Thousands of new homes are to be built in West Sussex over the next decade under plans ordered by the Government against the wishes of local people.

And when you see what's happening to much of the lovely countryside in the county, it's easy to share their anger.

Already hundreds of homes have been built at Ashington on the A24 next to a bypass, turning a village into an urban sprawl.

Now 600 more homes are going to be built next to the bypass of picturesque Angmering between the A27 and the A259.

The bypass will bring some relief to the existing village by diverting many heavy lorries.

But the 600 homes will transform a large village into a small town while adding to some of the existing problems such as a shortage of school places.

They will also add to traffic problems in the area. In the end there may be calls for a bypass of the bypass as is already happening in Arundel.

These new homes and roads are eroding the peace of West Sussex and the quality of life for thousands.

A united plea should go out from the county to Environment Secretary John Prescott to stop the West Sussex urban sprawl before it is too late.

Parent's dread The family of Luke Dance are facing the kind of nightmare every parent dreads. The student from Crawley has not been seen for three weeks since he left fellow backpackers in Bolivia.

His father is preparing to go to South America to retrace his footsteps and is sending a photo to internet cafes in the area.

Mr Dance has also enlisted the help of Crawley MP Laura Moffatt to get official help for the search.

They could hardly have done more to trace him. Everyone with a son or daughter backpacking abroad will share their apprehension.

They will also hope that the mixture of enterprise, diplomacy and new technology will be successful in tracking Luke down.

Hard work of art Artist Hamish McKenzie is transforming a former ferry berthed at Shoreham into a new art gallery.

He's got a huge task in front of him, shovelling out tons of mud before the hull can be sealed and renovation work can start. But Hamish, who has already restored several smaller boats, is determined to succeed.

He will need skill and dedication to deal with the incredible hulk. We wish him all the ferry best.