Sam Thompson admits he has never been on a caravan holiday, but has visited one UK seaside town that welcomes six million tourists a year

Watch as a huge plume of black smoke is seen rising from outside Southend Airport, after a small plane crashed and erupted into a fireball. Video taken from inside the airport on Sunday (13 July) shows the aftermath of the crash,

Nine east London gang members who participated in a 'savage' gang war in Southend had previous similar convictions, yet remained at large.

Run down parts of a listed hotel in Southend High Street look set to become flats when plans are agreed next week. The second and third floors of the Royal Hotel – dating back more than 230 years – and the adjacent Caroline House are set to be turned into 17 flats.

The fourth and final body has been removed from the wreckage of a plane crash in Southend, as the airport announced that it would be reopening to passengers on Thursday. The medical plane crashed in Southend on Sunday, shortly after taking off from the city's airport. All four people on board the aircraft were killed in the crash.

Police footage shows the moment several young males are arrested following a confrontation with machetes in a seaside resort. Ten people have been sentenced to up to eight years in jail after "two rival gangs" confronted each other in Southend-on-Sea last summer.

House prices in Southend dropped in May, new figures show. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the average Southend house price in the year to May was £312,089 – a 1.8% decrease on April. The picture was different to that across the East of England, where prices increased by 2%.

Today, it has been announced that two charities in Southend will be represented on Community Chest spaces and will even have their logos featured on the board. Two charities in Southend will be represented on Community Chest spaces (Image: Monopoly)