Brandon Penny

Vue cinema in Colchester will screen all eight Harry Potter films from August 28 through early October to mark the 25th anniversary of the series’ cinematic debut. The season will begin with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and conclude with the two-part Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows finale. Vue will also sell exclusive Harry Potter merchandise, including a collectible popcorn tin with a wand stirrer and a themed drinks cup.

Church Road in Elmstead Market will be closed for six weeks from August 17 while Cadent replaces 320 metres of ageing gas mains between Holly Way and Colchester Road/Clacton Road. The upgrade is part of a wider East of England programme to replace pipes dating from the 1930s with plastic ones. Diversions and warning signs will be provided, most properties should retain gas supplies, and any directly connected homes or businesses facing temporary disconnection will receive advance notice.

Fourteen pubs across Essex have been included in The Telegraph’s guide to the 650 best pubs in the UK. The expanded guide covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with selections based on character, welcoming staff, history and quality beer. The Essex entries are located in communities including Chelmsford, Colchester, Billericay, Southminster, Witham and Ingatestone.

Colchester Council removed 2,470kg of litter, fly-tipped waste, tyres, abandoned signs and other debris from more than 12 kilometres of the A12 over three overnight operations in July. The work covered sections between junctions 25 and 26 and between junctions 28 and 29, along with six slip roads and six lay-bys. Councillor Martin Goss said the cleanups improve road safety, protect the environment and deter further littering and fly-tipping. Residents are encouraged to report environmental issues or join the council’s network of more than 1,000 Litter Warriors.

Multiple fires near Waltham Cross station have halted Greater Anglia services and disrupted routes between Liverpool Street, Stansted Airport, Cambridge North, Stratford, Meridian Water and Hertford East. Services are being diverted, cancelled or terminated at alternative stations while Network Rail and emergency responders tackle the incident. Smoke is also reducing visibility on the M25 between junctions 25 and 26. Affected passengers can use accepted tickets on selected Underground, rail, bus and Overground services, while Stansted Express journeys may take up to two and a half hours. Greater Anglia has apologised, extended travel flexibility for passengers with cancelled trains and advised eligible customers to claim Delay Repay compensation.

Essex Police will deploy live facial-recognition vans in Clacton on Friday, August 7, to identify people suspected of serious drug, violent, sexual and theft offences and to enforce orders. Police say the technology has contributed to more than 170 arrests, including in violent and sexual-offence investigations.

Essex Police issued an urgent appeal for information about 16-year-old Kyra Pearson, who was reported missing from the Bluebell Grove area of Dovercourt early on Sunday, August 2. Pearson, who was described as having long dark brown hair and possibly wearing Monsters Inc pyjamas, has since been found.

Twenty-five Essex businesses won recognition in the 2026 Great Taste Awards, which attracted more than 15,000 entries from 3,919 companies in 116 countries. Four Essex products received three-star awards: Tower Bridge Honey, Maldon Cure Smoked Salmon, Ghee and a free-range Bronze whole turkey. A further 13 products earned two stars, while other local producers received one-star awards across categories including beverages, bakery, condiments and ready-made meals. The awards are judged blind by more than 800 experts, and three-star winners are eligible for the Golden Fork awards, to be announced in London on September 15.

Jet2 has expanded its Summer 2027 programme with a new route from London Stansted to Jersey, operating three times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The airline now has 55 Stansted routes and plans to offer nearly 155,000 seats to Jersey, three times the Summer 2026 capacity. Jet2 said the wider Jersey programme will include eight routes, five of them new, and launched a £60 discount on Jet2holidays bookings to mark the expansion.