to come in and talk."

The Gazette attempted to contact both Mr Barrell and his wife, although neither had responded before the Gazette went to press.

It is unclear if the matter has been reported to Essex Police. A spokesman said: "I am not in a position to confirm whether someone has made a complaint."

Community groups awarded nearly £55,000 – page 7

STEVE Witherspoon has hailed Brentwood Town's 3-1 win at Heybridge Swifts as their best away win of the season.

An Abs Seymour goal and a brace from the Alex Read helped The Blues extend their unbeaten run to five matches and lifted them to 13th in Ryman League Division One North.

Witherspoon said: "Heybridge Swifts are third in the league and were on a roll.

"We've gone and beaten them and you can't say fairer than that."

But things could have been different if, at 2-1, Swifts forward Michael Cheek hadn't blasted his 73rd minute penalty over the bar.

"Their top scorer's striding up and I'm thinking 'here we go'," said Witherspoon.

"They were on top and they had the wind in their sails. If that goes in then maybe the game changes but he's hit it high, wide and handsome."

Instead of sitting on the slender lead, Witherspoon and his coaching staff decided to make some attacking substitutions in order to go searching for another goal.

"I just thought that we didn't want to let them impose themselves on us," said the manager.

"We made the changes and it gave them something else to think about. I think me and the coaching staff deserve a little pat on the back for deciding to really go for it."

Witherspoon was delighted with the performance of goalkeeper Reece Otley who has just joined the club from Billericay Town after his contract was cancelled.

He replaces Elliot Justham as the club's first choice after he left last month for East Thurrock United. Tottenham loanee Jonathan Miles had be filling in between the posts and Witherspoon is delighted to have finally found a new permanent stopper.

He said: "He's come out of it with flying colours.

"Hopefully, we've got somebody there who we can keep for a while now. He's been fighting for a place at Billericay and I've known about him for a while through my goalkeeping coach.

"They piled the pressure on during the second half and he made two or three really good saves to keep us in it."

Last night (Tuesday) Brentwood were hoping to finally play their Essex Senior Cup game against Colchester United after several postponements due to the weather.

Several members of the first team squad were unlikely to be risked meaning some of the club's U18s would get the chance to deputise.

On Saturday it's back to league action with a trip to tenth placed Cheshunt, and Witherspoon is in confident mood with no injuries or suspensions to worry about.

He said: "I'm not saying we're world-beaters but by a day we can compete with most sides in that league and we're on a good run at the moment."

A VIOLENT gang member who preyed on wealthy individuals, including F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and a Tory peer as they made their way home at night, has been jailed for 20 years.

Nicholas Lewis, 34, of Balgores Lane, Romford, is though to have raked in £2 million from his victims, one of whom was BAA chairman Sir Nigel Rudd and his wife Lesley.

Two other member of the "millionaire gang", Gulam Gani, 47, of Bentworth Road, White City, and Sean Wallace, 30, of Barandon Walk, Holland Park, were also found guilty of conspiracy to rob and were sentenced to 18 years and 15 years respectively.

The gang targeted wealthy individuals in and around Mayfair – usually lone women wearing expensive jewellery and watches on their way home after an evening out.

On May 4, 2011, a woman was grabbed from behind and £50,000 worth of jewellery was taken from her, including a diamond pendant necklace, a Cartier Cougar watch worth about £4,000 and a Graff diamond ring valued at £25,000.

Eight days later, the gang struck again when they followed a second female victim, aged 57, as she made her way home in a cab.

As she walked to her front door, she was robbed of £35,000 worth of jewellery, including a £3,000 Chanel diamond ring, a Cartier ring, a gold engagement ring and a set of diamond earrings valued at £2,000.

Four days after that incident the gang, travelling in a stolen BMW, took £21,000 worth of jewellery including a Cartier watch and two diamond eternity rings from a 55-year-old woman unloading belongings from her car.

On May 23 – a week later – they robbed a couple of £84,000 worth of jewellery at knifepoint, including a £10,000 Cartier watch, a diamond ring valued at £20,000, pearls worth £12,000, diamond earrings valued at £20,000, a Cartier necklace, a Rolex watch valued at £12,000 and a £1,000 Chanel handbag.

The couple had just entered their property when the gang burst through the door, knocking the woman to the floor.

They then demanded the couple hand over any jewellery, with one gang member grabbing a knife and the other a knife sharpener from the kitchen to threaten them.

After holding the couple at knifepoint, the defendants escaped in a waiting car with the items.

On October 31, 2011, the gang targeted a 53-year-old woman close to her home. A violent struggle ensued as the two thieves attempted to steal the £75,000 ring the victim was wearing.

Unable to get the ring off her finger, the thieves made threats to cut her finger off in order to get the ring.

During the struggle, the victim was able to scratch one of the thieves and moments later they were able to pull the ring off her finger before fleeing the scene.

DNA evidence later revealed that the person the victim had scratched during the struggle was Lewis.

On December 20, 2011, the ringleader of the gang – Gani – was arrested for conspiracy to rob.

Lewis, his co-conspirator, was also arrested for the same offence after attempting to flee from police.

Wallace was arrested and charged on January 5, 2012, after handing himself into police. He was charged with conspiracy to rob.

Detective Superintendent Neil Thompson, of the London Crime Squad, said: "The gang preyed mostly on lone women as they made their way home and stole an array of items of significant importance and sentimental value.

"Not only did they steal these items but on a number of occasions they callously attacked their victims on their own doorsteps.

"The gang showed no remorse and disregarded the impact these robberies would have on their victims."

BRENTWOOD U14s went in to the game against Canterbury knowing that this would be one of their toughest games of the season and the visitors did not disappoint.

Playing with the wind and slope in the first half, Canterbury took the game to the hosts and tested Brentwood's defence to the full.

Resolute tackling by the backs and aggressive but fair forward play restricted Canterbury to a single score which went unconverted. Brentwood were unlucky not to score themselves but a last ditch tackle in the corner prevented Adam Piggott from rounding off a good handling move. Brentwood started the second half as they had finished the first, putting Canterbury under pressure at the breakdown and not allowing them any time to move the ball through their backs.

Most of the game in the second half was played in the Canterbury half, and Brentwood pressure from a line out forced a mistake behind the line by Canterbury which was pounced upon by Liam Batty, successfully converted by Thomas Lucas-Roast.

Further tries were scored by Alec Parris and Max Kyle to give Brentwood a 27-5 victory, and round off a team performance that was the best seen for a long while. Long may it continue.

CHELMSFORD'S impressive campaign continued with a deserved victory over previously fourth placed Saffron Walden.

The visitors can claim to be the only side this season to have won against the league leaders, North Walsham, so Chelmsford knew they would be in for a hard-fought game, and this certainly proved to be the case.

Following the recent bad weather, this was the first competitive rugby at Coronation Park for three weeks and whilst conditions were very poor, with thick mud and standing water in some parts, both sides tried to play with a lot of width and move the ball around as much as possible.

However, the foundation of the win was down to the display of the Chelmsford forwards, in particular the back row of Jack Venn, Josh Clarke and Paul Redford, who were outstanding.

Time and again they drove into the opposition forwards with some strong carries and put the tackles in when it counted.

Chelmsford's forward pack may be one of the lightest in the league, but they certainly made their presence felt.

There was a series of early penalty exchanges and the visitors had the chance to take the lead when Chelmsford were penalised for being offside, but the kick was unsuccessful.

Simon Hoult then had a difficult chance to put the home side in the lead with a 45 metre penalty that fell just short of the upright.

After seven minutes Walden took the lead when Chelmsford were penalised for being off their feet in a ruck.

Playing down the slope in the first half and with a crosswind, Hoult started to give Chelmsford some territorial advantage, but it was not until 20 minutes that the home side was able to put concerted pressure on Walden's line.

From a penalty Hoult drilled the ball deep into the visitors half and from the resultant catch and drive the ball was held up over the line. From the scrum, scrum half Ben Bayley went blind and right wing Tatenda Gurure was able to score an unconverted try in the corner to take Chelmsford into a 5–3 lead.

Just before half time, Chelmsford were awarded a penalty for the visitors being offside in front of the posts. Instead of taking the three points on offer, Paul Redford took a quick tap and was held up over the line, however, from the scrum, Hoult threw out a long pass and with full back Nick Hankin coming into the line at speed, he went over to score a well worked try which Hoult converted to take the score to 12 – 3 at half time.

Saffron Walden's tactics for the second half were for their fly half to kick deep into Chelmsford's half, however, Chelmsford started brightly, but were then penalised and this gave Saffron Walden some impetus, from which they enjoyed their best spell of the game and they started to put pressure on Chelmsford's line.

Credit must be given to Chelmsford's defence which held firm and with flanker Josh Clarke breaking away from his own line and making significant ground into the visitors half, momentum went with the home side and the Chelmsford's forwards began to dominate the latter stages of the game when they effectively took on the visitors pack and played some good driving rugby to keep them at bay. Indeed they were unlucky not to score on several occasions when they were camped in the Saffron Walden 22.

A further Hoult penalty five minutes from the end effectively sealed the game for the hosts to take them into a 15 – 3 lead which they held to the final whistle. This result cements Chelmsford's third position in the table and Chelmsford can be pleased that they denied Saffron Walden a losing bonus point and kept their line intact.

Coach Eddie Gooby said after the game, "This was a very pleasing result for us, we needed to follow up last week's big comeback win with a solid performance against a team that we always have tough encounters with."

This coming Saturday will see Chelmsford take on Portsmouth in the rearranged London Intermediate Cup quarter final, kick off is at 2pm.

STUDENTS at St Martin's are celebrating after reaching the regional finals of the National Schools Cross Country Cup.

The first round of the annual competition is divided into counties, with St Martin's competing against an exceptionally strong field of runners from across Essex. Only the top two teams from each year group race proceed to the regional finals from each first round event.

The St Martin's and Coopers Coburn (Upminster) Inter Girls (Years 9 and 10) ran well on a tough course to book their places in the next round.

Saint's recent run of form continued when they competed in the Mid Essex Schools Championships at Hylands Park, Chelmsford. Here the Inter Boys team dominated the field coming first, second, fourth and 16th to be crowned Mid Essex Champions. Adam Houchell, George Trott and Daniel Ashley were subsequently selected to represent Mid-Essex in the Essex Schools Championships that take place later in January.

Teacher in charge of cross country, Miss Ria Lyons, said: "I am very proud of all our runners. They have worked extremely hard both in fitness lessons and during extra-curricular training. They thoroughly deserve their success."

BRENTWOOD eased past newly promoted Basildon with a comprehensive 22-5 win at the weekend.

Due to injuries, director of rugby Steve Killington brought in Matt Northall and himself to replace Jack Springall and Tom King.

Apart from a wet and muddy pitch, conditions were excellent as Brentwood kicked off downhill. Brentwood were soon into the attack with skipper Josh Woodcock breaking to Basildon's line.

However, bad passing prevented a first score.

The home side maintained their initial pressure and a great inter-passing move by forwards and backs led to a final off-load to coach Killington for a try. Dan Whitehead missed the conversion but Brentwood were ahead 5-0.

The early play was all from Brentwood but poor control snuffed out any scoring chances.

However, following another incursion into Basildon's 22, an unmarked John Beith picked up from the base of a scrum and charged over the line for Brentwood's second try. Unconverted, the home side were now comfortably 10-0 ahead.

A lone break by Basildon's blind-side flanker was the visitor's only dangerous attack in the first quarter.

Into the second quarter, Brentwood were cruising in second gear with a string of poor passing and knock-ons preventing any further scoring.

However, a clean break by fly-half Declan Gillet followed by a good off-load to Aaron Stanier saw the centre touch down for Brentwood's third try. Again unconverted, the home side were now 15-0 ahead.

Brentwood were now well in control. A long break by flanker Chris Stewart saw scrum-half Luke Green brought down just short of the line. With the pack harrying Basildon's ball, the game was virtually finished when full-back Anthony Poole scored from 30 metres. Whitehead kicked the conversion to take his team into a 22-0 lead at half time.

The first half was dominated by Brentwood. However, a lack of control at critical times and a failure to build phases allowed their opponents to stay in the game. Four tries in the half had given the home side a bonus point.

The second half started badly for Brentwood. From a Basildon penalty and line-out, the Brentwood defence was found lacking and the opposition's left winger scored an unconverted try in the corner.

The game became one of possession by Basildon. However, Brentwood's defence was adequate and play got bogged down mainly in the home side's half. With a large crowd watching, there was little excitement during the final half-hour.

Brentwood were highly satisfied with the 22-5 result and coach Killington was delighted with five league points, making an impressive haul of 18 points from the last four games.

Of the 14 games Brentwood have played to date, nine have been won, one drawn, and four lost, achieving an impressive fifth place in the league. Only three teams, Bury St Edmunds, Eton Manor and Letchworth have heavily defeated Brentwood.

After the Christmas break, the prospect looks bright with the development of the younger and less experienced players coming on apace.

Brentwood's squad is not based on stars. Its success is due to a team ethos, backed by the coaching staff of Steve Killington and Elliot Shaw, and further backed by a keen band of supporters.

FARLEIGH Hospice has opened a new charity shop located in Writtle – its 12th shop across mid Essex.

To mark the special occasion, Deputy Mayor Cllr Paul Hutchinson joined Farleigh Hospice's Retail Manager Jonathon Stokes, Manager of the new shop Ali Perham Marchant, Assistant Manager Kate McCarthy and members of the Farleigh Hospice team to cut the red ribbon to declare the shop in Wellfield open. The shop will be open Monday to Saturdays, 9am to 4.30pm and will be run by 20 dedicated volunteers.

Jonathan Stokes said: "There has been a lot of local interest about this shop and real anticipation about its opening. In fact, I have fielded more enquiries from prospective volunteers for this shop than any of the others we have opened. The location has a real community feel about it, which makes a big difference and will hopefully contribute to the shop's future success."

Last year a total of 74,816 bags were donated to Farleigh Hospice's charity shops, which works out an average of more than 200 per day.

SEVEN young entrepreneurs from the Ormiston Rivers Academy scooped a prestigious award at a trade fair.

Competing against 12 other schools at the Young Enterprise trade fair at High Chelmer Shopping Centre they won 'Best Trade Stand', one of just four awards up for grabs.

Under the guidance of student Tia Warren, Managing Director of Rivers Trading, they sold £300 worth of Christmas gift sets, including perfume, beauty products and children's stationery sets.

The students also used their initiative by asking shops to sell their products too, whilst Robert and Christopher Saffill used trays of samples to entice potential customers.

Georgia Burch and Lauren Head encouraged shoppers to try the perfumes on offer, whilst Harry Rendol entertained with his "market stall banter".

Meanwhile, Mason Holmes manned the till which proved to be extremely busy with the team making in excess of £300.

Kelly Carruthers, teacher at the Academy, said: "This is a fantastic achievement for our students at our first trade fair. They were an absolute credit to the school and shoppers loved them. It's been a brilliant day and they have all worked so hard."

CHARITY Kids Inspire has given Christmas gifts to 200 under privileged young people in Chelmsford.

Leading up to this festive period, the charity received donations of gifts and food hampers from a range of supporters and local businesses within Essex.

Major companies such as E2V, Beresfords, Lookers, ASDA and Chelmsford Round Table backed the popular appeal.

The charity also received £1,000 worth of toys courtesy of Littlewoods Direct.

Kids Inspire's chief executive, Sue Bell said: "We would like to thank everyone who gave donations and to the volunteers who wrapped up all the presents.

"You have brightened up Christmas for many young people."

This is the fourth successful year of the Kids Inspire Christmas Appeal.

Kids Inspire was launched in 2007 by chief executive Sue Bell and is a community based organisation which aims to support vulnerable and disadvantaged young people and their families within Essex.

Kids Inspire is currently based in Chelmsford and Southend and provides individually tailored support packages to suit each child's needs.

CHELMSFORD'S famous Race for Business raised more than £21,000 for a cancer charity.

Organisers of the race, leading Chelmsford law firm Birketts, in New London Road, presented a huge cheque for £21,298.87 to Macmillan Cancer Support.

The cheque was presented to the charity by Grace Kerr, head of the commercial property team in Chelmsford, and Richard Wollaston, founder of the event and a consultant in the corporate team.

The donation followed the annual Birketts Race for Business on July 5, in which thousands of people from the Essex business community swapped their suits for tracksuits and fancy dress, and ran, jogged or walked round the 3.5 mile evening fun run.

Richard Wollaston said: "I'm delighted that, in its 14th year, the business community is still supporting this event.

"Joining forces raised essential funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, which supports those facing their toughest fight."

Lyn Crowe, of Macmillan Cancer Support, added: "We're so pleased that Birketts chose Macmillan for this terrific event.

"If you or a loved one has been diagnosed, you need a team of people in your corner supporting you every step of the way.

"We are the nurses and therapists helping you through treatment, the experts on the end of the phone, the advisers telling you what benefits you're entitled to, the volunteers giving you a hand with the everyday things, the campaigners improving cancer care and the community supporting you online, any time.

"It is the fundraisers who make this all possible, so every penny raised will be put to good use."