IT'S been another seven days of big news stories in Maldon, from the story of how firefighters saved motorists from flood waters in two separate rescues in just one afternoon to the declaration of a major incident in Essex as local hospitals struggled under the pressure of the Covid-19 crisis.

Here at Nub News we like to make your life easier so if you've missed any of the local news this week, don't worry.

We have you covered with 10 of the top stories right here.

1. There was some good news at the start of the week with this reminder that local people can get their Christmas trees recycled from their doorsteps and help raise vital funds for Farleigh Hospice

There's still time to arrange your collection and you can find out more about it here.

2. Firefighters carried out two dramatic rescues when drivers found their way into flood water difficulties.

This led to the fire service issuing some safety advice and you can read the full story here.

3. Then came the shock of news that local hospital staff had been asked to abandon their leave as admissions of Covid-19 patients soared

Find out more here.

4. It turned out that Father Christmas found the community very generous when it came to giving to local good causes.

You can read about that here.

5. The whole county woke to shocking news when a major incident was declared in Essex as the number of Covid-19 patients threatened to overwhelm local hospitals.

You can find out what happened here.

6. Soon it was revealed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock that Maldon would remain in Tier 4 as even tighter restrictions were - at least for the time being - ruled out.

Read about it here.

7. A well-known Maldon firefighter was on the Queen's New Year Honours list.

You can find out more about this community hero here.

8. The full details of the delayed return for Maldon district's schoolchildren and students was set out by Essex County Council along with an open letter to parents.

Get the full story here

9. New Year's Eve turned out to be much busier than hoped for the county's police force. One of the illegal events took place in a 500-year-old church.

Find out more here.

10. There has been a further spike in the number of new Covid-19 cases in Maldon district – and in Essex as a whole – since Christmas.

Read more here.