Sarah Booker-Lewis
Local Democracy Reporter

Fly-tipping more than doubled in Brighton and Hove when household waste sites closed temporarily, the city council has been told.

A report to be discussed by the council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee on 29 September, shows there was a 117% increase in fly-tipping during lockdown.

Between 17 March and 31 July, Cityclean recorded 680 tonnes of fly-tipped rubbish across the city. During the same period in 2019, the recorded figure was 313 tonnes.

The city's two household waste and recycling sites closed in late March and reopened on 18 May with reduced capacity.

However in July fly-tipping rates were still almost double those of 2019, increasing from 73 tonnes to 141 tonnes in 2020.

Street sweeping and litter saw an increase of 8%, rising from 1,300 tonnes between March to July in 2019 to 1,407 tonnes for the same period in 2020.

Donna-Maria Thomas denies illegally accessing colleagues' email accounts at a school in West Sussex.

Concerns about human rights abuse prompts Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner to withdraw £6m.

A woman suffered a broken leg in a road rage incident in Crawley, police have said.

The 34-year-old victim stopped to speak to another driver who she felt had been driving aggressively in Waterfield Gardens between 19:00 and 19:30 BST on 11 September.

Image source, Getty Images

As she went to speak to him, he reversed his Mitsubishi 4x4 and hit her before driving off, police said. As well as a broken leg, the victim was left with a broken thumb and cuts and bruises.

Detective Constable Sam Jedrzejewska, of Sussex Police, said: "The victim has suffered some serious injuries and we are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information about it."

Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Alexis Mac Allister score their second Carabao Cup goals in a week as Brighton beat Preston.

Schools were forced to close due to a lack of fresh water after a main pipe burst in West Sussex.

Wedding planners and photographers react to the latest blow to their industry.

The following schools in the Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath areas have been closed because a burst water main has left them without any fresh water supplies:

• London Meed Primary School in Burgess Hill
• Woodlands Meed
• The Burgess Hill Academy
• Downlands Schools
• St Wilfred's Primary School in Hassocks
• St Lawrence Primary School
• Manor Field School
• The Gattons Infant School

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Properties in the same area were hit by a five-day cut to water supplies during the August heatwave.

Image source, Getty Images

Members of the public are being asked to stay away from Lewes Bonfire celebrations this year after coronavirus restrictions on social gatherings came into force on 14 September.

The event usually attracts thousands of people to the town, causing overcrowding, the organisers said.

"This year there are serious concerns that there will be additional public health issues due to the pandemic," a spokesman said.

"Bonfire Societies are already changing or cancelling their plans which means the public will not be able to see the usual celebrations."

Donna-Maria Thomas is accused of illegally accessing accounts from December 2018 to January 2019.

Brighton's Tariq Lamptey is proving to be one of the Premier League brightest rising stars.

Neal Maupay scores twice as Brighton ease to a comfortable Premier League victory over Newcastle at St James' Park.

Full-time residents of university cities in England fear local lockdowns as students return.

Tom Nichols scores on his home debut for Crawley Town as they see off Scunthorpe United in a scrappy affair.

Michael Leydon sent texts to his victim blaming the attack on "drink, tablets and stress".

Trent Hutchinson was 16 when he murdered Ollie Wells outside the Sussex house they lived in.

Pupils at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy were escorted home from school by officers.

Students at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy were escorted out by police so they could go home.

Huw Oxburgh
Local Democracy Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Plumpton Racecourse and the Glyndebourne opera house are being considered as potential cOVID-19 regional testing centres, councillors have heard.

The topic was raised at a meeting of the East Sussex Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee last week as part of a wider discussion on the local impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Director of public health for East Sussex Darrell Gale told councillors that outside areas at Plumpton Racecourse and Glyndebourne opera house were being considered as potential replacements for a previous regional testing centre at the Amex Stadium.

Mr Gale said: “There is a new regional testing site serving the West Sussex area at Tangmere Airport, but obviously that is not suitable for people in East Sussex.

“We’ve identified that some of the car parks at Glyndebourne opera house might be suitable and also that some of the hard-standing at Plumpton Racecourse might be suitable.

“These [would be] drive-through and we still obviously still have the existing regional testing site at Gatwick Airport, which can serve some of our population but not all. It is not an easy journey.”