Archive

  • Meet new city mayor

    If you had to draw a typical mayor, chances are the picture would end up looking much like David Watkins. Clap the civic robes on his large frame, adorn him with a chain and the jovial, bearded mayor-elect would look much like many of the other civic

  • Quality people need quality foods

    Despite all the resolutions, do you lose out in the power struggle with the wrong kind of food? Our bodies are made from molecules derived from what we eat so, of course, we need food. But why is it that when I reach for an apple, I choose chocolate instead

  • Fined for parking on old yellow lines

    A council has been accused of "bureaucracy gone mad" for insisting a motorist pays up for parking on double-yellow lines that should no longer exist. Baker Giovanni Ballone thought he had parked legally in a new resident's bay close to his home near Hove

  • Food policy makes no sense

    So the Government should give more support to organic farmers (The Argus, January 23) in view of the demand for such food, of which 70 per cent has to be imported from abroad because we can't grow enough here? The Government spends £20 million a year

  • Hospital's overburdened

    Bevendean and Hove General hospitals were closed. Now they are talking about closing Brighton General. They cannot cope at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton. I have been waiting two years for surgery. A dear old lady in our warden-operated flat

  • Voice Of The Third Age, by Lis Solkhon

    It must seem very quiet and peaceful in Rottingdean this week after all the noise and excitement of the pantomime. Judging by the amount of hissing and booing - not to mention the cries of "Look behind you" and of course the old routine of "Oh yes he

  • Fear over firefighter shortage

    Fire engines are being taken off the road during the day because there is no one to crew them. An alarming shortage of part-time firefighters is putting lives at risk because of delays in responding to emergency calls. More than two thirds of fire stations

  • Knife raider strikes for 11th time

    An armed robber who targets off-licences and newsagents in Brighton and Hove has struck for the 11th time. He threatened a woman assistant at the Thresher wine shop in Western Road, Hove, with a knife. He made her lie face-down and took hundreds of pounds

  • It's brilliant

    I heartily agree with Joyce Edwards regarding the lighting in the Holiday On Ice show. My sister and I were in balcony seats and the bright lights were directly facing us. Apart from us, many people were shading their eyes from the glare and occasional

  • Athletics: Buckfield breaks British pole vault record

    Nick Buckfield broke the British indoor pole vault record of 5.62m at Bedford to strengthen his claims for a place in the British team for the Commonwealth Games in July. The Crawley athlete cleared the height at his second attempt and failed with three

  • Chill thrills

    I note Gerald E Spicer (Letters, January 23) is still speed skating at 72 years of age. It would be advisable to travel in the slow lane, thereby not putting further strain on the NHS. However, Southern Counties Radio announced one of its presenters had

  • Trendy city with no soul

    What has happened to community spirit in Brighton? There was a time when the resort was famous for it. But last year Brighton Lions had to cancel their carnival parade for the first time since 1967. Now they are axing their carnival in Preston Park after

  • City remembers Nazis' victims

    People from all backgrounds and faiths marked Holocaust Memorial Day in Brighton and Hove. Personal reflections about peace were expressed through songs and poetry at Concorde 2, Brighton, last night. It was also the official launch of this year's Peace

  • Rich City League: Rye are title favourites

    Rye and Iden United look favourites for the County League Division Two title after crushing runaway league leaders Shoreham 5-1. Shoreham were 15 points clear at the start of play but with six games in hand, Rye must fancy their chances after this crushing

  • Noise pollution, too serious to ignore

    I congratulate Brighton and Hove City Council for its stand against noise, the forgotten pollutant. The prosecution of the perpetrator of loud music and seizure of stereo equipment (The Argus, January 23) is an example of the ever-increasing problem of

  • Crawley will not go full time

    Crawley are on target achieve their Conference dream ahead of schedule, according to chairwoman Jo Gomm. But if Reds do go up they won't be risking their long-term future by going full-time. Instead, the extra revenue generated from promotion will help

  • Defeat could be a blessing

    Albion boss Peter Taylor believes the Seagulls' biggest defeat for nearly three years could be a blessing in disguise. Taylor says the result will give everyone at the club a "kick up the backside". The players return to training today after a weekend

  • Dentist stole patients' cash, hearing told

    A dentist persuaded a patient to loan him her savings before disappearing without paying a penny back, the General Dental Council heard today. James Hamilton talked patient Jennifer Burgess into handing over more than £3,000 by claiming he knew of a get-rich-quick

  • Net access rules shake-up

    Telecoms regulator Oftel today proposed a series of measures to ensure companies continue to deliver unmetered Internet access to consumers. The regulator is suggesting a series of changes to the way British Telecom supplies and charges rival groups who

  • Labour in Enron probe plea

    The Government today faced demands for an inquiry into Labour's links with collapsed US energy giant Enron and its accountants Arthur Andersen. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Matthew Taylor called for a Commons inquiry into the party's "extremely

  • Rail managers man strike-hit trains

    Train company managers ran hundreds of services themselves today after the latest strike action by their staff. South West Trains said it would not allow the Rail Maritime and Transport Union to hold its customers to "ransom" as it put in place a special

  • TV's Jamie sorry for vice girl 'mistake'

    TV presenter Jamie Theakston has apologised to his family and friends following embarrassing revelations he was blackmailed after visiting a vice club. A national newspaper said Jamie, 31, had indulged in sex games at the club in Mayfair, London, shortly

  • Plea to extend street drinking rules

    A campaign to drive street drinkers out of an area which has undergone a major facelift has been launched. Brighton and Hove City Council spent more than £100,000 cleaning up Norfolk Square but people living and working nearby said it was still blighted

  • Bravery of knife maniac's victim

    The teenage victim of knife maniac Ian Haywood hopes to use her terrifying experience to help victims of similar brutal attacks. The 18-year-old, who has anonymity as a victim of a sex attack, said she was trying to rebuild her life after the frenzied

  • Dog wins pub draw

    A policeman's dog has won two top prizes in a pub draw. Sergeant Tim Raggett bought a dozen books of tickets and got so fed up with writing his name decided to use his dog's name, which is shorter. When the draw was made at the Sussex Police Social Club

  • Cabbie foils illegal migrants

    Two illegal immigrants have been deported after a taxi driver saw them jump from a moving lorry. The Polish pair ran into gardens after jumping from the French lorry near the Little Chef on the A27 at Lewes. Police caught the men, aged 21 and 23, and

  • Couple in gunpoint hold-up drama

    Robbers threatened an East Sussex couple with a gun and fled with £150 and a PlayStation. The couple let two men into their flat in the White Rock area of Hastings. One of the men produced a gun and demanded cash. After the robbery they were seen getting

  • Rush-hour mayhem

    Rush-hour traffic ground to a halt today after a breakdown and a three-car collision on the A23 around Brighton. No one was hurt when three cars collided on the A23 Brighton-London road at Pyecombe. Later this morning a car broke down just north of the

  • Saved from a raging inferno

    Residents today relived the moment they were rescued by firefighters as flames swept through their building. The huge fire in Warrior Square, St Leonards, was one of two which broke out at almost the same time, leaving East Sussex fire brigade at full

  • Second TV win for Leisa

    Council worker Leisa Gunn is living it up in Sweden after winning a second week's holiday on a TV game show. Leisa, 33, has been enjoying the millionaire lifestyle since winning a trip to Melbourne on the National Lottery Jet Set show last weekend. At

  • Warning over malaria 'threat'

    Malaria could become a threat to health in Sussex because of global warming and increased air travel, a Euro-MP says. Lib Dem Chris Huhne said the threat of malaria and other tropical diseases taking a hold in the county was serious. According to a Department

  • Pigeon cull to be stopped

    Feathers will no longer be flying in a seaside town after pigeons were given a stay of execution. A total of 126 residents sent a petition to Worthing Borough Council asking it to look for ways to control pigeons without killing them. The council has

  • Meet new city mayor

    If you had to draw a typical mayor, chances are the picture would end up looking much like David Watkins. Clap the civic robes on his large frame, adorn him with a chain and the jovial, bearded mayor-elect would look much like many of the other civic

  • Lions pull plug on carnival

    The Brighton Lions club has cancelled its annual carnival after last year's event failed to attract the crowds. The club pulled the plug on its annual event when it raised just £4,000 for local charities, a fraction of previous amounts. Secretary Bruce

  • Music sounded better back then

    I realise how lucky I was to have had my teens in the late Seventies and early Eighties with music by David Bowie, Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. Teenagers today are introduced to music by an indifferent array of tacky versions of old hits. They're like

  • Hospital's overburdened

    Bevendean and Hove General hospitals were closed. Now they are talking about closing Brighton General. They cannot cope at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton. I have been waiting two years for surgery. A dear old lady in our warden-operated flat

  • Caring parents given no choice.

    Isobella Thomas's family is one of 2,000 families who say their lives have been ruined by the MMR vaccine. Her sons Michael, nine, and Terry, seven, developed signs of autism and suffered bowel problems after being inoculated as toddlers. Mrs Thomas,

  • Ex-mayor Jenny defects to Lib Dems

    Former Brighton and Hove mayor Jenny Barnard-Langston and her husband Mark today quit the Tories to join the Liberal Democrats. Lib Dem leader Paul Elgood welcomed the couple and said the defection was proof his party would soon relegate the Conservatives

  • Needless day

    Is there really any need for a Holocaust Day? One has to ask, what service does it perform? The victims are either no longer with us or have lived for so many years without a designated day that it cannot help their healing process. Remembrance Day surely

  • Let's Rock it

    Full marks to speed skater Gerald Spicer who, at 72 years old, is still willing to put his ice skates on to help us Keep Sussex Skating. The KSS archives have a copy of an Evening Argus feature (August 7, 1992) which shows Gerald demonstrating his prototype

  • Athletics: Buckfield breaks British pole vault record

    Nick Buckfield broke the British indoor pole vault record of 5.62m at Bedford to strengthen his claims for a place in the British team for the Commonwealth Games in July. The Crawley athlete cleared the height at his second attempt and failed with three

  • The benefits of milk

    Recent scientific research has shown that milk is a healthy drink which could prevent certain illnesses, including cancer. Milk contains many valuable nutrients including essential proteins and amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, essential fatty acids and

  • Mayor in tune

    The new mayor of Brighton and Hove may be a pensioner but he's in tune with the times in a modern city. Lib Dem David Watkins, who will succeed Labour's Harry Steer in May, represents the cosmopolitan Brunswick area where anything goes. The theme for

  • Chill thrills

    I note Gerald E Spicer (Letters, January 23) is still speed skating at 72 years of age. It would be advisable to travel in the slow lane, thereby not putting further strain on the NHS. However, Southern Counties Radio announced one of its presenters had

  • Dr Martens League: Vital win for St Leonards

    St Leonards beat Wisbech 2-1 in their vital Dr Martens East relegation clash and are off the bottom of the tabe. The match went ahead after a final inspection just 40 minutes before kick-off St Leonards took the initiative after ten minutes when Des Boateng

  • Trendy city with no soul

    What has happened to community spirit in Brighton? There was a time when the resort was famous for it. But last year Brighton Lions had to cancel their carnival parade for the first time since 1967. Now they are axing their carnival in Preston Park after

  • City remembers Nazis' victims

    People from all backgrounds and faiths marked Holocaust Memorial Day in Brighton and Hove. Personal reflections about peace were expressed through songs and poetry at Concorde 2, Brighton, last night. It was also the official launch of this year's Peace

  • Noise pollution, too serious to ignore

    I congratulate Brighton and Hove City Council for its stand against noise, the forgotten pollutant. The prosecution of the perpetrator of loud music and seizure of stereo equipment (The Argus, January 23) is an example of the ever-increasing problem of

  • Knife raider strikes for 11th time

    An armed robber who targets off-licences and newsagents in Brighton and Hove has struck for the 11th time. He threatened a woman assistant at the Thresher wine shop in Western Road, Hove, with a knife. He made her lie face-down and took hundreds of pounds

  • Ex-mayor Jenny defects to Lib Dems

    Former Brighton and Hove mayor Jenny Barnard-Langston and her husband Mark today quit the Tories to join the Liberal Democrats. Lib Dem leader Paul Elgood welcomed the couple and said the defection was proof his party would soon relegate the Conservatives

  • Blaze wrecks bungalow

    The residents of a West Sussex bungalow were homeless today after flames ripped through their home. Firefighters battled the blaze in The Street, Thakeham, near Storrington, for almost three hours. Crews from Storrington, Horsham, Petworth and Steyning

  • Net access rules shake-up

    Telecoms regulator Oftel today proposed a series of measures to ensure companies continue to deliver unmetered Internet access to consumers. The regulator is suggesting a series of changes to the way British Telecom supplies and charges rival groups who

  • Parents fear for children's safety

    Speeding drivers are leaving Woodingdean householders in fear for children's safety on a residential street used as a rat-run. Some 200 people have signed a petition calling for traffic calming on Downs Valley Road. The street was the scene of a crash

  • Fake pass fooled jet guard

    A Gatwick security guard has been suspended after an undercover inspector got into a hangar using a fake pass. The Securicor ADI guard waved the Government inspector through a gate leading to British Airways maintenance hangars containing aircraft. Snap

  • Rail managers man strike-hit trains

    Train company managers ran hundreds of services themselves today after the latest strike action by their staff. South West Trains said it would not allow the Rail Maritime and Transport Union to hold its customers to "ransom" as it put in place a special

  • TV's Jamie sorry for vice girl 'mistake'

    TV presenter Jamie Theakston has apologised to his family and friends following embarrassing revelations he was blackmailed after visiting a vice club. A national newspaper said Jamie, 31, had indulged in sex games at the club in Mayfair, London, shortly

  • Plea to extend street drinking rules

    A campaign to drive street drinkers out of an area which has undergone a major facelift has been launched. Brighton and Hove City Council spent more than £100,000 cleaning up Norfolk Square but people living and working nearby said it was still blighted

  • Bravery of knife maniac's victim

    The teenage victim of knife maniac Ian Haywood hopes to use her terrifying experience to help victims of similar brutal attacks. The 18-year-old, who has anonymity as a victim of a sex attack, said she was trying to rebuild her life after the frenzied

  • Fake pass fooled jet guard

    A Gatwick security guard has been suspended after an undercover inspector got into a hangar using a fake pass. The Securicor ADI guard waved the Government inspector through a gate leading to British Airways maintenance hangars containing aircraft. Snap

  • Train doors trap woman's head

    An inquiry has been launched after a woman's head was trapped between the sliding doors of a moving train. Passenger watchdog Brighton Line Commuters (BLC) said the victim, referred to as Miss H, was travelling on a Thameslink train between London Bridge

  • Couple in gunpoint hold-up drama

    Robbers threatened an East Sussex couple with a gun and fled with £150 and a PlayStation. The couple let two men into their flat in the White Rock area of Hastings. One of the men produced a gun and demanded cash. After the robbery they were seen getting

  • Saved from a raging inferno

    Residents today relived the moment they were rescued by firefighters as flames swept through their building. The huge fire in Warrior Square, St Leonards, was one of two which broke out at almost the same time, leaving East Sussex fire brigade at full

  • Second TV win for Leisa

    Council worker Leisa Gunn is living it up in Sweden after winning a second week's holiday on a TV game show. Leisa, 33, has been enjoying the millionaire lifestyle since winning a trip to Melbourne on the National Lottery Jet Set show last weekend. At

  • Warning over malaria 'threat'

    Malaria could become a threat to health in Sussex because of global warming and increased air travel, a Euro-MP says. Lib Dem Chris Huhne said the threat of malaria and other tropical diseases taking a hold in the county was serious. According to a Department

  • Pigeon cull to be stopped

    Feathers will no longer be flying in a seaside town after pigeons were given a stay of execution. A total of 126 residents sent a petition to Worthing Borough Council asking it to look for ways to control pigeons without killing them. The council has

  • My ancient Egyptian shed

    Worthing is a far cry from the Valley of the Kings in Egypt but it has developed a strange bond with the age of the pharaohs. It is little known that the man who cracked the code which enabled Egyptologists to read previously mind-boggling hieroglyphics

  • Lions pull plug on carnival

    The Brighton Lions club has cancelled its annual carnival after last year's event failed to attract the crowds. The club pulled the plug on its annual event when it raised just £4,000 for local charities, a fraction of previous amounts. Secretary Bruce

  • Staggered at CCTV cost

    I am amazed at the stated cost of the proposed CCTV system in Moulsecoomb. Have I got it right? More than a quarter of a million? At more than £45,000 per camera, they must be solid gold and diamond studded. Whoever gets a contract like that is going

  • Music sounded better back then

    I realise how lucky I was to have had my teens in the late Seventies and early Eighties with music by David Bowie, Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. Teenagers today are introduced to music by an indifferent array of tacky versions of old hits. They're like

  • Family Life, by Bini McCall

    Daughter has been ill with that nasty gastric flu and ended up in bed for a few days. She is now better, if a bit thin and interestingly pale. I am sure once she regains her usual pizza consumption levels she will make a speedy recovery. While she was

  • Caring parents given no choice.

    Isobella Thomas's family is one of 2,000 families who say their lives have been ruined by the MMR vaccine. Her sons Michael, nine, and Terry, seven, developed signs of autism and suffered bowel problems after being inoculated as toddlers. Mrs Thomas,

  • Ex-mayor Jenny defects to Lib Dems

    Former Brighton and Hove mayor Jenny Barnard-Langston and her husband Mark today quit the Tories to join the Liberal Democrats. Lib Dem leader Paul Elgood welcomed the couple and said the defection was proof his party would soon relegate the Conservatives

  • War on mums

    I am horrified to learn the Government is launching war on single mums in April. From that date, they will be offered a job and if they refuse will lose all benefits. Members of Parliament can award themselves £100,000 a year in expenses, yet they must

  • Needless day

    Is there really any need for a Holocaust Day? One has to ask, what service does it perform? The victims are either no longer with us or have lived for so many years without a designated day that it cannot help their healing process. Remembrance Day surely

  • Too flashy

    Having seen the Holiday On Ice show at the Brighton Centre, I fully agree with the complaint by Joyce Edwards concerning flashing lights (The Argus, January 22). I fail to see what is achieved by temporarily half-blinding members of the audience with

  • Let's Rock it

    Full marks to speed skater Gerald Spicer who, at 72 years old, is still willing to put his ice skates on to help us Keep Sussex Skating. The KSS archives have a copy of an Evening Argus feature (August 7, 1992) which shows Gerald demonstrating his prototype

  • The benefits of milk

    Recent scientific research has shown that milk is a healthy drink which could prevent certain illnesses, including cancer. Milk contains many valuable nutrients including essential proteins and amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, essential fatty acids and

  • Mayor in tune

    The new mayor of Brighton and Hove may be a pensioner but he's in tune with the times in a modern city. Lib Dem David Watkins, who will succeed Labour's Harry Steer in May, represents the cosmopolitan Brunswick area where anything goes. The theme for

  • Bears need to step up gear

    Title-chasing Bears are under orders to step up a gear on offence as they attack one of the most important phases of their season. Bears' renowned defensive tenacity easily snuffed out a desperately disappointing Birmingham Bullets side at a packed Triangle

  • Ban the booze

    Brighton and Hove City Council spent more than £100,000 on improvements to Norfolk Square off Western Road. One of the aims was to make it more open and attractive so that drunks and vagrants would no longer gather there. But residents, who presented

  • Kids love big screen monsters

    Hundreds of children proved they were the nation's bravest by being the very first to watch new must-see Disney movie Monsters Inc. More than 350 people packed into the Odeon in Brighton for the special screening last night. The film is not due to open

  • Better values

    In his scathing criticism of former headmaster William Blackshaw (Letters, January 24), the hand-wringing Dr Mike Cole conveniently failed to mention that the boy Blackshaw caned was a cowardly bully who had "severely traumatised" a new pupil at his school

  • Dr Martens League: Vital win for St Leonards

    St Leonards beat Wisbech 2-1 in their vital Dr Martens East relegation clash and are off the bottom of the tabe. The match went ahead after a final inspection just 40 minutes before kick-off St Leonards took the initiative after ten minutes when Des Boateng

  • Hard but fair

    In reply to Dr - of what? - Mike Cole (Letters, January 24), I went to Brighton College when Bill Blackshaw was headmaster. Yes, he used the cane - some thought it to be a trophy - but he used it only as a final resort and during the period I spent at

  • Rich City League: Wonder strike helps Eastbourne to victory

    Eastbourne have 'Owen' emblazoned across their shirts, but Beckham might be more appropriate for young Man Utd fan Ben Bown. Town's teenage wideman capped an impressive performance with a stunning effort when he lobbed keeper Ashley Walker with an audacious

  • Jolly Rodger has a lot to celebrate

    Simon Rodger dreamed of playing for Albion as a schoolboy. Instead, the 30-year-old midfielder from Shoreham has kicked off his testimonial year at Crystal Palace planning a glittering occasion against Glenn Hoddle's Tottenham. Rodger currently has three

  • Council says sorry over parking ticket

    A painter and decorator has received an official apology after being wrongly given a £30 ticket by a traffic warden. Lee Nye, 34, was furious after getting a ticket for double-parking his Volvo estate car in Springfield Road, Brighton, where he was working

  • Parents fear for children's safety

    Speeding drivers are leaving Woodingdean householders in fear for children's safety on a residential street used as a rat-run. Some 200 people have signed a petition calling for traffic calming on Downs Valley Road. The street was the scene of a crash

  • Fake pass fooled jet guard

    A Gatwick security guard has been suspended after an undercover inspector got into a hangar using a fake pass. The Securicor ADI guard waved the Government inspector through a gate leading to British Airways maintenance hangars containing aircraft. Snap

  • Train doors trap woman's head

    An inquiry has been launched after a woman's head was trapped between the sliding doors of a moving train. Passenger watchdog Brighton Line Commuters (BLC) said the victim, referred to as Miss H, was travelling on a Thameslink train between London Bridge

  • Benefit workers go on strike

    Workers at Benefits Agency offices and JobCentres throughout Sussex went on strike today in a dispute over staff safety. Staff at offices in Brighton, Hove, Eastbourne and other towns joined the national 48-hour walk-out. Some offices were closed with

  • Deciding on the best type of care

    Finding good childcare can be one of the biggest decisions parents have to make. The fact that more women are returning to work after having children has led to a greater demand for quality childcare. There are many day nurseries and registered childminders

  • Moving words from Holocaust survivor

    A concentration camp survivor shared his childhood memories of Belsen at an event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in Worthing. Rudi Oppenheimer, 70, joined mayor Valerie Sutton at the town's war memorial and more than 130 people joined in prayer at the

  • Quality people need quality foods

    Despite all the resolutions, do you lose out in the power struggle with the wrong kind of food? Our bodies are made from molecules derived from what we eat so, of course, we need food. But why is it that when I reach for an apple, I choose chocolate instead

  • Row rumbles on over pub dining car

    A pub landlord is preparing for the latest round of his two-year battle to keep a converted railway carriage as a restaurant. Fred Courcha won permission to put an antique Pullman carriage behind the Gardener Arms in Sompting. But a different and bigger

  • My ancient Egyptian shed

    Worthing is a far cry from the Valley of the Kings in Egypt but it has developed a strange bond with the age of the pharaohs. It is little known that the man who cracked the code which enabled Egyptologists to read previously mind-boggling hieroglyphics

  • Fined for parking on old yellow lines

    A council has been accused of "bureaucracy gone mad" for insisting a motorist pays up for parking on double-yellow lines that should no longer exist. Baker Giovanni Ballone thought he had parked legally in a new resident's bay close to his home near Hove

  • Staggered at CCTV cost

    I am amazed at the stated cost of the proposed CCTV system in Moulsecoomb. Have I got it right? More than a quarter of a million? At more than £45,000 per camera, they must be solid gold and diamond studded. Whoever gets a contract like that is going

  • Food policy makes no sense

    So the Government should give more support to organic farmers (The Argus, January 23) in view of the demand for such food, of which 70 per cent has to be imported from abroad because we can't grow enough here? The Government spends £20 million a year

  • Family Life, by Bini McCall

    Daughter has been ill with that nasty gastric flu and ended up in bed for a few days. She is now better, if a bit thin and interestingly pale. I am sure once she regains her usual pizza consumption levels she will make a speedy recovery. While she was

  • Voice Of The Third Age, by Lis Solkhon

    It must seem very quiet and peaceful in Rottingdean this week after all the noise and excitement of the pantomime. Judging by the amount of hissing and booing - not to mention the cries of "Look behind you" and of course the old routine of "Oh yes he

  • Fear over firefighter shortage

    Fire engines are being taken off the road during the day because there is no one to crew them. An alarming shortage of part-time firefighters is putting lives at risk because of delays in responding to emergency calls. More than two thirds of fire stations

  • Rail managers man strike-hit trains

    Train company managers ran hundreds of services themselves today after the latest strike action by their staff. South West Trains said it would not allow the Rail Maritime and Transport Union to hold its customers to "ransom" as it put in place a special

  • Saved from a raging inferno

    Residents today relived the moment they were rescued by firefighters as flames swept through their building. The huge fire in Warrior Square, St Leonards, was one of two which broke out at almost the same time, leaving East Sussex fire brigade at full

  • Knife raider strikes for 11th time

    An armed robber who targets off-licences and newsagents in Brighton and Hove has struck for the 11th time. He threatened a woman assistant at the Thresher wine shop in Western Road, Hove, with a knife. He made her lie face-down and took hundreds of pounds

  • War on mums

    I am horrified to learn the Government is launching war on single mums in April. From that date, they will be offered a job and if they refuse will lose all benefits. Members of Parliament can award themselves £100,000 a year in expenses, yet they must

  • Pool set to reopen

    A public swimming pool closed after springing a leak before Christmas is preparing to reopen this week. Staff at the Aquarena in Brighton Road, Worthing, said the pool was full of water again. The operation to refill the main pool and the learner pool

  • It's brilliant

    I heartily agree with Joyce Edwards regarding the lighting in the Holiday On Ice show. My sister and I were in balcony seats and the bright lights were directly facing us. Apart from us, many people were shading their eyes from the glare and occasional

  • Too flashy

    Having seen the Holiday On Ice show at the Brighton Centre, I fully agree with the complaint by Joyce Edwards concerning flashing lights (The Argus, January 22). I fail to see what is achieved by temporarily half-blinding members of the audience with

  • Bears need to step up gear

    Title-chasing Bears are under orders to step up a gear on offence as they attack one of the most important phases of their season. Bears' renowned defensive tenacity easily snuffed out a desperately disappointing Birmingham Bullets side at a packed Triangle

  • Ban the booze

    Brighton and Hove City Council spent more than £100,000 on improvements to Norfolk Square off Western Road. One of the aims was to make it more open and attractive so that drunks and vagrants would no longer gather there. But residents, who presented

  • Kids love big screen monsters

    Hundreds of children proved they were the nation's bravest by being the very first to watch new must-see Disney movie Monsters Inc. More than 350 people packed into the Odeon in Brighton for the special screening last night. The film is not due to open

  • Better values

    In his scathing criticism of former headmaster William Blackshaw (Letters, January 24), the hand-wringing Dr Mike Cole conveniently failed to mention that the boy Blackshaw caned was a cowardly bully who had "severely traumatised" a new pupil at his school

  • Hard but fair

    In reply to Dr - of what? - Mike Cole (Letters, January 24), I went to Brighton College when Bill Blackshaw was headmaster. Yes, he used the cane - some thought it to be a trophy - but he used it only as a final resort and during the period I spent at

  • Rich City League: Rye are title favourites

    Rye and Iden United look favourites for the County League Division Two title after crushing runaway league leaders Shoreham 5-1. Shoreham were 15 points clear at the start of play but with six games in hand, Rye must fancy their chances after this crushing

  • Rich City League: Wonder strike helps Eastbourne to victory

    Eastbourne have 'Owen' emblazoned across their shirts, but Beckham might be more appropriate for young Man Utd fan Ben Bown. Town's teenage wideman capped an impressive performance with a stunning effort when he lobbed keeper Ashley Walker with an audacious

  • Crawley will not go full time

    Crawley are on target achieve their Conference dream ahead of schedule, according to chairwoman Jo Gomm. But if Reds do go up they won't be risking their long-term future by going full-time. Instead, the extra revenue generated from promotion will help

  • Jolly Rodger has a lot to celebrate

    Simon Rodger dreamed of playing for Albion as a schoolboy. Instead, the 30-year-old midfielder from Shoreham has kicked off his testimonial year at Crystal Palace planning a glittering occasion against Glenn Hoddle's Tottenham. Rodger currently has three

  • Defeat could be a blessing

    Albion boss Peter Taylor believes the Seagulls' biggest defeat for nearly three years could be a blessing in disguise. Taylor says the result will give everyone at the club a "kick up the backside". The players return to training today after a weekend

  • Council says sorry over parking ticket

    A painter and decorator has received an official apology after being wrongly given a £30 ticket by a traffic warden. Lee Nye, 34, was furious after getting a ticket for double-parking his Volvo estate car in Springfield Road, Brighton, where he was working

  • Dentist stole patients' cash, hearing told

    A dentist persuaded a patient to loan him her savings before disappearing without paying a penny back, the General Dental Council heard today. James Hamilton talked patient Jennifer Burgess into handing over more than £3,000 by claiming he knew of a get-rich-quick

  • Labour in Enron probe plea

    The Government today faced demands for an inquiry into Labour's links with collapsed US energy giant Enron and its accountants Arthur Andersen. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Matthew Taylor called for a Commons inquiry into the party's "extremely

  • Crash driver flown to hospital

    A man was airlifted to hospital by helicopter after his car crashed into a wall near Horsham. It is believed the 23-year-old lost control of his white Renault Clio on a right-hand bend at about 11.45pm on Friday. Firefighters from Horsham spent 30 minutes

  • Homes on flood alert

    Parts of Sussex were on flood alert today after gale force storms battered the county. Police issued a warning to drivers about treacherous conditions on the roads after several trees were brought down by high winds. Fallen trees were reported on roads

  • Caravan dwellers flee blaze

    Twenty people were evacuated from their homes at a West Sussex caravan park after a fire broke out in a storage shed. Four propane gas cylinders were discovered in the burning shed by firefighters when they arrived to tackle the blaze. The alarm was raised

  • Woman punched

    A woman was punched in the face and some of her hair was pulled out in a fracas at a pub in Eastbourne. The 45-year-old victim was attacked outside the Parkfield pub in Lindfield Road. PC Vicky Richards said: "The injuries this woman received were fairly

  • Benefit workers go on strike

    Workers at Benefits Agency offices and JobCentres throughout Sussex went on strike today in a dispute over staff safety. Staff at offices in Brighton, Hove, Eastbourne and other towns joined the national 48-hour walk-out. Some offices were closed with

  • Dog wins pub draw

    A policeman's dog has won two top prizes in a pub draw. Sergeant Tim Raggett bought a dozen books of tickets and got so fed up with writing his name decided to use his dog's name, which is shorter. When the draw was made at the Sussex Police Social Club

  • Cabbie foils illegal migrants

    Two illegal immigrants have been deported after a taxi driver saw them jump from a moving lorry. The Polish pair ran into gardens after jumping from the French lorry near the Little Chef on the A27 at Lewes. Police caught the men, aged 21 and 23, and

  • Rush-hour mayhem

    Rush-hour traffic ground to a halt today after a breakdown and a three-car collision on the A23 around Brighton. No one was hurt when three cars collided on the A23 Brighton-London road at Pyecombe. Later this morning a car broke down just north of the

  • Deciding on the best type of care

    Finding good childcare can be one of the biggest decisions parents have to make. The fact that more women are returning to work after having children has led to a greater demand for quality childcare. There are many day nurseries and registered childminders

  • Blaze alert at night club

    Firefighters were called to a Mid Sussex night club early today after smoke was spotted pouring from a window. Crews put out a blaze at Martine's night club, Institute Walk, East Grinstead. The small fire started in a first-floor cloakroom. Firefighters

  • Dentist stole patients' cash, hearing told

    A dentist persuaded a patient to loan him her savings before disappearing without paying a penny back, the General Dental Council heard today. James Hamilton talked patient Jennifer Burgess into handing over more than £3,000 by claiming he knew of a get-rich-quick