Image source, PA

Staff at Heathrow Airport resorted to writing flight updates on whiteboards after information screens failed earlier.

Passengers at the UK's busiest airport were asked to use phones or tablets if possible to find out which gate their flight was leaving from.

Extra staff were deployed in terminals to help people get where they needed to go.

In a statement, the airport said the situation had been resolved by 09:00 BST.

"Heathrow colleagues will remain on hand to help passengers if needed. We apologise for any inconvenience caused this morning," they said.

Drink-driver Joel Elphick was banned from driving for 20 months after crashing into a car in Worthing.

Image source, PA

Campaigners have gathered outside the High Court ahead of a legal battle against controversial plans to expand Heathrow Airport.

Councils and environmental charities are challenging the UK Government's decision to approve the building of a third runway.

A crowd of about 50 protesters gathered outside the court on Thursday to hear speeches from prominent opponents of the expansion including shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley.

The case is being brought against Transport Secretary Chris Grayling by local authorities in London affected by the expansion and campaign groups including Friends of the Earth and PlanB.

Residents at London's Corniche apartments are told to keep their windows shut after the death of Mick Ferris.

Huw Oxburgh
Local Democracy Reporter

Developers are seeking permission to convert a listed stables building in the courtyard of the Compton Place manor house in Eastbourne into rented office space, in a move they say will be both reversible and ensure there are funds available for much-needed maintenance work.

But Historic England - the public body responsible for protecting historic and listed buildings - is strongly opposed to the scheme, saying long-term preservation of the building had been agreed during a previous application to convert stables at the Compton Place Estate in 2014.

The development was discussed at a meeting on Tuesday by Eastbourne Borough Council's conservation area advisory committee - a group which gives specialist advice to town planners.

During the meeting, architect Richard Crook - who sits on the committee as an unelected advisor - said he was surprised by Historic England's position and warned it may be "cutting your nose to spite your face".

However Liberal Democrat councillors Colin Swansborough and Pat Rodohan disagreed with this view, voicing concerns about going against Historic England's expert advice.

Mr Swansborough said: "I understand the view but I still don't feel moved to vote for the conversion. I would like to see it remain as it is."

After a debate, the committee was unable to agree whether the application will enhance or detract from the listed building, agreeing to advise planners that there were "differing views" on the value of the application.

Sarah Booker-Lewis
Local Democracy Reporter

Calls are being made to stop chuggers approaching people in Hove's George Street by enforcing an existing by-law.

Traders and residents say the charity workers, who approach passers by asking them to donate, not only intimidate shoppers but also stop them from entering shops.

Next week, Central Hove Conservative Councillor Andrew Wealls is asking Brighton and Hove City Council's neighbourhoods, inclusion, community and equality (NICE) committee to look into enforcing a by-law - or consider other options such as a public space protection order to crack down on the "annoyance".

In a letter to Monday's meeting, he asks for a report to be brought before the next committee about the "practical implications" of enforcing this by-law: "No person shall in any street or public place for the purpose of selling or advertising any article or obtaining custom tout or importune to the annoyance or obstruction of passengers."

In his letter to the committee Mr Wealls said: "My request is in order to deal with complaints from businesses in George Street, Hove, where charity chuggers are obstructing members of the public and in some instances accused of intimidating passers-by."

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

One of the people injured in a crash involving a minibus and a transit van on the M25 is still in a critical condition.

Nine people were taken to hospital after the collision, which happened about 01:30 BST on 1 October near junction 12 for Staines.

Image source, Surrey Police

The motorway was shut for eight hours.

Police say the condition of the driver of the minibus is now stable.

The driver of the transit van has been interviewed and released on bail.

Image source, Brighton and Hove City Council

Brighton and Hove City Council has released these photos of what it calls its "largest flytip in years".

The rubbish was dumped at about 09:00 BST on Whitehawk Hill Road and the track to the allotments beside St John the Baptist School.

The council has appealed for any witnesses to contact them.

Image source, Brighton and Hove City Council

Image source, Brighton and Hove City Council

Sarah Booker-Lewis
Local Democracy Reporter

Hundreds of people are against plans for 93 new homes on a former school site in Rottingdean.

Plans to redevelop the former St Aubyns School site in High Street include new buildings for 81 homes and converting the listed buildings on site for the rest.

So far villagers have sent 415 letters of objection to Brighton and Hove City Council ahead of the planning committee meeting next Wednesday.

Opponents are concerned about increased pollution as well as the loss of almost half the former school field.

An analysis by the city council and Rottingdean parish council suggests traffic queues will increase slightly but not significantly.

All listed buildings and historic structures within the school walls will remain, including the war memorial, chapel, pavilion and the flint walls.

A separate listed building application is also before the planning committee next week and has more than 100 objections.

Among the parish council's concerns were that 93 extra homes would be the equivalent to the last 10 years of extra housing in the village.

However, the council welcomed breathing new life into the empty listed school building.

Officers are advising councillors to approve the plans.

Huw Oxburgh
Local Democracy Reporter

A partnership which sees services shared between three councils - including both Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council - has been criticised for a "lack of pace and drive" in a recent report.

The comments were made in a report into Surrey County Council's finances by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), which was published last month.

As part of its investigation, CIPFA looked at the work of the Orbis partnership, a money-saving agreement which sees Surrey share a number of its internal services - including HR and finance - with East Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove City Council.

In the report CIPFA criticised "a lack of pace and drive" within the partnership and found that the arrangement was "beginning to impact on the performance of the finance team within Surrey County Council".

The report said: "In comparison with shared services elsewhere, CIPFA considered the extent of integration in Orbis to be relatively immature.

"There are pockets of modernisation across Orbis but, given that the partnership is now in its third year, we had expected a more advanced operating environment than what currently exists."

It said the integrated leadership team appeared to work well together, but there seemed to be "a lack of well-aligned change management skills amongst the teams supporting each sovereign lead that may explain the slow progress with integration".

Asked if the concerns highlighted had had any effect on their own finance teams, spokesmen for both Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council said they had received consistently high internal customer satisfaction ratings, and supported the delivery of a balanced financial out-turn position in 2017-18.

Three women explain why they are joining McDonald's, JD Wetherspoon and TGI Fridays workers on strike.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

Police say the M20 coastbound near Maidstone has reopened after a serious accident in the early hours of the morning.

Two cars were involved in the collision, which happened about 1:10 BST.

Four people have been taken to hospital, three in Tunbridge Wells and one to Kings College Hospital in London.

The motorway was reopened between junctions four and five, but delays are still being reported.

Image source, Getty Images

The Argus, external: Plans for Ikea superstore and 600 homes approved

Kent Online, external: M20 closed after crash

Get Surrey, external: Man, 22, with peanut allergy so severe he worries about kissing people

Chichester Observer, external: Patriotic pride as Prince Harry and Meghan

Kent Live, external: Kids Stuff has announced when it is opening in Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells

Mid Sussex Times, external: IKEA granted approval for its first Sussex store

Brighton and Hove News, external: Brighton i360 boss to leave next week

Brighton and Hove Independent, external: Harry and Meghan: Reaction from Brighton crowd

Eastbourne Herald:, externalRed light enforcement cameras to be installed at level crossings

Crawley and HorleyObserver, external: Reactions to Harry and Meghan's visit to Bognor tech park for Chichester University

West Sussex County Times, external: Poets’ corner to be created in Horsham Park

Sussex Express, external: Car surfaces after being ‘buried’ in garage since 1973

Worthing Herald, external: Guild Care agrees pay increase for carers

Hastings Observer, external: Disruption to rail services at Hastings station

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

Police say the coastbound carriageway of the M20 between junctions four and five will stay closed for several hours, following a serious collision this morning.

It involved two cars and happened at about 01:10 BST near Maidstone.

Three people have been taken to Tunbridge Wells Hospital and one person to Kings College Hospital.

Delays are also being reported on the opposite carriageway.

The new development in Lancing promises to boost the economy, but opponents fear traffic congestion.

Rebecca Curley
Local Democracy Reporter

Image source, Louise Grainger

A Surrey mother is campaigning to install a zebra crossing on a road outside a school because, she says, it is "absolute carnage" during drop off and pick up times.

Louise Grainger started an online petition for the measure outside Ravenscote Junior School in Frimley, which received more than 1,000 signatures in one day.

The number supporting it has risen to more than 1,600.

The mum-of-two said: "I have been struggling on and off over the last two years with the school run. It's extremely stressful. It was absolute carnage in the first couple of weeks of term. I know it's always been a problem."

Mrs Grainger, who has children in Year 3 and Year 4 at the school, said the problem has not been helped by double-yellow lines painted on the opposite side of the road to the school gates forcing cars to park up on the pavement.

One parent recently had to go to A&E with an injury to their hand after their car door was knocked by a passing vehicle.

Mrs Grainger will present the petition to Surrey County Council and Surrey Heath Local Committee on Thursday.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

Police are hunting a man who raped a woman in Steyning.

The 38-year-old was waiting at a bus stop at Steyning clock tower early in the evening of 20 September, and began speaking to three people, two men and a woman.

The victim says one of the men chased her to a wooded area where he raped her.

The attacker is described as white, skinny with short hair, a local accent and wearing jogging bottoms and white trainers.

Dan Maclaren
BBC Live reporter

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first official visit to the county that features in their Royal titles yesterday.

During the eagerly-anticipated trip the couple met large crowds in Chichester, Bognor Regis, Brighton and Peacehaven.