News in Basildon

CAMPAIGNERS in Wickford have warned that a battle to save an open green space in the town is far from over and they have expressed anxiety about possible changes of mind by a leading councillor.

The Wickford Save Open Space group are concerned over what appear to be changes of mind by prominent local councillor David Harrison who joined the campaigners in opposing development of Wick Green in his election campaign but now appears to be supporting the building of a care home on the site.

RESIDENTS in Wickford are remined there is just 24 hours left to complete a survey about road safety in the town and community.

Essex County Council, working with Basildon Council and local community and accessibility groups, has been consulting on plans to re-allocate road space to make more room for everybody to safely walk and cycle in Wickford.

AS this week brought the return of International Nurses' Day (12 May), we caught up with one of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust's 31 new specialist intensive care nurses from India, who is helping treat the sickest patients in critical care.

Ditty John, a staff nurse in critical care, said: "The Trust has been really supportive of our team, and we are settling in well in our new working environment. Our teachers prepared us amazingly for the hurdle of our exams. We are all so enthusiastic and it's been great working in critical care and caring for our patients."

AN organisation that is a familiar, lifesaving sight in the skies above Basildon is celebrating a big fundraising success.

An appeal to raise funds for the new Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) airbase at North Weald has smashed its original target, thanks to support from film and TV star Ray Winstone, the charity's celebrity patron.

LEADING Basildon councillors have welcomed the completion of four new homes, which will be available exclusively for residents waiting on the council's Homeseekers' register.

Sempra Homes, the council's house building company, has completed on the two-bed houses which have parking for residents and visitors and meet national space standards.

Motorists heading to and from the Basildon area via the A13 will face more delays and diversions this weekend.

But there is light at the end of the road widening tunnel as Thurrock Council has given an assurance the A13 road widening project is on course to be completed by the end of the year.

THE colours of the England flag will be illuminated across the BASILDON sign this weekend to celebrate the England Football Team reaching the final of Euro 2020.

The sign will be lit red and white until at least Monday, 12 July, the morning after the final against Italy at Wembley Stadium.

ESSEX Police are appealing for witnesses to an assault in Billericay last night (Wednesday, 7 July) when two off duty Met Police officers were attacked and injured - one of them seriously.

Police were called to Billericay train station just after 10.50pm, where the two male officers were found injured near the taxi rank, having been assaulted by two men who were not known to them.

A FORMER Essex Police officer drove an unmarked police car at high speed and activated blue lights, despite not being trained to do so, on a dash to see a relative in hospital.

Phillip Cooper was found to have committed gross misconduct following a hearing at Essex Police Headquarters.

POLICE have renewed an appeal for information - saying they will not give up on trying to find the killers of a young man in Basildon three years ago.

Dwayne Forrester was stabbed in the chest in the Little Garth area of Pitsea at around 8.45pm on 7 July 2018. He was just 21.