Summary

  • Southern Rail is advising passengers not to travel today as drivers working for the Aslef union go ahead with a 24-hour strike.

  • A two-day strike by train drivers on Tuesday and Wednesday brought all services to a halt and left services severely disrupted yesterday.

  • Talks between the two sides ended yesterday with no deal being reached.

  • The Board of Governors at the University of Brighton announces that its Hastings campus will close.

  • Bognor's Danny Mac gearing up for Strictly Come Dancing final.

  • Updates on Friday 16 December 2016

  1. Birmingham City 1-2 Brightonpublished at 20:07 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2016

    Glenn Murray's stoppage-time header for Brighton ensures Gianfranco Zola's first game as Birmingham boss ends in defeat.

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  2. Crawley Town 3-1 Newport Countypublished at 17:00 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2016

    Newport County will be the Football League's bottom club on Christmas Day after a 3-1 defeat at Crawley.

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  3. That's it for nowpublished at 22:00 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Siobhan Daniels
    BBC Live reporter

    We'll be back at 06:00 GMT on Monday with the latest news, travel, weather and sport for the county.

    Hope you can join us then. Have a lovely weekend.

  4. 'First Hippo on the Moon' takes to the stagepublished at 21:51 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Siobhan Daniels
    BBC Live reporter

    A theatre production of characters from David Walliams' new children's book 'First Hippo on the Moon' has premiered in Eastbourne.

    It will also be playing at theatres around the country, including Kent and Surrey,

  5. Concern for missing manpublished at 21:29 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Police fear that a missing dementia sufferer from Crawley may have travelled far from his home.

    William Harrison, 68, left his home in St James Walk about 13:20 GMT today to walk a short distance to have his hair cut, but he did not arrive.

    Officers say he has gone missing before and on one occasion he was found in Edinburgh, where he originally came from. He has connections with York and police are concerned that he may have travelled further afield again.

    Anyone with information should call Sussex Police on 101 quoting serial 815 of 16/12. If you see him, dial 999 immediately.

    William HarrisonImage source, Sussex Police
  6. 'It wasn't about Grace any more'published at 21:21 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Kathryn Langley
    BBC Live reporter

    A couple from Haywards Heath say they're shocked and hurt the manufacturer of a cot in which their baby daughter died tried to suggest her toddler sister may have been involved. 

  7. 'We can't promise operations won't be cancelled'published at 20:55 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Kathryn Langley
    BBC Live reporter

    An NHS Trust says it's writing to the government asking what contingency plans will be put in place if the Southern strikes continue.

  8. Police are concerned about missing Lisa Lindsaypublished at 20:30 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Police are concerned about the welfare of missing 35-year-old Lisa Lindsay who is believed to be in the Eastbourne or Brighton area.

    Anyone with information should email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting serial 1256 of 15/12.

    Lisa LindsayImage source, Sussex Police
  9. Southern Strike: 'People make mistakes'published at 19:50 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    A journalist from one of the rail industry's leading publications talks to BBC Sussex's breakfast show about Southern's proposals to change the role of guards, the issue at the centre of the dispute.

  10. What's the weekend weather going to be like?published at 19:34 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Rachel Mackley
    Weather Presenter

    It looks like it will remain dry and mild.

    Here's my forecast.

  11. Hospice fulfils patient's final wishpublished at 19:09 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Kathryn Langley
    BBC Live reporter

    St Wilfrid's Hospice in Chichester helped fulfil a patient's wish to see snow for the last time. 

    They managed it with the help of a friend of a member of staff, who lent them a snow machine.

    And the hospice will be speaking to Danny Pike on BBC Sussex tomorrow at 11:40 GMT.

  12. Five facts about David Walliamspublished at 18:47 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    He's one of the country's top comedians, famous for TV shows such as Little Britain, and as a judge on Britains Got Talent - and David Walliams is also one of Britain's most successful children's authors.

    Now his book, The First Hippo on the Moon has been adapted for the theatre and is premiering this week at the aptly named Hippodrome in Eastbourne.

    Here are some facts you (probably) didn't know about him...

  13. Bednest cot death inquest: Company statementpublished at 18:28 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Grace RosemanImage source, Family handout

    "We take on board all the coroner’s comments following the inquest and apologise for the distress caused to the Rosemans.

    "We will implement all the coroner’s advice, immediately actioning recommendations as follows: 

    • Increasing our communications efforts to convince parents to ensure that the modification must be made to all cribs sold prior to November 2015. 

    • Offering users the option to have their Bednest cribs to be returned to us for us to make the modification and then send back to them if they would rather not fit the two screws themselves. 

    • Work to find all the remaining unmodified cots in circulation as we have been doing, writing, emailing and calling customers for whom we have contact details.

    We will create a further social media campaign to promote the importance of the modification and tell parents how to return the crib or make the modification themselves.

    Since the Bednest crib was first launched for sale, the safety of children has been at the heart of our company’s ethos. We have worked with experts and independent test laboratories to ensure compliance with safety standards.

    We were devastated by the news of the death of baby Grace in 2015. 

  14. Coroner 'concerned' over Bednest cotspublished at 18:18 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    A coroner says she is "very concerned" about the number of bedside cots still in circulation after the death of a seven-week-old baby.

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  15. Calais people smugglers switch operations to Parispublished at 18:06 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Colin Campbell
    BBC South East Special Correspondent

    People smugglers who operated in Calais' migrant camp are continuing their criminal activity in broad daylight in Paris

    A BBC South East Today investigation has discovered the smugglers offer guaranteed safe passage to the UK for just £3,000. 

    Our undercover researcher was told he would be taken to Dover hidden in the back of a truck containing products from the supermarket chain Lidl. 

    Lidl said they instigated an urgent investigation. 

  16. Exotic bird flown home for Christmaspublished at 17:51 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    A tropical bird that was found washed ashore on a Sussex beach has an easier journey home - on a flight from Heathrow.

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  17. University campus in Hastings to closepublished at 16:37 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016
    Breaking

    Bryony MacKenzie
    Education correspondent, BBC South East Today

    It's been confirmed the University of Brighton's Hastings Campus is to close.

    The Board of Governors announced the decision this afternoon following a year-long review and public consultation.

    Some degree courses will continue to be offered from a new 'University Centre' based at Sussex Coast sixth form college.

    The closure caused anger amongst some students and lecturers but the University maintained the Hastings campus was not financially sustainable. 

    University of Brighton in Hastings
  18. It's day 16published at 16:14 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Our Christmas lights advent calendar is on day 16 – let’s take a look behind the door.

    What are your lights like? We'd love to see - send us some pictures or video in the comments below, or to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk  

  19. Bednest cot death inquest: accidental death verdict recordedpublished at 15:53 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    A coroner has recorded a verdict of accidental death of a seven-week-old baby who died in a bedside cot.

    Grace Roseman was found dead in the Bednest crib at the home in Haywards Heath on 9 April 2015.  

    Coroner Penelope Schofield said to Grace’s parents at the hearing in Horsham: “It must have been particularly harrowing for you to face accusations from Bednest that her toddler sibling was involved in her death. But it was particularly unpalatable because there was no evidence on which to base that proposition.”

    Grace RosemanImage source, Family handout

    She said she was disappointed no one from the company was there yesterday to listen to the experts.

    She said she was “very, very concerned” about the number of cots still in circulation.

    She said there were 6,000 of these particular cots made and 45% of customers have apparently been reached by Bednet to offer them the modification kits. 

  20. Bognor's going bonkers over Danny Macpublished at 15:15 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2016

    Kathryn Langley
    BBC Live reporter

    Danny MacImage source, PA

    Bognor Regis is backing local boy Danny Mac to win this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing final. 

    The former Hollyoaks star is the bookies favourite to take the title.

    He's up against BBC Sport presenter Ore Oduba and singer and TV presenter Louise Redknapp.