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Archaeologists have condemned a Tory council leader's threat to dismantle all archaeological controls on development, saying that the regulations are necessary to protect the UK's unique national heritage. Alan Melton, leader of Fenland District Council, dismissed opponents of development as "bunny huggers" in a speech last week. Archaeologists fear his views reflect a national threat to all heritage protection as a result of the government's determination to simplify the planning process to encourage development. The principle that developers must pay for archaeological excavation -- before construction work destroys sites -- has led to a string of major discoveries in the...

Christening spoon found in grave of Saxon king By David Derbyshire, Science Correspondent (Filed: 09/04/2004) An ancient silver spoon buried in the grave of an early Christian king may be one of the earliest christening spoons found in Britain, archaeologists said yesterday. The spoon was discovered alongside a lyre and copper box for holding relics in the burial chamber of the so-called Prince of Prittlewell, a high-ranking aristocrat who lived in Essex 1,400 years ago. When the grave was discovered this year in Southend-on-Sea, archaeologists described it as one of the most important finds in decades. Although the bones had...

Last Updated: Thursday, 5 February, 2004, 13:09 GMT Burial chamber's secrets revealed More details are being released of a Saxon burial chamber unearthed in Essex. The 12-feet-wide, five-feet-high wood-lined chamber - dating from the 7th Century - was crammed with gold coins and ornaments. But the remains of the ancient king have dissolved and experts have not yet been able to identify him. The find in Prittlewell, Southend, is being hailed as a major discovery. Some experts have likened the discovery to the find in 1939 of a Saxon burial ship in Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, one of Britain's most...

10:43am (UK)Fabulous Finds as Saxon King's Tomb Is Unearthed By Tony Jones, PA News The tomb of an East Saxon king containing a fabulous collection of artefacts has been unearthed, it was announced today. The burial chamber, believed to date from the early 7th century, has been described by experts as the richest Anglo-Saxon find since the Sutton Hoo ship burial in Suffolk – one of Britain’s most important archaeological locations. The site in Prittlewell, Southend, Essex was filled with everything a King might need in the afterlife, from his sword and shield to copper bowls, glass vessels and treasures...

A romantic stargazer who was just days away from whisking away his girlfriend on a surprise Paris trip to pop the question plummeted to his death early yesterday morning when he fell from the roof of his Massachusetts Avenue apartment. “He had the tickets. He had the ring. He just didn’t have the time,” said Don Coulon, whose 28-year-old son, Gregory, was found dead after falling from the roof at 552 Massachusetts Ave. Coulon, 28, a Boston University systems analyst and computer programmer, was set to jet his girlfriend of several years, Michelle Kovach, to the City of Lights Wednesday...

The section of the world's longest pleasure pier which was gutted by fire is to be rebuilt - even though it could cost millions of pounds. The damage to the Southend Pier was a serious blow to the town, said borough council leader Anna Waite. Ms Waite said: "We will be looking to restore it to its former glory. It's a very sad day and the pier will cost millions of pounds to rebuild." A pub, a railway station and other buildings were destroyed in the fire. A full investigation is being carried out into the cause of the fire...

FIVE teenagers wanted for questioning after a gang cornered and raped three girls in Southend, Essex, gave themselves up to police last night. They walked into a London police station with a solicitor and were arrested on suspicion of rape. They were then transferred to Southend and will be questioned by officers investigating the assaults. The attack on Friday evening on the seafront has horrified local people and police. Detective Superintendent Graham Ball, who is leading the inquiry, described it as “one of the most disturbing and worrying cases I have come across in 23 years of being a police...