Colchester United begin their pre-season friendly schedule this week

AN open gardens event was a wild success after hundreds of pounds were raised for a climate action group.

Hutton Construction has been signed up to build the £1.8m Stanway Community Centre, near the Stanway Western Bypass.

VILLAGERS who rallied round to save a village hall have praised a major refurbishment project which has paved the way for the future.

THE clock is ticking for a major rescue operation to save more than 100 feral cats in Harwich and Dovercourt.

"Conversations" are ongoing which could see Jumbo purchased from its private owner as part of plans to revive the iconic buildings.

A drug driver has been jailed after causing the death of an 87-year-old woman in a crash in Mount Hill, Halstead.

Colchester Council's new Conservative administration rejected opposition pleas for a rethink on dropping funding for a new youth centre.

Hay fever sufferers should get their tissues, tablets and nasal sprays at the ready as we are set for a week with high pollen count.

Colchester Council's cabinet has agreed funding to help the borough put together a new bid for city status as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Fans in Essex prepare to cheer on England as they take on Italy at Wembley

Colchester United assistant manager Alex Dyer on the success of his former Crystal Palace team-mates with England ahead of tonight's Euro 2020 final

OFFICERS investigating an assault in Clacton have released images of a man they want to speak to.

Boris Johnson: “We are tantalisingly close” to lifting the final swathe of coronavirus restrictions.

A GRANDAD who watched England win the World Cup in Wembley Stadium 55 years ago, painted St George’s Cross over an octopus sculpture for the Euros final match.

Have you spotted any flying ants this year?

Here's what to expect as Met Office warns of torrential downpours.

Four people have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a man in Pitsea.

WE’RE creating another carnival atmosphere for today’s nostalgia spread.

Towns and villages across Essex have seen dozens of pubs close in recent years.

A third of prospective homebuyers take less than a minute to decide if they like a house after stepping through the door, new research by TaskRabbit has found.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a dish Jimmy Doherty wasn’t up for trying.

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

AFTER more than three decades, it’s the end of an era for long-serving modern languages teacher David Huggon.

CALLS for a statue of Gareth Southgate to stand next one of a warrior queen who burnt Colchester to the ground have been made.

The big game is just hours away and we are all hoping football will be coming home.

Here are the cheapest places to fill up on petrol in Colchester and north Essex - with prices skyrocketing during the pandemic.

The owner of the Peldon Rose pub wants to diversify the business and create new holiday lodges at the premises.

The Landmark Trust's Peake's House is one of Colchester's most unique holiday lets - dating from the 15th century.

ONE of the country's leading grammar schools was downgraded by Ofsted after inspectors found parts of the facility have become "a hostile environment" for pupils.

TORY leaders have called for an independent probe into care and support for children with special educational needs following a catalogue of complaints from parents.

The number of drink spiking incidents which have been recorded in Essex since 2016 have been revealed.

PARK wardens could be scrapped and replaced with street patrol officers instead as part of a review into the £35,000-a-month scheme.

Former Ipswich Town and England striker Paul Mariner has died

Gareth Southgate is hoping to lead England to Euro 2020 glory tomorrow night

A drug driver who killed an elderly woman in Halstead has been jailed.

Dozens of people have been fined – including one £10,000 fine – after officers broke up an unlicensed music event.

Downton Abbey fans hoping to catch a glimpse of an Essex town in the latest film will have to wait a bit longer.

RICHARD Harris is taking on a charity bike ride this month and, by his own admission, there is an ironic twist to his fundraising efforts.

The race is on for a group to raise £45,000 by 2026 in an attempt to secure a 999-year lease on a pocket of land providing a sanctuary away from the chaos of the busy world.

This week the Prime Minister confirmed the legal requirement to wear a mask and social distance will be lifted after freedom day.

REPAIR works are set to force a three-day road closure in Colchester.

Plans have been revealed to create two new office buildings on the car park at the old Norfolk pub in Colchester.

ESSEX is an animal cruelty hotspot, newly released figures from the RSCPA have revealed.

Almost 800 violent or sexual offences were reported in Colchester in May as police received reports of more than 1,900 crimes in the borough.

DURING the past few weeks a number of pupils and staff from schools in Essex have tested positive for Covid-19.

More than 70 "outstanding" Essex schools are set to face inspectors for the first time since controversial exemptions were axed.

A further 100 cases of the Delta variant of coronavirus have been recorded in Colchester, latest figures reveal.

Spin is offering residents of Colchester free e-scooter training sessions at Firstsite in the town centre.

The company claim the new supermarket product is a first of its kind in the UK.