Claudia Bradley

Articles

Braintree and Witham Times •

Residents 'in tears' after unauthorised traveller site built over weekend

The site in Willows Green, near Felsted, was ‘taken over’ after the district council offices closed on Friday for the holiday period.

Travellers reportedly started moving into the site late on Friday evening with works continuing over the bank holiday weekend without permission.

Lorries, concrete posts, fences and diggers drove over the green land, which is home to protected great-crested news and rare albino fallow deer.

Site - Around 30 lorries and diggers were used to construct an...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Council leader living with stage 4 prostate cancer urges men to get PSA tests

As he prepares to retire from his role ahead of local government reorganisation, Graham is continuing to battle and live with prostate cancer.

The 77-year-old was on a cruise in August 2023 when he first experienced pain in his right buttock going down his leg, which he originally thought was sciatica.

He noticed he was visiting the bathroom more frequently in the night, so he soon went to the doctors and had a blood test.

In November that year, he and his wife were halfway to Scotla...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Village pub's new landlords 'excited' to open doors for Mother's Day

To Teal Smith, 30, and her fiancé Mike Carley, 33, who are moving back to the area from the Isle of Wight with their 15-month-old son Lockie, taking over the pub feels like something of a homecoming.

Teal’s parents, Rob and Zoe Smith, have owned the pub for around 10 years. In recent years, it’s been a popular venue for private hire and events.

Teal worked behind the bar herself before she moved to the Isle of Wright to work in the hospitality industry, where she met her fiancé.

Pub...
Gazette •

Man who exposed himself to child in McDonald's 'misunderstood cultural boundaries'

Yaroslav Fedotov, 45, of Harwich Road, Colchester, appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court last Wednesday after admitting three charges of indecent exposure.

The court heard Fedotov exposed himself to a six-year-old girl sitting with her father and infant brother in McDonald's, in Cowdray Avenue, in September 2024.

Celestia John-Baptiste, prosecuting, said the incident was captured on CCTV.

The father’s victim impact statement was heard in court, which detailed his daughter’s distr...
Gazette •

Revealed: The numbers of blue badge applications and why decisions are delayed

Exclusive data obtained in a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Essex County Council has showed from January 28 to July 14 – almost six months – the council received 23,905 applications for blue badges.

Of these, 11,344 have been approved, 1,346 have been declined, and 11,215 are awaiting a decision – about 47 per cent.

The FOI also found that in the past three months, the council received 11,992 applications, of which 6,583 (just more than half) were not approved.

The council r...
Clacton and Frinton Gazette •

Mum guilty of manslaughter for not strapping baby into car seat before fatal crash

Morgan Kiely, 22, of Ryde Avenue, Clacton, was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence today after six-month-old son Harry died following a car crash in the town on July 13, 2022.

She was given a two-year suspended jail sentence.

The jury deliberated for about five hours over two days at Chelmsford Crown Court before arriving at the guilty verdict at 12.30pm today.

The court heard Kiely, who was 19 at the time, was the passenger in a Ford Focus belonging to friend Stevie Steel...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Why do we need more housing? Councillor for planning answers your questions

Why are new houses being built? Why are they being built there? Who decides to accept planning applications? What is the Local Plan?

Councillor Gabrielle Spray, Braintree Council’s cabinet member for planning, met with the Times to answer all these questions and more.

Planning - Councillor Spray is a member of the planning committee and the Chair of the Local Plan subcommittee (Image: Newsquest) Mrs Spray was first elected as a councillor in 2003 and has several important planning roles...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Essex mum reflects on living with long covid five years after lockdown

Though there are some people, like Essex mum Kirsty Huxter, who cannot forget the effects of the pandemic – because they are still living with them every day.

Kirsty, 47, is a mum of three and worked with her husband in their IT business and ran a toddler group in Braintree for ten years before the pandemic struck.

Reflecting on the past five years, Kirsty said: “We had a wonderful lockdown. We have a lovely home and a garden, we would eat lunch and dinner together as a family every day...
Maldon and Burnham Standard •

The story of Stow Maries: Essex's 'last of its kind' First World War museum

They flew in the blackest hours of the night, staying airborne as long as they could whilst patrolling and protecting the skies in aircraft that were little more than death traps. With the machines of wood and Linen shuddering around them, the pilots would hope it wouldn’t stall or fall apart in the sky.

They wore layers upon layers of silk shirts, sweaters, boiler suits, silk scarves to stop neck chafing, big fur boots, gloves, and of course, flying jackets, but all this was barely enough t...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Family who 'just love' Christmas puts up 30,000 lights for charity

The O’Brien household in Black Notley has been dazzling with 62 flashing wall signs, 15 inflatables, and a whopping 30,000 Christmas lights decorating the house’s front, side, and roof.

The family promised this year would be “bigger and better” after decorating the house last year with 18,000 fairy lights and 52 wall signs.

The annual switch on takes place for charity, raising important funds for the local church and for organisations close to the family’s heart.

Family - Graham, Sha...
Gazette •

Colchester farmer says he 'can’t see a way out' over inheritance tax row

Farmers across the UK are in uproar after the Autumn 2024 budget will introduce inheritance tax to farms worth more than £1million from 2026.

Will Ralph, 62, built his farm from the ground up in Turkey Cock Lane, in Stanway, with his father.

Will said: “We both sacrificed so much to get here, and I’m so passionate.

“The next generation just won’t be able to afford the tax—I just can’t see a way of carrying it on when I go.

“I just get so emotional over it. It’s 46 years of work w...
Halstead Gazette •

Heroic man saved woman from burning car after crash in quiet Essex village

On Monday evening, a collision between two vehicles in Great Yeldham saw two cars burst into flames.

Firefighters from Halstead rushed to the scene on Bridge Street near the Old Oak Tree and put the fire out by 5.15pm.

Crash - Two cars were on fire in Great Yeldham on Monday afternoon (Image: Public) Harry Morrel, 26, a builder who runs his own company, HM Construction, was on his way home from work when he saw the burning vehicles.

Harry said: “I turned into the junction where they...

Live Blogs

A selection of live blogs which I have either ran, leading coverage, or contributed to by reporting live from the scene. 

Harwich and Manningtree Standard •

LIVE: Firefighters battle fire affecting two properties in north Essex village

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Investigation: 'How prevalent are sexual offences in Essex?'

This project was for my NQJ Level 7 Diploma, which took place throughout June and July 2026. I planned and produced a series of articles examining sexual offences in Essex, including the fact they are underreported and take far too long to go through the justice system. I received a distinction grade for this project and for the diploma overall. 

Gazette •

'Male violence against women and girls is an endemic issue', Essex charities say

Essex Police figures released in a Freedom of Information request have revealed there were 21,921 rape and sexual assault offences in Essex from the beginning of 2020 up to 2025.

Of these, 10,890 were recorded as rapes of female victims, with 8,383 sexual assaults of female victims – meaning around 88 per cent of the total victims were female.

But the figures don’t reflect the much wider scale of the issue.

Specialist charity CARA, Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse in Essex, find t...
Gazette •

Justice system 'failing' victims as perpetrator walk free, charity says

Essex Police figures released in a Freedom of Information request have revealed there were 21,921 rape and sexual assault offences in Essex from the beginning of 2020 up to 2025.

Of that total, figures show just 999 cases were brought to court – less than five per cent – while 1,419 cases are awaiting an outcome – around six per cent.

Essex Police does not hold the data on the number of prosecutions and their outcomes, which are brought by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for sexual o...
Gazette •

Essex Police solved more rape cases in 2025 than the previous two years combined

Essex Police solved more rape cases in 2025 than the previous two years combined.

Detective superintendent Gary Biddle, 50, head of the force’s public protection investigations, says this is down to the force’s robust actions to improve its service for victims and survivors of sexual offences.

“Sexual offences is one of our key objectives on the force plan and providing victims with the best possible service we can is also really, really important to us,” he said.

“When victims of cr...
Gazette •

Child sex abuse 'very common' with more than 5,000 offences reported in Essex

A freedom of information request to Essex Police revealed there were 21,921 reports of rapes and sexual assaults recorded in the county between 2020 and 2025.

Of these, 5,042 were against children – around 23 per cent.

Figures show 2,837 rapes of a child under 16, while just over half of these (1,456) were rapes of girls aged between 13 and 16.

There were 1,203 reports of rape of a child aged under 13 in five years in Essex.

Cara is a specialist charity offering support to victim...
Gazette •

Family seek justice against child sex offender who assaulted their little girl

Nathan Behrens, 21, was remanded in custody last year after he was charged with eight counts relating to sexual offences against young girls.

The defendant, previously of Teak Walk, Witham, and now of HMP Chelmsford, admitted one count each of attempted rape of a child, making an indecent photograph of a child, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted four counts of sexual assault against children.

Behr...
Gazette •

Domestic abuse rapes make up 40 of all rapes in Essex, investigation finds

An investigation into the prevalence of sexual offences in Essex has found there were 22,921 rape and sexual assault offences in the county from the beginning of 2020 to the start of 2025.

Around half of them, 11,840, were rape offences.

Essex Police's Det Supt Gary Biddle said between 40 to 45 per cent of all rapes in Essex are domestic abuse.

And Cara Essex ( the Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse) says around a quarter of its service users have experienced rape as part of domesti...
Gazette •

Essex in long 'crisis' of sexual violence as 93 of victims knew their attacker

CARA, Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse, works across Essex and Uttlesford with all ages and genders to provide specialist support for victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse.

In the whole cohort of CARA service users, 30 per cent of perpetrators were a family member; 29 per cent were an intimate partner; 31 per cent were an acquaintance or friend; and three per cent were a trusted adult.

Just seven per cent of perpetrators were strangers to the victim.

“The...
Gazette •

Reported 22,000 sexual offences in 5 years in Essex does not tell the full story

Essex Police data released in a Freedom of Information request have revealed there were 21,921 rape and sexual assault offences in Essex from the beginning of 2020 up to 2025.

More than half of them – 11,840 – were rape offences.

Of these 10,890 were recorded as rapes of female victims.

A total of 8,383 sexual assaults had female victims.

However, these figures do not reflect the much wider scale of the issue.

Specialist charity CARA, Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse in Es...
Investigation: Sexual Offences in Essex

All online articles for the project can be viewed by clicking the adjacent button.  

A120 Campaign

While our titles' A120 campaign has been running for more than six months, I've taken the lead to interview MPs, investigate road safety and the government's RIS3 plans, and develop strong multimedia coverage. My work has been integral to promoting the campaign and gaining support for our petition calling for change. 

Braintree and Witham Times •

Developer proposing £1bn A120 upgrade scheme - what is private funding?

As ever-louder calls for a new A120 continue, Peter Williams, the managing director of developer Williams Group, has put forward a proposal to build a new road with the support of investors.

Williams Group has decades of experience working with international funding markets to unlock major businesses and housing development opportunities.

The Williams proposal for the new A120 involves funding sources from UK-based institutional investors including pension funds, insurers and infrastruct...
Braintree and Witham Times •

MP Priti Patel backs petition to upgrade A120 which shines 'full beam' on issue

The A120 is a key economic corridor for Essex but is widely known for accidents, congestion and delays, particularly on the single-carriageway stretch between Marks Tey and Braintree.

Speaking to the Times, Ms Patel said the petition calling for upgrades is “shining a full beam” on the issue and will become even more important in the coming weeks and months.

A feasibility study published in June 2018, which Ms Patel pushed for, found the A120 was the 10th most dangerous road nationally,...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Essex council leader talks 'failure' to upgrade A120 and says works are 'vital'

Braintree Council leader Graham Butland, 77, announced his plans to step down from the role last month ahead of local government reorganisation.

When asked about his 22 years as council leader, Mr Butland said his biggest failure was not seeing the A120 upgraded.

Speaking to the Times, he said: “We haven’t got the A120 done. Biggest failure.

“We’ve got this nice dual carriageway from the M11 to what I call the biggest free car park in Essex – Galley’s Corner.”

Upgrades - Braintre...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Residents say A120 'desperately' needs upgrades after plans shelved

Last month, the Department for Transport published its road investment strategy, which sets out funding for road schemes for the next five years.

The stretch of the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey was earmarked for widening in 2017, but plans had already been pushed back in 2022.

The document did not include any major upgrades for the A120, which Braintree Council said is “disappointing” and Witham MP Priti Patel said is a “betrayal” of Essex.

The Colchester Gazette and its sist...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Sir James Cleverly says A120 dualling cannot be ignored as he backs petition

Since September, Essex residents from Stansted to Harwich and everywhere in between have shared their experience of the A120 for the Gazette's 'A120:RoadtoSafety' campaign.

Residents have complained of heavy congestion at Galley’s Corner in Braintree; the impact of increasing development in the area, which has not been matched by infrastructure upgrades; and the devastating outcomes of high-risk road features – such as the Earls Colne crossing near Coggeshall, which was the site of 10 fatal...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Vibrations from HGVs cause car alarms to go off and houses to shake on A120

Residents along the Braintree to Marks Tey route have complained of increased traffic, road features which increase risk, and the 400 HGVs a day for the notorious Rivenhall Incinerator causing problems on the A120.

Bradwell, with the incinerator on its doorstep and main street of Grade II listed cottages, is often brought to a standstill during rush out and when there are incidents on the A120.

One village resident of 20 years said the whole village noticed the increase in traffic since...
Braintree and Witham Times •

New A120 would add £2B to economy and save £1.2B in journey times, officials say

The scheme, which currently proposes to build a new road between Galley’s Corner in Braintree and Kelvedon South at the A12, would bring a major upgrade to Essex.

It would trigger 20,000 new jobs, a £350million benefit to freight traffic, journey time savings running to a value of approximately £1.2billion, and more than £2billion of value to our economy.

Essex Highways predicts the scheme will reduce travel delays, underpin new housing and economic growth, and enable businesses to flour...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Planning expert says A120 is not fit for purpose - 'We’re in 2025, not 1995'

Councillor Gabrielle Spray is Braintree Council’s cabinet member for planning and the chair of the Local Plan subcommittee, which is currently drafting a new Local Plan for development in the district up to 2041.

As part of our campaign to raise awareness of road safety on the A120 and lobbying the government to commit to the A120 dualling scheme, we spoke with Ms Spray about the impact of the road on planning and housing developments.

Ms Spray said: “I cannot tell you how frustrating an...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Is Braintree's newest roundabout 'great' or 'stupid'? Here are your thoughts

The two-lane roundabout appeared on Braintree Road, near Galleys Corner, at the end of April as part of the plans for a new housing estate by Persimmon Homes between Braintree and Tye Green, Cressing.

Plans for the 250-home development were originally refused by Braintree Council in 2019 before they were allowed on appeal by an independent planning inspector.

After months of residents’ concerns about the proximity of the development to Braintree Road, the developer has now established th...

This article was the follow-up to the initial report that a new roundabout had opened at the site of a controversial housing development. I shared a simple video panning across the roundabout to our title's Facebook page asking readers to comment their thoughts below. The video had more than 200 comments and was viewed 215k times - very high engagement for this page. This article was the most-read on this website for several days. 

Braintree and Witham Times •

Family 'will always love' man who died after going missing

Martyn Richardson, 27, went missing in Bocking in August last year.

His body was found near the River Blackwater on November 16 of last year.

An inquest held last month found he likely fell into a river while he tried to make his way back to a family party.

Searches were held to find Martyn, who worked at McDonalds in Galley’s Corner, with Braintree's community coming together.

Remembered - Martyn has been remembered by the community throughout this year (Image: Essex Police)...
Braintree and Witham Times •

'Kind, caring, loving' - 'Devastated' family's tribute to Martyn Richardson

Martyn, 27, went missing in the Bocking area of Braintree on August 24.

A body was found during the second public search of the area last Saturday week, which was confirmed by police to be Martyn on Monday following formal identification.

Following the sad news, flowers have been laid at The Chase where Martyn was last seen and touching tributes have been shared by members of the public on the 'Find Martyn' Facebook page. 

Martyn's family have also paid an emotional tribute to him as...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Police issue update as body found in waterway confirmed to be Martyn Richardson

Martyn, 27, had been missing since August 24 and officers had carried out extensive searches over the subsequent months to find him.

Officers were called to an area of waterway near The Chase, Bocking shortly after 12.30pm on Saturday, November 16, 12 weeks after Martyn was last seen.

An organised group of public volunteers had been leading a fresh search in the area ahead of planned police-led searched along the river the following day.

Sadly, a member of the public alerted officers...
Braintree and Witham Times •

Volunteers join 'devastated' family in public search for missing Martyn Richardson

Martyn Richardson, 27, has been missing for 56 days.

He was last seen at about 8.30pm on August 24, after attending a family party in Bocking for his great Nan.

Missing - Martyn Richardson (Image: Essex Police)

He was wearing a grey hoodie with a long-sleeved top underneath with a stripe down the arms, black fleece shorts, and black shoes.

Martyn is a “vulnerable adult” due to his asperges, and his family maintain he “would never have made them worry” by choosing to go and believ...

Search for Martyn Richardson

Video of the first public search with interviews with Martyn's nan, Mary, his uncle Lee, and a volunteer. 

The Richardson family did their utmost to raise awareness that their son Martyn was missing. I worked on several pieces with them at length to keep momentum for the search going and volunteered at both public searches. When his body was found at the second search, my story was the most read across the whole of Newsquest that day, evidencing the loyal readership and community interest my coverage had built. A year later, I worked again with the family on a final tribute piece to him, which was a great honour and privilege.