In today's Gazette: A man has admitted raping a woman at a music festival. Paul Gigg, 30, of Chinook, Highwoods, Colchester, attacked the woman, who was aged 20, at the Kiss Weekender dance music event in Great Yarmouth.

* A teenager responsible for a two hour stand-off with police was arrested after officers threw a stun grenade into his flat.

The man, 18, had locked himself in the flat in Circular Road South, Colchester, and armed officers in riot vans had been called after reports of a disturbance.

* Community heroes have been recognised in the New Year's Honours list.

Amongst those receiving honours is Alan Millam, who became an MBE for his work for disabled adults, and university professor Mala Rao, from Earls Colne, who was honoured for services to public health.

* Motorbike mad David Petts is gearing up for an 8,000 mile ride from London to Shanghai.

David, 22, of Delamere Road, Colchester, and pal Jonathan Ferguson will go through Europe, Russia and Kazakhstan before reaching China five weeks later.

For more on these and other great stories, see today's Gazette. There is always more in the paper than there is online.