Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

Meet the Crawley schoolgirl whose book about autism is going to be in every primary school in the country.

A York head teacher will not be banned from the profession after a misconduct panel heard he had a sexual relationship with a pupil during the summer she received her A-level results.

Image source, Google

John Tomsett, head of Huntington School in York, appeared before a teacher conduct panel last month.

The allegation related to his time working at Eastbourne Sixth Form College in the early 1990s.

The hearing found the allegation proven and said it amounted "to conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute."

It said it considered Mr Tomsett’s standards fell short of the standards expected of the profession at the time.

However, the panel acknowledged Mr Tomsett is seen as a "caring, empathetic, dedicated and driven teacher."

The panel decided a prohibition order would prevent Mr Tomsett from teaching and would "deprive the public of his contribution to the profession".

Alan Mayrick from the Teaching Regulation Agency said: "Not imposing a prohibition order is proportionate and in the public interest in this case."

The driver was being directed into a parking space by his wife when he crashed into the store front.

Huw Oxburgh
Local Democracy Reporter

A sharp rise in burial costs has seen an increase in number of paupers' funerals held in Wealden, councillors heard at a meeting today.

Paupers' funerals - officially known as public health funerals - are council-funded services held when the deceased's family either cannot be found or are unable to meet the burial costs.

According to a report considered by the authority's overview and scrutiny committee on Monday, Wealden District Council organised and paid for 16 such funerals last year.

Asked how this figure compared to previous years, council officer Catherine Beaumont said: "We certainly have noticed, over the last five or six years, a gradual increase in the number of these public health funerals.

"Basically this is because the cost of funerals in general have tripled in cost. So what is happening is that people are struggling with even doing a basic funeral.

"We have had 13, I think, this year since April, so there is a general increase over time in this type of funeral. We are trying to put more resources into it, but it is something that can be a little bit labour intensive."

Lizzie Massey
BBC Live reporter

Image source, Surrey County Council

A council leader who was at the centre of a so-called "sweetheart deal" row is standing down.

David Hodge has informed the Surrey County Council Conservative Group, and a formal announcement will be made during the full council meeting on Tuesday.

He told the BBC: "I decided two years ago that I would like to step down now. It has been an honour and privilege to lead Surrey County Council since 2011.

"I am very proud of what we have achieved during my leadership and my time as deputy leader – in particular the £540m of savings and efficiencies we have found since 2010, the building of tens of thousands of extra school places and the fantastic improvements to our roads through Operation Horizon.

"I would like to thank members, officers and everyone else who has helped with these achievements."

Last year Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused ministers of agreeing a "sweetheart deal" with Surrey council after it threatened to raise council tax by 15% because of "shortfalls" in government funding.

But plans for a referendum - which are triggered if a local authority proposes a council tax rise of 5% or more - were dropped and the council raised tax by 4.99%.

Downing Street previously said all conversations between the government and Surrey had been "entirely appropriate" and there was no "sweetheart deal".

Opposition councillors in Surrey called on Mr Hodge to resign after the row, but he refused, and was re-elected in the 2017 local elections.

A new leader will be appointed on 23 November.

Sue Nicholson
BBC News

Image source, Steve Jones

A car crashed into the Waitrose supermarket in Lewes, East Sussex.

It is believed the driver of the vehicle was being directed into a parking space by his wife when it crashed into the store.

She was injured as she tried to get out of the path of the car.

A spokesman for the South East Coast Ambulance Service said her injuries were not believed to have been serious.

She was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton for treatment following the incident at 11:10 GMT.

The car driver sustained minor injuries.

A man is charged with GBH and possessing an offensive weapon after an East Grinstead social club brawl.

Mark Norman
Health Correspondent, BBC South East

The boss of the South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) is to leave the troubled trust after less than two years in the post.

Daren Mochrie was appointed chief executive in April 2017, seven months after the service was put into special measures.

He is to leave at the end of March to take up a post at the North West Ambulance Service.

His departure will leave staff uncertain about the future of a trust that serves nearly five million people across Brighton and Hove, East and West Sussex, Kent, Surrey, and North East Hampshire.

Last week, a Care Quality Commission report questioned whether recent improvements were sustainable.

The trust has been struggling for the past few years.

In May 2016 its then chief executive, Paul Sutton, resigned after he was found to have authorised a covert policy which delayed sending help for some emergency call-outs.

Later that year it was put in special measures - rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission with the reasons including putting patients at risk.

Then in August 2017, an independent review revealed the trust had a culture of bullying and harassment - with concerns over "toxic" atmospheres.

A visitor attraction has announced it will no longer have live reindeer at its Christmas market following concerns from members of the public.

Officials at Leeds Castle near Maidstone, Kent, said they “no longer feel it is appropriate” to have reindeer as part of its annual event.

Last year animal rights group Peta wrote to the venue urging it to stop using the animals.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Leeds Castle said: “Following visitor concerns, Leeds Castle has taken the decision to no longer have live reindeer at our Christmas market.

“As a family friendly attraction, Leeds Castle is keen to bring joy and happiness to our visitors, especially at Christmas time, but following the feedback we have received, we no longer feel it is appropriate to have reindeer as part of our event.

An air-and-sea search operation near Brighton Palace Pier ended after the man they were searching for was found inland.

The alarm was raised just after 05:30 GMT today amid reports a man was seen entering the water near the structure.

The operation involved the Lydd-based Coastguard helicopter, RNLI lifeboats and Sussex Police. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the man was eventually found inland by police.

Image source, Getty Images

The Argus, external: Roger Daltrey's Olympics microphone up for auction

Kent Online, external: Folkestone and Hythe council puts in restrictions on homeless sleepers, beggars and buskers

Get Surrey, external: Traveller charity criticises three year injunction banning unauthorised encampments in Elmbridge

Chichester Observer, external: Move to city centre for food rescue charity after 20 successful months

Kent Live, external: Volunteers searching for missing New Ash Green mum Sarah Wellgreen are asking for help

Mid Sussex Times, external: Developers join forces to build 600-home estate between Horsham and Crawley

Brighton and Hove News, external: New Brighton Marina plans reduce tallest tower's height by a third

Brighton and Hove Independent, external: Man seriously hurt after falling from second floor window

Eastbourne Herald:, external Eastbourne 14-year-old who died on the football pitch is remembered by friends at charity match

Crawley and HorleyObserver, external: Two men ‘stabbed’ in brawl outside cinema

West Sussex County Times, external: Horsham Remembrance Service in photos

Sussex Express, external: Four Vietnamese people from Newhaven ferry go missing in Eastbourne

Worthing Herald, external: Historic Worthing store announces shock closure

Hastings Observer, external: Man critically ill after stabbing in Hastings town centre

Aaron Thomas is so dedicated to wheelchair rugby he makes a 340-mile round trip each week to play the sport.

The 18-year-old lives in Gloucester but trains in Kent with the Medway Dragons.

Aaron's dream is to represent England but to achieve that he believes he needs a bespoke wheelchair to compete at the highest level.

Danny Pike
Presenter, BBC Sussex and Surrey

Faces of those who died during World War One have been drawn in the sand at beaches across the country.

Kate Kinsella
BBC Weather

All the latest headlines, travel and weather from across Sussex, Kent and Surrey

Good morning and welcome to the start of a new week from BBC Live: South East.

Please join us for all your breaking news, travel and weather from across the region.

And if you feel there’s a story we should be covering, you can email us or contact us via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

To kick-start the week, here’s a picture of a cloudless sky over Bodiam Castle captured by @OnlineMikes. It’s our #PhotoOfTheDay

Image source, @OnlineMikes