Archive

  • Firm is game for alternatives

    A Sussex company has developed a series of eco-friendly board games for children which aim to breed co-operation rather than competition. Gaia Distribution in Hassocks is promoting the new breed of alternatives games designed to feed the mind rather than

  • Drinkers go topsy-turvy for cider

    A traditional Sussex drink has turned the advertising world on its head thanks to a bit of in-cider knowledge. Posters marketing Merrydown cider will be popping up across Britain with people craning their necks to see both sides of the story. The firm

  • Wrong number

    An eight-minute response time is achievable for the Sussex Ambulance Service only if paramedics stop going to the non-medical and non-trauma emergencies the service is being bombarded with every day of the week. The staff and the managers want to deliver

  • Regressive step

    What electoral mandate does the South-East England Regional Assembly have to suggest anything to Brighton and Hove City Council with regard to congestion charging - or anything else, for that matter? This country becomes more undemocratic as each day

  • Father's brush with killer disease

    A father who almost died after contracting Legionnaire's disease has spoken of his nightmare ordeal. Dave Hunt's close brush with death has prompted him to take stock of his life and he knows he is lucky to be alive. With the support of his close family

  • Funeral firm revamps old hearse

    A Victorian hearse has undergone a £30,000 revamp for those who want to go out in style. Funeral directors' HD Tribe ordered the restoration of the horse-drawn coffin-carrier after being told it was falling to bits. Now the magnificent black vehicle has

  • Mother's bins fear after boys in crash

    A shocked mother has warned a council it is gambling with people's lives after her sons were injured in an accident outside a bingo hall. Julie Braggs says Brighton and Hove City Council must move its recycling bins on Portland Road, Hove, or run the

  • Police raid suspect drug dealers' flat

    Police raided a flat they believed was being used by drug dealers. Twelve officers smashed their way into a ground-floor flat in Whitehawk Road, Brighton, yesterday afternoon. They did not find any illegal substances in the property but were confident

  • Between You and me, by Vanora Leigh

    Knock! Knock! Who's there? It's the postman with a pile of letters, far too many to push through the letterbox. The Mother collects them and brings them into the kitchen. She flicks through them, noting postmarks and trying to spot any handwriting she

  • Platforms to stretch for new trains

    Platforms at Sussex railway stations are to be extended because they are too short for new trains. South Central has 33 stations across the county which are too short for the trains. Typically, the platforms can only accommodate four carriages of a six-carriage

  • Are you an achiever?

    Small businesses are being given the chance to showcase their achievements. The Parcelforce Worldwide Small Business Awards will be launched on March 3. The awards are the largest of their kind in the UK and are open to firms with up to 30 people. The

  • Small fry paying for the big fish

    Companies with expensive properties are being subsidised by small businesses who are paying too much in rates. Business rates, which are paid by more than 1.6 million businesses in England, are calculated every five years, the last time being in 2000.

  • Second first for five-star diving centre

    A diving operation has achieved another first. The Brighton Dive Centre in Kemp Town, has become the city's first Padi-authorised five-star dive centre to be recognised by the international dive training organisation. The award means the centre can arrange

  • Parker's Progress with Tim Paker

    Business has become more and more competitive. Banks, retailers, supermarkets, manufacturers and even solicitors fight for market-share. Only the most efficient will survive. And so it is with our charities. Every week some good cause with a carefully

  • Opposition to sewage plan

    A council is opposing plans to build a sewage plant at Shoreham harbour - one of the biggest brownfield sites in the South. Adur District Council has taken a tough stand against proposals for the water treatment plant at the harbour. It is one of eight

  • Fish get a shock to wake in new pond

    Thousands of fish were temporarily stunned by a surge of electricity so they could be moved to cleaner ponds. Workers from the Environment Agency's fishing team sent a 415-volt charge through the boating lake at Alexandra Park, Hastings. The electricity

  • Golfing greens on course for improvement after sale

    THE £2 million sale of a historic downland golf course to a private operator has been completed. Worthing Borough Council and Chichester Golf Club exchanged contracts on Hill Barn golf course to end months of detailed negotiations. The council plans to

  • Web designer's youthful enthusiasm for mayoral role

    A web designer is set to become Worthing's youngest mayor. James Doyle, 38, from Broadwater, has been asked to take on the role in 2003/04. The Liberal Democrat councillor's name will officially be put forward at a council committee meeting next month

  • Lucky escape as wind rips off roof

    A husband had a lucky escape when a freak gust of wind ripped the roof off his house. Simon Hodgkinson was working at home in Rackham Road, Amberley, at about 4pm yesterday when the freak gust of wind caught the flat roof and sent it crashing to the ground

  • Fire crews break picket line to help at road smash

    Firefighters in Eastbourne broke their picket line for the first time since their pay dispute began last year to attend a head-on collision on a busy road. Crews were sent to a smash involving a Honda Accord and a Ford Maverick at Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne

  • Team-mate pays tribute to injured footballer

    Friends and family are continuing a vigil for a star striker found semi- conscious in a children's playground. Allan Ashdown, from Newhaven, was discovered more than a week ago near the Beachy Head pub, Eastbourne, with severe head injuries. He was taken

  • Safe return

    I would like to thank the kind person who returned, to the Saltdean Post Office on Monday, January 20, the disabled parking disc found in Bevendean Road. During the gale on the preceding Friday, the front door of my car was wrenched from my hands and

  • City escapes doctors shortage crisis

    Dire warnings over a shortage of doctors were unfounded and Brighton and Hove has managed to escape a chronic GP recruitment crisis, new figures show. A BMA survey has shown 970 posts for family doctors are unfilled nationally, a vacancy rate of 3.4 per

  • Attack victim angry with police

    A man dialled 999 after being attacked in the street but despite repeated calls to police, no officers arrived. Rob Dean was knocked over and kicked in the face by a group of men in what police are treating as a homophobic attack. He was left bleeding

  • Time warp

    The Saltdean fascists assembled at the Grand Ocean Hotel, Saltdean, with what intention they knew not. This is how the Nazi Party started. Some of the people there fought for freedom in the Second World War. They disgust me. -Doug Lawrence, Rodmell Avenue

  • Youth Cricket: College boys relish tour of India

    Dominic Harris followed in the footsteps of Martin Speight by scoring a century for Hurstpierpoint College in India. The 16-year-old, who also bowls leg-spin, struck 105 against Devraj Singh's XI in a match played at the beautiful Police Gymkhana Ground

  • Kitson set to get the call

    Paul Kitson is on the brink of a long-awaited return to Albion's starting line-up. Boss Steve Coppell is poised to turn to the injury-plagued former West Ham marksman if Graham Barrett's goal drought continues. Kitson steps up his comeback from back surgery

  • Still in denial

    Holocaust denial (The Argus, January 27) is indeed a menace - a dangerous tool used by the advocates of a police state to cover up abusive and repressive policies. Such a state is Turkey, still persecuting ethnic minorities and trade unionists, indulging

  • Senior Cup: Goal-shy Rebels must replay

    Worthing's goal drought continued as Horsham YMCA held them 0-0 at Woodside Road. Rebels, who have failed to score at home for more than two months, could not break through despite extra time and must replay the third round clash next Tuesday. Worthing

  • Senior Cup: Horsham 1 Crawley 3

    Horsham boss John Maggs has ruled himself out of a return to Crawley after seeing his side go out of the Sussex Senior Cup to the Dr Martens League side at Queen Steet last night. Reds were far from convincing against the Ryman division one south team

  • Kitson set to get the call

    Paul Kitson is on the brink of a long-awaited return to Albion's starting line-up. Boss Steve Coppell is poised to turn to the injury-plagued former West Ham marksman if Graham Barrett's goal drought continues. Kitson steps up his comeback from back surgery

  • Happy with work-home balance

    Despite the pressure to work longer hours many employees claim to be happy with the amount of time left over for their personal life, according to a survey published today. A total of 46 per cent of those interviewed thought they had the right balance

  • Sportingbet breaks into profit

    Online sports betting firm Sportingbet said its European operations broke into profit for the first time last autumn, fuelled by a rise in customer numbers and bets placed. The London-based firm, which moved into profit as a group last year, said its

  • Watchdog issues pensions warning

    The City watchdog has warned consumers they could reduce their retirement income by more than 50 per cent if they cash in their pension pot before they retire. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has issued a consumer alert warning people of the pitfalls

  • Zoe pleads for privacy over split from husband Norman

    Embattled Zoe Ball spoke out about her split from DJ Fatboy Slim, saying her relationship with drummer Dan Peppe developed after she parted from her husband. The presenter asked for her family be treated graciously to allow them to get on with their lives

  • Sarah's mother calls for law-change action

    The mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne demanded action, not talk, following a radical overhaul of sex crime legislation. Home Secretary David Blunkett was today announcing the changes which would mean gay sex offences such as buggery, gross indecency

  • Medics vote for action over pay

    Ambulance crews across Sussex could take industrial action over pay and conditions within weeks. Members of trade union Unison voted four to one in favour of the action in a move which could threaten the safety of patients. Although details of the action

  • Trust stays defiant over storm-hit pier

    Campaigners who want to restore the historic West Pier say it will be authentic even though part of the buildings have been lost to winter storms. Brighton and Hove City Council has already given permission to restore the Grade I listed pier. The planning

  • Venue to host reality TV show

    A SECRET venue will become the location of a Regency ball to launch a reality television show. The programme will ask volunteers to spend three months in a Regency house in Brighton, where they will live the lives of Jane Austen and Lord Byron. The volunteers

  • Funeral firm revamps old hearse

    A Victorian hearse has undergone a £30,000 revamp for those who want to go out in style. Funeral directors' HD Tribe ordered the restoration of the horse-drawn coffin-carrier after being told it was falling to bits. Now the magnificent black vehicle has

  • Few GP posts left unfilled

    Vacancies at GP surgeries in Sussex are lower than the average for England. A British Medical Association survey shows the number of unfilled posts nationally is growing with an average of 3.4 per cent empty for three months or more. In Brighton and Hove

  • Toy stolen from child's grave

    A mother was left distraught after a toy was stolen from the grave of her dead child. Leonie Edgington, 25, of Sompting Court, Shoreham, discovered the theft two months after her son Edward William was buried. Mrs Edgington, who has two other sons, suffered

  • Voice coach takes sporting chance

    A singing teacher to the stars is switching his talents from training voices to toning athletes. Lachlan Beveridge has been a voice coach for Lulu and members of boy band Take That. But seven years ago Lachlan, 45, decided to ditch his musical career

  • Opposition to sewage plan

    A council is opposing plans to build a sewage plant at one of the biggest brownfield sites in the South. Adur District Council has taken a tough stand against proposals for the water treatment plant at Shoreham harbour. It is one of eight sites being

  • Regressive step

    What electoral mandate does the South-East England Regional Assembly have to suggest anything to Brighton and Hove City Council with regard to congestion charging - or anything else, for that matter? This country becomes more undemocratic as each day

  • Patients rewarded

    At last - thank you for our new, long-awaited bus shelter outside the Sussex Eye Hospital, Brighton. Everything comes to those who wait. -Vera Craig, Kemp Town, Brighton

  • Small fry paying for the big fish

    Companies with expensive properties are being subsidised by small businesses who are paying too much in rates. Business rates, which are paid by more than 1.6 million businesses in England, are calculated every five years, the last time being in 2000.

  • Stage: Art, Theatre Royal, Brighton, until February 1

    If you decide to see Art with an old pal, beware, for this insightful depiction of friends at war strikes a cord and there were many furtive glances between those leaving the theatre. The play by Yasmina Reza has been going for the best part of a decade

  • Safe return

    I would like to thank the kind person who returned, to the Saltdean Post Office on Monday, January 20, the disabled parking disc found in Bevendean Road. During the gale on the preceding Friday, the front door of my car was wrenched from my hands and

  • Zoe pleads for privacy

    Embattled Zoe Ball spoke out about her split from DJ Fatboy Slim, saying her relationship with drummer Dan Peppe developed after she parted from her husband. The presenter asked for her family be treated graciously to allow them to get on with their lives

  • Singer in clash on visit to hotel

    Pop diva Christina Aguilera's bodyguard was in a scuffle with a photographer as the star was escorted from a seafront hotel last night. The incident happened as the American singer tried to sneak out of a side entrance of the Hilton Brighton Metropole

  • Attack victim angry with police

    A man dialled 999 after being attacked in the street but despite repeated calls to police, no officers arrived. Rob Dean was knocked over and kicked in the face by a group of men in what police are treating as a homophobic attack. He was left bleeding

  • Nouvelle vague

    I am compiling a book on the TV series Z-Cars and its numerous spin-off series (Softly Softly, Barlow At Large, Jack The Ripper), as well as its televisual forerunners Who? Me? and Jacks And Knaves. I hope to include memories relating to the programmes

  • Youth Athletics: Medal glory for Sussex pair

    Great performances by Chichester's Charlotte Browning and Chris West earned the Sussex pair medals in the South of England Cross Country Championships at Exmouth on Saturday. Charlotte not only eased to an individual gold, she also led her Aldershot team

  • Youth Cricket: College boys relish tour of India

    Dominic Harris followed in the footsteps of Martin Speight by scoring a century for Hurstpierpoint College in India. The 16-year-old, who also bowls leg-spin, struck 105 against Devraj Singh's XI in a match played at the beautiful Police Gymkhana Ground

  • Futile horror

    With the impending war with Iraq, should not we remember the failings in the Vietnam conflict, which has many parallels? On July 21, 1954, at the Geneva Conference, a peace treaty was signed that called for general elections to be held in Vietnam under

  • Matthew Clark: Round-Up

    Chris Copley hit a late equaliser as Sidley United drew 1-1 at home to Hailsham Town. Matt Smith had fired the visitors ahead on the stroke of half time. Eighteen-year-old Alex Hill scored two crackers as Shoreham beat Pagham 3-2 in the John O'Hara League

  • Kitson set to get the call

    Paul Kitson is on the brink of a long-awaited return to Albion's starting line-up. Boss Steve Coppell is poised to turn to the injury-plagued former West Ham marksman if Graham Barrett's goal drought continues. Kitson steps up his comeback from back surgery

  • Matthew Clark: Hillians win derby clash

    Steve Harper hit a derby winner as Burgess Hill came from behind to beat Hassocks 2-1 in County League division one. Pat Harding had given Hassocks the lead with a 35-yard screamer on the stroke of half time. But a tactical change proved decisive for

  • A wartime epic

    Lionel Upton from Carlisle Road in Hove was one of the unsung heroes of the Second World War. He was captain of the Rangitane when it sailed from New Zealand to Liverpool with hundreds of passengers and crew. The liner was also laden with millions of

  • Still in denial

    Holocaust denial (The Argus, January 27) is indeed a menace - a dangerous tool used by the advocates of a police state to cover up abusive and repressive policies. Such a state is Turkey, still persecuting ethnic minorities and trade unionists, indulging

  • Ryman League: Lewes go second

    Lewes went second in division one south after winning 7-0 away to a physical Molesey team. The match was effectively over inside 15 minutes as Lewes went 3-0 ahead. In the seventh minute Lee Newman fired home after good work from Tony Reid to open the

  • Minister hits wrong note

    The Government needs to think again about new proposals which will outlaw almost all forms of singing and dancing without a licence. Even singing the national anthem in a pub could be banned under the reforms, which have angered everyone from morris dancers

  • High price

    I read Krista Beighton's report on the doubts being raised on the internet about the holocaust with both sadness and concern (The Argus, January 27). On the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp 58 years ago with only

  • Conviction for rape must be sound, too

    Rape is a disgusting and appalling violation of a victim's body and mind but the crime is wildly misunderstood by many commentators. Lynn Daly (The Argus, January 13) seems, like many people, to be unaware of the current state of the law relating to rape

  • Senior Cup: Horsham 1 Crawley 3

    Horsham boss John Maggs has ruled himself out of a return to Crawley after seeing his side go out of the Sussex Senior Cup to the Dr Martens League side at Queen Steet last night. Reds were far from convincing against the Ryman division one south team

  • Happy with work-home balance

    Despite the pressure to work longer hours many employees claim to be happy with the amount of time left over for their personal life, according to a survey published today. A total of 46 per cent of those interviewed thought they had the right balance

  • Watchdog issues pensions warning

    The City watchdog has warned consumers they could reduce their retirement income by more than 50 per cent if they cash in their pension pot before they retire. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has issued a consumer alert warning people of the pitfalls

  • Sarah's mother calls for law-change action

    The mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne demanded action, not talk, following a radical overhaul of sex crime legislation. Home Secretary David Blunkett was today announcing the changes which would mean gay sex offences such as buggery, gross indecency

  • Medics vote for action over pay

    Ambulance crews across Sussex could take industrial action over pay and conditions within weeks. Members of trade union Unison voted four to one in favour of the action in a move which could threaten the safety of patients. Although details of the action

  • Thieves steal toys from sick toddler

    Thieves have stolen toys given to a toddler who is fighting cancer. The books, teddies, toy cars and puzzles were to cheer up James Smith after each chemotherapy session. His tearful mother Jaqi, 32, said: "I can't believe anyone could stoop so low as

  • Legal aid given in row over a card

    A convicted burglar is being given legal aid to sue Sussex Police after officers sent him a Valentine's Day card. When Gary Williams received the card from officers in Brighton last year, his girlfriend thought it was from another woman and threw an ashtray

  • Police ignored our 999 calls

    College staff dialled 999 three times to report incidents of vandalism and threats from youths but police were too busy to attend. When staff at Portslade Community College called the emergency number, they were left waiting hours for police to turn up

  • Thieves in the frame

    Sussex Police are monitoring the success of a scheme to name and shame criminals in Essex. A convicted burglar and car thief will feature in a campaign to curb crime from next week. Gary Ellis, 27, of Brentwood, Essex, will appear on posters in the town

  • Funeral firm revamps old hearse

    A Victorian hearse has undergone a £30,000 revamp for those who want to go out in style. Funeral directors' HD Tribe ordered the restoration of the horse-drawn coffin-carrier after being told it was falling to bits. Now the magnificent black vehicle has

  • Few GP posts left unfilled

    Vacancies at GP surgeries in Sussex are lower than the average for England. A British Medical Association survey shows the number of unfilled posts nationally is growing with an average of 3.4 per cent empty for three months or more. In Brighton and Hove

  • Author to finish what he started

    A controversial author who almost caused a riot at his last book reading has been invited to complete his talk. Andrew Malcolm made national headlines when staff at Borders bookshop in Oxford tried to stop his reading before calling police and having

  • Voice coach takes sporting chance

    A singing teacher to the stars is switching his talents from training voices to toning athletes. Lachlan Beveridge has been a voice coach for Lulu and members of boy band Take That. But seven years ago Lachlan, 45, decided to ditch his musical career

  • Venue to host reality TV show

    A secret venue in Brighton will become the location of a Regency ball to launch a reality television show. The programme will ask volunteers to spend three months in a Regency house in the city, where they will live the lives of Jane Austen and Lord Byron

  • Firm is game for alternatives

    A Sussex company has developed a series of eco-friendly board games for children which aim to breed co-operation rather than competition. Gaia Distribution in Hassocks is promoting the new breed of alternatives games designed to feed the mind rather than

  • Drinkers go topsy-turvy for cider

    A traditional Sussex drink has turned the advertising world on its head thanks to a bit of in-cider knowledge. Posters marketing Merrydown cider will be popping up across Britain with people craning their necks to see both sides of the story. The firm

  • Council pays for path row

    A council faces a legal bill of £76,000 after losing a court battle over a blocked footpath linked to millionaire killer Nicholas Hoogstraten. The High Court ruled East Sussex County Council ignored planning guidance when it ordered a diversion around

  • Subject matters

    Father Christopher Jamison's piece on the demise of the A-Level (The Argus, January 28) makes me wonder where this leaves people such as me. I returned to adult education three years ago and have gained GCSEs in history and law and am in the middle of

  • Wrong number

    An eight-minute response time is achievable for the Sussex Ambulance Service only if paramedics stop going to the non-medical and non-trauma emergencies the service is being bombarded with every day of the week. The staff and the managers want to deliver

  • Father's brush with killer disease

    A father who almost died after contracting Legionnaire's disease has spoken of his nightmare ordeal. Dave Hunt's close brush with death has prompted him to take stock of his life and he knows he is lucky to be alive. With the support of his close family

  • Mother's bins fear after boys in crash

    A shocked mother has warned a council it is gambling with people's lives after her sons were injured in an accident outside a bingo hall. Julie Braggs says Brighton and Hove City Council must move its recycling bins on Portland Road, Hove, or run the

  • Police raid suspect drug dealers' flat

    Police raided a flat they believed was being used by drug dealers. Twelve officers smashed their way into a ground-floor flat in Whitehawk Road, Brighton, yesterday afternoon. They did not find any illegal substances in the property but were confident

  • Between You and me, by Vanora Leigh

    Knock! Knock! Who's there? It's the postman with a pile of letters, far too many to push through the letterbox. The Mother collects them and brings them into the kitchen. She flicks through them, noting postmarks and trying to spot any handwriting she

  • Platforms to stretch for new trains

    Platforms at Sussex railway stations are to be extended because they are too short for new trains. South Central has 33 stations across the county which are too short for the trains. Typically, the platforms can only accommodate four carriages of a six-carriage

  • Are you an achiever?

    Small businesses are being given the chance to showcase their achievements. The Parcelforce Worldwide Small Business Awards will be launched on March 3. The awards are the largest of their kind in the UK and are open to firms with up to 30 people. The

  • Second first for five-star diving centre

    A diving operation has achieved another first. The Brighton Dive Centre in Kemp Town, has become the city's first Padi-authorised five-star dive centre to be recognised by the international dive training organisation. The award means the centre can arrange

  • Parker's Progress with Tim Paker

    Business has become more and more competitive. Banks, retailers, supermarkets, manufacturers and even solicitors fight for market-share. Only the most efficient will survive. And so it is with our charities. Every week some good cause with a carefully

  • A lot more than just burger bars

    A merchandiser is proving there is more to the franchising industry than burger bars. The Monk Marketing Partnership (MMP), which sells promotional gifts, is launching its national franchise operation at the British Franchising Exhibition at Manchester's

  • City escapes doctors shortage crisis

    Dire warnings over a shortage of doctors were unfounded and Brighton and Hove has managed to escape a chronic GP recruitment crisis, new figures show. A BMA survey has shown 970 posts for family doctors are unfilled nationally, a vacancy rate of 3.4 per

  • Time warp

    The Saltdean fascists assembled at the Grand Ocean Hotel, Saltdean, with what intention they knew not. This is how the Nazi Party started. Some of the people there fought for freedom in the Second World War. They disgust me. -Doug Lawrence, Rodmell Avenue

  • Key to mercy

    While Holocaust Memorial Day has come and gone, The Pianist - a gift from Roman Polanski - is on general release and gives us an an opportunity to understand and rethink our intolerance and ignorance on a number of issues. Every person who has felt anger

  • Youth Swimming: Twins fly flag for England

    Twins Ben and Chris Hutchinson will fly the flag for England in a prestigious international meeting in March. The 16-year-olds from East Grinstead are in the England squad for the Home Schools International in the Republic of Ireland. Chris said: "I do

  • A winning team

    Joe and Carme Brunner from Hassocks have produced board games to encourage co-operation rather than competition. There are often no winners or losers in their ecologically and educationally-sound games such as Gaia's Garden. The carefully-designed amusement

  • Terror source

    Tony Blair has said terrorism is inevitable in this country. What he should have said is it is inevitable if he continues to side with George W Bush over Iraq. Whatever makes him think he will win over the British people with a possible war with that

  • Senior Cup: Goal-shy Rebels must replay

    Worthing's goal drought continued as Horsham YMCA held them 0-0 at Woodside Road. Rebels, who have failed to score at home for more than two months, could not break through despite extra time and must replay the third round clash next Tuesday. Worthing

  • Smith in running for Boro job

    Former Crawley boss Billy Smith is in the running to take over at FA Cup giantkillers Farnborough. The club have called a press conference for later today when they will unveil their successor to Graham Westley who left yesterday to take over at fellow

  • Albion Comment: Ian Hart

    I have to admit that I am surprised the decision to hand over £15,000 from the Forty Note Fund to help pay Ben Roberts' wages has not been universally approved. It was set up with the sole purpose of giving the fans an opportunity to do their bit and

  • Kitson set to get the call

    Paul Kitson is on the brink of a long-awaited return to Albion's starting line-up. Boss Steve Coppell is poised to turn to the injury-plagued former West Ham marksman if Graham Barrett's goal drought continues. Kitson steps up his comeback from back surgery

  • Sportingbet breaks into profit

    Online sports betting firm Sportingbet said its European operations broke into profit for the first time last autumn, fuelled by a rise in customer numbers and bets placed. The London-based firm, which moved into profit as a group last year, said its

  • Trust stays defiant over storm-hit pier

    Campaigners who want to restore the historic West Pier say it will be authentic even though part of the buildings have been lost to winter storms. Brighton and Hove City Council has already given permission to restore the Grade I listed pier. The planning

  • Goddess in baby rescue

    A Green Goddess fire crew came to the aid of a woman who accidentally locked her baby inside her car. The military personnel broke the car window before handing the child, unharmed, to the anxious mother. The incident in Kingsley Road, Brighton, shortly

  • Toy stolen from child's grave

    A mother was left distraught after a toy was stolen from the grave of her dead child. Leonie Edgington, 25, of Sompting Court, Shoreham, discovered the theft two months after her son Edward William was buried. Mrs Edgington, who has two other sons, suffered

  • Opposition to sewage plan

    A council is opposing plans to build a sewage plant at one of the biggest brownfield sites in the South. Adur District Council has taken a tough stand against proposals for the water treatment plant at Shoreham harbour. It is one of eight sites being

  • Council pays for path row

    A council faces a legal bill of £76,000 after losing a court battle over a blocked footpath linked to millionaire killer Nicholas Hoogstraten. The High Court ruled East Sussex County Council ignored planning guidance when it ordered a diversion around

  • Subject matters

    Father Christopher Jamison's piece on the demise of the A-Level (The Argus, January 28) makes me wonder where this leaves people such as me. I returned to adult education three years ago and have gained GCSEs in history and law and am in the middle of

  • Patients rewarded

    At last - thank you for our new, long-awaited bus shelter outside the Sussex Eye Hospital, Brighton. Everything comes to those who wait. -Vera Craig, Kemp Town, Brighton

  • A lot more than just burger bars

    A merchandiser is proving there is more to the franchising industry than burger bars. The Monk Marketing Partnership (MMP), which sells promotional gifts, is launching its national franchise operation at the British Franchising Exhibition at Manchester's

  • Stage: Art, Theatre Royal, Brighton, until February 1

    If you decide to see Art with an old pal, beware, for this insightful depiction of friends at war strikes a cord and there were many furtive glances between those leaving the theatre. The play by Yasmina Reza has been going for the best part of a decade

  • Council pays for path row

    A council faces a legal bill of £76,000 after losing a court battle over a blocked footpath linked to millionaire killer Nicholas Hoogstraten. The High Court ruled East Sussex County Council ignored planning guidance when it ordered a diversion around

  • Partners plan may rescue theatre

    Members of an action group are still hoping to take control of a troubled theatre. Officials at Arun District Council say a partnership between the Windmill Action Group and Littlehampton Town Council may yet be the best way to secure the future of the

  • Tax bills of £1,000

    The average householder in Worthing could soon be paying more than £1,000 a year in council tax for the first time. The council is expected to increase its demand by 8.5 per cent from April but when added to the West Sussex County Council and Sussex Police

  • Fury at bid to patch up pool

    Critics today blasted plans for only a "minimal" upgrade of a swimming pool facing a cash crisis. Leisure officers launched an investigation after it was reported the Aquarena in Brighton Road, Worthing, would make £155,120 less than expected this year

  • Plea for park plan backing

    Villagers are being urged to back plans to turn acres of land into a park. Public consultation on future developments in Hellingly is being carried out by Wealden District Council. Thousands of homes have been earmarked for several sites around the area

  • Zoe pleads for privacy

    Embattled Zoe Ball spoke out about her split from DJ Fatboy Slim, saying her relationship with drummer Dan Peppe developed after she parted from her husband. The presenter asked for her family be treated graciously to allow them to get on with their lives

  • Singer in clash on visit to hotel

    Pop diva Christina Aguilera's bodyguard was in a scuffle with a photographer as the star was escorted from a seafront hotel last night. The incident happened as the American singer tried to sneak out of a side entrance of the Hilton Brighton Metropole

  • Nouvelle vague

    I am compiling a book on the TV series Z-Cars and its numerous spin-off series (Softly Softly, Barlow At Large, Jack The Ripper), as well as its televisual forerunners Who? Me? and Jacks And Knaves. I hope to include memories relating to the programmes

  • Youth Athletics: Medal glory for Sussex pair

    Great performances by Chichester's Charlotte Browning and Chris West earned the Sussex pair medals in the South of England Cross Country Championships at Exmouth on Saturday. Charlotte not only eased to an individual gold, she also led her Aldershot team

  • Key to mercy

    While Holocaust Memorial Day has come and gone, The Pianist - a gift from Roman Polanski - is on general release and gives us an an opportunity to understand and rethink our intolerance and ignorance on a number of issues. Every person who has felt anger

  • Futile horror

    With the impending war with Iraq, should not we remember the failings in the Vietnam conflict, which has many parallels? On July 21, 1954, at the Geneva Conference, a peace treaty was signed that called for general elections to be held in Vietnam under

  • Youth Swimming: Twins fly flag for England

    Twins Ben and Chris Hutchinson will fly the flag for England in a prestigious international meeting in March. The 16-year-olds from East Grinstead are in the England squad for the Home Schools International in the Republic of Ireland. Chris said: "I do

  • Matthew Clark: Round-Up

    Chris Copley hit a late equaliser as Sidley United drew 1-1 at home to Hailsham Town. Matt Smith had fired the visitors ahead on the stroke of half time. Eighteen-year-old Alex Hill scored two crackers as Shoreham beat Pagham 3-2 in the John O'Hara League

  • A winning team

    Joe and Carme Brunner from Hassocks have produced board games to encourage co-operation rather than competition. There are often no winners or losers in their ecologically and educationally-sound games such as Gaia's Garden. The carefully-designed amusement

  • Terror source

    Tony Blair has said terrorism is inevitable in this country. What he should have said is it is inevitable if he continues to side with George W Bush over Iraq. Whatever makes him think he will win over the British people with a possible war with that

  • Matthew Clark: Hillians win derby clash

    Steve Harper hit a derby winner as Burgess Hill came from behind to beat Hassocks 2-1 in County League division one. Pat Harding had given Hassocks the lead with a 35-yard screamer on the stroke of half time. But a tactical change proved decisive for

  • A wartime epic

    Lionel Upton from Carlisle Road in Hove was one of the unsung heroes of the Second World War. He was captain of the Rangitane when it sailed from New Zealand to Liverpool with hundreds of passengers and crew. The liner was also laden with millions of

  • Ryman League: Lewes go second

    Lewes went second in division one south after winning 7-0 away to a physical Molesey team. The match was effectively over inside 15 minutes as Lewes went 3-0 ahead. In the seventh minute Lee Newman fired home after good work from Tony Reid to open the

  • Minister hits wrong note

    The Government needs to think again about new proposals which will outlaw almost all forms of singing and dancing without a licence. Even singing the national anthem in a pub could be banned under the reforms, which have angered everyone from morris dancers

  • High price

    I read Krista Beighton's report on the doubts being raised on the internet about the holocaust with both sadness and concern (The Argus, January 27). On the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp 58 years ago with only

  • Conviction for rape must be sound, too

    Rape is a disgusting and appalling violation of a victim's body and mind but the crime is wildly misunderstood by many commentators. Lynn Daly (The Argus, January 13) seems, like many people, to be unaware of the current state of the law relating to rape

  • Smith in running for Boro job

    Former Crawley boss Billy Smith is in the running to take over at FA Cup giantkillers Farnborough. The club have called a press conference for later today when they will unveil their successor to Graham Westley who left yesterday to take over at fellow

  • Albion Comment: Ian Hart

    I have to admit that I am surprised the decision to hand over £15,000 from the Forty Note Fund to help pay Ben Roberts' wages has not been universally approved. It was set up with the sole purpose of giving the fans an opportunity to do their bit and

  • Verdict on hospital due

    Campaigners were to learn today whether plans for a multi-million-pound hospital in Mid Sussex will be approved. Supporters have spent years fighting for the hospital at Pease Pottage, near Crawley, but fear their efforts will be in vain. Surrey and Sussex

  • Thieves steal toys from sick toddler

    Thieves have stolen toys given to a toddler who is fighting cancer. The books, teddies, toy cars and puzzles were to cheer up James Smith after each chemotherapy session. His tearful mother Jaqi, 32, said: "I can't believe anyone could stoop so low as

  • Goddess in baby rescue

    A Green Goddess fire crew came to the aid of a woman who accidentally locked her baby inside her car. The military personnel broke the car window before handing the child, unharmed, to the anxious mother. The incident in Kingsley Road, Brighton, shortly

  • Legal aid given in row over a card

    A convicted burglar is being given legal aid to sue Sussex Police after officers sent him a Valentine's Day card. When Gary Williams received the card from officers in Brighton last year, his girlfriend thought it was from another woman and threw an ashtray

  • Police ignored our 999 calls

    College staff dialled 999 three times to report incidents of vandalism and threats from youths but police were too busy to attend. When staff at Portslade Community College called the emergency number, they were left waiting hours for police to turn up

  • Thieves in the frame

    Sussex Police are monitoring the success of a scheme to name and shame criminals in Essex. A convicted burglar and car thief will feature in a campaign to curb crime from next week. Gary Ellis, 27, of Brentwood, Essex, will appear on posters in the town

  • Author to finish what he started

    A controversial author who almost caused a riot at his last book reading has been invited to complete his talk. Andrew Malcolm made national headlines when staff at Borders bookshop in Oxford tried to stop his reading before calling police and having

  • Venue to host reality TV show

    A secret venue in Brighton will become the location of a Regency ball to launch a reality television show. The programme will ask volunteers to spend three months in a Regency house in the city, where they will live the lives of Jane Austen and Lord Byron