We’ve compiled a list of Essex gyms which are offering deals, promotions, and special programmes this month to kickstart 2026.

Several streets in Essex are thanking their lucky stars after winning in the People's Postcode Lottery in December.

NEW pictures show how a fast food outlet is shaping up as works continue despite plans initially being rejected for it.

House builders Richborough Homes submitted a planning application to Colchester Council to build 250 homes in July after a location plan and screening request was submitted in April.

This week, we've taken a look at Great Notley as part of our Spotlight series highlighting communities, towns and villages in north and mid-Essex.

People and businesses across Essex will see an upgraded 5G network from O2, including in Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton, Colchester and more.

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex has been awarded an MBE for services to policing and community safety in the New Year Honours list.

Colchester charity shops have given an insight to just how much the rise in second-hand fashion is benefitting sales.

To help Essex residents stay one step ahead, we've rounded up all the UK bank holidays scheduled for the year ahead.

Adam, 34, a builder from Essex, is one the new contestants.

Returning for its fourth season, the hit game show sees contestants compete for up to £120,000 in a Scottish castle, guided by host Claudia Winkleman

With 2025 nearing its end, we wanted to take a closer look into the data released by Police.UK on Colchester East and West crime hot spots from January to October.

Hudson House, on Head Street, is a sports bar and social co-working space managed by the Elysium Group.

It’s been a thrilling year for Colchester Zoo with an exciting variety of new arrivals, future plans, and the move to a charity.

The former Holy Trinity Church, in Trinity Street, is being turned into a community hub and events venue.

Colchester Owl Rescue is a 24-hour service providing specialist care for wild sick, injured and orphaned owls and birds of prey.

Other alterations include replacing the existing timber walling at the low level on the west elevation which would be replaced with matching blue engineering bricks.

Dennis Hooper, 43, of Pier Avenue, had reportedly sent abusive texts and calls to a woman this year.

It gives audiences the chance to see new stories before they go on stage.

British Transport Police officers attended Ingatestone station at 11.48am today following reports of a casualty on the tracks.

Greater Anglia says a person has been hit by a train between Witham and Shenfield.

The public is being asked to wipe their data on their devices, recycle responsibly, and to make sure any devices are restored to factory settings before use them.

Actor and TV presenter Griff Rhys Jones, helped reopen Dedham Lock, one of the original 13 locks on the River Stour, in May.

Twisters Bar, in North Hill, is set to go out with a bang tonight, celebrating the many years of music, drinking and culture of the iconic bar.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the East of England from midnight until 12pm on Friday, January 2.

The lunchtime event attracted a large crowd who braved the cold to enjoy the performance.

Prested Hall which closed suddenly in 2022 reopened after being taken over, but says it needs a bigger marque and less tight restrictions to attract more couples.

With temperatures continuing to stay low, here is the Met Office hour-by-hour forecast for Colchester over the next 7 days until January 6.

Waitrose is recalling all of its No1 Deeside Mineral and Sparkling waters, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced in a statement published this morning.

Emergency services have been left reeling after a traumatic year of policing roads in Essex, with 58 fatal road traffic collisions.

The opening will be eleven months on from a tragic crash which killed four Essex University students in the early hours of February 1.

The Department for Education (DfE) has released its annual secondary school performance tables for 2024/25.

Armin Lange and Nikki Ranson are the co-directors of Colchester Foodbank, in Tollgate Village.

Gladman Developments Limited put forward the plans for a development at land off Rowhedge Road back in June.

No auditions are required and people with and without experience are welcome to join.

Less than an hour from Colchester, Bury St Edmunds High Street has been named among the top 20 in the UK.

Essex Highways say street lights will stay on for an extended period of time while many revellers are celebrating the New Year.

For those who want to study at the University of Essex there is still plenty of time to apply ahead of the 2026 start date.

A body-worn camera video shows the moment armed Essex Police officers tracked two suspects through a field after a stabbing earlier this year.

With everyone celebrating as we go into 2026, we have put together some of the best parties to attend if you are yet to have plans.

A search by emergency services continues today after a plane crashed into Hanningfield Reservoir on Sunday.

The Jumbo Project has received a big boost in the way of a generous grant which will go towards the restoration of the water tower.

New pictures have been released showing good progress being made ahead of London Liverpool Street reopening.

The Met Office weather forecast has confirmed the potential of snow in Essex is real as we enter 2026.

As part of a Tesco five-a-day campaign they are offering children shopping with parents free fruit at their checkouts.

Essex Police's specialist armed officers have attended 14,000 incidents this year – but haven’t fired a shot in the line of duty for a decade.

Officers made 14 arrests and stopped 180 vehicles in a roads operation monitoring delivery drivers across Essex.

With dazzling lights and a cacophony of joyous tooting, a village’s annual Christmas Convoy brought joy to everyone on Christmas Eve.

Ken Jones was a teacher and headmaster of Budhanilkantha School in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he served from 1975 to 1982.

One study showed some babies are now spending more than four hours a day in front of a screen.