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Updates on Thursday 16 February 2017
Kathryn Langley
BBC Live reporter
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Kathryn Langley
BBC Live reporter
Officers in Arun are asking for help over a series of assaults in the town.
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Rachel Mackley
Weather Presenter
A mild day ahead across the South East. Watch my forecast to find out more.
The train drivers' union has been arguing over driver-only operated trains.
Read More
Ben Weisz
Political reporter, BBC Sussex
We're right in the middle of budget season - and with all our district councils putting together their budget plans at the moment, I thought I'd put together a handy guide to what they're all up to.
Here's, external what's happening to your council tax next year.
Click the link to find out what's happening to council tax in your area
Kathryn Langley
BBC Live reporter
General Secretary of the RMT, Mick Cash, says future talks with both unions are the only way forward.
Lizzie Massey
BBC Live reporter
Quote MessageThis ballot was entirely a matter for Aslef and their Southern members. We have remained focused on the industrial and public campaign to protect the safety of the travelling public and to put access and safe operation before profits.
Quote MessageWe will now look to take that campaign into its next phase working with our sister rail unions, the wider trade union movement and the passengers who use the railway.
Quote MessageWe repeat the call to Southern to give the guarantee of a second, safety critical member of staff on their trains and to sit down with the unions in new talks around the issue of safe train dispatch."
Mick Cash, General secretary of the RMT union
Members of the train drivers' union rejected the deal by 54.1% to 45.9%.
Read MoreKathryn Langley
BBC Live reporter
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas says she's not surprised Aslef members have voted to reject a deal with Southern.
The Rail Workers union RMT has confirmed it is balloting 1,200 of its members at Arriva Trains North for both strike action and action short of a strike.
The latest row over staffing levels escalated after the company failed to give assurances on the future of the guard on their services. The ballot closes on 28 February.
Quote Message"Our focus is on protecting the jobs and pay of our people as we work to implement a modernisation programme that will maintain high safety standards, deliver better journeys and improve customer service."
Arriva Trains North, Spokesperson
Quote MessageThe union’s position on driver-only operation (DOO) is perfectly clear. We will not agree to any extensions of DOO and will fight to retain the safety critical role of the guard and to keep a guard on the train."
Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union, General Secretary Mick Cash
One in 10 trains in the UK was not on time last year, the Office of Rail and Road says.
Read MoreLizzie Massey
BBC Live reporter
Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party, has responded to a decision by drivers from the Aslef union to reject a deal with Southern.
Quote MessageIt's no surprise that the drivers have rejected this proposed deal as the offer didn't include maintaining the presence of a guard on every train, which is key to safety.
Quote MessageIt's now time for the government to step in and bring this line into public hands. Southern are running our service into the ground - and passengers deserve much better than warm words from ministers who have utterly failed to get a grip on the rail crisis.
Caroline Lucas , Green MP for Brighton Pavilion
Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather
It's unseasonably mild out there. And there's no end in sight. Here's my latest forecast.
Lizzie Massey
BBC Live reporter
Quote MessageIt is disappointing that Aslef members have rejected the offer negotiated by their leaders at the TUC. The union leadership must now return to talks and work with their members on a deal they can back."
Department of Transport spokesman
Kathryn Langley
BBC Live reporter
There've been some mixed reactions to the latest news from these passengers at Brighton station.
Ben Weisz
Political reporter, BBC Sussex
There we have it. Aslef drivers voted by a small majority to reject the deal their leaders had struck with Southern.
That's not entirely surprising. Many saw the announcement of the deal as the end of the dispute. But that was wishful thinking.
Image source, PAOnce we saw the details, it was clear some drivers wouldn't be happy. That deal gave a list of "exceptional circumstances" under which a train might run without its scheduled Onboard Supervisor, or OBS.
Even assurances that those 'exceptional circumstances' didn't include RMT strike action proved insufficient. This wasn't just about solidarity with striking guards.
Many drivers remain unconvinced that trains can be run safely without an OBS on board.
Image source, PAWhat happens next depends on the reaction of key players. Southern moved quickly to offer fresh talks, and Aslef's Mick Whelan promised to "work to deliver a resolution" - with a relatively small 54.1% majority of drivers rejecting the deal, they'll hope it won't take too many tweaks to produce an acceptable deal.
But commuters will be painfully aware of the disruption further strikes would cause. This dispute has run for months and there's no longer much cause to feel like it's coming to an end.
Stuart Maisner
BBC Live reporter
This Aslef driver, who wanted to remain anonymous, told our reporter Juliette Parkin why he was against the deal with Southern to end the strike.
Lizzie Massey
BBC Live reporter
People took to Twitter, seconds after the announcement, to voice their views on Aslef rejecting Southern's deal.
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In the last few moments Southern's parent company has issued a statement reacting to the Aslef vote rejecting their deal.
Quote MessageNaturally we’re saddened and hugely disappointed, as will be our passengers, with today’s decision by drivers, particularly as the agreement carried the full support and recommendation of the Aslef leadership. We now need to understand the issues which led to this outcome and we’ll be seeking to meet with the union as soon as possible to see how we can agree a way forward.”
Nick Brown, Chief Operating Officer, Govia Thameslink Railway
Stuart Maisner
BBC Live reporter
Here's a breakdown of how Aslef members voted over the Southern strike deal.
In favour of deal: 317: [45.9%]
Against deal: 374 [54.1%]
Turnout: 72.7%
Quote MessageWe understand and support the decision arrived at democratically by our members and will now work to deliver a resolution in line with their expectations."
Mick Whelan, Aslef General Secretary