BBC Local Live: Essex is signing off for the week, but you can carry on monitoring this page for football reports and other breaking news across the weekend.
Here are the headlines across the county on Friday:
Crack addict jailed
for starting fire which killed the 78-year-old man who gave her a home
Drug addict arsonist's actions 'disgusting and unforgiveable'
Lisa Connelly, 42, also of Rochdale Way, Colchester, was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter and eight years for arson, to run concurrently.
Essex PoliceCopyright: Essex Police
Det Ch Insp Steve Jennings said: "Fred Payne was an elderly, vulnerable man with no traceable relatives.
"Lisa Connelly exploited of him, inserting herself in his life, taking over his house, and stealing money on a daily basis to feed her drug addiction.
"She left Mr Payne unwell and took no action which may have saved his life. If it were not for her actions and her negligence Mr Payne would still be alive.
"Lisa Connelly’s actions were disgusting and unforgiveable.
"While today’s sentence will give her ample opportunity to reflect on what she has done, it will not bring Fred back.”
Crack-addict arsonist jailed after 78-year-old Good Samaritan dies in house fire
A drug addict has been jailed for 12 years after she admitted the manslaughter of an elderly man who had taken her into his home in Colchester.
Lisa Connelly, 42, who lived there, claimed at first to be his granddaughter, but the subsequent police investigation revealed this to be a lie.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard prosecutors say Mr Payne, who was in ill health, took her in and gave her a home.
She took money from him to fund her crack cocaine habit, which she had had since she was 30 years old.
She was charged with murder and arson with intent to endanger life, but admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter today and was jailed this afternoon.
Final fund-raising gig for Superglu's trip to the US
The second fundraising gig to help
SuperGlu
, who are based in Ipswich and Manningtree, get to the
SXSW Festival
in the USA, is taking place at
The Swan
in Ipswich tonight.
Chris Driver PhotographyCopyright: Chris Driver Photography
The first gig, at the Hunter Club in Bury St Edmunds last weekend, brought in £925 and should have been followed by a gig in Hackney last night, but the venue closed.
Drummer Ben Ward said: "We have been absolutely blown away by the generosity of the Bury St Edmunds music scene.
"We have always enjoyed an incredible reception from fans at shows there, but this was something else.
"The money raised has helped so much, we can never thank everyone enough."
Travel costs for the band, which has been picked to play three showcase gigs at the Texas festival, are in the region of £2,000.
Filmed above is one of the 11 dogs, three-year-old Colleen, who is said to need a patient owner who can help her flourish. She needs to be the only pet, and can live with teens of
14 years and up.
Lisa Cooper, centre manager, said: "Sadly, we are seeing many
of these types of dogs being handed in when they become too much for their
owners who have not considered the implications of owning a breed that requires
a lot of mental and physical stimulation.
"They need regular exercise so it is
important that we find owners who understand the demands of this breed and are
in a position to offer a life-long commitment."
Ryman League: Lacklustre Leiston lacking leaders
Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport
Leiston
will be trying to get their season back on track when they head to Hendon in the
Ryman Premier Division
tomorrow afternoon.
Leiston FCCopyright: Leiston FC
The Victory Road side has lost five of their last six games, falling out of the play-off places in the process.
"We've got to go to Hendon and stop this rot," said boss Glenn Driver.
"I look at us at this moment in time and we haven't got enough leaders on the pitch."
Stabilisation project is 'keeping promise' says councillor
The work beginning to stabilise cliffs on the Clacton to Holland-on-Sea coastline is part of a much larger project ahead, says the councillor in charge at Tendring District Council.
Nick Turner, cabinet member for commercialisation, seafronts and parking, said: "The team will be reviewing the existing cliff drainage systems and undertaking a number of surveys.
Tendring District CouncilCopyright: Tendring District Council
"This early work will help us to shape the various options we need to consider and eventually use to stabilise the cliffs.
"When we announced this programme would be taking place we promised that we would keep residents informed all the way along – as we did with the major £36m Coastal Protection project – and we are keeping that promise.”
What will happen during the cliff stabilisation project?
The initial work on the cliff stabilisation project along the Clacton to Holland-on-Sea coastline will involve eight sample boreholes being sunk on the Greensward.
The holes, on the grassy area at the top of the cliffs, will go 10m down, or at least two metres into the London Clay.
A further eight holes will be made on the slope itself and water samples will be sent off for laboratory testing and water levels monitored throughout the process.
Tendring District Council says the benefits of the project include "cost-effective maintenance of the cliffs, an improved public realm and experience for residents and visitors" and an opportunity to restore beach huts.
Magic moments from FA People's Cup
#PeoplesCup
Cheeky chips, celebrations and managerial sackings - watch 10 magic moments from the first round of the
FA People's Cup......
Video content
Video caption:
More than 6,000 teams signed up for the 2017 FA People's Cup, which has 16 separate categories
More than 6,000 teams signed up for the 2017 FA People's Cup, which has 16 separate categories
Work to begin on £5m project to stabilise Essex cliffs
Initial work on a £5m project to
stabilise the cliffs along the Clacton to Holland-on-Sea coastline is due to get under
way later this month.
Tendring District CouncilCopyright: Tendring District Council
A ground investigation programme will begin on 13 March with the aim of providing valuable information towards forming the design of the scheme.
Much of the investigation will revolve around the features and properties of the London clay in the slopes as well as the thickness and composition of superficial deposits.
Head teacher threatens to quit in funding cuts row
Chris Bond
BBC Sunday Politics East
An Essex school head has threatened to resign if government plans to cut his school budget by £765,000 go ahead.
Vic Goddard, principal of
Passmores Academy
in Harlow, which featured in Channel 4's Educating Essex, said proposed changes to the funding formula could mean larger class sizes and the loss of 20 teachers.
But he's vowed not to implement such a plan.
"There will be a difficult choice at some point," said Mr Goddard.
"I am not prepared to come into this profession which I love so much and ruin children's lives. It's not fair on the kids."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Vic Goddard, Principal of Passmores AcademyImage caption: Vic Goddard, Principal of Passmores Academy
Figures from the Department for Education (DfE) show 149 Essex schools could be worse off under the proposed funding formula while 383 would get more cash in the shake up.
A statement from the DfE said the current way of calculating school budgets was "unfair, opaque and outdated" and consultations were under way to fix this.
"In Essex school funding would go up by 2.6% (by over £20m) if the proposed new funding formula were implemented," the statement said.
"We know it is important that we get the formulae and system right so that every pound of the investment we make in education has the greatest impact."
But the teaching unions say that DfE figures do not tell the whole story and, when adjusted for inflation and rising costs, around 500 Essex schools will be worse off.
Jerry Glazier, from the NUT in Essex, said the formula would not even fund current levels of teaching and resources.
"That is what is wrong with this formula - it is not giving enough money to schools," he said.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Jerry Glazier, National Union of TeachersImage caption: Jerry Glazier, National Union of Teachers
There will be more on this story on the
BBC Sunday Politics East
on BBC1 on Sunday, 5 March at 11:00.
Bad news: Two further injuries for Colchester United
Colchester United
will be without Kurtis Guthrie and Craig Slater for the rest of the League Two season.
Both players will need surgery on injuries.
Guthrie (pictured left) is the U's leading scorer while influential midfielder Craig Slater joined from Kilmarnock last summer.
A statement on the club's website says the player's loan with the Vanarama National side expired on Tuesday.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
It read: "With Denny Johnstone and Kurtis Guthrie picking up injuries in recent weeks, Macauley's return will give the U's forward options a boost ahead of the final twelve games of the League Two season.
"During his loan stint, he played seven times for Woking, starting on five occasions and helped the Cards to ten points in their efforts to move away from trouble in the league."
Lorry driver charged with causing death by dangerous driving
Essex Police say a Kent lorry driver has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, following a fatal road crash in Orsett - a different accident to the one we mentioned earlier.
The two-vehicle collision happened in Dock Approach Road in July, and a 60-year-old car passenger from Grays died at the scene.
The accused man is due to appear at Basildon Magistrates Court next month.
A vintage jet, which was based at the North Weald airfield in south Essex, was performing a stunt when it crashed onto a road and
killed eleven people
.
EPACopyright: EPA
The investigators found that the pilot, Andy Hill, 52, from Hertfordshire, who survived, started a loop stunt too low and too slow.
The report said he could have taken action to abort the display.
Happy ending to 'tail' of disabled dumped dogs
Two tiny disabled dogs who were found abandoned by the roadside in August have now settled into their "paw-fect" new homes.
The RSPCA launched an investigation after the chihuahuas, three-year-old Peggy and her six-week-old puppy Pip, were found by the side of the A127 in Basildon in Essex.
The future didn't look bright for the tiny pair - Peggy was missing part of her left leg, and Pip was missing part of her brain - leaving her blind and with no functioning eyelids.
RSPCACopyright: RSPCA
After a search to find a special home for the disabled pair, they've now settled into the life of luxury with Penny Andrews and her four cats, a budgie, cockatiel, tortoise and a Jack Russell cross dachshund - and Penny's daughter Jess..
Penny, who lives in Hunstanton and is a volunter at her local RSPCA charity shop, says all the animals get on well, with the dogs sleeping in the bed under a duvet a night.
Quote Message:
They have come a long way and now live the life of luxury... they’ve settled in so well. I saw them on social media and fell in love with them, they were just so cute and I thought: ‘I can look after them’.”
from Penny Andrews
They have come a long way and now live the life of luxury... they’ve settled in so well. I saw them on social media and fell in love with them, they were just so cute and I thought: ‘I can look after them’.”
Billericay Town 'sorry to announce' manager's departure
Essex non-league side
Billericay Town
are starting life without long-time manager Craig Edwards, after he parted company with the club yesterday.
In a statement on the website, the club said it was sorry to announce that Mr Edwards had left and thanked him for a "great seven years".
BBCCopyright: BBC
It said: "Craig joined the club in April 2010 and led the club to its first Essex Senior Cup title since 1976.
"The following season he managed the club to Isthmian League Premier Division glory, taking them in to the Conference South.
"The management, fans and everyone linked with the club would like to thank Craig for a great seven years and wish him all the best for the future."
Live Reporting
All times stated are UK
Get involved
- Crack addict jailed
for starting fire which killed the 78-year-old man who gave her a home
-
Work begins to
stabilise cliffs
against erosion on Essex coast
-
Head at Educating Essex school
threatens to quit
over state school funding
-
Manningtree band's
final fundraising gig
to get them to Texas
BBCCopyright: BBC 
Essex PoliceCopyright: Essex Police 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
Chris Driver PhotographyCopyright: Chris Driver Photography 
View more on youtubeView more on youtube 
Leiston FCCopyright: Leiston FC 
Tendring District CouncilCopyright: Tendring District Council 
Video caption:
More than 6,000 teams signed up for the 2017 FA People's Cup, which has 16 separate categories
More than 6,000 teams signed up for the 2017 FA People's Cup, which has 16 separate categories
Tendring District CouncilCopyright: Tendring District Council 
BBCCopyright: BBC Vic Goddard, Principal of Passmores AcademyImage caption: Vic Goddard, Principal of Passmores Academy 
BBCCopyright: BBC Jerry Glazier, National Union of TeachersImage caption: Jerry Glazier, National Union of Teachers 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
EPACopyright: EPA 
RSPCACopyright: RSPCA 
BBCCopyright: BBC
Latest PostOur live coverage across the day
Andrew Woodger
BBC News
BBC Local Live: Essex is signing off for the week, but you can carry on monitoring this page for football reports and other breaking news across the weekend.
Here are the headlines across the county on Friday:
Have a great weekend and we'll see you again with regular updates from 08:00 on Monday.
Weather: Rain later, but feeling mild
Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather
A mainly dry evening, but rain will spread across the whole of the BBC East region later.
It'll turn misty, but feel mild with temperatures falling to 7C (44F).
A grey and misty start to the weekend, with outbreaks of rain.
It will become drier and brighter by Saturday afternoon, with sunny spells by the end of the day.
Feeling mild, with temperatures reaching 11C (52F).
Visit BBC Weather for more details where you are.
Drug addict arsonist's actions 'disgusting and unforgiveable'
Lisa Connelly, 42, also of Rochdale Way, Colchester, was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter and eight years for arson, to run concurrently.
Det Ch Insp Steve Jennings said: "Fred Payne was an elderly, vulnerable man with no traceable relatives.
"Lisa Connelly exploited of him, inserting herself in his life, taking over his house, and stealing money on a daily basis to feed her drug addiction.
"She left Mr Payne unwell and took no action which may have saved his life. If it were not for her actions and her negligence Mr Payne would still be alive.
"Lisa Connelly’s actions were disgusting and unforgiveable.
"While today’s sentence will give her ample opportunity to reflect on what she has done, it will not bring Fred back.”
Crack-addict arsonist jailed after 78-year-old Good Samaritan dies in house fire
A drug addict has been jailed for 12 years after she admitted the manslaughter of an elderly man who had taken her into his home in Colchester.
Fred Payne, 78, died after a fire at his home on Rochdale Way on 4 September.
Lisa Connelly, 42, who lived there, claimed at first to be his granddaughter, but the subsequent police investigation revealed this to be a lie.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard prosecutors say Mr Payne, who was in ill health, took her in and gave her a home.
She took money from him to fund her crack cocaine habit, which she had had since she was 30 years old.
She was charged with murder and arson with intent to endanger life, but admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter today and was jailed this afternoon.
Final fund-raising gig for Superglu's trip to the US
The second fundraising gig to help SuperGlu , who are based in Ipswich and Manningtree, get to the SXSW Festival in the USA, is taking place at The Swan in Ipswich tonight.
The first gig, at the Hunter Club in Bury St Edmunds last weekend, brought in £925 and should have been followed by a gig in Hackney last night, but the venue closed.
Drummer Ben Ward said: "We have been absolutely blown away by the generosity of the Bury St Edmunds music scene.
"We have always enjoyed an incredible reception from fans at shows there, but this was something else.
"The money raised has helped so much, we can never thank everyone enough."
Travel costs for the band, which has been picked to play three showcase gigs at the Texas festival, are in the region of £2,000.
Drug addict who killed pensioner jailed
Crack cocaine addict Lisa Connelly neglected 'lovely' Fred Payne, 78, who died in the fire she started.
Read moreDog re-homing centre has influx of border collies
An Essex rehoming centre is appealing for help as they try to find new homes for 11 border collies, following an influx of the breed.
Staff at the Wickford-based Dogs Trust Basildon say they are baffled as to why the eleven dogs are being overlooked by visitors.
Filmed above is one of the 11 dogs, three-year-old Colleen, who is said to need a patient owner who can help her flourish. She needs to be the only pet, and can live with teens of 14 years and up.
Lisa Cooper, centre manager, said: "Sadly, we are seeing many of these types of dogs being handed in when they become too much for their owners who have not considered the implications of owning a breed that requires a lot of mental and physical stimulation.
"They need regular exercise so it is important that we find owners who understand the demands of this breed and are in a position to offer a life-long commitment."
Ryman League: Lacklustre Leiston lacking leaders
Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport
Leiston will be trying to get their season back on track when they head to Hendon in the Ryman Premier Division tomorrow afternoon.
The Victory Road side has lost five of their last six games, falling out of the play-off places in the process.
"We've got to go to Hendon and stop this rot," said boss Glenn Driver.
"I look at us at this moment in time and we haven't got enough leaders on the pitch."
AFC Sudbury host Folkestone Invicta, Needham Market are at Tonbridge Angels, Lowestoft Town head to Burgess Hill while Bury Town travel to Haringey Borough in the North Division.
Stabilisation project is 'keeping promise' says councillor
The work beginning to stabilise cliffs on the Clacton to Holland-on-Sea coastline is part of a much larger project ahead, says the councillor in charge at Tendring District Council.
Nick Turner, cabinet member for commercialisation, seafronts and parking, said: "The team will be reviewing the existing cliff drainage systems and undertaking a number of surveys.
"This early work will help us to shape the various options we need to consider and eventually use to stabilise the cliffs.
"When we announced this programme would be taking place we promised that we would keep residents informed all the way along – as we did with the major £36m Coastal Protection project – and we are keeping that promise.”
Luton's Musonda joins Braintree on loan
Luton Town loan defender Frankie Musonda to National League side Braintree Town for an initial month.
Read moreWhat will happen during the cliff stabilisation project?
The initial work on the cliff stabilisation project along the Clacton to Holland-on-Sea coastline will involve eight sample boreholes being sunk on the Greensward.
The holes, on the grassy area at the top of the cliffs, will go 10m down, or at least two metres into the London Clay.
A further eight holes will be made on the slope itself and water samples will be sent off for laboratory testing and water levels monitored throughout the process.
Tendring District Council says the benefits of the project include "cost-effective maintenance of the cliffs, an improved public realm and experience for residents and visitors" and an opportunity to restore beach huts.
Magic moments from FA People's Cup
#PeoplesCup
Cheeky chips, celebrations and managerial sackings - watch 10 magic moments from the first round of the FA People's Cup......
Video content
You'll be able to watch a highlights programme from the first round of the nationwide five-a-side competition on the iPlayer from 06:00 GMT Saturday, 4 March and on the red button from 14:10 GMT on Saturday and throughout the weekend.
Work to begin on £5m project to stabilise Essex cliffs
Initial work on a £5m project to stabilise the cliffs along the Clacton to Holland-on-Sea coastline is due to get under way later this month.
A ground investigation programme will begin on 13 March with the aim of providing valuable information towards forming the design of the scheme.
Much of the investigation will revolve around the features and properties of the London clay in the slopes as well as the thickness and composition of superficial deposits.
Head teacher threatens to quit in funding cuts row
Chris Bond
BBC Sunday Politics East
An Essex school head has threatened to resign if government plans to cut his school budget by £765,000 go ahead.
Vic Goddard, principal of Passmores Academy in Harlow, which featured in Channel 4's Educating Essex, said proposed changes to the funding formula could mean larger class sizes and the loss of 20 teachers.
But he's vowed not to implement such a plan.
"There will be a difficult choice at some point," said Mr Goddard.
"I am not prepared to come into this profession which I love so much and ruin children's lives. It's not fair on the kids."
Figures from the Department for Education (DfE) show 149 Essex schools could be worse off under the proposed funding formula while 383 would get more cash in the shake up.
A statement from the DfE said the current way of calculating school budgets was "unfair, opaque and outdated" and consultations were under way to fix this.
"In Essex school funding would go up by 2.6% (by over £20m) if the proposed new funding formula were implemented," the statement said.
"We know it is important that we get the formulae and system right so that every pound of the investment we make in education has the greatest impact."
But the teaching unions say that DfE figures do not tell the whole story and, when adjusted for inflation and rising costs, around 500 Essex schools will be worse off.
Jerry Glazier, from the NUT in Essex, said the formula would not even fund current levels of teaching and resources.
"That is what is wrong with this formula - it is not giving enough money to schools," he said.
There will be more on this story on the BBC Sunday Politics East on BBC1 on Sunday, 5 March at 11:00.
Bad news: Two further injuries for Colchester United
Colchester United will be without Kurtis Guthrie and Craig Slater for the rest of the League Two season.
Both players will need surgery on injuries.
Guthrie (pictured left) is the U's leading scorer while influential midfielder Craig Slater joined from Kilmarnock last summer.
Colchester United's Macauley Bonne return gives 'forward options'
Colchester United have Macauley Bonne back available for tomorrow's League Two match at Cambridge United , having returned from a loan spell with Woking.
A statement on the club's website says the player's loan with the Vanarama National side expired on Tuesday.
It read: "With Denny Johnstone and Kurtis Guthrie picking up injuries in recent weeks, Macauley's return will give the U's forward options a boost ahead of the final twelve games of the League Two season.
"During his loan stint, he played seven times for Woking, starting on five occasions and helped the Cards to ten points in their efforts to move away from trouble in the league."
Lorry driver charged with causing death by dangerous driving
Essex Police say a Kent lorry driver has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, following a fatal road crash in Orsett - a different accident to the one we mentioned earlier.
The two-vehicle collision happened in Dock Approach Road in July, and a 60-year-old car passenger from Grays died at the scene.
The accused man is due to appear at Basildon Magistrates Court next month.
Final report into airshow disaster published
Air accident investigators have published their final report into the Shoreham airshow disaster in 2015.
A vintage jet, which was based at the North Weald airfield in south Essex, was performing a stunt when it crashed onto a road and killed eleven people .
The investigators found that the pilot, Andy Hill, 52, from Hertfordshire, who survived, started a loop stunt too low and too slow.
The report said he could have taken action to abort the display.
Happy ending to 'tail' of disabled dumped dogs
Two tiny disabled dogs who were found abandoned by the roadside in August have now settled into their "paw-fect" new homes.
The RSPCA launched an investigation after the chihuahuas, three-year-old Peggy and her six-week-old puppy Pip, were found by the side of the A127 in Basildon in Essex.
The future didn't look bright for the tiny pair - Peggy was missing part of her left leg, and Pip was missing part of her brain - leaving her blind and with no functioning eyelids.
After a search to find a special home for the disabled pair, they've now settled into the life of luxury with Penny Andrews and her four cats, a budgie, cockatiel, tortoise and a Jack Russell cross dachshund - and Penny's daughter Jess..
Penny, who lives in Hunstanton and is a volunter at her local RSPCA charity shop, says all the animals get on well, with the dogs sleeping in the bed under a duvet a night.
Billericay Town 'sorry to announce' manager's departure
Essex non-league side Billericay Town are starting life without long-time manager Craig Edwards, after he parted company with the club yesterday.
In a statement on the website, the club said it was sorry to announce that Mr Edwards had left and thanked him for a "great seven years".
It said: "Craig joined the club in April 2010 and led the club to its first Essex Senior Cup title since 1976.
"The following season he managed the club to Isthmian League Premier Division glory, taking them in to the Conference South.
"The management, fans and everyone linked with the club would like to thank Craig for a great seven years and wish him all the best for the future."