RAIL commuters from Shenfield have been given a respite from nationwide season ticket increases – thanks to the Oyster system that has been extended from London into the borough.

There has been outcry following the national average increase of 4.3 per cent, which has added hundreds of pounds each year to the cost of an average annual season ticket.

However, since January 1, a 12-month season ticket from Shenfield to Liverpool Street has cost £2,704, down from £2,720.

Oyster, the touch-in touch-out method of travel used across the capital and which had previously only been valid as far as Harold Wood, can be thanked for the modest decrease.

Without it, a Shenfield commuter may instead have seen an increase of around £120 on their annual travel bill.

Greater Anglia, which operates services through the borough, said without the extension of the Oyster card scheme, the average season ticket price would have increased in line with hikes in season ticket costs from neighbouring stations.

Elsewhere in the borough there have been substantial increases in annual prices.

A season ticket from Brentwood has gone up from £2,256 to £2,352 – an increase of £96.

Meanwhile, the cost of an annual season ticket from Ingatestone has increased from £3,050 to £3,124.

David Kendall, secretary of Brentwood Bus and Rail Users' Association, said: "The prices are going up and up and passengers are not seeing a great deal of difference in terms of punctuality, cleanliness, and being able to always get a seat.

"Passengers are not having the best service.

"The increases are not justified, especially at Brentwood, which still does not have fast service.

"Shenfield prices may have gone down but they are still a hefty part to come out of your wage packet."

In the nine years since Oyster was introduced, more than 43 million cards have been issued and more than 80 per cent of all journeys on public transport in the capital were made using the system.

People travelling into London from the borough can now use the card, which acts as a travelcard for all public transport in the city, at both stations, meaning they do not have to buy a separate ticket before being able to use Oyster services.

For zones 1 to 6 and travel from Brentwood, the charges will be £7.30 for a peak single and £5.20 for an off-peak single.

For zones 1 to 6 and Shenfield, it will cost £8.30 for a peak single and £5.70 for an off-peak single.

A MOTHER died two days after eating a Christmas meal at a pub in Hornchurch.

Della Callagher, 46, was among 30 people who fell ill following a Christmas Day lunch at the Railway Hotel.

As her symptoms worsened she was taken to Queen's Hospital in Romford on Boxing Day, but she was sent home to recuperate.

However, the health of Mrs Callagher, mother to a 14-year-old girl, continued to decline and later that day she was taken back to hospital where she died on December 27. Her funeral took place on Saturday.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) began an inquiry after tests showed that the Clostridium perfringens bacterium was found in other diners.

Mrs Callagher's husband John, who lives about a mile from the restaurant in Hornchurch, is unhappy with the treatment his wife received at Queen's Hospital.

"She was in a really bad way but the hospital just sent her home. I was ill myself but she was in a terrible state," he was reported as saying. "Della was so fit and healthy, I can't believe it."

The hospital insists that proper procedures were followed.

Medical director Dr Mike Gill said: "A patient attended our emergency department on Boxing Day with what appeared to be food poisoning.

"The patient was seen and fully assessed by a senior clinician, and given appropriate treatment and advice before returning home.

"The trust followed accepted medical practice. We will be fully reviewing the case.

"We have written to the family offering our condolences at this very difficult time and inviting them to meet medical staff who can answer any queries or concerns they may have."

The Clostridium perfringens bacterium is a common cause of food poisoning and affects mostly red meat or poultry.

The illness it causes usually lasts no more than a few days, although vulnerable people such as children, the elderly and those with underlying health problems can be more seriously affected.

It is rare for a person to die as a direct result of food poisoning.

Dr Deborah Turbitt, director of the local Health Protection Agency unit investigating the case, said: "Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time.

"We have been working with Environmental Health Officers at Havering Council to identify the cause of illness and any links to food eaten at the venue.

"The venue has been co-operating fully with our investigations."

A Havering Council spokesman said: "We are very sorry to hear of this sad death and our thoughts are with the family at this time.

"Havering Council is currently investigating a food poisoning outbreak along with the HPA.

"Our initial findings indicate that this seems to be a serious but isolated incident and the venue is co-operating fully with the investigation.

"Our officers have conducted site visits to gather further evidence and statements from employees."

A spokesman for Mitchells and Butlers, which owns the Railway Hotel, said: "We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the Callagher family at this very difficult time.

"The local authority is currently investigating an alleged food poisoning incident at the Railway and we are co-operating fully with them to ascertain the cause or source.

"We are also carrying out a thorough internal investigation.

"Until these investigations are complete we are unable to provide any further details."

SUPERMARKET giant Tesco is to open a fourth store in Brentwood following the closure of yet another pub.

The firm took possession of the Warley Tavern, on Warley Hill, yesterday and will now convert the pub into an Express outlet.

Tesco has two existing stores of this type, on The Broadway in Shenfield and at the Esso filling station in London Road.

As previously reported in the Gazette, another Express store is due to open next month on the site of the former Woodpecker pub, at the junction of Hanging Hill Lane and Hutton Drive.

Tesco does not need planning permission to turn the Warley Tavern, formerly owned by brewery Greene King, into a supermarket.

A spokesman said the new store would create up to 20 jobs and would benefit other businesses by increasing footfall on Warley Hill.

However, independent traders fear they will be unable to compete with the supermarket giant, saying that business closures and job losses are highly likely.

Resident Linda Price, 64, hit out at what she called the firm's "corporate greed," while Warley borough councillor William Lloyd said: "On this occasion, Tesco will further damage an already difficult time for local traders."

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A TURF war has broken out between the managers of Billericay Town and Farnborough after Saturday's match between the clubs was postponed.

The referee called off the Blue Square Bet South fixture at New Lodge approximately an hour-and-a-half before kick-off due to a waterlogged pitch.

Billericay manager Craig Edwards is furious with the role Spencer Day, the Farnborough manager, played in getting the game called off and insists the surface was in better condition than when they played Chelmsford City on New Year's Day.

"The whole thing was just amazing," said Edwards.

"I respect the referee's decision and at the end of the day it's his call but what I couldn't be doing with was the conduct of their manager.

"He was going on about health and safety and all this nonsense – he was moaning about everything under the sun.

"Maybe they had a few players injured or something but in the non-league game we should all try and help each other out."

Farnborough officials are considering asking for travel compensation saying the game should have been called off the day before, they claim the pitch was in a clearly unplayable state.

In an impassioned interview with a local radio station Day insisted his team would have played is asked but said: "This game should have been called off yesterday, it's not even close and the fact of it is that the referee's putting it in his notes to the FA and we're expecting that we'll get compensation for even turning up.

"This isn't home advantage this is insane."

Billericay chairman Steve Kent estimated the postponement would cost the club thousands of pounds.

He said: "The monetary loss to us will be in the thousands and the time loss will have spanned all day Friday and Saturday morning.

"I'll not blame the referee because as I said, he spent a long time making his decision, so I'm sure he did what he thought was right."

The game has now been re-arranged for next Tuesday and is sure to be a spicy affair. Edwards added: "Hopefully we'll get the pitch looking like the Emirates by then so they fancy a game."

In other news midfielder Paul Semukula has returned from Maidenhead United after finishing university, it means Brazilian forward Alex Cerderia has left the club after failing to impress.

Meanwhile goalkeeper Sam Beasant has signed a contract that will keep him at Billericay until the end of next season.

TRAIN enthusiasts in Ongar were treated to a glimpse of transport history as an antique carriage departed from the town's railway station for the first time in more than 80 years.

The historic Metropolitan Milk Van, which dates back to 1896, was delivered to the eastern terminus of the Epping Ongar Railway (EOR) in preparation for the London Underground's 150th anniversary celebrations.

Staff and volunteers at EOR were asked to test the van, given the heritage railway's proximity to London.

The carriage, which would have been used to transport milk in the early 20th century, was one of many heritage items to be restored by London Transport Museum in time for the 150th birthday of the Tube today.

Milk van trains are not new to the Epping-Ongar line; in fact the railway used to carry 1,200 churns, each holding 17 gallons of milk, into London on weekly basis up until the 1930s.

Several other heritage and steam coaches will make a return to London Underground lines throughout the year to mark the anniversary.

EOR general manager Simon Hanney told the Gazette: "We were honoured to welcome them [the museum] down here and to help out.

"We were especially delighted to welcome the milk van down and we felt it was apt that it was running on a line that used to deliver so much milk.

"While this was more of a running-in and a favour to our friends at the London Transport Museum and Transport For London, we are working closely with them on celebrations later in 2013 to mark the 150th anniversary of the London tube.

"They've given it the green light and they've given it the certificate it needs to run out onto the main London Underground system, so it'll be playing its part in the celebrations."

A DEVOTED family man, who ran Shenfield Post Office for 31 years, has died at the age of 84.

For years, John Boon was a trusted and familiar face on the Broadway in Hutton Road, having taken over the community business in 1960.

However, away from stamps, parcels and giros, the father-of-two, described by those who knew him best as "gentle" and "unassuming", dedicated a vast amount of his time to community work through the Rotary movement.

He was a founder member of the Rotary Club of Hutton and Shenfield in 1965 (a club which later merged with others in the area) and his contribution to the cause over 56 years was "huge," according to his eldest daughter Elizabeth Charnley.

Fundraising for Brentwood Community Hospital and Saint Francis Hospice were just some of the Rotary projects in which he played a significant part.

Mrs Charnley, who lives in Coggeshall, said her father, who was known as "Papa" by his four grandchildren, had a "warm" personality.

"He was an unassuming person, very quiet, and every single condolence card we've received talks about him being a gentleman," she said. "He was very much part of the community.

"As a father he was gentle, supportive and loving and we shall obviously miss him. He was very much a family man and we are a very close family unit."

Mr Boon, who was married to Greta, 80, for 58 years, was born in Brentwood on January 21, 1928.

As a boy he helped out at his father's shop, Boon's the Bakers, in High Street, and when he left Brentwood School he headed for London, where he traded flour.

He later bought his first shop, a grocery store, in Crescent Road, Brentwood, before taking over the Shenfield Broadway Post Office.

Mr Boon lived in Shenfield Green with his wife until last year, when they moved into Ardtully care home, in Ingatestone.

Around two years ago, he suffered an aortic aneurysm (a swelling of the aorta, the body's largest artery). He died at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford from this condition on December 21.

A thanksgiving service took place at Brentwood School Chapel on Friday.

Mr Boon is survived by his wife, his daughters Elizabeth and Coralie, and his grandchildren Grace, 19, Tora, 17, Sophie, 13 and Georgina, 11.

COUNTING large mammals such as elephants, lions and rhinos isn't a particularly difficult task, even for the most arithmetically-challenged among us.

But spare a thought for the staff at one of the UK's premier zoos who last week began the annual count of all the animals in its care – including some rather more tiny critters.

Keepers at Colchester Zoo started their yearly 'stock take' on Thursday and expect the task to take at least a week.

The count, which takes into account births, deaths, new arrivals and other animal movements, is a legal requirement which must be fulfilled in order for the 60-acre facility to retain its zoo licence.

However, as curator Sarah Forsyth explained, the exercise has other benefits too.

"It is important as it is at this time of year that we send the data out to other zoos in the UK and throughout Europe, so that coordinators of breeding programmes for our endangered species know births, deaths or transfers over the last year and can then make informed recommendations for new breeding pairs so that captive populations can continue to thrive.

She added: "Obviously the keepers are aware of how many animals they look after on a daily basis but this gives us the opportunity to count up some of the more difficult species to keep track of such as the fish and invertebrates.

"Our biggest challenge by far will be the leaf cutter ants, as their colony consists of between 250,000 and 500,000 individuals.

"Due to their high number and the fact they give a very nasty bite, keepers won't be counting individuals but making an estimate of their total numbers."

Once the count is completed, the numbers will be uploaded to the International Species Information System, which provides accurate zoological data to more than 800 zoos, aquariums and related organisations in almost 80 countries.

The 2012 count at Colchester Zoo – which this year celebrates its 50th birthday – identified that it had 3,000 animals excluding the ant colony.

The zoo is open between 9.30am and 4.30pm (final admission 3.30pm) until March 29, 2013. Admission costs from £8.50.

For more information, call 01206 331 292 or visit www.colchester-zoo.com

A REMEMBRANCE service for the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides will be held at the Towngate Theatre, Basildon.

Basildon Council and Basildon Forum of Faiths will be holding an event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27. The theme will be 'Communities Together: Build a Bridge".

There will be a Holocaust survivor guest speaker, readings from school children and the film 'Learning from the Past' which explored genocide atrocities and includes testimonies from survivors.

The memorial event will be held at Mirren Studio, St Martin's Square, Basildon from 3-6pm. An exhibition will also be running from January 21 to January 26 from 10am to 4pm at the Basildon Library.

Basildon Council will pause to reflect on Holocaust Memorial Day with a one minute silence at the Basildon centre on January 25 at 11am. On the same day Mayor of Basildon, Councilor Mo Larkin, will be adding her signature to the Book of Commitment.

The book will be available in the centre's reception area for residents to sign.

Mayor Larkin said: "This year's Holocaust Memorial Day theme asks us to remember and honour the communities that have been destroyed in the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

"I therefore encourage residents to visit the exhibition and learn more about the events and pledge to uphold the memory of the millions killed by signing the Book of Commitment."

To book a place at the service email wendy.clarke@basildon.gov.uk or telephone 01268 294681.

Brentwood tweeters have reacted angrily at Tesco's plans to convert a former pub into an Express store.

Shoppers, residents and traders took to the micro-blogging website Twitter this week voicing a mixture of concern and outrage at news that the Warley Tavern would take on a new life as a supermarket.

The Warley Hill watering hole, which closed following a farewell party with staff and punters on Saturday (Jan 5), was taken over by the retail giant on Tuesday (Jan 8). It was formerly owned by the Suffolk-based brewery Greene King.

A brewery spokesman this week said it had been a difficult decision to call time on the once popular local.

No planning permission is required by Tesco to convert the pub into a supermarket, nor will it need to apply for an alcohol licence from Brentwood Borough Council.

A Tesco spokesman said: "Our Express stores are designed to serve the needs of the local community, with the majority of customers living within a mile of the store. 

"The stores offer people great value, choice and convenience without having to travel further afield and help people to shop locally, as well as creating 15-20 new jobs.

"With the increased footfall they generate, our stores often become an anchor within the high street or district centre, attracting additional shoppers and supporting the local economy."

Commenting, Chelsmford City Councillor June Deakin (@junedeakin) said: "Sadly we are seeing too many local pubs close and reopen as Tesco stores across #essex."

Brentwood mum Laurie Edmonds (@laurie_edmonds) said: "Not needed, will definitely damage local trade."

Brentwood man, Stuart Wilks, who works in marketing, said: "The 'juggernaut' needs the brakes putting on."

Carole fogg-faulkner ?@CreuseCarole commented: "I am completely horrified. This is the narrowest part of WHill and we live almost immediately opposite."

And Christine Ann Yexley ?(@Chris_yexley) said: "Against !! Keep Warley Hill for local traders not the big boys." 

Whereas Phoenix FM DJ Bryan Powis: (@bryanpowis) commented: "Better that, then another empty building in the borough."

"There may be occasions when putting certain information into the public domain - so-called whistle-blowing - can be justified.

"This was not one of them.

"In this case, DCI Casburn proactively approached the News of the World, the very newspaper being investigated, to make money.

"She betrayed the service and let down her colleagues - the hard-working honest police officers who make up the vast majority of the MPS.

"Fortunately this type of behaviour is rare but we hope today's verdict shows the public can have confidence that the MPS holds itself to account."

FOLLOWING their most successful season to date, Redbacks Baseball & Softball is hoping to capitalise on its achievements and returned to training in preparation for the 2013 season this weekend.

Today the senior teams will get back to action at St John Payne School from 8 to 10pm, while junior players face their first training session on Saturday at James Hornsby High School, from 2.45pm.

The first session is free for all new players.

In 2013, the Redbacks organisation aim to increase opportunities throughout the region for people wanting to play baseball or softball.

The club will run two junior teams for players between 10-13 and 14-17 in Forest Glade, Billericay, for the fourth consecutive season.

There will also be the Feltwell Redbacks Pony team (under-17), who will play their second season together, and the launch of the new Feltwell Redbacks Broncos (under-14) in Suffolk.

There will again be three senior teams, with the first team following their pennant-winning season and runners-up spot at the National Baseball Championships with an application to be promoted into the National Baseball League– the highest tier of baseball in the UK.

The other two senior teams will play in the AA and Single-A divisions, with all teams playing fixtures across the south east of England.

The organisation recently re-launched the 'Little Redbacks' – a baseball programme for children between the ages of 4-10 who aren't yet old enough to play organised league baseball.

They will train alongside the junior teams in Forest Glade during the summer, and indoors during the winter.

And to further its position as Essex's Premier Baseball Club, the Redbacks are also launching a softball programme to begin in the spring.

Slow pitch softball is played by over 20,000 people in the UK and is similar to baseball, although often is far more social and less competitive.

Teams comprise of both men and women, and the sport is excellent for both recreational club leagues and also for companies or organisations running team-building exercises or away days.

FEARS have been raised that plans to build a dam in Mid-Essex will cause flooding in Ingatestone.

There is growing concern that proposals to erect a dam across the River Wid valley to stop Chelmsford from flooding will lead to floods in the village.

Members of Ingatestone Parish Council believe that farmland, footpaths, woods, roads, bridleways and the Grade II-listed Stock Lane bridge upstream of the dam, which would be built in Margaretting, will be subjected to greater amounts of flooding following heavy spells of rain.

Parish council vice-chairman David Abrey said: "One man's flood alleviation scheme is another man's flood.

"It will have an impact on Stock Lane and we have concerns about the impact flooding may have on the sewerage works."

The seven-metre high dam will stretch 520 metres across the Wid Valley to the north of the St Peter's Way long-distance footpath.

Ingatestone resident Robert Fletcher said: "I don't think the dam will produce any problems for the area around it but you also have to be realistic about the situation.

"You can't just live in one place and not give a damn about anywhere else around you, especially if you expect that climate change will cause increased rainfall.

"I am part of the angling club that fishes that part of the Wid.

"We would have liked to be consulted.

"We have intimate knowledge of the area but we weren't consulted by the parish council."

The £9 million plan from the Environment Agency would allow part of the Wid Valley to flood and the barriers would stop 500 million gallons of water cascading down the Wid, into the River Can, which runs through Chelmsford's Central Park, and then into the River Chelmer.

Len Whittaker, who has lived in Ingatestone since 1968, said: "It seems to me that people in Ingatestone are having to toe the line so that Chelmsford can be developed.

"I don't know how far the water will back up but we haven't been consulted on this and I think we should have been.

Tony Sleep, Brentwood Borough Council's environment panel chairman, said: "I don't think the water will back up nearly as far as people think.

"This has to be a good thing. It is a flood protection scheme. The flood plain in Chelmsford is no longer adequate for the city.

"The right answer is to put in sluices to adequately control the flow of flood water so Chelmsford can be protected.

"The only concern we do have is if flood water could be contaminated from water from the sewage works."

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "Proactive action to secure new defences is essential to reduce the risk of future flooding.

"The flood alleviation scheme will reduce the flood risk in central Chelmsford to 548 residential properties and 235 businesses.

"As part of the planning application, a flood risk assessment has been submitted to Chelmsford City Council which provided technical details on the operation of the flood storage area.

"The flood modelling predicted that the flood storage area will not result in an increase in water levels at Stock Lane, Ingatestone – even in a flood so large that it could be expected only once in a century.

"However, there may be an increase in the duration of flooding at Stock Lane from one day to one-and-a-half days for such a large flood.

"As part of the application, we consulted with Anglian Water regarding the potential impact that the scheme may have on the sewage works.

"They confirmed that the predicted increase is not sufficient to significantly alter their operating risks, in both flood level and duration."

The planning application is still being considered.

CCTV coverage in Billericay is in a "shambolic" state, with the system "down for the majority of the time between June and December last year," it has been claimed.

Former Billericay town councillor Terence Gandy said full CCTV coverage in the town was unavailable for more than six months.

The news follows police reports of poor coverage and calls for improvements to be made to the system in April last year – as previously reported in the Gazette.

Mr Gandy says he has contacted Basildon Borough Council, which monitors and maintains cameras in the town, on several occasions regarding the issue.

He said: "The coverage of CCTV in the area seems to be something shrouded in secrecy and the council are unable to give me detailed information about the monitoring service they provide.

"Many of the businesses in the town are unaware of the lack of CCTV coverage they receive.

"For six months the service was out of order and it seems to be something the council do not want to address.

"I believe Billericay Town Council should be involved in the process rather than it being solely in the control of Basildon Council."

Mr Gandy continued: "I have also spoken to the police who have said it would be beneficial for them to have instant access to recordings, rather than having to request them to be transferred from Basildon as they currently must do."

Trevor Draper, the owner of Billericay Cookshop in High Street, said: "Any downtime on the coverage of CCTV in Billericay is unwelcome, especially if something bad should occur and the police need images for prosecution.

"It is a shame that we are spending all this money on CCTV if it is not working as it should.

"The machinery used is getting beyond its sell-by date and it's beyond its useful life, which is intended to be five or six years.

"As a shopkeeper any downtime is hard to stomach. There are issues with maintenance and this needs to be a priority."

Mr Draper added: "If the council is unaware, then we need to ensure that there is one person in charge of this to ensure the system is repaired as quickly as possible. If there is no process to monitor the availability and credibility that needs to be put in place."

Billericay town councillor Jules Bottazzi said: "I think it's very disappointing if they were left for so long – the cameras are here for a reason."

A Basildon Borough Council spokesman said: "CCTV continues to play a vital role in helping to gather evidence, deter crime and help our residents feel safe.

"Despite funding for the monitoring of CCTV being withdrawn last year and local authorities having no duty to maintain CCTV systems, Basildon council has continued to monitor and record footage whilst maintaining the system to the highest standards.

"Unfortunately, we have had two recent issues with our CCTV system that have been out of our control, but we have dealt with them as soon as possible to ensure that the system was restored quickly."

The spokesman added it was unclear if the system was down or just two individual cameras.

AN ACTION plan to help the homeless has started in Chelmsford.

After an influx of rough sleepers over the past three months, city councillor for Moulsham, Dick Madden, arranged meetings with the council, police and charity group representatives.

As part of the plan, he negotiated with the housing department at the city council to extend the Winter Project of homeless charity CHESS for an extra month.

Cllr Madden said: "I am looking at the homeless issue in terms of short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.

"I know this is not going to be solved overnight, but I am constantly talking to everyone to try and resolve the problem.

"Homelessness has not just arrived in Chelmsford, we have had it for many years.

"But what happened after that excellent article in the Essex Chronicle, is it brought attention to the fact that there has been an influx, particularly in this area. CHESS has a maximum amount of people they can cope with, but the Winter Project is a valuable facility for the homeless."

CHESS operations manager Rob Saggs agreed the extra month has helped out their long waiting list of people seeking refuge from the streets, but also stressed it could not solve the problem completely.

Mr Saggs said: "The situation is still pretty dire. It was good of the council to fund one extra month of the project, but there are limited spaces. Around 27 were on it last year.

"We cannot help everybody because some do not wish to be helped, but it alleviated some of those struggling on the streets."

Cllr Madden is also working closely with Essex Police's new outreach worker, Karen Wenzel, who will focus on alcohol abuse. There is also a special phone number for people to call if they see the homeless acting antisocially, rather than calling 999.

Inspector Cheryl Hayes has been working for Essex Police to help tackle the homeless issue.

She said: "We hold monthly meetings to discuss what to do next. The problem we have, which is really frustrating, is many people do not want to be helped.

"This is a long process but we have already seen less people on the streets, and we need all the other agencies to tackle the issue together."

"Just to show what was going on, I even took Simon Burns MP, the police and crime commissioner Nick Alston, and chairman of Moulsham Traders, Jayne Gayer, down to the street," he said.

"I often find myself explaining to residents and traders that this is not something that can be tackled overnight.

"I have spoken to some of the rough sleepers myself, like Greg Dyson, and he said he is always being given food and money, so he does not need more help."

A SYNDICATE won more than £151,000 on the EuroMillions lottery – by mistake.

The 15 members of a syndicate based at Clifford Thames, a technology company in Chelmsford, returned to work last week to discover one of their lottery tickets had bagged them more than £10,000 each.

Before the Christmas break the group had £150 left in their kitty from small winnings throughout the year, but had never won any substantial amount.

It was only when Andrew Brown, 38, took on responsibility for the final draw of the year that the group's luck changed.

"We had £150 in the pot at the end of the year and we bought some scratch cards which we didn't really win on," said Andrew.

"So then I went down to Sainsbury's to buy £80 worth of lucky dip tickets. It was only when I got back to the office that I realised most of the tickets had been printed for Friday, December 21, instead of Tuesday, December 25."

The next day Andrew went back to Sainsbury's, in Springfield, to speak to the same cashier, Lindsay Duffield, who sold him the incorrect tickets.

"I went back and said, sorry these have been printed off in error and they said there was nothing they could do about it so I thought 'sod it', and bought a few more tickets for the 25th."

It was only when Andrew, a business development manager from Chelmsford, returned to work in the new year and checked all of the tickets that he realised one of them had matched five numbers and one lucky star.

"It's completely random and we should never have had the ticket. But it was quite lucky for two of the members – one left the syndicate the week we won and the other had left the company.

"It was very surreal to look at the screen and think 'why are my numbers actually appearing on the screen?' I was ecstatic."

While Andrew hopes to spend some of his money on a trip to Thailand with his partner, other winners in the group include Scott Brown, 35, a database administrator.

He said: "It was amazing – the first thing I did was tell my wife and she was screaming. It's not a massive amount but it's a very nice amount. We are definitely going to book a holiday this year."

Dean Mulliner, 47, a business analyst, plans to pay off some credit cards and buy some new items for the house.

He said: "I was actually at work when I found out. It was the first day back at work and I had the post-Christmas blues. It perked me up no end."

Dean, who also has three delighted daughters, added: "They think it's a lot more than what it is. They keep asking 'can we do this and can we do that?' "

Andy Howard, 47, also a business analyst, said: "I got on the phone pretty quickly to check the details. My wife was very pleased, as you can imagine. We haven't got anything specific to spend it on but we had a rather enormous holiday to the US last year and the pay off was going to be 2013 but now that's changed."

After informing his colleagues of the good news last Tuesday, Andrew also went to inform Lindsay that her mistake led to their win.

In a statement released by Sainsbury's, customer service staff member Lindsay said: "When Andrew came back into store last Thursday and let me know what had happened, I couldn't believe that he'd won that much. It's a great way for him to start the new year and I wish Andrew and his family a happy future".

But while Andrew and his colleagues have been celebrating their chance success, he is fully aware that the reason they won was not down to him.

"I can't really claim too much credit for it," he said.

IT'S official – anyone concerned about the racket that might blast out of a new bagpipe school in Ingatestone need worry no more, particularly if our reporter is trying to play.

Scarlet-cheeked, our correspondent gave one more puff on his chanter but to no avail.

"You don't have the knack," said veteran piper and owner of Nicholson's Highland Supplies Michael Heaslip, who had unnecessarily covered his ears.

Now was the turn of the 37-year-old business owner, whose family have been in love with the ancient instrument for the past century.

With a Celtic flourish he swept the bag and drones beneath his arm and blasted a powerful rendition of Scotland the Brave.

The tones produced by his grips and taorluaths (advanced finger techniques) were enchanting.

Mr Heaslip's ultimate aim is to start up his own piping band and school in Ingatestone High Street, but he's not worried about the noise.

Because despite its proud piercing pitch, only a few dogs have reportedly cowered at the drone, while horses, on the other hand, are apparently attracted to the call of the pipes.

The only reactions Mr Heaslip has ever had from people about playing in his shop have been positive.

"I play in here all the time and I've never had a complaint," he said.

"I get people watching at the window."

The father of three has taught people from the age of 7 to 83 over the past few years inside his kilt and sporran store and said beginners won't get near a full set of bag pipes for about six months, instead picking up the basics on a practice chanter that is no louder than a recorder.

By the time novices have graduated to the complete instrument, they will need to have found somewhere sensible to practice, such as farms, parks and band clubs, according to Mr Heaslip, who proudly listed the reasons why he believes piping is a great pastime.

He said: "It's like a drug, it's fun and when you start learning you want to play them more and more and more.

"It's good for the breathing, it strengthens your lungs.

"It's something you will keep doing for life and once you learn how to play the pipes you will always be in demand for parties."

Mr Heaslip is a regular at community events including the village Victorian evening.

Lessons are priced at £20 per hour and the only other start-up costs are a practice chanter (£39) and text book (£14).

A decent set of bagpipes will cost around £650.

For more information, call the shop on 01277 356969.

BRENTWOOD Town manager Steve Witherspoon has had to fend off 'seven or eight' transfer enquiries for leading scorer Alex Read this season.

The manager knows that The Blues' hopes of reaching a play-off spot partly rely on Read, who netted his 24th and 25th goals of the season in Saturday's 3-1 win against Potters Bar.

League scouts from Dagenham & Redbridge and Leyton Orient are thought to have been present at the game to keep tabs on the forward but Witherspoon is hopeful that he will at least see out the season at The Arena but concedes he's free to move on.

"I'm having people ringing up about him all the time," said Witherspoon. "He has realised that we are a good club for him and we've been good to him and he's been good for us.

"I'd like to think that he'll stay with us until the end of the season and beyond that who knows? We don't want to lose him."

Read moved to Brentwood in July from Tilbury and has been in blistering form ever since.

Witherspoon admitted to being worried that his team might lack fitness after so many games were called off during the festive period, but he was delighted with their effort levels on Saturday.

He said: "I had to be a bit clever with my substitutions because quite a few were blowing towards the end of the game.

"We managed to train on the all-weather surface over Christmas and it's testament to the players that they trained so hard and it really paid off. They showed a great attitude.

"I know that Redbridge weren't able to train over Christmas and they got thrashed 11-0 the other day, so it just goes to show how important it is."

The win moved Town up to 13th in Ryman League Division One North but, with several games in hand over all their opponents, they're still very much in the promotion hunt.

Crucially, a little bit of luck is also starting Brentwood's way: in the last two games the opposition have missed penalties at crucial moments.

"That's the sort of thing that's going our way at the moment and long may it continue," he said.

Next up is a trip to Thurrock to take on Romford tonight (Wednesday) and Brentwood have got a fully fit squad to choose from, barring Neil Cousins who continues his comeback from an ankle problem.

"He's been out of seven or eight weeks and getting him back will be like a new signing," said the manager.

"Before he got injured he was playing in a three-man midfield and loving it.

"We'll go to play Romford and it'll be a difficult game but it's on a good surface and there are no excuses."

This Saturday it's another away day for Town, when they travel to Waltham Forest.