Family members teamed up to thank a team at Southampton General Hospital for their life-saving treatment.

Little Oscar Woodward was only a few weeks old when he was admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Southampton

Granddad Greg Woodward, of Hillview Crescent, East Preston, explained: “This unit saved Oscar’s life. He had serious problems breathing then was rushed to Worthing Hospital, where a special ambulance from the PICU came to take him to Southampton.

“Eight hours later, he was stable enough to travel. The doctors were unsure if it was a heart condition or a virus affecting his heart.

“After exceptional care and dedication by all the staff at this unit, he managed to pull through.”

The family planned two events to raise money for the Friends of PICU, with the wives and girlfriends doing the Colour Run in Brighton in September, then Greg and his four sons doing Tough Mudder in Horsham with a PICU member.

Greg added: “During a year of travelling backwards and forwards to this unit, each time their care was exceptional. Oscar is now a year old and has been given the all clear but they have said if there is any trouble with him at all then they have a fast track to treatment.

“Therefore, we as a family wanted to give some small effort back to them for their amazing work.”

The family raised more than £1,500.

Matt Woodward, Oscar’s dad, said: “This unit has lots of different age children with heart problems, some needing life-threatening operations.

“The care they give children is like no other and we can’t fault them for what they have done for our special little boy.”

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Almost seven in ten children (69 percent) don’t know who fought in the Battle of Hastings, according to new research from Playmobil on the 950th anniversary of the battle.

The victory of William the Conqueror, shown in the Bayeux Tapestry, failed to make an impact on nearly 40 percent of pupils who weren’t able to identify him, with one in 10 believing him to be a fictional character.

According to the research, children from the South East, were among the least likely to know details of the battle, with 76 percent unable to say who was involved.

Scottish children came out as the most knowledgable, with 44 percent correctly identifying the Normans and Anglo-Saxons.

Medieval historian Dr Marc Morris has commemorated the milestone anniversary by enlisting some miniature Playmobil friends to recreate famous scenes from the Tapestry, as the research highlighted children rated playtime amongst their top three ways to learn.

The author of The Norman Conquest said, “My sons and I had enormous fun putting together these scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry using Playmobil.

“As well as learning about the story of 1066, we also discovered lots of other things about the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons: the clothes they wore, the weapons they used – even their different hairstyles.

“Creative play is a great way of getting young children thinking about the past.”

The nation’s parents seem to be in agreement, with almost 80 percent saying play and re-enactment is an important tool for children when learning about historical events.

Jamie Dickinson, Playmobil marketing manager, sais: “We always keep education front of mind with our toys to make learning as fun as possible and pique childrens’ curiosity and creativity at an early age.

“Our Knights toys remain just as popular as they were over 40 years ago, with the Romans and Egyptians ready to take centre stage next year.”

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Freya Waters, 8, of The Horsham Bluebelles, won ‘Star Twirler’ at a charity competition in aid of Breast and Pancreatic Cancer in Aldershot on October 1.

Freya entered four solo events (Basic Strut, Military Strut, T – Strut and Pm Strut) and two team events (Team Twirl and Pom Pom), taking first place in each. Mum Clare Waters said: “This was a massive achievement and left Freya in a state of pure joy and shock. Her parents and Grandparents were also there to help her celebrate this fantastic success and were overcome with great pride. This goes to show what a lot of hard work and dedication can accomplish.”

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Farlington Year 8 pupil Issy Hayes won the world’s largest junior triathlon last month. Held at the historic Hever Castle in Kent, Issy won gold on Sunday 25 th September.

The event has been held annually over the last eight years and Issy’s time of 29 minutes 51 seconds means she is the first girl ever in her age category to break the 30 minute barrier.

The children’s races, with over 1300 participants, were split over two days (8-10 year olds on Saturday afternoon and 11-15 year olds on Sunday afternoon). The Half Iron Gauntlet’s unique swim loop around the River Eden and Sixteen-Acre Island is hailed as one of the best open water swim routes on the UK circuit. The largely off-road run circumnavigates the estate and award-winning castle grounds before athletes make the dash to the tree-lined finishing chute beside the lake. Issy was absolutely thrilled with her performance saying that all her hard work at training and great coaching led to a comfortable victory.

At the recent Biathlon qualifier in Ascot, Issy won her 1600m run and also won her swim, making her top scorer and ensuring her place at the National Championships later in October.

Issy, together with Amelia Wright, Year 9, competed for the South East regional triathlon team at the national championships in Scotland and have also been selected to represent GBR at the World Modern Biathlon Championships in Florida in November.

Sara Whittaker, Farlington Director of PE and Games, said: “Sport is a vital part of life at Farlington and we believe it has a positive impact on the girls’ academic and personal lives in terms of self-confidence, health and team-building. Issy’s efforts demonstrate that hard work, repetition and constant practice are keys to successful performance.

“Issy is a fantastic athlete with a great attitude and lots of potential. To succeed in this sport demonstrates her all-round ability.

“We are very proud of her at Farlington. As a Sport and Drama Scholar, she is a great role model to the other students. I’m sure she will build on this success.”

Contributed by Farlington School

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A passenger was killed in a car after it left the road and crashed into a tree on the A2011 Crawley Avenue, Crawley.

The collision happened shortly after 8pm on Friday (14 October) some 600 metres east of the road’s junction with the A23, as the car was travelling east.

The passenger, a 22-year-old man from Furnace Green, Crawley, died at the scene.

The car driver, a 21-year-old man from Three Bridges, Crawley, sustained serious leg injuries.

He was taken by ambulance to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, where he is currently in a serious but stable condition.

The road was closed and diversions set up until the scene was finally cleared at 1.40am.

Anyone who saw the crash or the vehicle – a silver Toyota Starlet – being driven shortly beforehand is asked to email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk or phone 101, quoting Operation Claypole.

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A consultation has been launched around the proposed merger of two colleges.

Northbrook College, Worthing, and Sussex and City College, Brighton & Hove, have announced plans to join together to form the Metropolitan College.

Describing the merger as “one of equals”, a spokesman said the new college would run under the leadership of a single board and executive team and will continue to run from the five current sites, in Worthing, Shoreham and Brighton.

The consultation started today (Monday October 17) and will end on Thursday November 17.

The planned date for the legal aspects of the merger to conclude is March 31 2017.

In a joint statement, Sue Dare, principal of Northbrook, and Nick Juba, CEO of City College, said: “This is all about establishing a college that can deliver for our students. A college that celebrates and promotes professional and vocational routes into work and higher education.

“We want our students to go on and do amazing things, to live fulfilling lives and follow rewarding careers.

“The Metropolitan College will offer clear 
routes right up the educational ladder providing opportunities for every young person or adults across the economic area of the City Region to gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.”

The spokesman said the new college would cater for around 3,500 16-18 year old students, 7,500 adults, 1,000 undergraduates and more than 800 apprentices – and would generate an income of around £40million.

A particular focus would be placed on apprenticeships and higher-level professional and technical skills.

The chairs of governors from both colleges said the Metropolitan College would be “the engine room of the local economy”, training the next generation of carpenters, coders, beauticians and digital artists.

In a joint statement, Ian Lowrie and Julie Nerney said: “We want to play our part in ensuring that businesses across the economic area of the City Region have access to the pipeline of talent they need to develop, grow and create wealth for all of our residents.

“We’re excited by the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the two colleges and to work in collaboration with businesses, local authorities, politicians, educational providers and all of our local communities for the good of our students, apprentices and undergraduates.”

They added: “Now we need to hear your views so that we can ensure our proposals can be shaped by the needs of everyone in the economic area of the City Region.”

Make the right choice for you and your child - Visit educationsussex.com for trusted school reviews, videos and so much more.

The impact of Southwick Players’ production of Blue Remembered Hills was clear from the start.

With no curtain, there was ample opportunity to explore all the aspects of the stunning set, from ramshackle barn to climbable tree and rickety bridge to deep dugout.

A large part of the Forest of Dean had somehow been condensed to a single stage and yet each area remained clearly defined.

The opening scene emphasised this, as each character arrived separately and appeared unaware of the presence of the others – giving the suggestion that they were actually far apart in the woods.

The production is one of six competing in this year’s Brighton and Hove Arts Council Drama Awards and adjudicator Trevor Jones, who has worked extensively in professional theatre for 50 years, was at the Barn Theatre on Friday night.

He told the Players: “It is very difficult to imagine that this is a huge wood with different areas. What you have done in this small space to create these different areas is absolutely amazing.”

Tobias Clay as the tormented outcast Donald and Kate Stoner as butch Audrey were rightly picked out by Trevor for their outstanding performances.

But I also particularly enjoyed the work of Andy Bell as bully boy Peter and Steve Martin as Willie. Playing the part of a child when you are an adult is difficult but I thought Steve, particularly, did it very well.

Trevor referred to his own experience of this and suggested the cast employed a little too much movement in this production, almost to the point of distraction.

He was picking up on fine detail here, although there were just one or two times when I thought they were portraying children as adults do, rather than behaving as a child actually would.

It’s a dark play and I think the Players could have made it a little more sinister.

But there was no doubt about the trauma felt by Donald as he spiralled over the edge, affected by his home life as well as the way he was treated by the gang.

“It is really difficult to cry on stage. It was very, very moving,” noted Trevor.

Southwick Players has won the BHAC’s top award for the last two years. This year’s winners will be revealed in December.

A West Midlands flooring company have published a concrete clue to the indentity of a new food outlet for the town.

In a tweet dated August 31 Interior Screed Ltd posted a picture captioned ‘Works completed at #Nandos Bognor Regis’.

The popular chicken-chain has been repeatedly connected with the town, speculation which heightened when a planning application was submitted to turn the Burger King, Arun Retail Park, into two units.

The company has been contacted for comment and this story will be updated accordingly.

On October the 4th, Google held a big hardware event. There were quite a few important announcements, including Google Home (a speaker that responds to voice commands), Google WiFi (a WiFi system for your home), Google Chromecast Ultra, Daydream and VR headsets and last, but by no means least, the new Google Pixel (5” screen) and Pixel XL (5.5” screen) smartphones.

Phew! Such a lot of stuff that I could talk about. Let’s start with those phones.

Google have of course been heavily invested in the mobile phone market for quite some time. They own Android, which accounts for roughly 86 per cent of the global market, but traditionally they haven’t made any hardware themselves. Even their Nexus range of devices were built in partnership with different manufacturers.

That is all changing with the new Pixel range of phones. Apple have long claimed they can get more from the iPhone, because the hardware and software are designed to work together. Now Google can claim the same thing too and at first glance, it shows. The new phones are top spec devices aimed to compete with Apple’s and Samsung’s flagship phones.

Here is a brief overview of the new phones. They have the best camera of any smartphone ever, according to independent analysis by DXOMark that scored the new camera at 89% https://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Pixel-smartphone-camera-review-At-the-top The phones are able to charge very fast, gaining 7 hours of usage out of just 15 minutes of charging. They come with 4 GBs of RAM, a whizzy fast processor and up to 128 GBs of storage, which will help if you want to shoot 4K video. Oh and Google Photos gives you unlimited storage for all of your photos and videos.

Oh and they have a 3.5mm audio jack. Ahem.

A running theme throughout the event on the 4th was AI (Artificial Intelligence). Google Assistant, which previewed in the new app Allo, is baked into the new phones and Google Home. It is possible to have entire conversations with Google Assistant and after watching the demonstrations (for both the phones and Google Home) it is hard not to be impressed.

Imagine having a text chat with someone, who suggests you go to the cinema. Not only will Google Assistant be able to find you the times and dates of the film, but it will also be able to book tickets for the film and the restaurant nearby that you mentioned.

In the case of Google Home, there was a really good demonstration where the speaker asked it to find a song by an artist that appeared in a film. Google Assistant found the correct song and played it. The speaker had the choice of listening to it normally, or casting the video on YouTube via Chromecast. No button pressing involved.

While Google may have advertised the event as a hardware event, a very large part of it was dedicated to AI. The technology battleground of the future will not determined by hardware, but by AI.

Alan Stainer
https://www.alansitsolutions.com

A director for new market town plans in West Sussex has called the great-crested newt an ‘awful amphibian’.

Since 2012 Mayfield Market Towns has promoted a scheme for 10,000 new homes between Sayers Common and Henfield, something that has caused anger and widespread opposition from residents.

In a speech last week Lord James Borwick, a Tory peer in the House of Lords and a director for Mayfields, called for the Government to intervene to make it easier for developers to build houses.

Possible measures include looking at the regulations around great crested newts, and a reduction in the tax paid by developers.

Lord Borwick called the protected species an ‘awful amphibian’ and said the danger was that they could be transported to controversial housing sites by objectors in order to delay developments they disliked.

Speaking in the Lords last Tuesday (October 11), he added: “A simple change that can be made is to reduce the taxation level on developers, with a view to encouraging them to build, rather than overburdening them.

“In addition to normal corporation tax, a developer will provide social housing at a rate of between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of all houses built.

“Add to that new schools, new roads, new bus services, new playing fields, new community centres, new community art and new books in the local library—all necessary, of course, but all expensive.

“The simple rule is that if you add more taxes, you get fewer new entrants to a market.

“I hope I can be understood to be arguing not for less tax on my interests but for more development of the houses we desperately need.”

Froglife is a wildlife charity dedicated to the conservation of frogs, toads, newts, snakes and lizards.

Conservation coordinator for Froglife, Silviu Petrovan told BBC Radio 4’s Jeremy Vine: “The UK holds internationally important populations for the species which have been declining very significantly throughout the later half of the 20th century not only in Western Europe but the UK as well.”

He called the newt a ‘fascinating creature’ and explained that great crested newts are a symptom of the disappearance of ponds which are an ‘incredibly important’ biodiversity resource.

He also pointed out that a population of great crested newts never means that a site will not be developed.

In response, Lord Bourne, a parliamentary under-secretary of state for the Department for Communities and Local Government, said: “When I took on this post I absolutely insisted that I had authority in relation to great crested newts: this is central to what we are doing.

“In all seriousness, if he has evidence of a conspiracy to abuse public office by introducing these newts to try and slow down housebuilding and passes this on to me, I will ensure that it is addressed in the appropriate way.

“He rightly talked about the importance of proper incentives for housebuilding and asked about the future of the new homes bonus.

“As the noble lord will be aware, the Government have been consulting on the new homes bonus to see how we can sharpen the incentive to ensure that councils are genuinely ​incentivised to allow more homes in their area.

“We will provide further information on our next steps on that in due course.”

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The following are the latest results contributed by HM Courts Service, for cases sentenced by West Sussex Magistrates’ Court sitting at Worthing and Chichester from September 12 to 16, 2016.

Algars Kuzmins, 39, of Essex Road, Bognor Regis, was given a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after admitting stealing a radio and lifejackets from a boat Chichester Marina on September 28, 2015. He must also carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work and pay £85 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Simon Phillips, 39, of Blenheim Road, Yapton, was given a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, with Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, after admitting assault causing actual bodily harm in Walberton on July 9, 2016. He must also carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work and pay £115 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Luke Hurst, 21, of Amberley Drive, Bognor Regis, admitted breaching a suspended sentence order and was dealt with for the five original offences - six-week suspended prison sentence imposed as two-week prison sentence for theft of goods worth £81.98 from Boots, Bognor Regis, on August 31, 2015; six-week suspended prison sentence imposed as two-week concurrent prison sentence for theft of goods worth £81.98 from Boots, Bognor Regis, on September 1, 2015; six-week suspended prison sentence imposed as two-week concurrent prison sentence for of toys worth £34.99 from Kids Stuff Toys, Bognor Regis, on October 17, 2015; six-week suspended prison sentence imposed as two-week concurrent prison sentence for theft of goods worth £91 from Boots, Bognor Regis, on November 12, 2015; six-week suspended prison sentence imposed as two-week concurrent prison sentence for theft of a toothbrush worth £60 from Wilki, Bognor Regis, on September 11, 2014. He was given a four-week consecutive prison sentence after admitting stealing four bracelets worth £120 from H. Samuel, Bognor Regis, on June 15, 2016. He was given a seven-day concurrent prison sentence for default of payment of £1,057.66 from a £1,363.80 fine imposed on August 10, 2015. He was was given a seven-day consecutive prison sentence for non-payment of a £274.95 fine imposed on March 1, 2016. He was detained in the courthouse for one day in lieu of payment of £115 victim surcharge.

Lee Billingham, 40, of Bognor Regis, was fined £40 and must pay £30 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting disorderly behaviour while drunk in Bognor Regis on August 11, 2016.

Paul Mariner, 31, of Bramber Road, Chichester, was fined £200 and must pay £30 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting drug-driving (3.7ug/L of Delta-9-THC) on the A27 Arundel on July 16, 2016. He was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Donna-Marie Sturgess, 40, of Turner Avenue, Twickenham, was discharged conditionally for 12 months and must pay a total of £90 compensation, £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting assault by beating in Selsey on August 30, 2016; assaulting a special constable in Selsey on August 30, 2016; and asssaulting a police constable at Chichester Custody Centre on August 30, 2016.

Gordon Barlow, 71, of Culimore Close, West Wittering, was fined £220 and must pay £30 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting drink-driving (65mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath) in Marine Drive, West Wittering, on August 30, 2016. He was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Kevin Kidrowicz, 34, of Mary Green, Abbey Road, Camden, was discharged conditionally for six months and must pay £80 compensation, £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting causing £80 damage to a police cell at Chichester Custody Centre on August 29, 2016; and obstructing a police constable at Chichester Custody Centre on August 29, 2016.

Clifford Rashbrook, 54, of Kingsbridge Road, Mordern, was fined £100 and must pay £30 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting assaulting a police constable at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester, on July 8, 2016.

Stephen Foster, 30, of St George’s Walk, Eastergate, was given a community order and must carry out 80 hours’ unpaid work, after admitting drink-driving (94mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath) in Upper Bognor Road, Bognor Regis, on July 17, 2016. He must pay £85 victim surcharge, £85 costs and was disqualified from driving for 24 months. He also admitted driving without a licence or insurance, no separate penalty.

Mark Gibbons, 47, of Westward House, Fishbourne Road East, Chichester, was fined £120 and must pay £30 victim surcharge, £150 costs, after being found guilty of obstructing a police constable in Chichester on June 26, 2016.

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The following are the latest results contributed by HM Courts Service, for cases sentenced by West Sussex Magistrates’ Court sitting at Worthing and Chichester from September 12 to 16, 2016.

Justin Bird, 44, of Trent Close, Sompting, was given a community order with six-week curfew, electronically monitored, from 7pm to 7am, and Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, after admitting assault by beating in Sompting on March 18, 2016. He must pay £100 compensation, £85 victim surcharge and £300 costs.

Simon Phillips, 39, of Blenheim Road, Yapton, was given a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, with Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, after admitting assault causing actual bodily harm in Walberton on July 9, 2016. He must also carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work and pay £115 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Mandy Goddard, 32, of Liverpool Gardens, Worthing, was given a community order with Drug Rehabilitation Requirement after admitting going equipped for theft, having a foil-lined bag in Worthing on August 13, 2016. She must pay £85 victim surcharge and £85 costs. She also admitted breaching a conditional discharged order.

Brendon Hayhurst, 53, of Victoria Court, Victoria Road, Worthing, was given an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after admitting assaulting Worthing mayor Sean McDonald on July 29, 2016. He must pay £115 victim surcharge and £85 costs. He also admitted breaching a community order.

Simon Webb, 33, of Iris Close, Littlehampton, was fined £110 and must pay £30 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting drink-driving (73mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath) in Worthing Road, Rustington, on August 28, 2016. He was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Harry Court, 24, of Palmer Road, Angmering, was fined £300 after admitting drug-driving (11mg of cocaine per litre of blood) in Station Road, Angmering, on June 14, 2016. He also admitted drug-driving (352mg benzoylecgonine per litre of blood) and drug-driving (5.3mg Delta-9-THC per litre of blood) in Station Road, Angmering, on June 14, 2016, no separate penalty. He was fined £300 after admitting drug-driving (27ug/L cocaine) in Long Furlong, Patching, on June 18, 2016. He also admitted drug-driving (172ug/L benzoylecgonine per litre of blood) and drug-driving (4.9ug/L Delta-9-THC) in Long Furlong, Patching, on June 18, 2016, no separate penalty. He was disqualified from driving for 24 months. He was also fined £300 and must pay £30 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting possessing a folding pocket knife in Lloyd Goring Close, Angmering, on June 14, 2016.

Sam Ross, 26, of Thorncroft Road, Littlehampton, was given a community order with Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, after admitting driving in Elm Grove Road, Littlehampton, on July 11, 2016, while disqualified. He must pay £85 victim surcharge, £85 costs, and was disqualified from driving for 21 months. He also admitted driving without insurance, no separate penalty. He also admitted breaching a suspended sentence order, which was varied.

Daniel Hunt, 21, of Shelby Road, Durrington, was fined £170 and must pay £30 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting being in charge of a motor vehicle in Columbia Drive, Durrington, while over the drug-driving limit (26mcg/L cocaine). His driving record was endorsed with ten points. He was fined £170 after admitting being in charge of a motor vehicle in Columbia Drive, Durrington, while over the drug-driving limit (124mcg/L benzoylecgonine).

Clare Metcalf, 49, of Convent Gardens, Findon, was fined £100 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting driving over the 30mph speed limit in Broadwater Road, Worthing, on February 7, 2016. Her driving record was endorsed with three points.

Odain Jones, 21, of Beacon Way, Littlehampton, was fined £120 and must pay £30 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting drug-driving (2.4 THC 9, cannabis) in Western Road, Littlehampton, on April 19, 2016. He was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

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Residents are being reminded about cuts to West Sussex rubbish tips that came into force at the start of October.

All but three Household Waste and Recylcing Sites (HWRSs) are now closed for two days a week, while the hours of all locations have been reduced to 10am-5pm between October and the end of March.

Disposal of all household waste and recycling materials remains free of charge, but West Sussex County Council has introduced a charge for certain types of non-household items.

David Barling, WSCC’s cabinet member for residents’ services, said: “These changes had to be made due to the need to make substantial savings following reduced government funding, and to avoid cutting other critical services.

“We have done our best to ensure the County Council still provides a comprehensive waste service for residents.

“As with any change there will be a transition period, and we are monitoring the traffic at all sites and apologise for any disruption whilst site users become familiar with the new opening and closing times.

“Please be aware of the new opening times and plan your journeys to the HWRSs accordingly.

“Information on opening days, times and the new charging structure can all be found at www.recycleforwestsussex/changes.”

No sites have been closed following the changes, but opening days have been changed:

• East Grinstead, Littlehampton and Hop Oast (Horsham) to close on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

• Billingshurst, Worthing and Bognor Regis to close on Thursdays and Fridays.

• Midhurst and Shoreham by Sea to close on Mondays and Tuesdays. Midhurst now to open on Sundays (subject to planning permission).

Due to their requirement to operate as Waste Transfer Stations Burgess Hill, Crawley and Westhampnett (Chichester) will remain open seven days a week.

Disposal charges have been brought in for non-household items such as soil, rubble, plasterboard and tyres. There will be no charges for green waste (which includes grass cuttings), wood or metals.

Non-household waste will be charged at £4 per rubble bag or part bag, or per item or per sheet of plasterboard.

Rubble bags (55cm x 85cm) can be bought from DIY stores. However, for a limited period, one free rubble bag will be available upon request for each resident at HWRSs.

Payment can only be made by Visa or Mastercard debit and credit cards and will need to be made before accessing the chargeable containers. Cash and cheques cannot be accepted.

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Southern staff should be given a fresh say on an offer to end a dispute over changes to their roles, rail operator Govia Thameslink Railway has said.

This week the RMT union is set to hold its seventh strike of 2016, with a three-day walkout starting on Tuesday (October 18).

Another three strikes are planned before Christmas in the union’s long-running dispute with GTR over its plans to change the role of conductors to on-board supervisors, with drivers opening and closing train doors.

The rail operator has called on RMT members to be given a fresh vote on the deal currently on the table, which includes a £2,000 lump sum per staff member.

Charles Horton, chief executive officer at GTR, said: “The RMT needs to reflect on the hardship, distress and frustration being experienced by our customers and employees. Everyone wants to see an end to this dispute, but it is clear that, as things stand, there is currently little prospect of a negotiated settlement between us, however much we’ve tried.

“There have been significant developments since the union tabled the original ballot to conductors over six months ago. In order to move things forward, I am asking to union to let conductors - the people at the heart of this matter - determine whether this dispute comes to an end or continues.

“Nearly a third of conductors are now coming into work on strike days and we expect that to increase. There is a full and fair offer on the table and it’s time to stop the strikes and move forward.”

According to GTR’s figures just 17 per cent of conductors reported for work during the first strike in April, a figure that rose to 27 per cent for the first strike in October.

But Mick Cash, general secretary at the RMT, said: “This latest letter from Charles Horton does not move this dispute on a single inch.

There is no offer whatsoever to start engaging in serious talks about the safety and access issues at the heart of this matter.

“Instead, Southern have rehashed the £2000 bribe to our members even though the company have been told repeatedly that money is not the issue and that the safety of passengers and staff is not for sale.

“RMT disputes the figures on the number of staff working. Our reps at all locations report that morale is high and that support for the strike action remain rock solid.”

The RMT has objected to the proposed changes on safety grounds, as it fears they will lead to the loss of a guaranteed second safety-critical member of staff on Southern services.

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The owner of a much-loved craft shop in Bognor Regis says she’s closing so she can ‘get her life back’.

Craft & Hobbies in the high street will shut at the end of the month and owner Sarah McLauchlan says she will miss all of her customers.

She said: “Yes we are closing the shop at the end of the month.

“I will really miss everybody who comes in and all the ladies in the group, but for me personally I am getting my life back.

“I’ll be able to work normal hours again which I’m really looking forward to.”

Sarah said she often had to work seven days a week, getting in before 9am to set up and then working beyond 5.30pm, and at weekends.

There is now up to 50 per cent off most lines in an ‘everything must go’ sale before the shop closes on October 31.

Craft & Hobbies has been open for just under five years, and been located in the high street for the last two-and-a-half-years, running popular craft classes.

“I have lovely memories and have made some lovely friends and met some lovely people who I will really miss but I will keep in contact,” Sarah said.

“I will miss all the groups that have been held here, especially the knitting for charity group, who were one of the very first groups to meet and they have raised money for St Wilfrid’s Hospice over the years and the card-making ladies, all the laughter, funny stories and tears that have been shared.

“Vicky Misselbrook has been a fantastic help on Saturdays and covering emergencies that have popped up over the years.”

She added that she was looking forward to becoming an art and craft coordinator for somebody else which will give her the chance to help people.

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A family found themselves in a living nightmare after a simple instruction to a little girl to ‘always wash your hands after going to the toilet.’

Eva Kerr was just four years old when she was given the hand-washing advice - and it quickly ended up with her becoming frightened to even leave her home.

She developed obsessive compulsive disorder ... to such an extent that her constant hand-washing left her skin red raw. But worse was to come.

Her OCD became so bad that she and her family became virtual prisoners in their own home in Burgess Hill. “We were completely overwhelmed, frustrated, worried and anxious,” said Eva’s mum Kate.

Eva developed a range of fears, along with a range of compulsive behaviour to help her cope with them - which left the little schoolgirl feeling suicidal.

Her mum Kate and dad Rob eventually managed to get Eva the help she so desperatley needed and Eva underwent cognitive behavioural therapy at the Chalkhill centre at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

And Eva herself - now aged 10 - now wants her agonising experience to help others facing similar problems. She stars in a video - outlining her harrowing experience - available on the website of the charity OCD-UK.

Eva said: “I know that OCD is part of me and my battle is not over but I hope this gives hope to others with OCD that things can improve.”

One of Eva’s fears was triggered by a thunderstorm. “Eva was scared and kept checking the weather forecast 40 or 50 times a day,” said mum Kate.

“Then she would hide upstairs in her bedroom with the blinds closed, she would also try to manipulate her family and friends to accommodate her OCD by getting them to help her to avoid the sky, it became a massive burden for her.”

She said that one of Eva’s on-going problems was with ‘intrusive thoughts.’ “Even now she worries about being abducted or that something bad will happen to me or my husband Rob and her having no control over it. The compulsion then is for her to check; she checks on me; she checks the windows. It becomes a consuming problem for the whole family.”

But now, after therapy, Eva can better rationalise her anxieties. However, it is likely that she will need therapy for some time to come. Currently Kate and Rob are having to pay for private treatment because the wait for mental health services is so long.“It is sad to think that there are children out there like Eva who are having to wait for help.”

Kate is planning to take part in the Great South Run in Portsmouth on October 23 to raise funds for OCD-UK. See https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Kathryn-Kerr1

A man has been arrested after a BMW was in collision with another car before smashing into a lamp post and overturning in Rose Green.

According to police, the driver of the BMW failed to stop for officers on Nyetimber Lane after it was seen leaving a pub ‘at speed’ on Sunday afternoon, October 16.

It was in collision with a car pulling into a petrol station in Rose Green Road and then struck a lamp post, flipping over and landing on its roof outside the Royal British Legion, police said.

A police spokesperson said: “One man, believed to be the passenger remained with the car, and was checked over for minor injuries.

“The other man was located nearby in Pembroke Way and was arrested.

“He was first taken to St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester with minor injuries where he remained overnight before being transferred to custody on Monday morning.”

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drug driving, drink driving and failing to stop, the police spokesperson added.

It is understood an air ambulance was deployed, and that the driver of car hit as it entered a petrol station was checked over for minor injuries.

Anyone who saw what happened between Nyetimber Lane and Road Green Road is asked to contact police on 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 1076 of 16/10.

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Crawley Town again found themselves second best in a battle of the birds.

Just as they had played poorly in August against the Magpies of Notts County so their visit to Whaddon Road left the Robins of Cheltenham Town in full flight.

It took the Reds a long time to get going in this clash with an outcome that did not surprise me.

Facing the struggling Gloucestershire side, following their promotion from the National League, put Crawley in the dodgy situation of playing an ‘ought to’ game. Given current form you could say the lads ‘ought to’ win, and maybe win comfortably.

Sadly, and it always seems to have been the case, Crawley Town do not do ‘ought to’ wins and in this fixture they stuck to the script.

They might as well have been still on the coach when Cheltenham carved them open and Billy Waters scored in the third minute and for much of the first half they were simply off the pace and lacked vision.

Disappointing individual performances led to a disjointed team effort typified by errant distribution from the back and an alarming tendency to concede possession that meant we didn’t muster a shot on target in the first half.

The introduction of Bobson Bawling for the second period helped to right the sinking ship. His enthusiasm has never been questioned and he fully deserved to notch his first league goal for Crawley as he twisted away from his marker and from the angle of the penalty area curled a dipping shot towards the top far corner. Somehow the previously unemployed Russell Griffiths turned the ball over the bar at full stretch.

It was a case of win some lose some and Reds escaped when a shot by Jack Munns hit an upright and rolled along the goal line and out of play.

Munns, however, had the last laugh as he struck Cheltenham’s second goal when a remarkable header off the line by Mark Connolly landed in front of him.

Helped by further shrewd substitutions, Crawley battled back into contention. Their play lacked fluidity but Dermot Drummy has instilled bravery and determination into his squad and they were not going to go down without a fight.

Fittingly Bawling played a part as the Reds reduced the arrears by supplying the cut back to Kaby Djalo that the pocket rocket midfielder despatched venomously from 20 yards to score his first goal for the club.

The fight back was on but a win required more thought and composure than the occasion allowed and Cheltenham held on for a very valuable three points.

Drummy was baffled as to why his side’s first half display had been so flat but I am confident that the greater threat posed by Accrington Stanley on Saturday will be met by a much better Crawley performance.

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Serious safety fears have been raised at the Bognor Regis tip since opening hours were cut at the start of the month.

The queues of cars waiting to get in on Saturday were so long that vehicles were backed up onto the busy A29 Shripney Road, with one business owner saying he has seen some near accidents.

Richard Bone, who owns Darbon Motors in Arun Business Park, where the tip is also located, said: “There always seems to be queues outside now.

“It’s not affected us all that much because most of our business is by appointment.

“But there’s been queuing on the dual carriageway and we’ve seen a couple of near misses with cars.

“The problem has definitely got worse.”

Other businesses located at Arun Business Park say the increased traffic is directly affecting them.

Since the start of the month, the Bognor Regis Household Waste Recycling Site has gone from being open seven days a week to five, closing on Thursdays and Fridays from October 1.

New £4 charges have also been introduced for tyres and rubble bags of non-household waste, in a cost-saving measure introduced across a number of recycling sites by West Sussex County Council.

Since the changes were introduced there have been reports of increasing amounts of fly-tippers dumping piles of rubbish around the Bognor area.

Yeomans Nissan has written to MP Nick Gibb to ask for him to act before ‘an accident occurs or businesses withdraw from the estate’.

In a letter to Mr Gibb, Peter Spicer, aftersales manager, wrote: “As a direct result in the time approaching the opening of the tip it is near on impossible to access the estate in which us and numerous other businesses operate.

“We have seen regular queues that block access and overflow into the carriageway.

“I have raised these concerns with Arun District Council and West Sussex County Council via email who have thus far failed to reply.

“Bognor Town Hall have suggested I raise my concern at public question time which is scheduled November 21, I would argue that this matter requires immediate action and that waiting until the end of November to raise the concern is unacceptable.

“Regardless to the obvious disruption to businesses there is also a safety concern as the traffic for the tip and for normal business park overflows onto the A29.

“As our local MP I would ask for your help to come up with a solution before an accident occurs or businesses make a conscious decision to start withdrawing from the estate and the surrounding area.”

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West Sussex businesses are being invited to apply for help with the cost of connecting to superfast broadband.

The West Sussex Superfast Connection Voucher scheme is aimed at small and medium sized businesses that currently do not have access to superfast broadband and are not based in an area which will undergo broadband investment from the Government.

The scheme is designed to give businesses the opportunity to access superfast broadband speeds of more than 30Mbps.

Eligible businesses can apply for a voucher to provide capital funding of between £1,000 and £3,000 or up to 40 per cent of the overall project cost, whichever is lower.

The scheme is running until February 2017, or until the available funding has been allocated.

Any works undertaken must be completed and paid for before the end of March 2017 to qualify for the grant.

Louise Goldsmith, leader at West Sussex County Council, said: “This funding is a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to access the latest digital technologies through superfast broadband.

“I would encourage businesses to find out more and make the most of this scheme.”

The scheme has been developed by Rural West Sussex Partnership, South Downs National Park Authority, Gatwick Diamond Initiative, Coastal West Sussex Partnership, Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, and West Sussex County Council.

The funding for the scheme is from the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Deal.

For further information on the scheme search ‘Broadband Connection Voucher’ on www.coast2capital.org.uk

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