A landlord has been prosecuted for failing to properly maintain and manage his property in Copthorne.  

Mid Sussex District Council inspected Grove House after receiving a number of complaints from tenants. The issues were so serious that the Council undertook immediate emergency repair works to ensure the safety of tenants.  The Council repaired unsafe electrics, repaired a faulty fire alarm system and reinstated hot water and heating in the building.

Hamedur Choudhury pleaded guilty to several offences at Crawley Magistrates Court including failing to comply with terms of an Improvement Notice, and failing to licence a house of multiple occupation.

The court fined Mr Choudhury over £17,000 including the Council’s costs.

Police officers raided a number of properties in Redhill on Friday morning suspected of being involved in the supply of Class A drugs.

The raids were in direct response to concerns and information shared by the community into drug dealing across Redhill and the wider area.  Four men and three women were arrested and six properties were searched across Redhill and West London.

Reigate Borough Inspector Angie Austin said that these raids were a direct result of information provided to police by the public.

The local elections took place on Thursday.  

The biggest shake up in the Susy area was for Tandridge District Council.  The Conservative Party remains in control but lost 8 seats. The Tories now have 22 seats on the District Council, maintaining their majority by just one seat.  Alongside the 22 Tories, there are now 9 Liberal Democrats, and 11 others.  The losses have been put down partly to concerns over new housing in the district, which is 94% greenbelt.

Reigate and Banstead has stayed Conservative.  The party gained two more seats making a total of 41.  The Liberal Democrats lost one of their two seats and the Residents’ Association also dropped a seat. The Greens made gains. It was very close for Earlswood and Whitebushes; Hal Brown for the Greens was elected just 17 votes ahead of the Conservative candidate. It was also very close in Meadvale and St John’s with the Conservatives’ Jonathan White elected just 6 votes ahead of the Liberal Democrats.

Crawley stayed Red with no change of seats in the town; Labour remain in charge with 20 seats.  It was close in two wards with 14 and 9 votes between Labour and the Conservatives.