We may be edging ever closer to the end of lockdown but for many people the impact of Covid will go on for much longer.

RESIDENTS are urged to prepare themselves for election time coming this May.

A man who broke lockdown rules has been slapped with a fine by police officers after he drove out of his area to walk his dog.

A woman who travelled half way across the county to visit her boyfriend has been hit with a fine by police for breaking lockdown rules.

Essex firefighters were called to the scene of a fire which saw a building destroyed.

A CHURCH diocese has said a decision to block a family from having 'Nan' carved on a beloved grandmother's gravestone is rooted in "complex" law.

A Colchester mum has lost more than seven stones to win the title of Slimming World’s Miss Slinky 2021.

AN eco-friendly duo have joined forces to launch a zero-waste pop-up shop for remote north Essex villages.

THE number of Covid-19 cases is expected to continue to fall dramatically as England enters its third month of lockdown.

DRIVERS should be aware of a busy road closing on two Sundays in March.

CRIMINALS jailed in January include a violent offender who kidnapped his girlfriend, a rapist who carried out horrific attacks against children and lorry drivers found with £3 million of heroin.

COLCHESTER has the perfect combination of coastline, culture and countryside, according to the town’s mayor.

Beyond the Box has unveiled plans to build more than 300 student flats at Colne Quay in Colchester, the old home of Colchester Gasworks

In the 12 months since coronavirus began dozens of frontline NHS staff have lost their lives after contracting Covid-19.

From traditional names to the more unusual there are always new names coming to light to make your decision that little bit harder.

If you post the location of police speed traps on Facebook, Instagram of Twitter, you face breaching section 89 of the Police Act 1997.

HERE are all the places in Essex members of the public can get tested for Covid whether they have symptoms or not.

Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Co-op are urgently recalling a number of products over possible health risks.

Resurfacing works are set to take place next month as a long-running roadworks scheme comes to its final stages.

HUNDREDS of driving licences could expire within days meaning you could face a fine of up to £1,000.

THE organisers of a planned dogging meet-up have been forced to postpone the event this weekend.

FAMOUS actors, athletes, musicians and politicians have received their degrees from Essex University of the years.

HERE are the death notices published in the Gazette this week:

On March 1 2020 the first Covid-19 cases was confirmed in Essex.

Since she was a teenager, Victoria Key endured debilitating abdominal and bowel pains which could last for up to a week Despite numerous visits to doctors, no explanation could be found.

New analysis has ranked the top places to live in 2021 - here is how north and mid Essex locations placed.

A FORMER international roller hockey player has added her voice to a plea for support to keep Colchester’s Rollerworld afloat.

Here are Colchester Gazette readers' suggestions for the bars, restaurants and pubs they've missed most during lockdown.

Essex County Council raked in £1.7million in bus lane fines in just one year.

Police are searching for a woman in her 40s who has gone missing from her Colchester home.

Wayne Brown insists equality is a massive part of his 'beliefs and values'

A MAN was taken to hospital after being hit by a car while trying to help a crash victim.

A woman who organised a 60th birthday party has been handed a fixed penalty notice.

A snow moon will be visible in the UK on Saturday morning.

RESIDENTS spotted a big blunder in a town centre car park – a newly-painted road marking missing a crucial letter.

A MUSICAL success story has praised the town which helped land her the opportunity of a lifetime.

A CHARITY in east Africa which provides children with sports facilities and classrooms is building its very own version of a famous Colchester landmark.

A DIGGER driver whose close friend was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease hopes to raise funds to create lasting memories for him.

A COLCHESTER musician is on a mission to bring the community together to raise funds for the town's NHS and mental health services.

PLANS to investigate creating a country park or nature reserve at a beauty spot have been blocked.

Hello, we'll be bringing you live updates from Downing Street where Matt Hancock is set to make further announcements about the rollout of the Covid vaccine.

DRIVERS will face another weekend of disruption on the A12 after works had to be extended.

One new coronavirus death has been recorded at East Suffolk and North Essex Trust in the latest 24-hour period, the latest official figures show.

More than a dozen people in Essex have been fined for refusing to wear a face mask.

A man who was jailed for causing the death of a woman after a crash in Colchester has been branded "a danger to other road users."

A DRUG dealer who acted as part of a “sophisticated” conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine to users was snared after an undercover sting.

THIRTY-TWO people have been charged with 109 alleged offences after a drugs investigation in North Essex.

A SOUTH Essex area has seen one of the highest Covid death tolls in the country, new figures have shown.

The Government has set out who will be next to receive coronavirus vaccines once all the over-50s and most vulnerable have had their jabs.

A GRIEVING family has been left outraged by a church’s refusal to allow the word Nan to be inscribed on a gravestone.