Matt Lynch is being investigated over his claim he served in the Falklands War.

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Uber's licence in Brighton will not be renewed, the local council says, adding the taxi app is not "fit and proper" and citing concerns over a data breach and the use of drivers from outside the area.

The Silicon Valley firm is also battling a decision by London's transport regulator last September to strip the firm of its licence, after which Brighton granted a six-month extension while it monitored the situation.

On Tuesday, the Chair of Brighton's licensing panel Councillor Jackie O'Quinn said the council would not renew the firm's right to operate in the area, partly after the company failed to promptly disclose a hack which affected some 57 million accounts worldwide.

"Our priority is the safety of residents and visitors and, due to the data breach and the lack of commitment to using drivers licensed here, we were not satisfied that UBL (Uber Britannia Limited) are a fit and proper person to hold an operator's licence," she said.

Uber said :"This is a disappointing decision for the thousands of passengers and drivers who rely on our app in Brighton and Hove. We intend to appeal so we can continue serving the city."

Five contenders are shortlisted for the UK's Museum of the Year Award, which has a £100,000 prize.

Georgina Burnett
BBC Weather

There's sunshine, wind, rain and cloud in Wednesday's forecast.

Dean Kilpatrick
Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to transform Rochester Airport have been delayed again after a government body asked for details about how grant money it has awarded will be spent.

South East Local Enterprise Partnership's (SELEP) accountability board has asked Medway Council to provide more information about what benefits phase one - funded by £4.4m of public money - would deliver.

Rochester Airport Limited, with the support of landlord Medway Council, has requested permission from SELEP to axe plans for one of the two proposed hangars, as well as a controversial hard-paved runway.

Due to increased costs, the two components are no longer covered by the £4.4m grant approved by SELEP in 2015.

Assistant director Tomasz Kozlowski said: "The ongoing objections to the Rochester Airport plans has significantly delayed the planning application process.

"As a consequence of that, there has been an increase in costs which are contained in the report. That has meant we will no longer be able to deliver all of the elements, but we can deliver all of the outcomes."

Paul Carter, Kent County Council leader, said: "I'm not against it necessarily, but I really don't understand the mechanisms of the outcomes we would achieve in phase one and phase two, and whether phase one is inextricably linked with having to deliver phase two."

The matter is likely to be discussed again next month.

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Rebecca Curley
Local Democracy Reporter

Image source, Woodland Trust

A £9m woodland project to mark the centenary of World War One with a base in the Surrey countryside is nearing the final stages of planning.

The Woodland Trust hopes to attract around 110,000 visitors a year to Langley Vale Wood, near Epsom.

Plans for a visitors' centre, car park, memorial park, playground and paths have been submitted to Mole Valley District Council.

The trust has an ambitious project of planting 200,000 native trees at the 640-acre site including beech, rowan, hawthorn and oak.

Thousands of trees have already been planted by local schoolchildren and residents.

The site contains a significant proportion of ancient woodland in the form of Sheep Walk, Downs View Wood, Gilletts Wood, Little Hurst Wood and Great Hurst Wood, which will be incorporated into the wider Centenary Woodland area.

The trust is creating four World War One Centenary Woods across the UK with Langley Vale being England's centre.

It is hoped three million native trees will be planted across the four sites in memory of the millions of lives lost and affected by the war that lasted from 1914-1918.

Image source, Sussex Police

Police are concerned about a University of Sussex student who has been reported missing by his family.

Josh Addo, 22, handed the keys to his accommodation at Falmer into staff on Monday 23 April and was last seen by his brother on Thursday 26 April at noon in Brighton.

PC Ben Wellard said: "There is real concern for Joshua’s mental health which appears to be deteriorating. If anyone sees him please contact us."

A man who died after being swept out to sea has been identified as a man in his 60s from the Netherlands, Kent Police said.

Two other men were taken to hospital on Monday after being washed from East Pier in Ramsgate by a large wave.

The RNLI, whose crews were called to help the three men at Royal Harbour in Ramsgate, called the conditions at the time "atrocious".

They said they rescued two men from the water but one was pronounced dead at the scene.

A third man who was knocked over on the harbour wall by the wave was airlifted to hospital.

Lewis Ludlow, 26, from Rochester, is accused of planning to join the Islamic State group.

Brighton and Hove City Council said it had "significant concerns" about the firm's data breach.

The taxi app Uber has had its bid to renew its licence rejected by Brighton and Hove City Council.

The authority’s licensing panel had “significant concerns” about the company’s data breach and its commitment to use only Brighton and Hove licensed drivers in the city.

The council said the decision not to renew Uber’s licence was unanimous, following a meeting on 23 April.

Chair of the licensing panel, Councillor Jackie O’Quinn, said: “In the original application in 2015, (Uber) gave a firm commitment to adhere to the standards set out in the Blue Book and only to use Brighton and Hove licensed drivers.

“We do not feel the spirit of this commitment has been kept to. In the panel’s view, large numbers of taxis operating in the city that do not meet our blue book standards puts the safety of residents and visitors at potential risk.”

An Uber spokesman said: “This is a disappointing decision for the thousands of passengers and drivers who rely on our app in Brighton and Hove. We intend to appeal so we can continue serving the city.”

A teenager has died after being knocked down by a van on the A27 in Chichester.

Emergency services were called to the crash on the A27 westbound, near the junction with the B2144 Shopwhyke Road, at 01:07 BST earlier.

The pedestrian - an 18-year-old man - suffered serious head injuries.

He was taken to Southampton General Hospital, where he later died.

Brighton ask police to investigate whether there were monkey chants aimed at players during their game at Burnley last Saturday.

Sue Nicholson
BBC News

Image source, RSPCA

Five kittens have been found dumped in a Moses basket in Surrey.

The six-week-old cats were discovered in Fairholme Road, Ashford, on Monday afternoon.

RSPCA animal welfare officer Carl Hone said they were too young to have been taken from their mother, but were "thankfully all healthy and seem well".

The kittens - all black or black and white - are now being cared for at RSPCA Millbrook Animal Centre, in Chobham, until they're old enough to be rehomed.

They’ve been named Kanye, Kendrick, Kadi, Nicki and Gerald (or G-Eazy) after rappers.

Image source, RSPCA

RSPCA posters have been put up in the area appealing for the owner of the kittens to come forward.

Mr Hone said there was always a huge influx of kittens every summer because there were so many unneutered pet cats and stray cats.

He urged owners to get their cats neutered to avoid any unwanted litters and extra pressure on animal charities and rescue centres.

Elaine Kellett is calling on Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to intervene over her brother's death.

Dean Kilpatrick
Local Democracy Reporter

Image source, Alamy

A motion which could eventually have seen free tampons and sanitary towels issued to eligible schoolgirls in Medway has been voted down by councillors.

Labour councillor Dan McDonald called it a "shameful night" for Medway Council after Conservative councillors rejected his call for the authority to review its finances to see if it could provide menstrual products to girls in receipt of free school meals.

Instead, the matter has been referred to Medway's health and wellbeing board for further discussion.

Mr McDonald said: "This is such an important issue - this is an issue affecting young girls in Medway and across the UK.

"I'm not making this up, this is actually happening. It's a total inequality that these products aren't affordable.

"It's a sad night for this council and a shameful night.

"A shameful night for the people on that side [Conservative councillors], especially for the women councillors because you know exactly what these young women are going through."

Research by national charity Freedom4Girls suggests thousands of young women from across the country are missing school every month because they are unable to afford feminine hygiene products.

Conservative councillors acknowledged "period poverty" was an issue nationally but want to find out how significant a problem it is locally.

Conservative councillor David Brake, who tabled the amendment, said: "Before we start trying to tackle the issue of the United Kingdom, before we start trying to tackle the issues of the world, let's see what the problem is in Medway.

"In 2017, our public health trust were reactive and proactive when they immediately got in touch with all of our schools across Medway. There were no requests for assistance at all."

Calls for the council to write to Education Secretary Damian Hinds to encourage government to fund free menstrual products for all schoolgirls in receipt of free school meals across the country were also rejected.

A new book on great political resignations features a former secretary of state for Wales. Would he have survived today?

A woman was threatened and robbed in Burgess Hill.

The incident happened in Royal George Road at around 04:45 BST on Saturday.

The victim, who was in her late 20s, was approached by two men who demanded she hand over her purse, which had £70 of cash inside.

Sussex Police are appealing for witnesses.

Thomas Fisher is accused of killing Fiona Fisher, 51, who was found dead at her home.

Footage from a drink-driver's own vehicle showing her driving dangerously in East Sussex has been released by police.