Megan French

CRUEL burglars may have blinded a dog in one eye after attacking him during a break-in.

A poorly designed roundabout is to be changed to prevent road rage and accidents.

ARMED police raided a weapons collector’s flat after a neighbour claimed he had been firing a crossbow.

Police are continuing to hunt two robbers who threatened a man and stole just £8.60.

Hundreds of villagers are backing a campaign for a new super doctor’s surgery. A petition has been launched asking Braintree Council to push the NHS for a new centre in Sible Hedingham. It is hoped land for the surgery, which could house the three doctor’s surgery in the Hedinghams, will be set aside by Bloor Homes who plan to build 236 homes on the Premdor site in Sible Hedingham. NHS Mid Essex has said discussions with the developer and planners are at an early stage. See this week's Gazette for the full story. 

Up to 150 homes could be built in Halstead town centre on sites such as the Senior Citizen’s Centre and Central Park.

The line of the Halstead bypass must remain on the map despite it not being a priority project, it has been claimed. Town and district councillor Jackie Pell, who was mayor at the time the bypass route was decided, believes the plans must remain otherwise it will never be built. Braintree Council has said funding for the project is unlikely but the route must remain in planning documents until Essex County Council, which decides which tranport projects take priority, formally abandon plans for the bypass. At a meeting last week Braintree Council’s Local Development Framework sub-committee refused plans to allocate land south of the Bluebridge Industrial Estate for employment development. A number of reasons were cited, including that the route of the proposed bypass is through that area. Mrs Pell said: “If they build [on the route] then the bypass would never ever happen and you don’t know what is just around the corner so we have got to have that safeguard there. “The majority of people in Halstead want the bypass.” She believes it is important for quality of life as more and more lorries are passing through the town, and the bypass would also help businesses such as those already based on the Bluebridge Industrial Estate. She added that there are already plans to expand the industrial estate to the north.

Callous burglars who plundered irreplaceable historical artefacts from a church are still at large. Rector Michael Hewitt described how his heart sank as he saw the doors to St Laurence Church in Church Lane, Ridgewell, were ajar and discovered a 16th century chalice, worth £4,000, had been stolen. The thieves also stole a solid silver communion set dating from 1901, an oak table and various candlesticks. They had tried to steal a safe made from gunmetal dating back to the Battle of Waterloo, but left it nearby after stealing the contents. Luckily parish records dating back to 1800, including the burial book, which were kept in the safe were found scattered outside before they were damaged by rain. Mr Hewitt said: “The most distressing loss is the loss of the 16th century Elizabethan chalice from which countless Ridgewellians have drank from for many centuries."

Police are hunting burglars who raided a church and stole an Elizabethan chalice worth £4,000.