BBC Local Live: Essex

It's been a busy day here on Essex Live. If you haven't had a chance to stay with us the whole time - here's a recap on Tuesday's three biggest stories:

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• Thirty cows stopped traffic moving on one of Colchester's busiest roads during this morning's rush-hour. Essex Police managed to secure the herd but are still looking to trace the owners
• Seven men were arrested because of a knife fight in Chelmsford overnight which left three of them in hospital. Officers think there could be even more arrests made
• Finally - we spoke to a bunch of Braintree fans who are spending most of their day in a mini bus as they travel 310 miles to watch their team play in Barrow

Essex Police says it anticipates further arrests following a large-scale fight in Chelmsford last night that left three people with suspected stab wounds. 

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Seven men have been detained following the incident in Readers Court at about 21:30 yesterday.

Det Sgt Phil Greaves told BBC Essex: "We will not permit anyone to behave like this in our city. Anyone taking part in such incidents can expect to find themselves subject to questioning as part of our inquiries."

If you're one of the Braintree fans travelling 310 miles to Barrow this afternoon there's good news - it looks as if the game will be on this time!

In February the match was postponed two hours before kick off after heavy rain waterlogged the pitch. 

The latest weather forecast for the Cumbria area is not predicting any rain until 02:00 tomorrow morning... phew. 

Tonight will be largely dry with some clear spells during the evening which will make it quite chilly. During the early hours, it will turn cloudier and there is a chance of some light patchy rain moving.

Minimum temperature: 6C (43F).

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Tomorrow morning the cloud and rain will clear eastwards, leaving a mixture of sunny spells and showers.

You can stay up to date with the weather here. 

Braintree Town manager Danny Cowley says the team need to lift themselves after losing their last two games.

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The Iron travel 310 miles to Barrow tonight knowing victory would move them into the National League play-off places. 

"Success doesn't happen in a straight line, all season we've had disappointment but then we've gone again", Cowley told BBC Essex.  

Here are the top stories for Essex:

• Essex Police says it anticipates further arrests following a large-scale fight in Chelmsford that left three people with suspected stab wounds
• A fundraising event has been held in Harlow today following the death of a seven-year-old girl at a local fun fair
• Jeremy Corbyn has said he wants May's council elections to mark a "turning point" in Labour's fortunes, during a speech in Harlow

It's quite a pleasant afternoon in Essex isn't it? BBC Weather Watcher edie sent us this nice picture from North Fambridge.

BBC Weather Watchers/edieCopyright: BBC Weather Watchers/edie

He reported sunny spells with temperatures at about 12C (53.6F).

We love seeing your photographs of the county, you can send them to us via email, Twitter or Facebook.

There are cancellations and delays on trains running to and from Braintree this afternoon.

Greater Anglia says Network Rail engineers are "working as quickly as possible to resolve the problem". 

Devastated pet-owners trawled through 13 bins to recover the body of their cat who was "chucked away like rubbish".  

The minor injuries unit at Harlow's Princess Alexandra Hospital has temporarily closed. 

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The hospital posted on social media to say it's also experiencing "high demand" at its accident and emergency.  

It's urging people to use alternatives if they can.

The family of a 30-year-old woman hit by a car in a double fatal road crash last month have paid tribute to a "dearly loved mother".

Essex PoliceCopyright: Essex Police

Carli Scott (pictured), 30, from Basildon, and Dean Evans, 35, also from Basildon, were killed while walking at the Roundacre in the town on 22 March. 

In a statement, Ms Scott's family said: "Carli will be dearly missed by all family and friends and was loved by everyone that knew her."

Jeremy Corbyn's attack on George Osborne's now quashed changes to disability benefits went down well with the Harlow audience - he was however preaching to the converted at his local campaign launch.

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While the Conservative government backed down on the disability benefit changes, it plays well here in the west of Essex.

Both the Tories and Labour tell me the issue comes up regularly on the doorstep when speaking to Harlow residents. People here are against welfare and tax credit cuts.

There's a show of support this afternoon for the family of a seven-year-old girl who died in Harlow, after the bouncy castle she was playing on was blown away.

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Summer Grant suffered multiple injuries at a fair in the Town Park 10 days ago. In the atrium of the Harvey Shopping Centre today, helium balloons border a raffle full of prizes.

Some of the organisers, including family and friends, are wearing T-shirts bearing a photo of a smiling Summer. Money raised will pay for a memorial plaque and bench. 

A group of Braintree fans are currently three hours into a 310 mile trip to Barrow in Cumbria.

Daniel TurnerCopyright: Daniel Turner

The Iron supporters left the town at 11:15 and hope to arrive by about 16:45. 

Daniel Turner, 18, who's making the journey for the second time after the National League fixture was postponed in February, predicts Braintree will win tonight's game 2-1. 

It will be staying largely dry this afternoon and as we go through the rest of the day we will see increasing amounts of sunshine, which will make it feel quite pleasant. 

Maximum temperature: 15C (59F).

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You can get the latest forecast for wherever you are here.

Away fans are often lauded for their efforts in supporting their team. The travel costs, expensive away seats... it all adds up. But spare an extra thought for the Braintree faithful travelling to Barrow tonight.

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Fans of the Iron face a mid-week 620-mile round trip, travelling from Essex to Cumbria, and back, to support their side. The journey, according to Google Maps, takes over five hours each way.

Here's hoping the result is worth the effort.

Members of the organised crime gang which stole up to £57m from museums and an auction house were found guilty by jury after a series of trials at Birmingham Crown Court. Six members, from Cambridgeshire, Essex, London and the West Midlands have been jailed today.

Fitzwilliam MuseumCopyright: Fitzwilliam Museum

They were involved in organising two thefts and an attempted theft at Durham University Oriental Museum, as well as further incidents at Gorringes Auction House in Lewes, Norwich Castle Museum and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Jurors heard exhibits stolen in Durham and Cambridge were valued at about £17m but detectives believed they could have fetched up to £57m on the "booming" Chinese auction market.

The final six members of a gang have been jailed for masterminding the theft of artefacts worth up to £57m from museums and an auction house.

Durham PoliceCopyright: Durham Police

Chinese jade and rhino horn were targeted in Cambridge, Durham, Norwich and Lewes, East Sussex.

The 14 men, from Cambridgeshire, Essex, London and the West Midlands were convicted of conspiracy to steal between November 2011 and April 2012.

They were jailed for between 15 months and six years, eight months.