Braintree and Witham Times

A YOUNG man died from a drug overdose after taking synthetic opioids and animal tranquilizer with someone he had never met before, an inquest heard.

Fans believe Essex TV personality Mark Wright may be GK Barry’s least favourite guest after she revealed episode length was a major clue.

LEGO has launched a recruitment drive for its first-ever Essex store opening at Lakeside Shopping Centre this autumn.

Bypass Nurseries on the Suffolk and Essex border has seen its café re-open following a brief temporary closure, which affected its services last week.

Essex Police charge two people over linked knife-point robberies in Loughton on August 7 and August 27; suspects face robbery and handling stolen goods charges.

Royal Mail postal delays affect Braintree and Dunmow today amid sorting office disruption, with services impacted across Essex postcodes CM6, CM7 and CM77.

Applications for secondary school places have now opened, with figures showing Beaulieu Park School was hardest to enter this year.

British Transport Police appeal for witnesses after a man was allegedly hit with a bottle during an attempted robbery outside Harlow station on August 29.

Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd had admitted to two counts of assault, having previously been jailed for manslaughter following the death of a Clacton woman.

A much-loved children’s soft play centre has closed its doors for the final time after 17 years at Lakeside in Essex.

Two contestants from Essex have entered the Big Brother house as the show returned to ITV last night.

Essex County Council have deployed six private security guards within the county, as part of its new Operation Vanguard initiative.

Overnight road closures will begin tonight on a stretch of the A12, between Chelmsford and Colchester. The works are expected to be in place for 30 days.

Drivers are facing delays on the A12 after a crash this morning close to Kelvedon, near Colchester, Essex.

Police are appealing for information following a break-in at a business in Harlow last week.

Four people have been arrested after a series of attacks in Harlow last week.

Parents say they are forced to pay hundreds of pounds in rising school bus fares due to a lack of places at their local school.

Families say they are being “crippled” by the costs of sending multiple children to school after a hike in bus fares.

Mersea resident Peter Shilton and wife Steph have spoken to the Gazette about a forthcoming fundraising night to support their charity, Shilton’s Silverlining.

Essex recorded 102 fraud by abuse of position reports in 2025/26, as City of London Police data reveals £93.8m stolen nationally, often from older people.