Summary

  • An independent review into how the Church of England handled the case of a Sussex bishop accused of being a child abuser will be published later today.

  • The church has apologised to the relatives of former Bishop of Chichester George Bell for the way it investigated the claims.

  • Primary School children in Medway and East Sussex have fallen below the government's expectations with less than 65% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

  • The family of East Sussex adventurer Christian Velten - who went missing in West Africa 14 years ago - are still hoping he will make his way home after he was apparently seen begging.

  • News, sport, weather and travel updates for the South East of England

  1. Murder arrests over 1985 disappearancepublished at 13:43 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Harbans Kaur Lally disappeared more than 30 years ago when she was 19 years old.

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  2. Record year for Heathrow Airport with 78m passengerspublished at 13:39 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Heathrow Airport recorded its busiest ever year in 2017 with 78 million passengers.

    The 3.1% increase on 2016 was driven by larger and fuller aircraft, the west London hub said.

    The Middle East market saw the largest annual growth, up 9.5%, followed by Latin America (5.5%) and Asia (4.5%).

    There was a 3.3% rise in the number of passengers travelling on domestic flights.

  3. Man dies in Chatham firepublished at 13:30 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Kathryn Langley
    BBC Live reporter

    A man in his 70s has died in a house fire in Chatham.

    Firefighters were called to Sultan Road at about 21:15 GMT yesterday.

    The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

    Police say there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.

  4. A2 near Canterbury to remain partly closed this afternoonpublished at 12:56 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Lizzie Massey
    BBC Live reporter

    The A2 near Canterbury has reopened eastbound, but is to remain closed for several hours westbound.

    A collision between a car and a van on the London-bound carriageway has seen the stretch between J7 of the M2 and the A28 junction shut off since the early hours of the morning.

    People travelling westbound should exit the A2 at Thannington to take the A28.

    The carriageway is not expected to clear and reopen before 15:00 GMT.

    Diversions are signed with black solid circles.

  5. Three arrests over 1985 disappearance of womanpublished at 12:34 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Two people have been arrested and released as police investigate the possible murder of a 19-year-old woman who lived in Leeds and disappeared 32-years ago.

    Harbans Kaur LallyImage source, West Yorkshire Police

    Harbans Kaur Lally was last seen in the UK in 1985 and on Monday officers from West Yorkshire Police arrested a 75-year-old man on suspicion of her murder.

    They also arrested a 74-year-old woman on suspicion of conspiracy to murder - both in Gravesend in Kent.

    A 53-year-old man was also arrested on on suspicion of perjury on Monday from the Hay Mills area of Birmingham.

    He has been released under investigation and the older man and woman have been released on police bail.

    Quote Message

    We are currently trying to build up a picture of her life at the time she disappeared and we are very keen to hear from anyone with any information that could assist us"

    Det Ch Insp Nicola Bryar, West Yorkshire Police

    Detectives have revealed that they have recently received information about Harbans’ disappearance and suspected murder.

    She was also known as Susan and had the maiden name Ranu and worked at the head office of the Burton Group in Harehills until April 1985, having moved to Leeds from Rugby the year before.

    She had a daughter in July 1985 and was living in Meanwood area.

    Later that year she went back to Rugby and disappeared, possibly after travelling to India.

  6. School bags searched for unhealthy foodpublished at 12:17 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Students at The Charles Dickens School in Broadstairs face daily bag checks for unhealthy food.

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  7. Police appeal to find Kent pensionerpublished at 12:04 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Yasmine Djadoudi
    BBC Live reporter

    Police are searching for a 75-year-old man who went missing from Gillingham this morning.

    Danny Homewood was reported missing from the Windmill Road area at 02:01 GMT.

    He was last seen wearing a blue shirt with a dark coat and blue trousers.

    Officers say he also had dark shoes on and was carrying a white bag.

    Kent Police has asked anyone with information about Danny's whereabouts to contact them.

    Danny HomewoodImage source, Kent Police
  8. Pupils' school bags searched for unhealthy foodpublished at 10:39 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Yasmine Djadoudi
    BBC Live reporter

    Junk food will be confiscated from pupils during daily bag checks, a Kent school has announced.

  9. Baby girl dead after two-car crashpublished at 09:50 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    The seven-month-old died in hospital after the crash in West Sussex.

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  10. Baby girl killed in crashpublished at 08:11 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Lizzie Massey
    BBC Live reporter

    A baby girl died and a young boy was airlifted to hospital with life-threatening head injuries following a collision at Newpound Common, near Wisborough Green, West Sussex.

    Emergency services were called to the scene on the B2133 at Newpound at 16:17 GMT on Wednesday where a Mazda 3 and a Vauxhall Corsa had collided.

    The seven-month-old girl was taken to Worthing Hospital, but died at 18:36.

    The five-year-old boy remained in a critical condition at St George's Hospital in Tooting on Wednesday night.

    Both children were in the Mazda and the driver, who is aged 31, suffered chest injuries while a 27-year-old female passenger suffered serious leg injuries.

    The driver of the Corsa, a 36-year-old man from Pulborough, sustained serious chest injuries and was taken to Worthing Hospital.

    Sussex Police is appealing for witnesses.

  11. M25 rapist has sentence reviewedpublished at 08:09 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Lizzie Massey
    BBC Live reporter

    A serial sex attacker, who was jailed in 2004 for seven rapes in a year, is being considered for parole, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.

    Antoni Imiela, whose victims included a 10-year-old girl he kidnapped at knife-point and put through a five-hour ordeal, was given seven life sentences but has only served just over 13 years.

    The Parole Board confirmed that the Ministry of Justice has referred him for an parole review.

    Antoni Imiela
    Image caption,

    Antoni Imiela

    A spokeswoman said: "The review is following the standard six month process for all indeterminate sentence prisoners and will be reviewed on the papers in the first instance.

    "The review may be concluded on the papers or alternatively it may be directed to an oral hearing.”

    Imiela was previously living in Appledore, Kent and worked in Rye, East Sussex.

    His attacks spanned Forest Hill and Wimbledon Common, London; Ashford, Kent; Earlswood, Woking and Epsom, Surrey; Stevenage, Hertfordshire; and Birmingham.

  12. Two arrests as armed police called to incidentpublished at 07:59 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    Two men have been arrested after reports of someone carrying a weapon in Sittingbourne in the early hours of Wednesday.

    Police were called to London Road at 02:53 GMT on 10 January, with armed officers sent as a precaution.

    A 33-year-old was arrested at the scene, and a 32-year-old from Chatham was arrested later.

  13. A2 closed until 11:00 GMTpublished at 07:58 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    Lizzie Massey
    BBC Live reporter

    The A2 near Canterbury is not expected to be cleared and reopened before 11:00 GMT, according to Highways England.

    A collision between a car and a van on the London-bound carriageway has seen the stretch between J7 of the M2 and the A28 junction closed in both directions.

    People travelling eastbound are advised to exit the M2 at J6 and take the A251 towards the A28.

    Those heading westbound should exit the A2 at Thannington to take the A28.

    Diversions are signed with black solid circles.

  14. Why we're more than just gig buddiespublished at 01:17 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2018

    A charity pairs people with learning difficulties, who feel daunted by going to gigs, with volunteers.

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  15. Bigamist's live TV appearance leads to jailpublished at 22:04 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2018

    Daniel Gundry admitted bigamy after he was spotted by his wife on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

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  16. Man pleads guilty over abuse videopublished at 20:21 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2018

    Police had warned parents about a "disturbing" video being shared on social media.

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  17. Young offenders 'hit, stabbed and cut'published at 19:46 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2018

    Four men go on trial accused of assaulting children at a young offenders centre.

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  18. Bigamist found out by TV appearance jailedpublished at 18:13 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2018

    Daniel Gundry admits bigamy after being spotted by his wife on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

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  19. Police seek high speed train sex attackerpublished at 17:43 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2018

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    Police hunting a man who carried out a sex attack on a high speed train in Kent have issued a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to.

    A 20-year-old woman joined the Dover Priory train at St Pancras, when a stranger sat opposite her.

    CCTV of HS1 sex attackerImage source, British Transport Police

    He appeared drunk and began making inappropriate comments, before sitting next to her and trying to kiss her and hold her hand.

    He got off the train at Ebbsfleet.

  20. A&E nurses face 'atrocious conditions'published at 17:38 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2018

    A union claims overcrowding and short staffing are harming patients at the William Harvey Hospital.

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