Caitlin Webb
Local Democracy Reporter

People living near a busy road are taking matters into their own hands after finding bags of poo hanging from trees and bottles of urine dumped outside their homes.

Neighbours who live along the A249 are placing traffic cones outside their properties to deter lorries from spending the night there.

Dez Leach, who lives in Detling, said he has seen as many as 19 lorries parked in the lay-by next to his house overnight.

He said: "Living next to the A249 is quite hard work and I have been living there for about five years but to be fair, the road was there a long time before I was so I knew what I was moving in to.

"Next to my house there is a lay-by and there's room for two lorries but most nights there are around seven or eight, with the most being 19.

"There aren't any toilets there, and I do sympathise with the lorry drivers as it must be really difficult for them.

"But they either go in a carrier bag and throw it out the window or just on the grass. The urine is often in bottles which are thrown over my hedge or into the road."

Maidstone Borough Council has installed bins at designated parking spots but despite this litter fills the hedges.

Mr Leach added the curbstones and verges are cracking under the weight of the lorries, handing Kent County Council the bill to repair them.

He said: "To be fair KCC has been really good at coming to clear the lay-by when I call them up and they have replaced a load of curbstones but they will just break again.

"Neither the path or the curbstones are designed for lorry parking so the paths now have big cracks.

"It's costing KCC a lot of money and causes me a lot of problems with the noise and also the fumes."

Simon Pellett and two accomplices were caught with heroin and cocaine worth £3.4m and 10 guns.

Seventeen people were on board the vessel, which authorities traced to a port in Boulogne, France.

The men were discovered during a search of a vehicle which had arrived from Calais.

Huw Oxburgh
Local Democracy Reporter

National funding for local government came in for heavy criticism as East Sussex councillors considered the details of the authority's "core offer".

In July this year Conservative-led East Sussex County Council said the core offer was intended to be "an articulation" of what its minimum level of public services would look like.

But at a cabinet meeting to discuss the details on Tuesday councillors heard how this stripped-back offer would still leave a shortfall of £33m by 2021/22, unless additional funding is found from central government.

Council leader Keith Glazier (Con - Rye and Eastern Rother), said the discussions around the core offer had "been heard and recognised" by central government as it undertakes its comprehensive spending review.

However there was less support from Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors, with many criticising the quality of the core offer as well as the level of funding available.

Following a lengthy debate, cabinet members agreed to endorse the report.

Any budget decisions for the next financial year 2019/20 will be made in February by all councillors.

Seven suspected migrants have been found in a lorry at Dover docks, the Home Office has said.

The men were discovered during a search of the vehicle which had arrived from Calais at about 14:50 GMT.

Three of the men presented themselves as Iranians, four as Iraqis.

One of the Iranian nationals has been taken to hospital. The others have been referred to immigration officers.

The Home Office said they would be interviewed and dealt with according to immigration rules.

How the sport of pilot gig racing has arrived in the waters of Lewes.

Companies withdraw festive business after a video highlights abuse of the animals.

Sarah Booker-Lewis
Local Democracy Reporter

The sale of alcohol at an East Sussex recording studio could pose a risk to public safety, a licensing panel has been told.

Cameron Devlin, who owns Hidden Cam Studio in the Hove Enterprise Centre in Basin Road North, Portslade, wants to sell alcohol and hold events.

But Shoreham Port - which owns the centre - has objected on health and safety grounds, with worries about antisocial behaviour.

The port's director of property and development, Tim Hague, also told Brighton & Hove City Council's licensing panel there were concerns it could set a precedent.

Sussex Police had no objection but asked for some restrictions on sales.

The panel retired to make its decision which it will send to the applicant within seven working days.

Image source, Sussex Police

These two people are being sought by police in Brighton after a car was stolen.

A coat was reported to have been taken from the ice rink at the Pavilion on Sunday 4 November.

Police say the coat contained keys for a silver Mercedes which was also taken.

The car has since been returned to its owner.

Two students who allowed criminals to filter cash through their bank accounts admit money laundering.

Image source, Sussex Police

Sussex Police say they're concerned about a Vietnamese teenager who's gone missing from St Leonards.

Cuong Pham, 16, was placed in care in the town after arriving on the Newhaven ferry.

He left the address on Friday afternoon but officers say he doesn't know anyone in the UK or have any money.

Charlie Rose
Reporter, BBC South East Today

It started as a race to win lucrative fees helping ships into harbour, and today it's a highly competitive global sport.

Now pilot gig racing is taking to the waters of Sussex.

Image source, Sussex Police

Police are looking for Michael Robinson who has gone missing from a mental health unit in Hove.

The 24-year-old was last seen on Wednesday in Nevill Avenue.

Officers say he has links to Eastbourne and may be in the town.

A driver is being sought by police after a crash involving three cars in Bexhill.

It happened at the junction of the A269 Buckhurst Road and Cranfield Road just after 19:00 GMT on Thursday.

Officers say nobody was hurt but the driver of a Honda Civic ran off immediately afterwards.

They want to speak to anyone who saw what happened.

A 72-year-old man has been assaulted by a boy outside a school in Eastbourne.

The man, who has a heart condition, had slowed his car to allow a girl to cross Brodrick Road when he heard a bang.

Police say the victim got out to ask a teenage boy if he'd been responsible for the noise.

As he did so the boy knocked him to the ground and kicked him, causing cuts and bruises.

Officers say the boy was between 5ft 7in and 5ft 9in tall with fair hair.

They want to speak to anyone who saw what happened.

Kent batsman Sean Dickson signs a two-year contract extension with the county.

Image source, Sussex Police

Police in Worthing are seeking this man in connection with an attempted robbery in the town.

A 64-year-old man was walking in York Road when he was approached from behind.

A man placed a sharp pointed article into the small of his back and demanded money.

The victim refused and the man walked away empty-handed.

Police say it happened shortly after 18:00 on Sunday 7 October and they are asking anyone with information to come forward.

Huw Oxburgh
Local Democracy Reporter

Wealden District Council is looking at bringing a new bicycle rental scheme to the Cuckoo Trail.

At a meeting on Monday, councillors heard how the council is in talks with app-based rental company Countrybike on bringing its business to the 14-mile former railway line.

Asked for more details on the scheme, community and regeneration officer David Chennell said: "The bike rental scheme is a company we are looking to work with in partnership called Countrybike.

"They currently run a number of schemes in the north of the district, mainly in Forest Row.

"People are able to register, have a membership on that app and then - by paying a fee - be able to rent that bike at a cost.

"That cost, at the moment, is under discussion and we are looking at the legal arrangements, in terms of who liable."

He added that, if an arrangement can be reached, the council hopes to install the bikes at five locations along the Cuckoo Trail - Polegate, Hailsham, Heathfield, Hellingly and Horam.

The app would be open to both visitors and locals who would be able to pick up and drop off the bikes at any of the locations, Mr Chennell said.

He added that, while no decision has yet been taken, if all goes well the scheme is expected to be put in place by Spring 2019.

A local company, Countrybike was started by husband and wife team Tim and Suzy Seddon in 2017 and has bikes based at 11 locations in the countryside surrounding Tunbridge Wells.

The parents of the girl, who is in a serious but stable condition in hospital, speak out after the attack.