Men face drug charges after raid

Three men are due to appear in court on Monday in connection with a drugs raid in Basildon.

Gary Reed, 28, of Ghyllgrove in the town, is accused of five offences involving the supply of Class A controlled drugs and two counts of possession.

Michael Simpson, 33, of Palmers Green in London and 31-year-old George Facey from Tottenham have also been charged with a number of drugs-related offences.

The men will appear before Basildon Magistrates.

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Chinese students take part in celebration

The holidays took a turn for the orient in Southend on Sunday.

The resort's Chinese school invited children of Chinese heritage in to take part in a range of eastern cultural activities.

The school teaches Mandarin to youngsters, and offers lessons in the language to those who grew up speaking Cantonese.

Mandarin is the country's official language.