Tanya Gupta
BBC News

Image source, Visit Eastbourne

A south coast airshow that has attracted crowds of more than 700,000 people, according to tourism figures, has been cancelled this year.

Eastbourne Borough Council has confirmed that Airbourne 2020 will not go ahead.

Liberal Democrat council leader David Tutt said it was a “sad but inevitable decision” at a time when the coronavirus pandemic had an impact on events across the world.

He said: “I had been hanging on to the vain hope that Airbourne could take place this summer, but we have to accept that bringing hundreds of thousands of people together to watch the event is now out of the question.”

Opposition leader, Conservative councillor Penny di Cara, said she fully supported the decision.

Image source, Issy Mae

People have been coming up with lots of creative ways to salute NHS and key workers toiling hard during the coronavirus pandemic.

In Brighton, this message of adoration for the NHS was created from stones on Brighton beach.

Image source, PA Media

An East Sussex MP has raised concerns over the number of migrants arriving in small boats at Pett Level and the possible spread of coronavirus.

Sally-Anne Hart, the Conservative MP for Hastings and Rye, has written to the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, saying the coast near Pett Level "appears to have become the landing place of choice for these Channel crossings".

"Understandably local residents are worried and concerned by these activities, and I too am anxious and worried by this," she said.

"I am also concerned, in the current situation with the Covid-19 pandemic, that those landing could be bringing this virus with them and they are going unchecked and untested across the UK."

Watch live coverage from the second ePL Invitational as Jose Enrique, Andre Gray and boxer Tony Bellew take part.

Cancellation of public events, such as Pride and the arts festival, will cost £100m, a report warns.

Karen Dunn
Local Democracy Reporter

Crawley’s MP and the leader of the borough council have appealed to the government for help to stop 70 years of the town’s economic success being wiped out.

With the aviation industry taking a huge hit due to the Covid-19 lockdown – and a Centre for Cities report forecasting 57% of jobs in the town were at risk – Henry Smith and Peter Lamb have written a plea to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and others.

The letter said: “We must ensure that Crawley’s amazing economic success, built up over many decades, is not lost in a matter of weeks.

“Above all, it is critical that as many of Crawley’s residents as possible are able to retain their jobs and livelihoods. This will not happen without a major programme of government intervention to mitigate the worst effects of this crisis.”

An economic crisis in Crawley would spread ripples throughout the county, it is predicted. The town’s economy grew 23% from 2013-20, providing 26% of the economic output in West Sussex, despite representing 2% of the land.

Over the same period, it boasted the second highest job density outside central London, with jobs growth rising 13.5% to 101,000.

In their letter, Mr Smith and Mr Lamb laid out a ten-point programme needed to rebuild the town’s economy.

It included: a major programme of investment in infrastructure; business relief and support for Gatwick Airport and firms run on the site; grants to local businesses to enable them to retain staff; and an improved benefits system to recognise the high cost of living in the area.

They also asked for targeted support and relief for high street and retail businesses to help them adapt to the post-crisis economy.

Govia Thameslink is advising passengers to travel only if necessary over the early May bank holiday weekend.

Engineering works will also affect some routes, including between Three Bridges and Brighton and Lewes over the weekend, where a replacement bus service will be in operation.

Southern services between London Victoria and Brighton will run via Horsham.

A reduced timetable will continue to operate following government advice to only use public transport if absolutely necessary, the train company said.

Ashkan Zahedian pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article and wounding with intent.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

Chichester Festival Theatre has cancelled all of its festival shows for the remainder of the year.

The theatre was due to stage ‘South Pacific’ and ‘The Unfriend’ in July, but a statement today says both shows will be rescheduled for 2021.

Image source, Chichester Festival Theatre

Theatre managers are working on a revised schedule for the autumn, including ‘Pinocchio’ over Christmas.

Image source, Chichester Festival Theatre

Customers who have already bought tickets will be contacted by the box office.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

Neighbours of Molly Jones made sure she still got to celebrate her 92nd birthday in style despite being in lockdown.

Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News

Chaplain Elly McKay-Smith is cooking up a storm to fill up the freezers of three supported housing facilities at YMCA DownsLink Group, external in Eastbourne.

Her one woman production line has been made possible with help from Eastbourne Foodbank, external and East Sussex County Council, external's Through Care Team and has meant that 60 vulnerable young people in Eastbourne receive a hot meal every day.

Image source, YMCA

The donations have also enabled staff to create individual “survival bags” containing essential items such as tea, sugar, milk, biscuits, fruit, cereal and tinned items, in case a young person needs to self-isolate.

The charity looks after vulnerable young people in supported housing projects across Sussex and Surrey and gives them the skills they need to go on and live successful, independent lives.

Image source, Southern Rail

Rainbow posters produced by a rail operator worker to thank NHS staff, carers and other key workers have helped add a splash of colour to a West Sussex train station.

Operator Southern wanted to take advantage of empty timetable poster frames by filling them with colourful messages. Platform assistant Karl Wingate, 22, produced the rainbow designs which have been put up at Barnham station.

Karl, who lives in Bognor Regis and has worked on the railway for three years, said: “We were keen to show our support to fellow key workers and everyone at the NHS."

Area station manager Robert Walker said: "I am very proud of the Barnham team. Karl is a perfect example of great spirit and attitude.”

Image source, Southern Rail

Image source, Reuters

Dozens of volunteers from St John Ambulance in Sussex are being deployed to help deal with the coronavirus crisis by providing patient care and support at two of the county’s hospitals.

Since the outbreak of the virus in the UK, the charity has supported the NHS by providing ambulance crews, plus volunteers, to work in hospitals across the country, including the Nightingale Hospital in London.

Now the charity is working with the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust by providing volunteers to support clinical teams at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

St John Ambulance’s medical director, Dr Lynn Thomas, said: “In hospital emergency departments and associated wards, we’re sending in our experienced first aiders to work under the supervision of nursing staff.

“Their role will be similar to that performed by healthcare assistants in a hospital setting, including routine work such as assisting patients with eating and drinking, patient hygiene, taking and noting observations and general care and cleaning.”

Carolyn Morrice, Chief Nurse for Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, said: "We are extremely grateful for their support at a time when everyone is working together as one, to respond to the coronavirus crisis.”

A growing number of Premier League clubs are open to playing the remaining fixtures at neutral venues but with the threat of relegation removed.

Two architects bought a retired Scottish ferry lifeboat and converted it for the adventure of a lifetime.

The BBC captures the largely-deserted region under lockdown with a qualified drone pilot.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

A group in Shoreham-by-Sea is asking people to get sewing, to create a giant patchwork reflecting how the lockdown is affecting communities.

Tazzie Dixon is behind the idea, which is called A Stitch in Our Time.

She wants people to take a piece of cloth and draw a picture reflecting their feelings, and sew over the sketch.

The completed tapestries should be sent to the Sold, external charity shop in Shoreham.

Tazzy says she’s drawn waves because she misses her sea swimming group, but the picture could be anything.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

Lily Kitcher, 17, spent eight days in intensive care at the Eastbourne District General Hospital before finally over-coming the disease.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

Criminals are taking advantage of the lockdown to target farms and rural businesses, according to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU).

It says there’s been a rise in break-ins, with fly tipping increasing “substantially”.

One beekeeper told the BBC he discovered 18 hives, worth about £4,000, destroyed in what seems to be an act of vandalism.

With a turnover of £30,000, Doug said the losses have set his expansion plans back by two years.

Players are "scared" about the prospect of returning to action amid the coronavirus pandemic, says Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero.