More than nine out of ten West Sussex pupils are back in their school according to West Sussex County Council. 

The average pupil attendance last week was 93.2% for West Sussex, above the national average of 89%.

The average attendance of pupils with additional needs – in West Sussex was 87% last week, again above the national average of 84%.

 Teachers are working hard to ensure children who aren’t able to be in school  because of COVID-19 can access their learning materials.

Parks in Redhill and Reigate have been recognised again this year as some of the very best green spaces.

Memorial Park and Priory Park, have been awarded the  prestigious Green Flag, a mark  showing a high-quality park or green space 

The parks  join nearly 2,000 other places gaining recognition in the UK. 

Cllr Natalie Bramhall says she is thrilled that the parks have received the award.

A 12-year-old boy was found collapsed on a Crawley street in the early hours of Friday morning.

Police were called to Byrd Road shortly before half past midnight after concerns were raised for the welfare of the youngster. He was taken to hospital in a serious condition and remains there, though he is now stable.

An investigation is ongoing.

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A woman doing her makeup in lane 4 of the M25 and a man using his dashboard as a filing system while driving were among almost 300 drivers stopped over nine days in Surrey and Sussex.

The Road Policing Unit used an unmarked HGV to identify drivers acting irresponsibly while using the counties’ main roads during September and October.

In total, 285 drivers were stopped in relation to 305 offences, on roads including the M25, A23 and A3.

The police operation, named Operation Tramline will be carried out again in the future.
Sergeant Kellie-Anne Harris, of the newly formed Commercial Vehicle Unit, said:
“The higher vantage point the HGV cab gives us is incredibly useful when it comes to looking down at what drivers are up to in their vehicles which might otherwise be obscured at ground level. It also allows us to see directly into other HGV or large vehicle cabs which would just not be possible with other vehicles in our fleet.

“Along with 65 uses of a mobile phone, 43 seatbelt offences and 25 speed offences, we saw some truly staggering things like someone using their elbows to steer, a man watching music videos and a woman doing her make up in lane 4 of the M25.
“As seen in the photos below, one gentleman was using his dashboard as his filing system and another driver was transporting DIY equipment unsafely along the M25. The drivers were given words of advice and rectified their mistakes before being allowed to continue their journeys.”

86 offences of not being in proper control of a vehicle were also reported; the majority of which involved drivers interacting with the satnav or maps function on a mobile telephone.

Chief Inspector Michael Hodder, head of the joint Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit, said:
“Drivers shouldn’t become complacent or take risks purely because they can’t see a marked police car on our roads or they think we can’t see what’s happening inside their vehicle. Using unmarked vehicles including the Highways England HGV cab allows us to catch those putting not only their own lives at risk, but also those around them.”

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Surrey County Council will move its civic heart to Reigate from the 1st of January next year.

At a council meeting yesterday, cabinet members discussed the move which will see the council begin to take up residence at the old Canon site in Woodhatch.

The move is now set to take place at the start of 2021, the site will form one of four potential hubs for the council across the county.

Surrey County Council purchased the site in the summer of 2020. Late last year, the council agreed to buy Midas House in Woking, but the purchase was reviewed and called off during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The current Kingston site County Hall is being marketed and a change of use application is planned for next year.

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