All posts by news

Turtles delay flight to Gatwick

Easyjet passengers going to Gatwick were stranded in Zante for two days after their replacement plane was unable to fly into the Greek island because it would disturb the local turtle population.

They originally couldn’t travel on Sunday because of technical issues, which required another plane to be sent, but this then couldn’t reach them because of a night-time curfew because flights pass over the beach where loggerhead turtles nest.

Some people managed to find alternatives flights, while the remaining headed home yesterday.

The turtles are listed as a ‘vulnerable’ species and lay eggs about every 2 years.

Mental health patients in Sussex live 20 years

People with mental health problems in Sussex live up to 20 years less than the rest of the population.

The report by a group of 24 health and social care organisations in the region found the 7% of the population with mental health problems made up 20% of all A&E admissions and are between 2 and 4 times more likely to die of cancer

Sam Allen the CEO of Sussex NHS Trust says it shows services aren’t meeting the needs of those with mental health problems and “getting a grip on this is about saving lives.”

Teenager Assaulted in Crawley

A teenager has suffered minor injuries following an assault in Crawley.  

The 17 year old was attacked at Pelham Drive roundabout just before 8 pm last Thursday and was taken to hospital.  Six men approached the victim and his two friends.  It is a believed a small knife or screwdriver was involved.  

Police are searching for a man of around 19 years of age and of Asian appearance.  He is described as 5 foot 6, of skinny build, with short black hair and a short shaped beard.  He was last seen wearing a yellow jacket, black Armani T shirt, a black baseball cap, dark blue jeans and wearing a belt with two gold circles on it.  The second man the police would like to speak to is described as of Asian appearance, around 6 foot tall, of stocky build, in his early 20s and wearing a black hooded top.

The Big Seven-0; Crawley’s 70th Birthday Event

Crawley Borough Council has been awarded £15,000 Arts Council England National Lottery funding to help stage a major 70th birthday event.  

Working with producers, Same Sky and Cohesion Plus, the Council will stage the Big Seven-0 event on 25th November in Memorial Gardens to celebrate the town’s 70th birthday.  

The Big Seven-0 will explore the cultural heritage of the town – past, present and future.