The regeneration of Merstham has reached a significant milestone with the completion of new shops and ten affordable flats.  

The development on the former Iron Horse pub site forms part of a joint project between Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, Surrey County Council and Raven Housing Trust, to improve facilities in the Portland Drive area.  

The shops, called Quarrydene Parade, will include a convenience store, a dry cleaners, pharmacy and bookmakers. The shops should open in the next few weeks.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service hosted a Spanish rescue team this week as part of an EU funded exchange of experts.

Four Catalan firefighters have been working with the Sussex service’s Technical Rescue Unit to learn about their specialist skills.  Their visit has included rope rescue training at the TRU’s base in Horley, a confined space exercise at Crawley, and rescues from rubble piles to simulate working around collapsed buildings.  The Technical Rescue Unit provides 24 hour emergency cover across the county where specialist rescue skills are required.  The team also attends national and international incidents where needed.

West Sussex firefighters have visited Spain as part of the exchange, spending four days training in remote mountainous terrain.

Surrey Police is investigating reports of a suspicious incident near Warlingham School on Wednesday.

A young girl was outside the School in Tithepit Shaw Lane just before 4 o’clock when a man walked past her and asked for her name. It was alleged that he was brandishing a knife.  The girl ran off and the man left the scene. The man is described as black, in his late 20s to early 30s, 6 feet tall, and of medium build with very short hair.  He was wearing jeans and a dark blue hoody, and was carrying a dark green bag.  

Police would like to speak to a couple who were walking their dog through Whyteleafe recreation ground between 3.15 pm and 3.45 pm on Wednesday. They may have seen some of the incident.  

Anyone with information should call Surrey Police on 101 quoting incident reference 45160087869 or you can use the online reporting system found at report.police.uk and enter the reference number in the ‘additional information’ section.