Archive

  • The cost of traffic jams

    Small businesses in the South-East have added their voices to the debate on transport policy in the UK. They claim the region's crumbling transport infrastructure is costing them £670 million a year. This amounts to a staggering £4 billion across the

  • Student's brave shave for charity

    A student who has a brain tumour will shave off her long auburn locks for charity. Chantelle Penderghast, 22, a student at the University of Brighton, is undergoing chemotherapy and has decided to shave her head before her hair starts to fall out. She

  • Travellers threat to golf course

    A golf course operator claims he could be ruined if travellers set up camp in his car park again. Steve Callow said he could be forced to shut the Benfield Valley pay-and-play course in Hangleton, Hove. Up to 20 travellers and their caravans moved on

  • Top Gear for all golf fans

    A Sussex company has been chosen to produce the official merchandise for one of the world's major golf events, the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth during May. As a licensed partner of the European Tour, Horsham-based Gear Europe plans to launch a

  • Flat owners face phone mast fight

    Residents in a block of flats face a fight to stop a mobile phone giant putting a mast on their roof. Mobile phone firm Orange has asked freeholders in the Wilbury Road area of Hove if they would consider allowing a mast to be placed on their properties

  • Commercial clout rules, says expert

    Companies will be allowed to charge interest on late payments from August 8, three months earlier than expected. The ruling was introduced by the European Commission two years ago, initially giving small firms a statutory right to claim interest from

  • Helping hand for budding Bransons

    A training scheme aimed at people with good ideas but little knowledge of the business world is to be extended for a second year. Following the success of the New Entrepreneur Scholarship (NES) pilot scheme last year, it is to be relaunched in Hastings

  • Parker's Progress by Tim Parker

    Brighton and Hove City Council has entrusted the management of the Dome Concert Hall, the Corn Exchange and the Pavilion Theatre to the Brighton Festival Society. The new chief executive of the Brighton Festival is Nick Dodds, who was previously in charge

  • Gourmet cooking is the name of the game

    When her five-year-old son started school, Melissa Potter started her own business. Now food prepared in the Balcombe Kitchen by the former advertising sales executive and restaurateur is enjoyed in homes across north Sussex and Surrey. Her range of pates

  • Career that sets the pulse racing

    At the age of 35, former holiday camp entertainer Rod Street is the country's youngest managing director of a racecourse company. Born in Woodindean, a stone's throw from Brighton racecourse, Mr Street is now managing director of Northern Racing, the

  • Benefits of the bypass axe

    There was anger when Stephen Byers axed the Hastings bypass - but it may prove to be the best thing to happen to the town in a generation. Many saw the project as the key to reviving the down-at-heel resort and were outraged by the Transport Secretary's

  • Love and the law

    Did Sussex Police consult their legal team before sending "Valentine poems" to suspected criminals? I realise this was a bit of fun but I worry these suspects may have the potential to bring civil proceedings against the police for assuming guilt or even

  • Jenny can't take defeat

    I have recently had a leaflet in which Jenny Barnard-Langston feebly attempts to justify her defection to the Lib-Dems. It maintains a by-election in the Goldsmid ward is a waste of money. Mrs Barnard-Langston showed by her behaviour at the count for

  • Thieves prey on milkmen

    Violent thieves have been targeting milkmen carrying out their early morning rounds. Police are linking two attacks in Worthing and want witnesses to come forward. In the latest incident, a milkman doing his rounds was approached by three men in Fletcher

  • War stories

    Inspired by my father's wartime experiences, I am compiling a collection of stories from the Second World War to be published. Readers are invited to send their own true stories and anecdotes for consideration. They should be no more than 3,000 words

  • Back on track

    I was very pleased to read the comments of Tony Woodhouse, general manager of the Brighton and Hove Philharmonic Society (Letters, February 8), concerning John Ogdon, the great pianist. Having attended concerts of the BHPS over the past 46 years, I can

  • Out of place

    While it is very good Brighton's Dome should have been restored to its former splendid state, it is interesting this has been done with monies forthcoming from various sources, including the Lottery. Meanwhile, the arguments and controversy go on over

  • Waste returns

    Complaints about rubbish piling up have declined ever since Brighton and Hove City Council took over collection from a private firm in October last year. But there are still problems, as people around Grand Avenue in Hove will testify. They have seen

  • Harmony in the family

    No lessons are normally given to people on how to be a good parent of youngsters from childhood to adulthood. But the £2 million On Track scheme in Portslade aims to do just that over the next seven years. While there is more prosperity around for most

  • Vandalism

    I am absolutely appalled by the action taken by Lewes District Council with regard to Seaford cemetery. How dare it dismantle and destroy these headstones in this way? Surely the plots are private property, bought by the relatives of the deceased? As

  • Hockey: Lewes in drop zone after Tigers torment

    Lewes slipped into the relegation zone in National League division one after a 3-2 defeat away to fellow strugglers Barford Tigers. The hosts were rock bottom at the start of play but their experience shone through against a young Lewes side. Only Chelmsford

  • Callous council has betrayed our trust

    I wish to voice my utter disgust at the way Lewes District Council has conducted itself with regard to Seaford cemetery. The reason given on a small plastic card for toppling the headstones was: "These headstones have been placed down for health and safety

  • Hockey: Perfect ten for Missirian's men

    Holders Brighton charged into the semi-finals of the Sussex Cup with a 10-0 drubbing of Penguin. Carlo Missirian's side displayed clinical finishing to highlight the gulf in the respective leagues as they brushed aside a more than useful Sussex Open League

  • Taylor sets target while Bobby's away

    Albion boss Peter Taylor has set his promotion chasers a minimum target of a win, draw and defeat without Bobby Zamora. The Seagulls' 26-goal star starts a three-match suspension against relegation-threatened Wrexham at Withdean on Saturday. He is also

  • Union urges pension plan protection

    The Government was today urged to legislate to stop companies ending or diluting occupational pension schemes. Unions have become alarmed at the number of firms announcing an end to final salary pension schemes. The plea from trade union Amicus came amid

  • Sharp rise in house prices

    The rate at which house prices are rising accelerated rapidly during January, boosted by strong consumer confidence, a survey claims. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said property prices in England and Wales increased at double their average

  • Hardware: Digital soundcard is a sound investment

    If you are just starting out or money is tight, you might want to consider the Terratec 512i digital soundcard. This well-constructed card offers most of the bells and whistles associated with more expensive sound cards at a lower cost. Suitable for gaming

  • Rockers spooked by singing nuns

    Heavy rockers who use a converted nunnery as a studio are being spooked by the eerie sound of hymn-singing. Whenever Cobra crank up the decibels, they hear ghostly female voices. Members of the four-strong band reckon the spirits of the nuns are trying

  • Web site has DJs and clubbers in a spin

    A web site business is helping some of the country's top dance labels decide what music DJs and clubbers want to listen to. Thewhitelabel.com, based in Henfield and named after the white label pressings issued by companies before a record's commercial

  • At the hub of media change

    A Brighton multimedia production company is hoping biggest is not necessarily best as it embraces the latest technologies to build its business. Hubub, which was set up late last year by director Martin Jangaard, is the latest addition to the city's new

  • My brother said he'd shoot me

    A man threatened to "blow away" his youngest brother when a family feud broke out over their grandmother's will, a court heard. Peter Reast, 51, knocked on his brother Graham's front door at 2am and demanded £30,000 before threatening to kill him, along

  • Dome downfall of popular skipper

    Kevin Meredith always stuck to his story that he agreed to drive a speedboat because he owed one of the gang £1,400 which he could not repay. The father-of-two said he had never been involved in any crime, although he admitted he once appeared before

  • Diamond plot gang behind bars

    A Sussex charter boat skipper was starting a five-year jail sentence today for his part in the failed Millennium Dome gems heist. He was one of five men convicted over an audacious plan to snatch £200 million worth of diamonds from the Dome in Greenwich

  • Snubbed wife's £20,000 rampage

    A spurned woman chopped up her ex-husband's clothes and ransacked his home, causing almost £20,000 of damage. Lyn Drouin, 51, of Norfolk Gardens, Littlehampton, battered down the back door of his house with a broom handle before launching into a wrecking

  • Museum to remain closed

    Planning problems have caused a delay of several months in reopening a popular museum. Hove Museum in New Church Road closed last summer for major work, which included rearranging galleries and installing a lift so disabled people could reach the first

  • Shop worker slashed in raid

    A shop assistant has been slashed with a knife in an off-licence hold-up. One man stole bottles of wine and a woman accomplice brandished a knife at Unwins in Preston Road, Brighton. The assistant was cut on a hand as he struggled with the woman. He was

  • The end of early retirement is nigh

    The trend for early retirement looks set to end and people will have to work for longer to fund a comfortable retirement, researchers have warned. Increased life expectancy combined with less generous company and state pensions looks set to end people's

  • Badly injured man, 71, sparks investigation

    Police are trying to find out what led to an elderly man collapsing outside his home with serious head injuries. The 71-year-old had a large cut across his forehead. He also had a bruised knee, fractured right arm and grazes to his mouth and nose. He

  • Raid terror of wine shop workers

    Three raiders threatened two female off-licence workers and made off with cash from the safe. They burst into Thresher in High Street, Billingshurst, and grabbed a 46-year-old assistant. They demanded access to the safe and stole hundreds of pounds, Whitbread

  • Gourmet cooking is the name of the game

    When her five-year-old son started school, Melissa Potter started her own business. Now food prepared in the Balcombe Kitchen by the former advertising sales executive and restaurateur is enjoyed in homes across north Sussex and Surrey. Her range of pates

  • Hunt for pharmacy raiders

    These are the two men police want to question following a robbery at a pharmacy. The two masked men went to Williams Chemist in Furnace Green, Crawley, last Monday and demanded money from the till. They forced two women working behind the counter into

  • Residents' bid to move travellers

    Neighbours are calling for the removal of more than 17 travellers' caravans from a disused site in Burgess Hill. They claim they are being intimidated and threatened by the travellers, who moved on to the former Knowles Electronics site in Victoria Road

  • Love and the law

    Did Sussex Police consult their legal team before sending "Valentine poems" to suspected criminals? I realise this was a bit of fun but I worry these suspects may have the potential to bring civil proceedings against the police for assuming guilt or even

  • Urban Housewife, by Lizzie Enfield

    Thomas has helped heal the rift which has grown between friend Sara and self. I had asked if Tony - the muscular, good-looking housecleaner who has been doing for her (doing what no one is quite sure) since she was seduced by his charms and French polishing

  • Thieves prey on milkmen

    Violent thieves have been targeting milkmen carrying out their early morning rounds. Police are linking two attacks in Worthing and want witnesses to come forward. In the latest incident, a milkman doing his rounds was approached by three men in Fletcher

  • Principled gesture

    Well done, Peter Bottomley, MP for Worthing West, for resigning from the Commons standards and privileges committee over its treatment of Elizabeth Filkin, the parliamentary standards commissioner sacked for doing too good a job. Without such principled

  • Tributes to dad who died

    A man who died of stab wounds outside his home lived for his children and his Harley Davidson motorcycle, friends said today. Flowers for Bill Davey, 41, who died on Friday night, have been laid in front of his house as a mark of respect. Friends said

  • Singularly great

    There is a class of musician known, rather affectedly perhaps, by a single name: Semprini, Midori, Madonna, Sting. Recently Nigel Kennedy has tried to enter this class. The first single-namer of all was probably the pianist Solomon. Born Solomon Cutner

  • Spirited music

    Members of rock band Cobra have competition when they go to the Chapel Studios, a former nunnery in Belmore Road, Eastbourne. Whenever they start playing, they can hear the faint but unmistakable sound of women singing hymns. But as for whom is interrupting

  • Rugby: Worthing do just enough to beat Gs

    An under-strength Worthing beat East Grinstead 15-8 in their cup clash at Roundstone Lane but both sides appear to be attaching greater importance to their forthcoming league clash. Steve Imrie put Worthing ahead with a try created by Adam Holloway and

  • Rugby: Chichester topple Brighton in upset

    Ben Polhill helped his Chichester braves dump Brighton out of the Sussex Trophy, then declared: "I always knew we could do it." Chi bridged a gap of two divisions to win 24-23 in a thrilling first round tie at Oaklands Park on Sunday. It was the most

  • Harmony in the family

    No lessons are normally given to people on how to be a good parent of youngsters from childhood to adulthood. But the £2 million On Track scheme in Portslade aims to do just that over the next seven years. While there is more prosperity around for most

  • Vandalism

    I am absolutely appalled by the action taken by Lewes District Council with regard to Seaford cemetery. How dare it dismantle and destroy these headstones in this way? Surely the plots are private property, bought by the relatives of the deceased? As

  • Hockey: Lewes in drop zone after Tigers torment

    Lewes slipped into the relegation zone in National League division one after a 3-2 defeat away to fellow strugglers Barford Tigers. The hosts were rock bottom at the start of play but their experience shone through against a young Lewes side. Only Chelmsford

  • Callous council has betrayed our trust

    I wish to voice my utter disgust at the way Lewes District Council has conducted itself with regard to Seaford cemetery. The reason given on a small plastic card for toppling the headstones was: "These headstones have been placed down for health and safety

  • Hockey: Perfect ten for Missirian's men

    Holders Brighton charged into the semi-finals of the Sussex Cup with a 10-0 drubbing of Penguin. Carlo Missirian's side displayed clinical finishing to highlight the gulf in the respective leagues as they brushed aside a more than useful Sussex Open League

  • Taylor sets target while Bobby's away

    Albion boss Peter Taylor has set his promotion chasers a minimum target of a win, draw and defeat without Bobby Zamora. The Seagulls' 26-goal star starts a three-match suspension against relegation-threatened Wrexham at Withdean on Saturday. He is also

  • The Sweeney of Sussex

    Sussex Police have set up a "flying squad" to swoop on major crimes anywhere in the county, 24 hours a day. Officers will be on call and can be at the crime scene in under two hours. Local police will go first but if the crime proves to be a serious one

  • Sharp rise in house prices

    The rate at which house prices are rising accelerated rapidly during January, boosted by strong consumer confidence, a survey claims. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said property prices in England and Wales increased at double their average

  • New man at the helm

    A well-known face has taken over the role of Newhaven town clerk. Ian Everest has lived in the town for 24 years and has been manager of Newhaven Fort for the last 14. Now he has taken over the role of clerk for Newhaven Town Council. He said: "I wanted

  • Travellers put golf course in jeopardy

    A golf course operator claims he could be ruined if travellers set up camp in his car park again. Steve Callow said he could be forced to shut the Benfield Valley pay-and-play course in Hangleton, Hove. Up to 20 travellers and their caravans moved on

  • Students are doing IT all for themselves

    Three enterprising university students are proving there is no place like home for their fledgling web design company. University of Brighton students Tom Ramirez, James Harrison-Bodle and Laz Lazarou founded the company Viper Web Design when they were

  • Review: Game's off to a flying start

    The Ace Combat series has long led the assault for combat flight simulators and the series has landed on the PlayStation 2. It's in the winged form of Ace Combat 4: Distant Thunder. The series has been around for years on the PlayStation and brought playable

  • Limit of 1,000 clubbers at 3am venue

    The number of people using a new seafront nightspot has been restricted by councillors. Despite police objections, Brighton and Hove City Council granted a provisional public entertainments licence for Po Na Na at the Aquarium Terraces. But it restricted

  • Hardware: Digital soundcard is a sound investment

    If you are just starting out or money is tight, you might want to consider the Terratec 512i digital soundcard. This well-constructed card offers most of the bells and whistles associated with more expensive sound cards at a lower cost. Suitable for gaming

  • Rubbish problem piles up again

    Just when residents thought their problems with refuse collection were over, uncollected rubbish bags have been piling up for more than three weeks. Some people in Grand Avenue, Hove, have watched bags of rubbish accumulate for almost a month, despite

  • Web site has DJs and clubbers in a spin

    A web site business is helping some of the country's top dance labels decide what music DJs and clubbers want to listen to. Thewhitelabel.com, based in Henfield and named after the white label pressings issued by companies before a record's commercial

  • My brother said he'd shoot me

    A man threatened to "blow away" his youngest brother when a family feud broke out over their grandmother's will, a court heard. Peter Reast, 51, knocked on his brother Graham's front door at 2am and demanded £30,000 before threatening to kill him, along

  • Refund for driver in towing bungle

    A man has demanded compensation after his car was impounded by mistake. Kenneth Burgoyne, of St Leonard's Road, Hove, had to pay £135 to release his Ford Sierra when it was towed away from outside his house. Parking attendants working for Brighton and

  • Diamond raid was doomed

    The gang which planned the Dome robbery already had a buyer for the £200 million diamonds. Police believe they were probably stealing on an order from the Russian Mafia, who in turn were acting for a wealthy collector, possibly an Arab. Detective Chief

  • Diamond plot gang behind bars

    A Sussex charter boat skipper was starting a five-year jail sentence today for his part in the failed Millennium Dome gems heist. He was one of five men convicted over an audacious plan to snatch £200 million worth of diamonds from the Dome in Greenwich

  • Thieves prey on milkmen

    Violent thieves have been targeting milkmen carrying out their early morning rounds in Worthing. Police are linking the attacks and want witnesses to come forward. In the latest incident, a milkman doing his rounds was approached by three men in Fletcher

  • Police act to end parking chaos

    Police have launched a clampdown on drivers who flout the new parking rules in Burgess Hill town centre. Twenty drivers were given on-the-spot £30 tickets after new rules stopping people from parking on single yellow lines came into force yesterday. The

  • Snubbed wife's £20,000 rampage

    A spurned woman chopped up her ex-husband's clothes and ransacked his home, causing almost £20,000 of damage. Lyn Drouin, 51, of Norfolk Gardens, Littlehampton, battered down the back door of his house with a broom handle before launching into a wrecking

  • Museum to remain closed

    Planning problems have caused a delay of several months in reopening a popular museum. Hove Museum in New Church Road closed last summer for major work, which included rearranging galleries and installing a lift so disabled people could reach the first

  • Funeral firm moves back home

    East Sussex funeral parlour Cooper and Son is moving - but it is not going far. The Uckfield-based company moved from Rose Cottage, Newtown, in the Eighties to more modern offices next door - and now it is moving back again. Funeral director Julia Fordham

  • Doors shut on a deli era

    For generations, shoppers have bought their fresh food from Heather in Hove. But the delicatessen, a landmark in Church Road, is closing, marking the end of an era. During the years, millions of customers have relished Heather's fresh goods, including

  • The end of early retirement is nigh

    The trend for early retirement looks set to end and people will have to work for longer to fund a comfortable retirement, researchers have warned. Increased life expectancy combined with less generous company and state pensions looks set to end people's

  • Small firms cut through red tape

    Budding entrepreneurs can set up a business in Britain in less than two working days and with less than £60, a new European Commission report says. The minimum capital required to establish a private limited company in either the UK or Ireland is just

  • Gatwick's not in terminal decline

    Gatwick airport is not in terminal decline. In spite of British Airways announcing more than 2,500 job cuts and the transfer of some routes to Heathrow. The airline is still the largest operator at the Sussex airport. Airport managing director Roger Cato

  • Instant justice

    We hear Sussex Police will only attend certain crimes. Will this mean victims will take the law into their own hands, thinking that instant justice is better than no justice at all? -Barry Harvey, Brighton

  • Urban Housewife, by Lizzie Enfield

    Thomas has helped heal the rift which has grown between friend Sara and self. I had asked if Tony - the muscular, good-looking housecleaner who has been doing for her (doing what no one is quite sure) since she was seduced by his charms and French polishing

  • Principled gesture

    Well done, Peter Bottomley, MP for Worthing West, for resigning from the Commons standards and privileges committee over its treatment of Elizabeth Filkin, the parliamentary standards commissioner sacked for doing too good a job. Without such principled

  • Tributes to dad who died

    A man who died of stab wounds outside his home lived for his children and his Harley Davidson motorcycle, friends said today. Flowers for Bill Davey, 41, who died on Friday night, have been laid in front of his house as a mark of respect. Friends said

  • Ivan was right

    I suggest Larry Isles (Letters, February 11) gets his facts right before he fires off ignorant and intemperate letters. Ivan Massow was thrown out of the ICA for having the temerity to criticise the rubbish known as conceptual art - such "masterpieces

  • Singularly great

    There is a class of musician known, rather affectedly perhaps, by a single name: Semprini, Midori, Madonna, Sting. Recently Nigel Kennedy has tried to enter this class. The first single-namer of all was probably the pianist Solomon. Born Solomon Cutner

  • Spirited music

    Members of rock band Cobra have competition when they go to the Chapel Studios, a former nunnery in Belmore Road, Eastbourne. Whenever they start playing, they can hear the faint but unmistakable sound of women singing hymns. But as for whom is interrupting

  • Rugby: Worthing do just enough to beat Gs

    An under-strength Worthing beat East Grinstead 15-8 in their cup clash at Roundstone Lane but both sides appear to be attaching greater importance to their forthcoming league clash. Steve Imrie put Worthing ahead with a try created by Adam Holloway and

  • Mother pleads for "victims' minister"

    The mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne has called for a Government minister to look after crime victims. Sara Payne was taking part in a radio discussion about the effects of crime on families. She said: "We need a specific minister to look after

  • Answer this

    The horrific scenes of headstones in Lewes District Council cemeteries being deliberately toppled are beyond belief. The cost of restoration will be huge - even at only £166 each for 600 headstones, it would total almost £100,000. The cost in damages

  • Rugby: Chichester topple Brighton in upset

    Ben Polhill helped his Chichester braves dump Brighton out of the Sussex Trophy, then declared: "I always knew we could do it." Chi bridged a gap of two divisions to win 24-23 in a thrilling first round tie at Oaklands Park on Sunday. It was the most

  • Coomber in frame for Salt Lake gold

    Alex Coomber believes she can strike Olympic gold for Britain in Salt Lake City tomorrow. The 28-year-old RAF flight lieutenant from Worthing is favourite to win the first Olympic skeleton bobsleigh title following three successive World Cup triumphs.

  • The Sweeney of Sussex

    Sussex Police have set up a "flying squad" to swoop on major crimes anywhere in the county, 24 hours a day. Officers will be on call and can be at the crime scene in under two hours. Local police will go first but if the crime proves to be a serious one

  • Twelve accused of learning fund fraud

    Twelve people, including four from Sussex, today appeared before magistrates charged with conspiring to defraud the Department for Education and Skills. The nine men and three women were accused of fraudulently obtaining thousands of pounds from the Government

  • New man at the helm

    A well-known face has taken over the role of Newhaven town clerk. Ian Everest has lived in the town for 24 years and has been manager of Newhaven Fort for the last 14. Now he has taken over the role of clerk for Newhaven Town Council. He said: "I wanted

  • Students are doing IT all for themselves

    Three enterprising university students are proving there is no place like home for their fledgling web design company. University of Brighton students Tom Ramirez, James Harrison-Bodle and Laz Lazarou founded the company Viper Web Design when they were

  • Review: Shape up with a digital diet aid

    Own up. Were you one of the thousands of people who vowed to get rid of those surplus pounds in the New Year? If so, a new interactive software package called Joanna Hall's Step By Step Guide to Weight Loss might be just what you need to retain your dignity

  • Review: Knock nicotine on the head with latest CD

    Just in time for National No Smoking day on March 13, you can get a copy of Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking CD and knock nicotine on the head for ever. With 17 chapters of anti-smoking indoctrination and a host of video clips and animations, this

  • Review: Game's off to a flying start

    The Ace Combat series has long led the assault for combat flight simulators and the series has landed on the PlayStation 2. It's in the winged form of Ace Combat 4: Distant Thunder. The series has been around for years on the PlayStation and brought playable

  • Limit of 1,000 clubbers at 3am venue

    The number of people using a new seafront nightspot has been restricted by councillors. Despite police objections, Brighton and Hove City Council granted a provisional public entertainments licence for Po Na Na at the Aquarium Terraces. But it restricted

  • Let girls have an equally large byte

    How many girl geeks do you know? I suspect it isn't many. The problem facing many parents and technology teachers is how to get girls interested in computing when most regard it as a male-dominated and male-controlled subject. A series of in-depth discussions

  • Moved to tears by bits

    Computers make people cry. No, I am not talking about the blue-screen bawl or the raining of reboot tears. I am describing what happens when animators deliver a omputer-generated film every bit as stimulating and emotionally satisfying as a live action

  • Internet puts firms in the driving seat

    Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are making the most of an unprecedented boom in home internet use to boost their online presence. Research from Oftel showed 63 per cent of SMEs were now online, up from 55 per cent last May. It also said two

  • Rubbish problem piles up again

    Just when residents thought their problems with refuse collection were over, uncollected rubbish bags have been piling up for more than three weeks. Some people in Grand Avenue, Hove, have watched bags of rubbish accumulate for almost a month, despite

  • Refund for driver in towing bungle

    A man has demanded compensation after his car was impounded by mistake. Kenneth Burgoyne, of St Leonard's Road, Hove, had to pay £135 to release his Ford Sierra when it was towed away from outside his house. Parking attendants working for Brighton and

  • Diamond raid was doomed

    The gang which planned the Dome robbery already had a buyer for the £200 million diamonds. Police believe they were probably stealing on an order from the Russian Mafia, who in turn were acting for a wealthy collector, possibly an Arab. Detective Chief

  • Cheats' paradise lost through online exams

    Exam on Demand (EoD) has received money to prove that cheating at school does not pay. The company, which is based at the Sussex Innovation Centre in Brighton, has secured £200,000 of private investment to develop what it claims is a revolutionary product

  • Fashionable dogs groomed for catwalkies

    Dogs of all shapes and sizes are being measured up to model designer outfits on the catwalk for charity. The top 20 pooches picked at audition will appear alongside professional London models in a show held by Southern FM. Fashion students from the University

  • Doors shut on a deli era

    For generations, shoppers have bought their fresh food from Heather in Hove. But the delicatessen, a landmark in Church Road, is closing, marking the end of an era. During the years, millions of customers have relished Heather's fresh goods, including

  • The cost of traffic jams

    Small businesses in the South-East have added their voices to the debate on transport policy in the UK. They claim the region's crumbling transport infrastructure is costing them £670 million a year. This amounts to a staggering £4 billion across the

  • Student's brave shave for charity

    A student who has a brain tumour will shave off her long auburn locks for charity. Chantelle Penderghast, 22, a student at the University of Brighton, is undergoing chemotherapy and has decided to shave her head before her hair starts to fall out. She

  • Travellers threat to golf course

    A golf course operator claims he could be ruined if travellers set up camp in his car park again. Steve Callow said he could be forced to shut the Benfield Valley pay-and-play course in Hangleton, Hove. Up to 20 travellers and their caravans moved on

  • Top Gear for all golf fans

    A Sussex company has been chosen to produce the official merchandise for one of the world's major golf events, the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth during May. As a licensed partner of the European Tour, Horsham-based Gear Europe plans to launch a

  • Flat owners face phone mast fight

    Residents in a block of flats face a fight to stop a mobile phone giant putting a mast on their roof. Mobile phone firm Orange has asked freeholders in the Wilbury Road area of Hove if they would consider allowing a mast to be placed on their properties

  • Commercial clout rules, says expert

    Companies will be allowed to charge interest on late payments from August 8, three months earlier than expected. The ruling was introduced by the European Commission two years ago, initially giving small firms a statutory right to claim interest from

  • Driver sprayed with tear gas

    A driver had tear gas sprayed in his face by a robber who grabbed cash from his car. The victim was sitting in his parked car in Ewhurst Road, West Green, Crawley, when a man approached him and said he had broken down and needed help. The victim got out

  • Helping hand for budding Bransons

    A training scheme aimed at people with good ideas but little knowledge of the business world is to be extended for a second year. Following the success of the New Entrepreneur Scholarship (NES) pilot scheme last year, it is to be relaunched in Hastings

  • Small firms cut through red tape

    Budding entrepreneurs can set up a business in Britain in less than two working days and with less than £60, a new European Commission report says. The minimum capital required to establish a private limited company in either the UK or Ireland is just

  • Parker's Progress by Tim Parker

    Brighton and Hove City Council has entrusted the management of the Dome Concert Hall, the Corn Exchange and the Pavilion Theatre to the Brighton Festival Society. The new chief executive of the Brighton Festival is Nick Dodds, who was previously in charge

  • Career that sets the pulse racing

    At the age of 35, former holiday camp entertainer Rod Street is the country's youngest managing director of a racecourse company. Born in Woodindean, a stone's throw from Brighton racecourse, Mr Street is now managing director of Northern Racing, the

  • Gatwick's not in terminal decline

    Gatwick airport is not in terminal decline. In spite of British Airways announcing more than 2,500 job cuts and the transfer of some routes to Heathrow. The airline is still the largest operator at the Sussex airport. Airport managing director Roger Cato

  • Benefits of the bypass axe

    There was anger when Stephen Byers axed the Hastings bypass - but it may prove to be the best thing to happen to the town in a generation. Many saw the project as the key to reviving the down-at-heel resort and were outraged by the Transport Secretary's

  • Instant justice

    We hear Sussex Police will only attend certain crimes. Will this mean victims will take the law into their own hands, thinking that instant justice is better than no justice at all? -Barry Harvey, Brighton

  • Jenny can't take defeat

    I have recently had a leaflet in which Jenny Barnard-Langston feebly attempts to justify her defection to the Lib-Dems. It maintains a by-election in the Goldsmid ward is a waste of money. Mrs Barnard-Langston showed by her behaviour at the count for

  • Woman in back alley sex attack

    A man carried out a sex assault on a woman in an Eastbourne alleyway while his accomplice watched. The pair struck as the woman, in her 40s, walked down an alley behind houses in Birling Street and Northiam Road, Eastbourne. One man pinned the woman down

  • Ivan was right

    I suggest Larry Isles (Letters, February 11) gets his facts right before he fires off ignorant and intemperate letters. Ivan Massow was thrown out of the ICA for having the temerity to criticise the rubbish known as conceptual art - such "masterpieces

  • War stories

    Inspired by my father's wartime experiences, I am compiling a collection of stories from the Second World War to be published. Readers are invited to send their own true stories and anecdotes for consideration. They should be no more than 3,000 words

  • Back on track

    I was very pleased to read the comments of Tony Woodhouse, general manager of the Brighton and Hove Philharmonic Society (Letters, February 8), concerning John Ogdon, the great pianist. Having attended concerts of the BHPS over the past 46 years, I can

  • Out of place

    While it is very good Brighton's Dome should have been restored to its former splendid state, it is interesting this has been done with monies forthcoming from various sources, including the Lottery. Meanwhile, the arguments and controversy go on over

  • Waste returns

    Complaints about rubbish piling up have declined ever since Brighton and Hove City Council took over collection from a private firm in October last year. But there are still problems, as people around Grand Avenue in Hove will testify. They have seen

  • Mother pleads for "victims' minister"

    The mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne has called for a Government minister to look after crime victims. Sara Payne was taking part in a radio discussion about the effects of crime on families. She said: "We need a specific minister to look after

  • Answer this

    The horrific scenes of headstones in Lewes District Council cemeteries being deliberately toppled are beyond belief. The cost of restoration will be huge - even at only £166 each for 600 headstones, it would total almost £100,000. The cost in damages

  • Coomber in frame for Salt Lake gold

    Alex Coomber believes she can strike Olympic gold for Britain in Salt Lake City tomorrow. The 28-year-old RAF flight lieutenant from Worthing is favourite to win the first Olympic skeleton bobsleigh title following three successive World Cup triumphs.

  • Twelve accused of learning fund fraud

    Twelve people, including four from Sussex, today appeared before magistrates charged with conspiring to defraud the Department for Education and Skills. The nine men and three women were accused of fraudulently obtaining thousands of pounds from the Government

  • Union urges pension plan protection

    The Government was today urged to legislate to stop companies ending or diluting occupational pension schemes. Unions have become alarmed at the number of firms announcing an end to final salary pension schemes. The plea from trade union Amicus came amid

  • Review: Shape up with a digital diet aid

    Own up. Were you one of the thousands of people who vowed to get rid of those surplus pounds in the New Year? If so, a new interactive software package called Joanna Hall's Step By Step Guide to Weight Loss might be just what you need to retain your dignity

  • Review: Knock nicotine on the head with latest CD

    Just in time for National No Smoking day on March 13, you can get a copy of Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking CD and knock nicotine on the head for ever. With 17 chapters of anti-smoking indoctrination and a host of video clips and animations, this

  • Rockers spooked by singing nuns

    Heavy rockers who use a converted nunnery as a studio are being spooked by the eerie sound of hymn-singing. Whenever Cobra crank up the decibels, they hear ghostly female voices. Members of the four-strong band reckon the spirits of the nuns are trying

  • Let girls have an equally large byte

    How many girl geeks do you know? I suspect it isn't many. The problem facing many parents and technology teachers is how to get girls interested in computing when most regard it as a male-dominated and male-controlled subject. A series of in-depth discussions

  • Moved to tears by bits

    Computers make people cry. No, I am not talking about the blue-screen bawl or the raining of reboot tears. I am describing what happens when animators deliver a omputer-generated film every bit as stimulating and emotionally satisfying as a live action

  • Internet puts firms in the driving seat

    Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are making the most of an unprecedented boom in home internet use to boost their online presence. Research from Oftel showed 63 per cent of SMEs were now online, up from 55 per cent last May. It also said two

  • At the hub of media change

    A Brighton multimedia production company is hoping biggest is not necessarily best as it embraces the latest technologies to build its business. Hubub, which was set up late last year by director Martin Jangaard, is the latest addition to the city's new

  • Cheats' paradise lost through online exams

    Exam on Demand (EoD) has received money to prove that cheating at school does not pay. The company, which is based at the Sussex Innovation Centre in Brighton, has secured £200,000 of private investment to develop what it claims is a revolutionary product

  • Dome downfall of popular skipper

    Kevin Meredith always stuck to his story that he agreed to drive a speedboat because he owed one of the gang £1,400 which he could not repay. The father-of-two said he had never been involved in any crime, although he admitted he once appeared before

  • Safety fears at detention centre

    A charity has called for a review of fire safety at a detention centre for illegal immigrants after it was revealed it had not been fitted with water sprinklers. The Gatwick Detainees Support Group has raised concerns about Tinsley House, near the airport

  • Fashionable dogs groomed for catwalkies

    Dogs of all shapes and sizes are being measured up to model designer outfits on the catwalk for charity. The top 20 pooches picked at audition will appear alongside professional London models in a show held by Southern FM. Fashion students from the University

  • Shop worker slashed in raid

    A shop assistant has been slashed with a knife in an off-licence hold-up. One man stole bottles of wine and a woman accomplice brandished a knife at Unwins in Preston Road, Brighton. The assistant was cut on a hand as he struggled with the woman. He was

  • Fire engine prepared for journey to Croatia

    Firefighters have set off on a 1,300-mile journey to donate a fire engine to Croatia. It will take two days for four firefighters from Uckfield to reach eastern Europe. Once in Benkovac,the men will spend a few days training their colleagues on the appliance

  • Arts festival dances into its final week

    Performers attracted hundreds of people as the Eastbourne Music and Arts Festival moved into its final week. Youngsters aged six to nine performed solo dance acts at the Winter Garden in Eastbourne. Among those to triumph were Georgina Wooley, Kristen