A FAMILY are attempting to come to terms with the death of their "dedicated and active" son who was killed while climbing Ben Nevis at the weekend.

Ben St Joseph, 22, of Mell Road, Tollesbury, fell at 11am on Saturday whilst walking Tower Ridge on Britain's highest mountain.

"Ben was an active, hard-working, committed medical student and we were very proud of him," said his father Andrew St Joseph, a cattle farmer on the Dengie.

"He had been commissioned to join the Royal Army Medical Corps when he had completed his medical cadetship at Bristol University, an exciting prospect for someone so dedicated and active.

"He was a very fit and experienced climber and had been on Ben Nevis before. He has climbed in the Andes and the Grampians and this climb was well within his capabilities.

"We don't know the exact details but we do know that Ben was within sight and sound of others when it happened," added Mr St Joseph, who flew to Scotland on Monday with wife Vivien.

Ben, pictured above, is thought to have been about 2,800 feet up the 4,409ft mountain, when he fell about 400 feet into Tower Gully, according to fellow climbers.

Members of the Lochabar Mountain Rescue Team said they believed the incident was not avalanche-related, despite the risk being "high" on Saturday morning.

Ben was also a popular member of the Officer Training Corps, hoping to serve as a doctor with the Army's airborne and special forces o.

Lt Col Ben Tomkins of the OTC said: "Ben was a hugely bright, popular, hard-working, and dedicated young officer.

"He was a great leader and never pushed anyone harder than he pushed himself."

BRENTWOOD School pupil Kishen Velani fell just one short of a half century during England Under 19s first Test of two against South Africa.

It was the 18-year-old's first taste of four day cricket as England were bowled out for 313 on the second day at Newlands.

Before leaving for the tour he told the Gazette: "I haven't played any four day games yet but I've played three day games so it's similar.

"It's going to be tough to play four days in a row but it's exciting, it's good practice for me when I come back and try to take things further with Essex."

On the opening day England were invited to bat and duly slipped to 14 for three.

However, Velani and Callum Jackson then steadied the ship with scores of 49 and 43, and Barnard held firm thereafter to move on to a century.

England then assumed a 119 run lead after dismissing the hosts for 194 which the action due to conclude today (Wednesday).

The second Test starts on Sunday, February 3 in Paarl before the One Day International series starts on Wednesday, February 13.

In other news Essex legend Graham Gooch will no longer coach the England ODI side and will instead focus on the Test Match arena.

Graham Thorpe will tak over as batting coach for the limited-overs tour of New Zealand.

Hugh Morris, ECB Managing Director, said: "Graham Gooch is going to focus now on Test cricket and on preparing batsmen for Test matches.

"We would like to focus on that area of the game. We've got back-to-back Ashes series coming up and a five-Test series against India in 2014. That's an enormous amount of very high-profile Test cricket and Graham will be focussing his attention on working one-on-one with our Test players."

IT HAS been argued over for decades, yet despite a breakthrough nearly a year ago, the future of a neglected plot of land in Ongar is still uncertain.

Despite agreeing to buy the Essex County Council-owned lorry park off Greensted Road for the nominal fee of £1 in April 2012, Ongar Town Council has still not completed the deal.

The issue came up again at the town council meeting last week yet the matter still remains unresolved.

Over the years, the site, which has been used as an unregulated car park for more than 30 years, has become potholed and is used as a dumping ground for rubbish.

Former town councillor Bob McDonald said this week: "After decades of neglect, mismanagement and prevarication at county and district level, Ongar Town Council seems to be continuing in the same vein.

"Having spent thousands on legal and professional advice over the last few years Ongar Town Council still seems to be unable to make a decision.

"In the meantime the potholed, free-for-all rubbish tip at the southern end of the town continues to be the number one eyesore in Ongar and, at the present rate of progress, looks destined to remain so for decades to come."

He added: "In my opinion this council are spending too much time 'confiding' and 'receiving reports' rather than making decisions."

Delyth Armes, manager at Senners of Ongar in the High Street, said: "I know a lot of people use the land for parking in its current state.

"It gets quite busy and is definitely useful as a car park especially for people working in the town.

"The parking is needed so it would be a shame if the council bought the land and turned it into something else."

Ongar Town Council clerk Aimi Middlehurst said: "The town council is continuing to liaise with Essex County Council. The council does not wish to make any further comment."

ROAD safety campaigners are calling on the county councillor responsible for highways to appear in person when Brentwood Borough Council next meets to discuss a stalled plan for a pedestrian crossing in Ongar Road.

Essex highways chief Councillor Derrick Louis has already turned down the crossing plan once last year, arguing the proposal did not meet highways criteria.

However, following huge disappointment and with a second chance at overturning his decision, campaigners want to make their voices heard before a consultation closes on February 8.

Every day, scores of young children can be seen making a dash through speeding traffic on their way to and from Bentley St Paul's C of E Primary School.

A meeting took place at Brentwood Town Hall on Monday to discuss the plan further.

At this meeting, the borough council's Lib Dem group leader David Kendall threw down the gauntlet to Councillor Louis, challenging him to attend the next meeting.

To cheers from parents and supporters, Mr Kendall, who is also a county councillor, said: "He needs to understand the frustration and anger that these people have over the matter."

There has been a spate of crashes in Ongar Road in recent weeks.

In one incident just before Christmas, a van narrowly missed three children after crashing into the corner of Mores Lane.

One parent, who did not want to be named, said this week: "A main concern for Essex County Council is interrupting the traffic flow on this stretch of road, but I fail to understand their reluctance to do this.

"There have been many minor collisions at this junction in the past couple of months alone and they are occurring even more frequently.

"Smashed car debris regularly has to be cleared from the grass verges and the road, all of this comes at a substantial cost to the council."

Lib Dem county councillor Barry Aspinell, who has campaigned for the crossing, said: "What we are talking about is not doing something to save a child's life."

Borough councillor Keith Parker chairs a joint Essex County Council and Brentwood Borough Council highways panel.

He said this week that the panel is proposing to earmark money for a plan B in the event that a crossing is not given the go-ahead.

This plan, he said, would include vehicle-activated signs, a 40mph limit either side of the junction and double yellow lines on the corner of the drop-off point next to Bentley Primary school.

Mr Parker added: "We have earmarked £250,000 for the project.

"If the crossing doesn't go ahead we have to make sure we have other projects to spend it on, but then we can earmark £250,000 for next financial year. We have to have other schemes just in case the cabinet decision is no.

"I don't want people accusing me of losing £250,000 for the borough."

CRAIG EDWARDS is confident returning striker Alex Osborn can fire Billericay Town to safety.

The Dagenham & Redbridge forward, 19, is back at New Lodge on loan after a ten week injury lay-off.

He had scored four competitive goals before picking up a knock training with the npower League Two side.

He scored in Saturday's specially arranged friendly at Ebbsfleet United which Town went on to lose 2-1 and Edwards is delighted to have him back.

"He's been fantastic for us," said the manager. "My teams have got a way of playing and Alex is key to that, [midfielder] Paul Semukula is also another important piece of the puzzle as are the two full-backs."

Osborn's return comes at a good time with forwards Charlie Taylor and Jo Benjamin both suspended after red cards.

After their last two matches against Sutton United and Havant & Waterlooville were postponed due to the weather The Blues find themselves just one place above the drop zone.

Conversely they're only nine points outside the Blue Square Bet South play-off places and Edwards is bullish about their chances of survival.

"We're confident that we've got enough to stay in the division and that's the sole goal of this year," he said.

This week Edwards has also added former Histon and Waltham Forest defender Anton Douglas to his squad .

"He can play centre half or left back," said Edwards.

"He did very, very well on Saturday when he came on in the second half and looks a real prospect."

Last night (Tuesday) Billericay were due to host Eastbourne Borough and entertain Boreham Wood on Saturday before the big derby at Chelmsford City on Monday night.

Craig Edwards junior has got a dead leg and was set to miss out last night while forward Marc Charles-Smith has gone AWOL after breaking his arm earlier in the season.

"I haven't spoken to him since before Christmas," the manager revealed. "You expect players to show a bit of commitment whether they're injured or not but I've chased and chased and chased him and I can't be bothered anymore."

Former Chelmsford City goalkeeper Alex Rossis is currently on trial with a view to acting as cover for number one Sam Beasant.

With several games called off Edwards is concerned the training facilities at the club could cost his team on the pitch.

"Because we've got a lack of training facilities whenever there's a long break we've suffered for it and I'm just hoping that's not the case this time," he said. "We've tried to use other facilities but there's just nothing available."

INCONSPICUOUSLY disguised as a couple of truck drivers going about their business, these police officers are now going undercover in a bid to catch people driving dangerously on the A12 .

Blissfully ignorant of the unmarked silver lorry driving alongside him, one driver was caught talking on his mobile phone and wearing no seatbelt.

"I wasn't on my phone, I promise you. I have an ear infection and I stuck my finger in my ear," protested the 64-year-old lorry driver, from Birmingham.

"I have been a driver for 43 years and I was just on my way back home. I've got a doctor's appointment for my ear tonight.

"I'm driving back to Birmingham now; I've just picked up a delivery of car parts for Land Rovers in Essex.

"Check my phone," he said to police officer Martin Ackers, "You can check it and it will show no history of being on the phone at that time.

"I did see you coming down behind me, so why on earth would I have been on my phone if I saw you?

"I admit I was not wearing my seatbelt but I was not on my phone. You can check my mobile phone bill."

Then PC Ackers produced a photo taken by a Chronicle photographer riding in the cab. It showed the lorry driver with the phone to his ear (pictured above left).

"Are you really trying to tell me you weren't on your phone when we have this photo of you?" he asked the driver.

The driver then revealed he was a convicted murderer on a life licence and only denied the offence because he did not want to get into any trouble that might end up with him going back to jail.

After being handed a £60 fine for not wearing his seatbelt, and another £60 fine and three points on his licence for using a phone at the wheel, PC Ackers said: "I have been doing this job for a while, but I have never seen anything like this before."

The undercover police truck continues Essex Police's long-running crackdown on dangerous lorries and commercial vehicles using the A12 – in particular unsafe foreign vehicles or motorists driving for long periods without a rest – whilst also targeting drivers who flout the basic laws of the road, like driving without a seatbelt or using their phones at the wheel.

It is usually joined by a group of police motorcyclists and a marked car, which can be called upon to do the paperwork for the fines.

PC Al Cuthbertson, who has worked in the Casualty Reduction Unit for 14 years and is part of the undercover truck team, said: "It has been very effective actually as we are so high up that we can look right down into drivers' laps. We've seen some lovely gloves and lovely nail polish.

"When you're on a motorcycle you know people are on their phone but it is difficult to see.

"The majority of people don't expect this truck to be a police vehicle.

"It is fair to say that the amount of seatbelt wearing amongst truck drivers is below that of car drivers.

"It is busy and it is such an interesting and exciting place to work, and I get to drive a truck like this so I am a very lucky boy."

PC Cuthbertson is not concerned that the Chronicle's pictures of the lorry will blow their cover, insisting it will instead make people more wary of any silver lorry they see.

Sitting next to him in the truck, PC Ackers added: "This is a can-do office. Our manager, Adam Pipe, is always telling us we can do everything."

On the day they caught nine people without seatbelts and six on their mobile phones.

"We hear all kinds of excuses," said motorcycle officer Mick Wills.

"I just stopped a guy who was arguing he had his seatbelt under his arm, but when I told him you don't get any points on your licence for not wearing your seatbelt, he admitted it and took the fine."

The A12, which is still considered by many to be one of Britain's most dangerous roads, is a hotspot for crashes, many attributed to the foreign lorry drivers coming from the port at Harwich who are more likely to get lost or are not used to driving on the left.

"The A12 is one of Britain's number one roads for arrests and the number of people killed or seriously injured," said PC Ackers.

"This road really needs to be targeted quite heavily really. The big accident with the rubbish lorry last week just shows how dangerous it is here."

THE boss of a gang responsible for flooding the county with cocaine has been ordered to pay back £200,000 of his ill-gotten gains.

Kristofer Wassell, 32, of South Woodham Ferrers, was jailed for 11 years in June last year after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis.

On Monday, he was ordered to pay back £218,873.97 in six months under the Proceeds of Crime Act or face another two and half years behind bars.

At the hearing last year, his wife, Catherine Wassell, 25, of Boreham, was jailed for 12 months for money laundering and mortgage fraud.

The pair – known as the Mr and Mrs Big of the Essex drug world – were said to have lavished "eye-watering" sums of cash living the high life, funded by drug money.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard that the couple spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on exotic holidays, fast cars and designer watches, including £65,000 on trips to Mauritius, Barbados, Dubai, Las Vegas and the Seychelles.

At one stage, a recording of Kristofer Wassell's voice played to the court revealed he had spent "100,000 on her".

In 2008, the couple are said to have spent £19,000 on cosmetics and £32,000 on 80 pairs of designer shoes.

Their wedding at Braxted Park, Great Braxted, set them back almost £60,000.

Wassell's team made their money by collecting drugs from a syndicate, cutting them at a cottage in Howe Green, before distributing them throughout central Essex.

Three of the gang, Daniel Maskell, 31, of Boreham, Alexander Moss, 31, of Parkinson Drive, Chelmsford, and Daniel Wassell, 24, appeared with their boss at the original hearing.

All three were jailed for conspiracy to supply cocaine. Maskell was jailed for nine years, Moss for five and half years and Daniel Wassell for three and half-years.

Wassell's wife was jailed for 12 months which involved a fraudulent mortgage application, where she claimed to be a TV producer earning £142,000 to obtain a loan on a property worth £750,000 in Danbury.

On Monday, the court determined that Wassell had benefited to the tune of £302.485.07 from his offending, but only had £218,00 in available assets, including property, watches and seized cash.

A police spokesman said: "We are very pleased with the amount of money he has been asked to pay back."

A MUSIC club threatened with closure has blasted back into action.

Since the 1970s, The Hermit Club, in Shenfield Road, Brentwood, has offered a place for teens to hang out and play and listen to music.

It is even rumoured that folk legends Simon and Garfunkel played there in the early days.

However, with owners Essex County Council apparently strapped for cash, the future of the venue looked rather bleak last year.

That was until veteran musician and songwriter Peter Sills stepped in alongside project partner Dave Greene and an army of helpers from around the community.

Mr Sills, who has written songs for the likes of Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton-John, enlisted the help of teenagers and parents, raised more than £10,000, and started a new chapter for the venue as a community interest company.

Last Friday, The Hermit rocked once more with an array of live acts entertaining the crowd of youngsters.

Before the teenagers took over, Brentwood borough councillor Will Russell presented club members with a guest book, signed by Thin Lizzy guitarist and Brentwood resident Brian Robertson.

The Mayor of Brentwood, Cllr Ann Coe, council staff and parents were also in the audience soaking up the atmosphere.

Danny May, 16, from Writtle, said he was having a great time.

"It's just great fun here," he said.

"I always wanted to be in a band and coming here gives us a chance to play."

But it is Mr Sills who is clearly the inspiration behind the rejuvenated nightspot.

He explained why he got involved, after the club shut in April 2012.

"I just thought there are so many musicians around here who have got nowhere to go, nowhere else to play," he said.

"So I decided to see if there was something we could do.

"There were lots of suggestions and plenty of doom mongers.

"I was afraid it was going to be sold, so I put a proposal together and through my experience at the rock school I knew we could generate the interest and money to keep it going."

For 15 years, the part-time school teacher has run a rock school at the venue, where he teaches children to play various instruments but as a band.

Mr Sills said: "It's got to be a community based club, it's got to be there for all the kids, it's got to be there for them to come and learn about music or simply come to listen to music. It's one of very few venues where they can come and perform.

"I love it. I think, probably, my strongest ability is to identify talent very quickly.

"As a school teacher and running the rock school at the Hermit, there are so many talented children and just to encourage them and help them with their music, you know you are going to change their lives.

"There is no feeling like it."

The Hermit Club received £5,000 from Brentwood Borough Council and £4,419 from Essex County Council.

To find out more visit www.thehermitclub.co.uk

• Transfer deadline day: As it happened for Stoke City, Port Vale and Crewe Alexandra

THE wife of a firefighter who suffered a stroke when a neck-hold in a martial arts class went wrong has spoken of the trauma of the past year – and of her gratitude to family and his colleagues for their support.

Angela Dos Santos, 33, was four months pregnant when her husband Mark was taken to hospital after collapsing at a martial arts class he was teaching in Maldon last April.

The 37-year-old suffered a major stroke as a result of a blood clot and underwent two bouts of emergency brain surgery before suffering a cardiac arrest and surviving pneumonia. He was left unable to walk or talk.

And now, with the arrival of four-month-old baby Meadow, Mark has been allowed to return home from his rehabilitation unit in Harrow, in North West London, to spend time with his baby daughter and three-year-old son Mason at the weekends.

"It's been pretty full on – life just never stops," said Angela.

"Tiny babies are hard work anyway but she made a relatively easy entrance into the world and she was born at Northwich Park Hospital, which allowed Mark to be there, which was brilliant.

"The nurses were amazing – they looked after me and they looked after Mark as well."

Mark's current treatment means that he undergoes intense neurotherapy five days a week and is only allowed home at weekends.

"He's still not able to walk and he still has co-ordination issues so doing things we all take for granted are difficult," said Angela. "But he can speak again – his tracheotomy came out in August.

"The process is really, really slow, but he wants to get his life back. More than anything he wants to be a dad again."

Much to the couple's delight, Mark can now hold his baby daughter and he can speak to her, but is still unable to be the hands-on dad he desperately wants to be.

"Christmas was really nice because it could have been so much worse – Mark could have died," said Angela. "But it was still hard because there are so many things he wants to do.

"Over time things will get better but we have a huge fight ahead."

One thing that has made the past few months all the more bearable is the support Angela and Mark have received from his colleagues at Brentwood Fire Station, who have held fundraising events since he fell ill.

"The fire service has continued to be absolutely brilliant," said Angela. "They have continued to raise money for his rehabilitation and, from an HR point of view, they have continued to pay him."

This is something that has made a real difference to the family while Angela is on maternity leave. And not only that but when she was pregnant with Meadow, Mark's colleagues from Blue Watch moved the young family from their home of 11 years in Rivenhall to their new home in Great Totham.

"We were about to exchange keys the week before Mark's accident and we moved while he was in intensive care, but it was the fire service who practically moved us," said Angela.

"They put a team of people together and they had all of the vehicles. By the time I got back from the hospital we had moved house. It was like something out of 60 Minute Makeover!"

Mark has now been discharged from the hospital, which specialises in the rehabilitation of young stroke victims, but the local Primary Care Trust has agreed to continue to fund Mark's neuro rehabilitation for another three months – the location of which the couple will find out this week.

"My concern is that if he came home it's not a relaxing home," said Angela.

"There are two small children who cry and have tantrums and I don't want him to take any steps backwards."

With the future looking brighter, Angela and Mark are hoping for a much happier 2013.

"I was really glad to say goodbye to 2012," continued Angela. "I have no doubt that there will be hard times ahead but it's not going to be anywhere near as horrendous as last year."

THE CHRONICLE'S campaign to help keep the elderly and vulnerable warm and fed this winter is still going strong.

Our Surviving Winter appeal, run by charitable trust the Essex Community Foundation (ECF), has raised more than £31,500 so far.

More than £3,000 of that cash – the majority donated by the Chronicle's generous readers – has already been distributed to voluntary organisations, including the Melbourne Project, which tackles a variety of issues on the Chelmsford estate, and the Good Easter Monday Club for pensioners.

The Maldon Food Pantry, which is based at Elim Church in Wantz Road, Maldon and opened nearly two years ago to help anyone who may be struggling to feed themselves or their families, is benefiting from the campaign.

Minister at the church Rob Sefton, said: "People are coming in and saying they can't afford to turn the heating on because they are having to decide between heating and food – and food is more important."

As a result of the Surviving Winter appeal the Food Pantry has received a number of donations from individuals who are willing to give up their own winter fuel allowance to help others.

"We are always trying to top-up food boxes and at the moment we are short of things like sugar and jam and pasta sauce, so that money will be going to purchase stuff like that," said Rob.

"That money is really valuable to us."

To date, the Food Pantry has helped more than 3,000 people in the area.

They are often referred from agencies such as the Citizens' Advice Bureau, although anyone who may be struggling to get by is also welcome to come in off the street.

The Food Pantry provides those in need with three days' worth of non-perishable goods such as dried pasta and coffee, to help tide them over in case of delayed benefit payments or sudden financial pressures.

"One gentleman started last year by setting up a standing order of £50 a month because he's come in and seen the work we have done," said Rob.

"He started off by bringing us food but he soon realised that there was plenty of other stuff we needed the money for."

FIERCE lobbying is taking place to preserve free weekend parking in Billericay and Wickford amid concerns that axing it could harm the towns' economies.

The continuation of complimentary parking in both towns is under review as Basildon Borough Council draws up its financial plans for the year ahead.

At present, motorists are not charged to park their vehicles between 9.30am on Saturday until 8am on Monday in borough council-owned car parks.

Parking charges have also been waived in these car parks at Christmas.

The car parks are behind Iceland in Billericay High Street and in Radford Crescent, plus the car park by the Co-operative in Wickford High Street.

Trevor Draper, the owner of Billericay Cookshop in the High Street, said: "The bigger problem that needs to be addressed is the capacity in the car parks.

"I'm not opposed to the free parking if it helps people's overall view of the town.

"If people perceive it as being useful then it's also useful for the shops and due to the recession we need whatever help we can get.

"Capacity is the real issue though and the spaces we do have are not enough.

"If this isn't addressed it will lead to the eventual demise of Billericay High Street."

Essex County Council member for Billericay and Burstead, Tony Hedley, said: "Over the last few years to support our town's economy we have made it a priority for free parking at weekends and Christmas.

"However, the funding needs to be agreed each year in Basildon Borough Council's annual budget.

"This will be decided on February 14.

"I am, therefore, along with other Billericay Conservative Councillors, lobbying Councillor Stuart Sullivan, the borough council's cabinet member for resources, to continue the funding again this year.

"We need to support residents and traders while the economic recession continues to eat into household incomes and traders' running costs."

The Tory deputy leader of Basildon Borough Council, Phil Turner, said: "This is a no-brainer.

"We're competing with places like Lakeside and Bluewater and people don't want to have to pay for their parking any more."

THE Chelmsford Chieftains have surged to top of the league ahead of this Sunday's home clash with bitter rivals Romford Raiders.

Gary Clarke's team are on the hunt for revenge after Romford won at the Riverside earlier in the season and then snatched a last minute 5-5 draw at home last month.

"The rivalry is massive," said Clarke, the club's player/coach. "It's always been massive and it always will be but we can't let that affect us on the ice.

"It's another league game and it's another two points that we want to win – it's about time we got a win against them."

Romford have slipped to third after an alarming slump in form which has seen them lose their last three league matches.

Chelmsford on the other hand have won four on the spin, the latest a 3-2 victory on Sunday at the Invicta Dynamos.

"I think we're two evenly balanced sides," Clarke said of Romford. "When on form we have different styles of hockey but with the local rivalry it's a very passionate affair and it's huge.

"It's one of those that we see as a must win and it would be nice."

Defenceman Mike McKay is struggling to be fit after a tear in his hip flexer muscle otherwise the Chieftains will be at full strength.

On Saturday Chelmsford kept up their perfect record in the NIHL Cup group South B by thrashing Streatham Redskins 14-3 and are now through to the end of season final.

On Sunday the first period was all Chelmsford with shots flying in from all over the ice, yet former Chieftain David Wride played a blinder of a period and kept the marouding forwards at bay.

Against the run of play, Nathanial Rose put the home side ahead before the first break in the game and it looked like it might not just be the Chieftains night.

Justin Noble then doubled the home side's lead in the second period and the heads in the stands dropped as it looked like another disappointing night was on the cards.

However the players on the bench rallied round and battled back into the game with goals coming from James Ayling and Clarke to tie the game at 2-2 at the second interval.

A late surge from the Dynamos looked like they may sneak it, but a late goal from Tibor Schneider put the Chieftains ahead and at the same the news had filtered through that the Romford Raiders had lost at home to Bracknell Hornets.

Face-off for this Sunday's derby is at 6.30pm and Olympic medallist Chloe Rogers will drop the puck before the game.

The Great Dunmow hockey won a bronze at London 2012.

THE county's famous Native oyster faces a 'do or die situation' if the Government does not turn the estuaries of Essex into conservation zones, wildlife experts have claimed.

The Essex Wildlife Trust went to Parliament last week to lobby the Government to protect the Blackwater, Crouch, Roach and Colne estuaries under legislation that allows areas to be declared nature reserves of the sea.

Sarah Allison, from the Essex Wildlife Trust, said: "If we don't succeed in getting a conservation zone declared then we have a very rare species left really vulnerable. We shouldn't forget that so much of our tourism in Essex is based on this marine ethos. The loss of the oyster could have a real economic impact."

The Essex Wildlife Trust and Blackwater Oystermen's Association called for a temporary ban on commercial fishing in August last year, after their survey using sonar technology found the Native oyster was heading for a "population crash".

The Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority then banned the removal or disturbance of Native oysters in the River Blackwater, Crouch, Colne and the Roach estuaries, and out to sea from Clacton across to Foulness Point, using its Shellfish Beds Bylaw.

The ban is still in place while the numbers of Native oysters are given a chance to increase, although the cheaper Rock oyster is still on the menu.

Fishermen dredge these oysters and fatten them on their own oyster beds, which are rich with nutrients from the marshes.

"Essex is one of only two places in the UK where the Native Oyster can be found in any number, the other being Cornwall," said Sarah Allison.

Last week's visit to Parliament brought The Wildlife Trusts' 'Petition Fish' campaign, which secured almost 250,000 signatures in support of marine protection, 14,000 of which were collected in Essex, to a close.

The campaign aims to secure an 'ecologically coherent' network of Marine Protected Areas around the UK to allow our seas to recover from past damage and sustain current pressures.

Maldon MP John Whittingdale, who joined the campaign at Parliament, said: "I was delighted to join The Wildlife Trusts to show my support for the recommended Marine Conservation Zone network and to press the Government to include the Blackwater MCZ as one of the first designated zones.

"The estuary is of huge importance environmentally and it will benefit greatly from the protection that designation will bring."

The public consultation on the proposals will continue until March 31.

People can respond at www.wildlifetrusts.org/haveyoursay.

RAISING the profile of independent businesses in Warley Hill will help them survive the arrival of Brentwood's latest Tesco store, it has been claimed.

Liberal Democrat borough councillors Karen Chilvers and David Kendall have joined forces with independent member William Lloyd to take "positive action" to help traders by organising a Shop Warley Day, which will take place today.

The move comes after supermarket giant Tesco announced it would be converting the former Warley Tavern pub into an Express store – the fourth of its kind in Brentwood.

The firm says the new supermarket would create up to 20 jobs, although as previously reported in the Gazette, traders fear it would take away their custom, leading to job losses and shop closures.

Cllr Chilvers, who represents Brentwood West, said: "Positive action is needed if we are going to help retailers through the potential effect of a Tesco on Warley Hill, so we are encouraging residents to support their local retailers by having a Shop Warley Day.

"Recently, I sent a good friend of mine to the Warley Hill hardware store for a shower switch after he'd scoured Chelmsford and Brentwood looking for one – he got it there no problem.

"It's surprising what you can find.

"Londis has some amazing cooking ingredients and fresh fruit and veg, The Emporium has cleaning materials at low prices and the newsagents now do fresh bread so come along and investigate what you can find locally."

Cllr Lloyd, who represents Warley, said: "I am delighted to be working with Cllr Chilvers and Cllr Kendall to do something positive to support traders in Warley and promote the great offering they have for residents.

"We have so much to offer in Warley – you can get fresh flowers, the missing DIY part from the electrical shop, fresh bread from the newsagent or a quick pint in The Essex Arms.

"I hope that people will join us on Saturday in supporting these traders through still very difficult times.

"We are the people who will help save and support our local traders, so let's all work together to do exactly that."

A Tesco spokesman this week insisted that the new Express store would not be a threat to independent businesses on Warley Hill.

She said: "Our Express stores are convenience food stores and tend to serve people close to the store.

"They are popular because they offer quality, service, competitive prices and, more importantly, convenience on your doorstep.

"In our experience Express stores keep people shopping in an area and in turn encourage them to use other local shops and services."

What do you think of the offering from traders in Warley Hill? Will you use the new Tesco store when it opens?

Write to us at Brentwood Gazette, 1st Floor, Kestrel House, Hedgerows Business Park, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 5PF or email editorial@ gazettenews.co.uk

THE DEPUTY Leader of Brentwood Borough Council says the Conservatives are now "stronger" following the launch of a new political group of breakaway Tories.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the formation of Brentwood First, Cllr Roger Hirst told the Gazette: "We feel much more united that ever before and it's good to have the opposition outside rather than inside.

"I feel that it's good they have declared their colours, they have not been on board with Conservative policies for a long time, and let it be for the residents to decide what they want.

"But I am very pleased to see that they have declared their colours and we feel much more united now than anytime in the past 18 months."  

Speaking in the absence of Council Leader Louise McKinlay who is on holiday, Mr Hirst, who represents the residents of Hutton South, also said that the new group should be communicating their ideology with residents now rather than waiting for the next election because they were elected as Conservatives.

Brentwood First is made up of four former Conservatives councillors and will be led by Warley member William Lloyd.

Shenfield ward councillor Phil Baker act as his deputy and Russell Quirk and Nigel Clarke make up the four.

It was also announced at the Town Hall launch yesterday, that 2011/12 Brentwood Mayor Joan Holmes, who lost her Brentwood West seat at the election last May will take up the role of Chairman and veteran councillor Lionel Lee, who stood down from his Shenfield seat last year, will be President.

Brentwood First – not to be confused with the identically named council business initiative launched in 2011 to promote the town's commercial prospects – is pledging, like most councillors, to make the borough better.

The new group's members also announced that their reasons for doing so were because of dissatisfaction with the way the Conservative-controlled council handled major issues such as the future of the Town Hall and the William Hunter Way development.   

At the meeting Cllr Lloyd said: "Brentwood First, for me, is a chance to welcome everyone. We are working towards what is better for our town and will make Brentwood better for the future.

"We have a real chance to change the way this borough is going and I believe the community is stronger when we are working together."