South East news

• Council seeks more control of town centre development

  23-08-2026 08:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Maidstone Borough Council wants to change the rules over converting large office blocks into flats.
  
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• Family who died in sea were 'familiar with water'

  25-08-2026 19:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A spokesman says the family had links to a coastal refugee camp and the father was a strong swimmer.
  
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• Baleba completes £70m Man Utd move from Brighton

  25-08-2026 17:55 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Manchester United sign Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton in a £70m deal.
  
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• Gatwick passenger's car 'burnt to a shell' in fire

  25-08-2026 15:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Penny Reardon, from Rochester, says she returned from Spain to find her car had been destroyed.
  
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• Thunderstorm warnings issued with risk of flooding

  25-08-2026 15:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Thunderstorms could lead to flooding in Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, the Met Office warns.
  
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• Man died of extreme cold in plane landing gear inquest hears

  25-08-2026 11:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The inquest hears the body was discovered in an Air Arabia flight which had arrived from Morocco.
  
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• Woman seriously hurt in crash involving lorry and car

  25-08-2026 09:51 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Sussex Police are investigating the collision on the Lewes Road (A22) in East Grinstead.
  
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• Fly tipping can have big consequences, police warn

  25-08-2026 07:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Sussex Police says fly tipping is not as common in the area, but small incidents can pose issues.
  
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• Avian botulism 'new norm' for nature reserves

  25-08-2026 07:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Hundreds of birds have died at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve from avian botulism, say conservationists.
  
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• Fire destroys 140 cars at site used by Gatwick passengers

  24-08-2026 20:54 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after the blaze at Caldyne Business Park in Crawley.
  
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• Sea safety warning as deaths recalled 10 years on

  24-08-2026 20:51 via bbc.co.uk
  
  RNLI lifeguards at Camber Sands continue to warn visitors about the risks of fast-moving tides.
  
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• Worcestershire sign Sussex batter Thomas

  24-08-2026 15:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Worcestershire sign former England Under-19 batter George Thomas on a two-year deal.
  
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• Skin cancer survivor calls for end to sunscreen VAT

  24-08-2026 14:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Jessica Zbinden-Webster is calling for the government to end 20% VAT on sunscreen.
  
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• Fire destroys 140 vehicles at site used for airport parking

  24-08-2026 13:36 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Dozens of travellers from Gatwick Airport are facing misery at the end of their holidays.
  
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• Kids food scheme set to grow after 'crazy' support

  24-08-2026 07:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Grumpy Cook in Hastings is set to expand its scheme after receiving £30,000 in donations.
  
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• Cancer patient fights to scrap VAT on sunscreen

  24-08-2026 07:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The 26-year-old says she wants the tax gone to make sunscreen "more accessible to more people".
  
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• Gardeners reporting false autumn after dry weather

  24-08-2026 07:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Some trees are shedding their leaves earlier than expected - a sign of "early onset of autumn".
  
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• Fire leads to power outage affecting 2,000 homes

  23-08-2026 11:19 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The blaze broke out on an industrial estate in Rowfant, West Sussex, on Saturday night.
  
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• Shoreham sea deaths shock town's close-knit community

  23-08-2026 10:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Sussex Police says the family had travelled from their home in London to visit Shoreham that day.
  
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• How a seaside town realised it needed public loos

  23-08-2026 08:19 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Eastbourne Borough Council did not install the first public toilets for ladies until 1900.
  
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• Horsham Museum to close for four months

  23-08-2026 08:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The team will also refurbish three galleries during the closure until early 2027.
  
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• The 'cozy' tunnels built for World War Two

  23-08-2026 08:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Shorts Brothers, Horace, Eustace and Oswald, are fondly remembered in Rochester.
  
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• Trust cuts longest waits for mental health support

  22-08-2026 22:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Julie Kirby, acting chief nurse, says the trust knows there "is more to do" to keep improving.
  
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• Middlesex face uphill struggle against Kent

  22-08-2026 20:55 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Middlesex reach 186-4 at close of play and need another 170 to beat Kent in County Championship Division Two.
  
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• Warwickshire edge to thrilling win over Sussex

  22-08-2026 20:20 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Warwickshire stay in the thick of the Championship title picture following a thrilling one-wicket win over Sussex at Edgbaston.
  
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• Shoreham air crash anniversary a 'poignant day'

  22-08-2026 18:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The names of the 11 men who died are read out at 13:22 BST, the exact time the plane crashed.
  
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• Teenage girl dies on M20 in Kent, police say

  22-08-2026 17:24 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The girl was on the carriageway in the vicinity of a footbridge near Teapot Lane, police say.
  
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• Vigil held for family who died in sea off Shoreham

  22-08-2026 16:54 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Town pays its respects to a family who died after getting into difficulty in the water off West Sussex.
  
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• Man dies in house fire in Horsham

  22-08-2026 16:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Emergency services are investigation after the house in Horsham caught fire on Saturday morning.
  
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• MPs press for faster action over funeral sector

  22-08-2026 16:07 via bbc.co.uk
  
  MPs from across party lines sign a letter to the health secretary outlining their concerns.
  
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