This smart bike light, which could make cycling safer, is the brainchild of a University of Sussex student.

Yasmine Djadoudi
BBC Live reporter

Parents have vowed to continue the fight to stop 35 staff redundancies being made at a school in Sussex.

A heated public meeting was held last night, where parents and unions claimed the needs of pupils at the Thomas Bennett Community College in Crawley won't be met.

But the Kemnal Academy Trust which runs it says savings have to be made because it is £1 million pounds in deficit.

The cuts would Include the cutting of child protection officers and special educational needs teaching assistants.

Mental health and avoiding exclusion are among reasons given for removing children from classrooms.

Former champion Neil Robertson becomes the sixth seed to go out in the World Championship first round as he loses to Robert Milkins.

Caitlin Webb
Local Democracy Reporter

Investments by Kent County Council using taxpayers' cash has made a total loss of about £15m.

A list of 26 investments has been published by the authority following an audit.

The money comes from central government's Regional Growth Fund, which was created to fuel economic growth.

Two pharmaceutical companies have received £500,000 each, even though one of them is based in Scotland and declared a loss of £2.1m last year.

Rebecca Curley
Local Democracy Reporter

Council officers are in a race-against-time to secure more land for graves at a town's cemetery running out of space.

Officers at Epsom and Ewell Borough Council have been given the nod to go ahead and seek a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for farmland to increase burial space for Epsom Cemetery.

The 3.69 acres of land is currently used for grazing horses and negotiations between the council and landowner have so far failed to reach an agreement.

A report highlighting the need for extra burial plots at the cemetery between Ashley Road and Downs Road says that existing available space for graves will run out by spring 2019.

It states: "The current capacity in the existing cemetery for Lawn Graves is likely to be full by spring 2019. This will mean that people will not be able to be buried with their families unless further capacity is found."

A budget of £654,000 has been put aside for the cemetery extension, but negotiations broke down between the council and the landowner over how the field should be valued.

An open market value was expected based on the fact the land is being used for grazing, but the owner is currently seeking valuation for it as a commercial graveyard, which will increase the price.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

More than 150 cannabis plants have been found in a house in Sittingbourne.

The plants, which were being dried and were almost ready to be sold, were found at the property in Wihtred Road.

Image source, Kent Police

The address was raided around 08:00 BST this morning.

No arrests have been made.

Image source, Kent Police

Scott Bodkin told a court he saw his friend Kyle Yule being stamped on by a "large group".

Jennifer Bartram
Weather presenter

The showery weather will continue for the rest of the week.

Here's my forecast.

Amanda Akass
Reporter, BBC South East Today

This smart bike light, which could make cycling safer, is the brainchild of a University of Sussex student.

Nine Sussex Health Care homes are being investigated over an alleged lack of care of 43 people.

In May a transport earthquake will rumble through the South East, affecting half a million commuters.

Dean Kilpatrick
Local Democracy Reporter

A UKIP constituency branch is being sued by its former chairman over unpaid expenses - including a remembrance wreath and a packet of cream crackers.

Christopher Spalding, who resigned from the party in March, said he has brought the legal action against the party's group representing Rochester and Strood "out of principle".

He said the organisation initially refused to reimburse him the cost of a Remembrance Day wreath, raffle prizes for an EU referendum celebration, and the printing of Medway Council documents.

In the past 24 hours, the branch has agreed to pay the expenses to Mr Spalding.

In total, Mr Spalding is claiming £93.20. The party said it would be sending a cheque of "around £70".

Mr Spalding said he will not accept the money, and plans to continue with his court action saying the local party have rejected a compensation claim for two pasting tables which have gone missing.

He said: "I'm going to continue because I want payment of all of it. The moment I accept it I won't get the full amount.

"There are court fees and legal costs, so nothing has changed as far as I'm concerned."

Mr Spalding was previously told by the current constituency chairman, Councillor Roy Freshwater the expenses could not be paid as they were not "appropriately authorised".

A pedestrian has died after being hit by a lorry on the soutbound carriageway of the A228 Ashton Way in West Mailling, Kent Police said.

The man in his 40s from the Dartford area was crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing next to the access road for West Malling railway station at just after 08:00 BST.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and his next of kin have been told, a police spokesman said.

A 67-year-old man from West Malling has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remains in police custody.

Image source, Google

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

A woman's been racially abused by a man outside her home.

It happened in Vincent Road in Dorking, around 17:00 BST on 20 April.

Image source, Google

The man is described as white, 5ft 9in and of large build, in his late fifties with grey facial hair and a South African accent.

The plane landed safely after it turned back when a crack covered the outer layer of its windscreen.

James Male, Andrew Bridge, Steve Warren and Paul Goslin died when the Cheeki Rafiki capsized in 2014.

Lizzie Massey
BBC Live reporter

Image source, Kent Police

The family of a woman who died in a car crash in Kent have paid tribute to "an amazing woman, who would do anything for anyone".

Sylvia Martin died on Tuesday after her white Ford Fiesta was involved in a collision with a red Vauxhall Insignia on the A249 near Stockbury.

The 61-year-old was from the Sittingbourne area.

In a joint statement her family said: "Sylvia was an amazing woman, who would do anything for anyone – a loving and thoughtful nanny, idolised by her grandchildren; she was devoted to her family as well as the cats she called her 'fur babies'.

"The family ask for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time."

Kent Police is continuing to appeal for information about the incident.

Dean Kilpatrick
Local Democracy Reporter

Controversial plans for a paved runway at a Kent airport are set to be scrapped due to rising project costs.

Rochester Airport Limited (RAL) the private company aiming to transform the site, says the cost of its scheme, which aims to safeguard the long-term future of Rochester airport, has risen by 30%.

The company has blamed inflation as the "key factor" for surging costs "given the unforeseen delays and issues encountered with the project."

This means the first phase of its redevelopment proposal, which had been due to create 37 jobs, is no longer covered by a £4.4 million grant it received from the government-funded South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP.)

RAL has requested permission from SELEP to axe plans for one of the two proposed hangars, as well as the hard-paved runway.

The runway has been met with criticism with both Natural England and Highways England asking for more details about the environmental impact of a paved runway before the outcome of a planning application is determined.

Local residents have also raised concerns.

Medway Council's Rochester Airport Masterplan,published in January 2014 , says a paved runway would allow flight movements to be spread "throughout the day", while there would be "less noise" as a result of planes being able to accelerate quicker before take-off.

RAL is now working on amending the planning application and is due to resubmit it to Medway Council next month.