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.

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.

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.

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.

Image 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.

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.

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

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.

Image source, Kent Police

Yasmine Djadoudi
BBC Live reporter

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Image 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.

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

Peterborough United sign Joe Ward from National League side Woking for an undisclosed fee on a two-and-a-half year deal.