Updates for Essex Live have finished for today - thanks for joining us. 

We'll be back tomorrow morning from 08:00 with the latest news, sport, weather and travel for the county. 

BBC Weather

Although it may be less cold than last night, clear spells will still allow for a sharp frost. It should stay dry with some patches of freezing fog possible in more prone spots. 

Minimum temperature: -3C (27F).

Tomorrow will then start frosty for many, with any freezing fog gradually clearing to leave a cold but largely sunny day.

Jack Warren
BBC Local Live

After a Thurrock Conservative councillor named his baby son "Thatcher" we've been looking at other unusual name choices across the country. 

Image source, Getty Images

• A number of children bear the names of their parents' favourite football team players, but this didn't sit well with one boy named after the entire 1992 Leeds United side. He grew up to be an Arsenal fan, according to the Daily Star, external
• There are quite a few Kosovan Albanian Tony Blairs, external - or Tonibler - as it is spelt in Albanian. The politician was revered by refugees for encouraging Nato intervention to drive back Serbian forces in the late '90s

• A lifelong Millwall fan from Bermondsey named his son Bermondsey Millwall Den Bloomfield - without telling his wife, the Mirror, external said

Southend Echo

A police chief has promised Southend will stay safe despite a reduced police presence, external from this week - and he urged businesses to do more to protect themselves.  

Charlotte Rose
BBC Essex

A child protection charity says 45 men from Essex have contacted its confidential helpline in the last year to get help with their attraction to sexual images of children.

The "Stop It Now!" line, run by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, external, also had 19 callers from our county reporting concerns about the online behaviour of another adult. 

In total, the helpline received 1,191 calls from UK adults in the same period.

Charlotte Rose
BBC Essex

Here are the top stories from our newsroom this afternoon:

• A Westcliff-on-Sea man is starting a life sentence after being found guilty of the murder of his housemate last year
• The East of England Ambulance Service is asking callers to treat staff with respect after a recording of an abusive 999 caller was released
• Forty-five men from Essex have contacted a charity helpline in the last year to get help with their attraction to sexual images of children

Jack Warren
BBC Local Live

An Essex woman who dialled 999 for help cleaning her toilet is another of the six "inappropriate" calls the East of England Ambulance Service has had to deal with recently.

The service also recently received a call from another Essex woman who found a critically ill cat on her property.

An ambulance spokesman said: "It is extremely disappointing that people continue to call 999 for inappropriate reasons".

Jack Warren
BBC Local Live

Following the sentencing of her father's killer, the daughter of victim Jeffery Shepherd said her loss was "indescribable".

Image source, Google

Carlyle Daley, 47, of Westclliff-on-Sea, was sentenced to life at Chelmsford Crown Court for the killing of the 50-year-old in Westcliff-on-Sea. 

Mr Shepherd's 15-year-old daughter, who has not been named, said: "I will never be able to make my dad proud of me because of Carlyle Daley, his actions are unforgivable."

Charlotte Rose
BBC Essex

A man has been found guilty of murdering his housemate in their home in Westcliff-on-Sea last year. 

Image source, Essex Police

Carlyle Daley (pictured), 47, killed 50-year-old Jeffery Shepherd at the property in Beedell Avenue on 5 July last year. 

Following a two week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Daley was jailed for a minimum of 18 years in prison.

A man has been found guilty of murdering his housemate in Westcliff-on-Sea last year.

More details to follow.

Jack Warren
BBC Local Live

A recording of a 999 caller who swore "15 times in four minutes" at a call handler trying to assist with the emergency has been released by the East of England Ambulance Service.

The Essex man, who called about a genuine problem, used "extremely offensive language" while the operator tried to establish the location of the emergency.      

The service has asked that people use 999 correctly.

BBC Travel

One lane is closed on the northbound A12 Colchester bypass between J29 for the A120 and J29 for Ardleigh. 

Nick Alliker
BBC Essex

Peterborough United winger Harry Anderson says he's aiming to get games "under his belt" during his loan period at Braintree Town.

Image source, Getty Images

The teenager, who made his debut for the Iron last weekend, will be at Cressing Road until the end of the season.

Anderson told BBC Essex: "Coming here I've got to try and prove myself and keep doing what I'm doing to try and make an impact". 

Richard Smith
BBC Essex

I'm in Boreham, near Chelmsford, where police have cordoned off a barber shop hit by a car.

The crash, involving a silver Vauxhall Astra, happened in Main Road at about 11:00.

A woman in her 80s, thought to be the driver, was taken to Broomfield Hospital with a cut to her leg and head. Her injuries are not thought to be serious.

Charlotte Rose
BBC Essex

If you're just joining us, here's the latest news in Essex:

• The chief executive of Colchester Hospital says he aims to get it out of special measures by the end of 2016
• A Thurrock Conservative councillor who named his baby son "Thatcher" said he wanted a name that "stood out"
• Writtle was the coldest place in the East of England last night after temperatures plummeted to -6C (21.2F)

BBC Weather

Many places will stay dry and sunny through the rest of the day with just a few patches of cloud. However, it will still feel very cold, despite the light winds. 

Maximum temperature: 5C (41F).

Image source, SCIZZORS/BBC Weather Watchers

Thanks to BBC Weather Watcher SCIZZORS for this shot of the sunrise in Westcliff-on-Sea earlier. His "nowcast" reported sunny spells.

Nick Alliker
BBC Essex Sport

Colchester United loanee Elliot Lee could go straight into the U's side for this evening's League One match against Fleetwood Town.

Image source, Empics

The 21-year-old joined from West Ham United yesterday.

Colchester haven't won a league match since 20 October.

Laura Safe
BBC Essex

The UK's largest nursing union is calling on the leadership of Colchester Hospital to take action after a "shocking" report about its care was published this morning.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission rated the hospital as "inadequate" for a second year, with the overuse of agency staff being one of the problem areas highlighted.

Karen Webb, from the Royal College of Nursing, said: "No patient is going to feel safe going into an environment where everybody in that ward is a temporary member of staff."

Jack Warren
BBC Local Live

Essex Police has released CCTV footage of a man after a large quantity of jewellery with sentimental value was stolen in Laindon.

Image source, Essex Police

The force says the items were taken from a house in Basildon Drive sometime between 20:00 and 15:00 on 17 December. 

Officers want to speak to a man they believe tried to sell a distinctive fly-shaped brooch at a shop in Basildon on 30 December.

Richard Smith
BBC Essex

The director of nursing at Colchester General Hospital has responded to a Care Quality Commission report which highlighted the hospital's "overuse" of agency staff.

Barbara Shuttle told me: "We do have a reliance on agency nurses... They like the flexibility and freedom that working with an agency gives them."

However, she added the agency workers were "very much part of our team".