The sad case of Stephen Lawrence has had one good result. It has changed the nature of a lot of policing for ever.

After the death of their son in London, the Lawrence family succeeded in putting the spotlight on the police for their sloppy handling of the murder case.

Now forces all over the country, including Sussex Police, have changed the way in which they deal with ethnic minorities.

There has been a strong feeling among many black and Asian youths that the police pick on them disproportionately while some white youths, as in the Lawrence case, are believed to get away with murder.

Sussex Police is altering its stop-and-search policy to make it absolutely clear that members of ethnic minorities are not being picked on because of their colour.

It may lead to more searches overall, but there will be no random stopping of people and there will have to be a good reason. Each case will be recorded.

Sussex Police has not had a bad record of dealing with ethnic minorities, especially compared with their colleagues in London.

But it's vitally important to build up trust among people from ethnic minorities and this change of policy is a step in the right direction.

Sick in transit Big changes are likely in the way hospital services are run in Brighton and the Mid Sussex area during the next few years.

It's probable that emergency services and treatment for cancer and heart patients will be centred on Brighton while some other services, such as those for women, will be carried out at Haywards Health.

Most people accept that when they need major treatment, such as complex heart surgery, they may have to travel some distance for it.

But there's still a case for keeping less serious cases as close to the local community as possible.

That should never be forgotten in the forthcoming review.

Pebble dash Lynda Lloyd, of Glynde, is to carry a pebble from the west coast of England to the east next month on a sponsored walk for people who suffer from pituitary disorders like her husband, Terry.

He feels lonely because these disorders are uncommon. But after Lynda's marathon trek, he should find he's not the only pebble on the beach.