A man has been found guilty of murdering his girlfriend in front of their seven-month-old daughter.

Ian Paton, 36, of Snowdrop Rise, St Leonards, strangled Kayleigh Hanks, 29, at her flat in London Road, Bexhill. She was found dead there in the early hours of July 21, 2019.

Prosecutors argued Paton killed his care assistant girlfriend after a row developed between the couple about Miss Hanks’ friendship with another man.

On Friday (February 7), a jury at Hove Crown Court found Paton guilty of murdering Miss Hanks.

He was remanded into custody ahead of being sentenced this afternoon.

Paton had claimed he applied pressure to Miss Hanks’ neck in self-defence after she charged at him with a knife following an argument about a message she found on his phone.

During a two week trial, the court was told Paton had strangled Miss Hanks in front of their seven-month-old daughter.

Shortly after midnight on July 21, Paton called 999, asked for police, and said: “I think I restrained her too hard and she’d stopped breathing.”

Giving evidence during his trial, Paton said he was ‘sorry to everybody for what they have had to go through’ following Miss Hanks’ death.

The court heard, on July 20, 2019, the couple had visited Miss Hanks’ sister Emma, where they bumped into Miss Hanks’ friend Ashley Boxall. Miss Hanks and Paton left together to go home at 6.30pm, the court heard.

Alexandra Healy QC, prosecuting, told the jury that, while at home, an argument developed between Miss Hanks and Paton about her friendship with Mr Boxall, which was ‘perhaps precipitated by her having spoken to him that afternoon’.

At 10.50pm, a text from Miss Hanks’ phone was sent to Mr Boxall which read: “Have we ever had an affair or can you call me as I knew I would be being accused of it.”

Half an hour later, at 11.19pm, Mr Boxall responded: “An affair, are you kidding me!!!, we’ve known each other for years and there’s never once been even the slightest hint of anything ever happening between us, we’re friends thats it.”

More than an hour later, at 12.34am on July 21, Paton called 999 and asked for the police.

On the call, he said: “Me and my partner have had an argument. We were in separate rooms and she’s...I come back into the other room she’s .... She went for me, she had a knife, I restrained her and she is on the floor now..I think I restrained her too hard and she’d stopped breathing.”

Paton claimed he had suffered cuts to his hands and arms during the fight with Miss Hanks, however, prosecutors said these were fabricated.

Ms Healy claimed Paton cut himself with the knife and placed the knife near Miss Hanks’ body.

The court was told that Miss Hanks and Paton had a ‘volatile and on-off relationship for about three years’, in which they argued regularly.

On one occasion, Miss Hanks told her colleague that she and Paton had been in a parked car arguing when he grabbed hold of the back of her neck and slammed her face into the dashboard of the car, the court heard.

Another time, Miss Hanks told her colleague, Paton had pinned her against the wall by her throat during an argument.

Ms Healy said on one occasion, while in the presence of her sister, Paton demanded Miss Hanks got on her knees and declare her love for him.

Speaking behind a screen during the trial, Emma Hanks said Paton’s relationship with her sister was ‘ok at the beginning and then toxic’.

Miss Hanks was said to be ‘over the moon’ when she discovered she was pregnant as an earlier ectopic pregnancy meant she could not have children.

The couple had broken up a few weeks into the pregnancy, the court was told, but shortly after their daughter was born in December 2018, Miss Hanks and Paton got back together.

New information has been released to Sussex travellers surrounding coronavirus.

Health officials have warned travellers returning from eight new listed countries and who have developed certain symptoms to self-isolate.

The eight new countries listed as a possible risk by Public Health England (PHE) are Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.

PHE said if travellers returning from those countries develop symptoms of a cough, fever or shortness of breath to immediately self-isolate and contact NHS 111, even if symptoms are minor.

PHE has also warned those who have come into direct contact with a confirmed case and then developed symptoms to self-isolate and contact NHS 111.

This information comes after yesterday’s (Thursday, February 6) incident where a third person tested positive for the super-bug in Brighton according to some national newspapers, although PHE refused to confirm where the coronavirus had been detected.

Vikki Carruth, director of nursing and director of infection prevention and control, said, “We are following national guidance from Public Health England in terms of our response to the new 2019 novel coronavirus.

“I am incredibly proud of how our staff have worked together to put in place everything that is required of us, to be prepared and respond if needed.

“If anyone has travelled from anywhere in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, or Thailand in the last 14 days or been in contact with a confirmed case and develops symptoms of cough, fever or shortness of breath, they should immediately self-isolate, even if symptoms are minor and call NHS 111 preferably from their own home.

“NHS 111 will advise them on what to do next. NHS 111 is the preferred point of contact for patients with symptoms and concerns about coronavirus.

“In line with national planning both Conquest Hospitals and Eastbourne District General Hospital have established priority assessment pods near each Emergency Department. They are for people to contact NHS 111 for assessment of coronavirus only. Only if NHS 111 deems it necessary will staff test people in the pod.

“I want to stress people should only attend the emergency department if they need urgent or emergency treatment. NHS 111 will advise those individuals who need to attend the assessment pod for testing and will make the necessary arrangements with the hospital.”

A UK-wide public information campaign has been launched to advise the public on how to slow the spread of coronavirus and reduce the impact on NHS services.

“The advice on how people can protect themselves from infection is similar to the ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’ campaign used for flu and norovirus. It promotes important hygiene practices, such as regularly washing hands and always sneezing into a tissue, to stem the spread of viruses.

The advice to the public is to:

• always carry tissues and use them to catch coughs and sneezes, and bin the tissue

• wash hands with soap and water, or use sanitiser gel, to kill germs

“People who have travelled back from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, or Thailand within the last 14 days or those who have had contact with a confirmed case, are being asked to stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu and call NHS 111 for advice.

“Coronavirus presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough or difficulty breathing. The current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild.”

For further information on coronavirus, visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Read more: Coronavirus ‘pods’ set up at Eastbourne and Hastings hospitals

A man has been jailed for murdering his girlfriend in front of their seven-month-old daughter.

Ian Paton, 36, of Snowdrop Rise, St Leonards, was found guilty of strangling Kayleigh Hanks, 29, to death at her flat in London Road, Bexhill, on July 21, 2019.

On Friday (February 7), Paton was found guilty of murder following a two-week trial at Hove Crown Court.

Judge Jeremy Gold sentenced Paton to life in prison with a minimum term of 17 years.

He said Paton would serve 17 years - minus the 200 days he has spent in custody since his arrest - before being considered for release.

Paton killed his care assistant girlfriend after a row developed between the couple about Miss Hanks’ friendship with another man.

Paton had claimed he applied pressure to Miss Hanks’ neck in self-defence after she charged at him with a knife following an argument about a message she found on his phone.

During a two week trial, the court was told Paton had strangled Miss Hanks in front of their seven-month-old daughter.

Speaking on behalf of Kayleigh's family, her sister Emma said: "Kayleigh was a kind, thoughtful loving person that would do anything for anyone.

"She was an amazing mum, daughter, sister, auntie and friend. Living without her will be the hardest thing we will ever have to do; she will never be forgotten and will always be in our hearts.

"She wasn't just a sister to me; she was my soul mate and best friend.

"Myself, my mum and our family would like to thank everyone who has helped us through this difficult time, the support has been incredible. We would also like to thank all the police officers involved in this case because without them, we don't know where we would be, they have all been amazing. But most of all we would like to thank our family liaison officers from the bottom of our hearts; they have helped us through this traumatic, horrible time in our lives and no amount of words would ever be enough in our eyes to repay them. They are a credit to Sussex Police and wonderful individuals."

Sentencing Paton, Judge Gold said it was 'not surprising' the jury rejected his assertion of self-defence.

He said: "Kayleigh was 29 years of age when you killed her on 20th July 2019. She had borne you a daughter eight months before the tragic events with which this court is concerned and was obviously doing her best to make a family life for the three of you.

"Sadly, the evidence in this case clearly illustrates that your relationship with her was turbulent, to say the least. It has been described by more than one witness as “toxic”. In any event, it culminated in an explosion of violence on 20th July last year which culminated in you killing Kayleigh by strangling her.

"Putting your hand to someone else’s throat in an argument was something that you had done on previous occasions and you did it again on 20 th July, this time with fatal consequences.

"You attempted to persuade the jury that you were acting in lawful self defence in response to Kayleigh attacking you with a knife. Not surprisingly, the jury rejected that assertion. I have no doubt that you strangled Kayleigh in an explosion of anger and then went about deliberately cutting yourself with the intention of advancing a false defence. That was a cynical and reprehensible reaction to what you had just done – taken the life of your new born child’s mother."

After the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Wolstenholme of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team said: "Ian Paton claimed in court that he acted in self-defence during an argument with Kayleigh, who he said had come at him with a knife.

"But our investigation showed that his superficial injuries were self-inflicted.

"This was the tragic climax of a series of issues in their relationship in which each had accused the other of having affairs. But this was made worse by Paton's volatile personality and his tendency to react violently under pressure.

"For example, the court heard evidence of different incidents in which he grabbed two other women he knew but was not in a relationship with, and a man, by the throat for several seconds at a time, causing them great distress although no physical injury.

"This terrible crime has deprived a young woman of her life, has devastated her family, and has left a tiny child, aged just seven months and who was in the same room when her mother was killed by her father, without parents."

We're at Skegness Butlins, where the tarpaulins have been pulled over the dodgem cars and the soft play areas double padlocked in readiness for the adults-only Absolute Radio 80s Weekender, a celebration of all things from the decade that saw leg warmers, 'Choose Life' T-shirts and baggy blouses - both men's and women's - aplenty.

And costumes are certainly the name of the game as thousands of Friday-to-Monday revellers do themselves proud with outstanding outfits everywhere you turn, and a camaraderie and sense of group fun the level of which I can't recall ever experiencing before.

True, to the uninitiated this could seem like a hen and stags party x1000, but after only a few hours you see that this is not the case and that these people are here for the love of music like any other festival - and what a lot of eighties offerings await.

There are six venues in Skegness Butlins - Centre Stage and Reds for the live acts, Skyline Pavilion and Jellyfish Lounge for live Absolute Radio DJ sets (the latter for post-midnight revellers), Hotshots and Green Baize for live sport on TV, meaning there is something happening all the time, whatever your tastes and whatever your bedtime!

Headline acts over our weekend included Altered Images, The Fizz (75% of the original Bucks Fizz), Roland Gift, Big Country, Chesney Hawkes, Nathan Moore (brother Beyond), Black Lace and, for us, the best show of the weekend, Tony Hadley.

The erstwhile Spandau Ballet frontman kicked off his set with the first single I ever bought (and played to death) To Cut A Long Story Short and went from strength to strength with a collection of Spandau and his own hits.

There are also some incredible tribute acts in support, the notable ones we saw being Love Distraction, who pay homage to The Human League, and Bootleg Blondie who had Debbie Harry and co off to a tee.

Another great experience was the Electric Symphony 80s Classical, where your favourite 80s songs are performed by a live band along with classical performers. It really is exciting to see Aha's Take on Me being given a fuller richer sound with the help of strings, brass, woodwind instrumentalists and timpani.

On all three nights Hotshots plays host to a silent disco - a must if you haven't tried it before. Put on your headphones and dance to your chosen track in full fantastic stereo - take them off and see everyone dancing in apparent silence!

There are various types of accommodation to suit every budget with self catering apartments so you can load up the car and cook in between concerts, or why not avail yourself of Butlin's own restaurants. We enjoyed the premium dining experience at The Deck, where amazing and different themed dishes  - including Chinese, Indian and Italian - were served up each night, while a delicious full English and everything from pastries, porridge and pancakes awaited us in the morning.

What I take back from our trip especially was the sense of togetherness, friendliness and joy, and I cannot recall one negative incident during the stay. Staff are friendly, helpful and enthusiastic, and I have to give a special shoutout to the maid service, with Libby really looking after us with a spotless apartment.

Maybe the 80s are not your preferred decade, or Skegness not the nearest to you, but don't worry as all three Butlin's venues (Bognor Regis and Minehead being the other two) have weekends devoted to the 60s, 70s, 90s and noughties too, as well as speciality weekends - Ministry of Sound, Madness and Giants of Rock to name but three - so there's no excuse not to glam up and get gyrating!

Visit https://www.butlins.com/breaks/live-music-weekends for more details.

National railway companies are advising Sussex travellers to not use their train services tomorrow (Sunday) as Storm Ciara is expected to cause major disruptions.

Southern Rail, Southeastern and Thameslink have all strongly advised against people travelling by train tomorrow after The Met Office has raised its wind warning from amber to amber and yellow.

Southern Rail said on Twitter, “Storm Ciara is expected to bring high winds and heavy rain, with the risk of debris blown on the line, damage to overhead lines, fallen trees and landslips. We strongly advise you not to travel, unless it is completely necessary.”

Southeastern and Thameslink shared the same message to their followers on Twitter and on their webiste.

Network Rail Kent and Sussex said on Twitter, “Severe disruption is expected across our region this Sunday, and possibly Monday morning too, as 80mph Storm Ciara blows in. Please do check before you travel and follow @Se_Railway, @SouthernRailUK and @TLRailUK for travel information.”

The Met Office’s yellow wind warning criteria, according to their website, says there could be:

Injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible

Injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties

Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, could happen

Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible

Some roads and bridges may close

Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage

A Network Rail spokesman said a 50mph speed restriction on trains has been planned to cover every line in the southern region, which include lines heading to the coast from London Waterloo, London Victoria, London Charing Cross and London Bridge.

The spokesman said, “This will be in place from 11am until 7pm and disruption is expected to last at least until the end of the day and potentially into Monday morning too. Passengers are urged to check before they travel on both days.”

Southern Region managing director John Halsall said, “We’re going to be working as hard as we can to keep trains running throughout the day, with staff on standby across our region to tackle fallen trees and other debris, but these wind speeds really are extraordinary and we have to keep people safe. There will be disruption and I urge people to please check before they travel.”

For more information, visit The Met Office’s website or one of the rail companies’ Twitter accounts.

Read more: Drivers warned as Storm Ciara could bring 70mph winds to Sussex

Crawley Town extended their unbeaten League Two run to four following a hard-fough goalless draw at Salford City this (Saturday) afternoon.

The first half saw little in the way of clear cut chances.

Bruno Andrade's well-struck strike early on was pushed away by Glenn Morris.

On the quarter-of-an-hour mark Tom Elliott rose highest from an Ibou Touray cross but Morris was equal to it.

The Reds had a half-chance midway through the half.

A ball over the top of the Salford defence found the in-form Ollie Palmer but Liam Hogan did just enough to put off the big forward.

The second half was, again, a quiet affair.

Crawley debutant Manni Adebowale sent a close-range header wide on 63 minutes.

Four minutes later Craig Conway found himself in space, but he skewed his low shot wide.

At the death Brandon Thomas-Asante smashed an effort towards goal and Morris did well to parry the shot away.

Salford City: Letheren, Wiseman, Burgess, Hogan, Touray, Andrade, O'Connor (Towell 79), Baldwin, Hunter (Conway 66), Elliott, Rooney (Thomas-Asante 67). Unused: Neal, Threlkeld, Wilson.

Crawley Town: Morris, Tunnicliffe, Sendles-White, Adebowale (Powell 77), Dacres-Cogley, Francomb (Allarakhia 73), Bulman, Sesay, Grego-Cox (German 84), Nadesan, Palmer. Unused: McGill, Bloomfield, Camara.

Referee: Leigh Doughty

Attendance: 2,385

Potpourri is a good word to describe a chilly Saturday afternoon at the Peninsula Stadium as Crawley Town ground out a goalless draw against Salford City.

The day was a total mixed bag of the good, the bad and the ugly to the extent that home-going Crawley fans didn’t really know whether they were happy or not.

To begin with our first visit to the home of the League Two newcomers was a great day out. The prospect was appealing and no less than 290 Reds supporters made the long trek north. That made it sound like our early days in the EFL when we always won the singing. As for Salford’s fans they might not have been there.

A marvellously social occasion was sadly blighted by a football match that was simply dire. Even then it wasn’t a bore draw fought out by two evenly matched sides. Crawley’s injury list is taking its toll and the players who started in a back five were the only defenders available to John Yems. This included the newly signed Manny Adebowale who slotted into the groove very quickly.

When Dannie Bulman forced the home keeper into making a save in the opening minute it was a false dawn. The rest of the match was virtually one way traffic as Salford bossed the game and searched for a goal. They didn’t get it, partly because a lot of their shooting was truly wayward but mostly because Glenn Morris was at his brilliant best and his defensive compatriots simply would not give up.

Salford managed twenty goal attempts to our measly three but two of ours had to be saved and the off target one had most fans prematurely celebrating Adebowale’s headed goal only for it to fly wide of an upright. We might easily have snatched the win then. Such a result would have devastated Salford manager Graham Alexander who thought 4-0 would have been right. So it should but it is up to him to get his team to shoot straight.

Some things never change and post match John Yems was furious about the standard of refereeing. Everything kicked off when Ashley Hunter ploughed through Josh Dacres-Cogley right in front of the dugouts. Desperate referee Leigh Doughty sought the opinions of all and sundry as he obviously hadn’t got a clue himself. Perhaps he had left his much needed red card in the dressing room.

It was an awful game. Take it from me there were no dissenters on that assessment but what a great result. What a tribute to the management team that they have instilled such a never-say-die spirit that we can be totally outplayed and still retain the point that we started with.

Happy or sad afterwards? Nobody seemed to know their own mind. But proud of Crawley Town? Oh yes we were and without a shadow of a doubt.

Is the John Yems Barmy Army momentum growing?

Well against Salford just under 300 supporters made the long trek up to Salford for the first ever trip to the Peninsular Stadium – which if you had seen the Sky Sports coverage of their meteoric rise into the football league it has been transformed from a ram shackled ground to a neat if not spectacular stadium by the “Class of 92” group.

The Crawley support was tremendous throughout the game from the minute that we entered the ground until the final whistle and the team coming over to the supporters in the “Away End” of the stadium.

Yems made two changes to the starting line up with new transfer deadline day signing of Manny Adebowale being given his debut and David Sesay in a back five starting line-up, three central defenders and two wing backs – a very attack minding set up.

With the strong wind in the faces of the visitors they struggled to cope with the Salford’s surging runs as the home side attacked and it was Glenn Morris who was at his brilliant best to tip over Tom Elliott’s looping effort. That was just the start of what was a masterclass of goal keeping by Morris.

Time and time again the stopper was called into action and he thwarted every attempt that the hosts put on target, it was one of those days that he will never forget and the Salford supporters will be wondering how they didn’t comfortably win that game.

The Red Devils improved in the second half now kicking toward the Yem’s Army with the elements behind them but Salford kept on the front foot with Crawley defending for long periods. Midway through the second half Josh Dacres-Cogley was scythed down by Ashley Hunter, the melee that followed that tackle saw Crawley players, Palmer and Nadesan booked and also Hunter, with all the visiting supporters agreeing on another day would and should have been a straight red – it was horrendous leg braking tackle, how he managed to get up and play on was incredible.

Adebowale was having a superb debut, he, Sendles-White and Tunnicliffe keeping the dangerous pairing of Elliot and Rooney very quiet, winning most tackles and headers, considering a week ago he was playing in the National South League for Eastbourne Borough. He could have capped this performance with a goal as the best chance fell to him from a well worked corner which saw his header flash past the post, that was virtually his last moments on the pitch as he picked up an injury defending again and was replaced by Jack Powell with the formation changing to the normal four, four, two.

Glenn Morris again in action in the dying moments of the game and made sure that the visitors we going away from their first visit with a point. It was one of those games that you know you have stolen a point and that makes the long trek so worthwhile. Crawley even managed to rise one place up the table and are now 12th, and just 8 points off the play-offs – is that gap too much to close we will see in the coming weeks.

On the coaches coming home we voted for the “Man of the Match” there could only be one winner and it was practically unanimous on both coaches – that was Glenn Morris.

The final word of praise must go to the travelling Army, the 290 were superb and with away games coming up against three of the top 5 teams in the league could we see more supporters making the trips – we can only hope so.

England ODI series versus South Africa was one in which Chris Jordan was looking to impress.

In the first ODI, Jordan made one not out and took 1-31 in England’s seven-wicket defeat in Cape Town. Jordan bowled only two balls in the rained off second ODI but still managed to get a wicket, trapping Temba Bavuma leg-before for the second game in a row.

In Sunday's third ODI in Johannesburg, Jordan went wicketless as England won by two wickets to draw the series 1-1.

In Australia, England Women continued their tri-series versus Australia and India. Their third game of the series was against India, with England looking to bounce back following their defeat to them in the first game of the series.

Contributions from Sussex pair Danni Wyatt (14) and Freya Davies (0-25) helped England to a four-wicket victory.

Next up, England were unable to continue their winning run as, despite a contribution of 11 runs from Wyatt, England fell to a 16-run defeat to Australia.

England Lions continued their unofficial ODI series in Australia as they attempted to continue their winning start.

Laurie Evans failed to continue his strong form in the second unofficial ODI at Carrara, as he only made 11 in England Lion’s four-wicket victory over Cricket Australia XI.

The Lions third and fourth unofficial ODIs were washed out, meaning the England Lions wrapped up the series with one to go.

The following are results, provided by HM Courts Service, of cases sentenced by Sussex northern magistrates, at Crawley, January 9 - January 13.

January 9:

Ketan Patel, 38, of Basildon Way, Crawley, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis when required to do so by police under the Road Traffic Act 1988. The offence took place at Charlwood, Horley, on December 22. He also pleaded guilty to driving with no insurance on the same date. He was fined a total of £240 and banned from driving for 16 months.

Molly Towers-Mode, 20, of Demesne Street, Manchester, pleaded guilty to driving of the Gatwick Airport South Terminal Ringroad, on December 23, while more than twice over the drink drive limit. She gave a breath alcohol reading of 79 microgrammes. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes. She was fined £480 and banned from driving for 17 months.

Jonathan McCormack, 28, of Stephenson Way, Three Bridges, Crawley, indicated a plea of guilty to stealing make-up and tooth brushes worth £469.13, from Wilikinson at Crawley on January 8. He was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for one year. Magistrates said the reason for the sentence was previous convictions for similar offending.

January 10:

Dileepa Abeyrathna, 27, of Daffodil Crescent, Crawley, pleaded guilty to damaging doors, a chair and a glass coffee table. The offence took place at Crawley on January 8. He was given a one year conditional discharge.

Adrian Cope, 69, of Queens Drive, Hassocks, pleaded guilty to driving a Jaguar vehicle on Queens Drive, Keymer, while over the drink drive limit. He gave a breath alcohol reading of 50 microgrammes. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes. He was fined £253 and banned from driving for 14 months.

Louis Felicite, 25, of no fixed address, was found guilty of being in possession of a locking blade knife in a public place at Regents Close, Broadfield, Crawley, on August 31, He pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to court custody at Horsham on January 7. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for one year.

Darius Ghermuta, 24, of Tussocks Close, Crawley, pleaded guilty to being in charge of an Audi vehicle on High Street, Crawley, on December 21, while more than twice over the drink drive limit. He gave breath alcohol reading of 74 microgrammes. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes. He was fined £120 and banned from driving for three months.

Veacselav Magurean, 28, of Pelham Place, Crawley, pleaded guilty to driving a Ford Fusion on West Green Drive, Crawley, on November 17, while more than twice over the drink drive limit. He gave breath alcohol reading of 78 microgrammes. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes. He was fined £120 and banned from driving for 16 months.

Darren Taylor, 35, of Burham Place, Horsham, indicated a plea of guilty to failing to notify police of foreign travel while being an offender under the terms of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The court made a community order with a requirement of 40 hours of unpaid work.

Kriishnan Vam, 45, of Hocken Mead, Crawley, pleaded guilty to driving a Honda Civic on Haslett Avenue, East, Three Bridges, on December 25, while over the drink drive limit. He gave a breath alcohol reading of 62 microgrammes. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes. He was fined £334 and banned from driving for 18 months.

January 13:

Gioia Elias, 28, of Stagelands, Crawley, pleaded guilty to driving a Renault Megane on Ifield Avenue, Crawley, on December 29, while twice over the drink drive limit. She gave a breath alcohol reading of 70 microgrammes. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes. She was fined £384 and banned from driving for 20 months.

Lorraine Hands, 40, of Three Bridges Road, Three Bridges, Crawley, pleaded guilty to stealing two bottles of whisky, worth £33, from Sainsburys at Crawley on January 12. She was fined £60 and detained in the courthouse for a period.

Anthony Lamb, 55, of Bentswood Crescent, Haywards Heath, pleaded guilty to driving an MG car on Lewes Road, Haywards Heath, on September 14, while disqualified from driving. He also pleaded guilty to driving with no insurance on the same date. He was fined £300 for each offence and banned from driving for a further four months.

Ashley Mitchell, 29, of Priory Road, Forest Row, pleaded guilty to driving a BMW on Lingfield Road, East Grinstead on July 6, while disqualified from driving. He also pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and to driving with no insurance on the same date. He indicated a plea of guilty to being in possession of a quantity of cocaine on the same date. He was fined a total of £910 and banned from driving for one year.

Addison Raboud, 28, of Commonwealth Drive, Crawley, pleaded guilty to stealing fragrances worth £170 from Debenhams, at County Mall, Crawley on December 30. He was fined £80.

Antony Tieman, 58, of Lewisham Close, Crawley, indicated guilty pleas to two charges of assaulting a police officer. The offences took place at Pelham Place, Broadfield, Crawley, on December 28. The court made a community order and ordered him to pay £25 compensation for each offence.

Oliver Peate, 19, of Bartholomew Way, Horsham, pleaded guilty to driving a Vauxhall vehicle on Redkiln Way, Horsham, on June 3, without due care and attention. He also pleaded guilty to resisiting a police officer at Horsham on the same date. He was given a one year conditional discharge, fined £276 and ordered to pay £50 in compensation. His driving record was endorsed with five penalty points.

For more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Brighton, according to reports.

It brings the total number of cases in the UK to eight, says the Government.

The Department for Health says the new cases are all known contacts of a previously confirmed UK case, and the virus was passed on in France.

This comes after the third confirmed case in the country was reported in Brighton last week.

Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said, “Experts at Public Health England continue to work hard tracing patient contacts from the UK cases.

“They successfully identified these individuals and ensured the appropriate support was provided.

“The patients have been transferred to specialist NHS centres at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and The Royal Free hospitals, and we are now using robust infection control measures to prevent further spread of the virus.

“The NHS is extremely well prepared to manage these cases and treat them, and we are working quickly to identify any further contacts these patients have had.”

Emergency treatment pods have been set up at hospitals across Sussex to assess people presenting with coronavirus.

Anyone who has travelled from anywhere in China in the last 14 days and developed symptoms of a cough, fever, or shortness of breath, is advised to immediately isolate themselves and call NHS 111.

The advice on how people can protect themselves from infection is similar to the ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’ campaign used for flu and norovirus.

It promotes important hygiene practices, such as regularly washing hands and always sneezing into a tissue, to stem the spread of viruses.

The advice to the public is to:

• Always carry tissues and use them to catch coughs and sneezes, and bin the tissue

• Wash hands with soap and water, or use sanitiser gel, to kill germs

Coronavirus presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough or difficulty breathing.

The NHS says the current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild.

For the latest advice visit gov.uk/coronavirus.

Read more: Coronavirus patient tests positive in Brighton

Blast Passes for Sussex Sharks’ upcoming Vitality Blast campaign are close to selling out, with record-breaking sales are up by 65 per cent on this time last year.

After a brilliant 2019 season saw Blast Passes sell-out in July and the Sharks win the South Group in front of seven sell-out crowds at the 1st Central County Ground, the 2020 season promises to be even better.

With Rashid Khan returning, and the likes of Ravi Bopara and Travis Head strengthening Luke Wright’s star-studded squad, it’s not surprising that excitement for T20 cricket in Sussex has never been greater.

Sharks skipper Wright said: “The support we get from our fans is incredible. The atmosphere at Hove over the last few years has been amazing, and I know it makes a huge difference to the team.

“On behalf of the whole squad, I’d like to thank the Sussex fans for their support going into the new season. I can’t wait to see the 1st Central County Ground bouncing again this summer!”

Individual Vitality Blast tickets are on sale from March 2, but the best way to secure your seat at every match is with a Blast Pass. Visit www.sussexcricket.co.uk to get yours before they're sold out.

Key environmental issues will be raised in a series of five illustrated talks, designed to spread awareness of threats to the natural world.

Ending the War on Nature is a partnership between Sussex Wildlife Trust, Shoreham Wordfest, CPRE and Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham, informing people of risks from development, environmental damage and climate change, while highlighting the positive efforts underway to protect wildlife.

The monthly talks launch on Wednesday, February 12, with a discussion about rewilding and its relevance to nature conservation, ecosystem restoration and people’s health and wellbeing.

Independent ecologist Dr Tony Whitbread will lead this and the following two talks, on March 11 and April 28.

Dr Whitbread retired as Sussex Wildlife Trust chief executive in March 2018 but has returned to take a leading role in nature conservation as the trust’s president.

He said: “Nature, indeed our whole life support system, is consistently undervalued or ignored in traditional economics and political decision making. This is a fatal flaw in the prevailing valuing system of our time.”

His talk in March, with the theme ‘there is no wealth but life’ will ask whether we can perceive an alternative view.

This will be followed with a focus on plants in April, explaining how they are central to our very existence.

Henri Brocklebank, the trust’s director of conservation, will give a talk on Rewilding the Channel on May 20, explaining the importance of the Help Our Kelp blue carbon project.

The series will end with a discussion on environmental protection, chaired by Dr Whitbread on June 10.

The talks are 7.30pm to 9pm. Tickets £10 for one talk, £40 for all five, available from Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham. Visit www.ropetacklecentre.co.uk for more information.

Hundreds of Sussex businesses have entered this year’s prestigious Sussex Food & Drink Awards and with 17,000 public votes, organisers are getting ready to celebrate the champions of 2020.

The countdown is now on for the Sussex Food & Drink Awards, taking place on April 29 at the Amex Stadium in Brighton, which will bring over 300 leaders in the food, drink and farming industry together to celebrate the ‘best in Sussex’. Tickets are now on sale and organisers are urging people to book their spot early to avoid disappointment.

Hilary Knight, co-director of Natural Partnerships CIC which runs the awards, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that so many businesses, both familiar and new, have engaged with the awards again this year and to have received 17,000 votes from the public makes us very proud and excited about the future.

“The quality of the entries we have received again this year demonstrates the superb innovation in Sussex food and drink and is testament to the recognition and value that is placed on winning these awards. We cannot wait to celebrate our winners in April at our very special awards banquet.”

Guests at the glittering event will be the first to know who is crowned winners in each category which include:

Sussex Butcher of the Year, sponsored by RP Meats Wholesale Ltd

Sussex Food Producer of the Year, sponsored by Southern Co-op

Sussex Drink Producer of the Year, sponsored by Natural PR

Sussex Farmers’ Market of the Year, sponsored by Harvey’s Brewery

Sussex Food Shop of the Year, sponsored by Sussex Food and Drink Network

Sussex Eating Experience of the Year, sponsored by Lloyds Bank Cardnet

Young Sussex Farmer of the Year, sponsored by Natural Partnerships CIC in association with Farmers Weekly

Sussex Newcomer of the Year, sponsored by SRC-Time

Sussex Young Chef of the Year, sponsored by Blakes Foods

Sussex Street Food of the Year, sponsored by Horsham District Foodies.

Olympic gold medalist and patron to the awards, Sally Gunnell OBE, will host the awards ceremony with Danny Pike of BBC Sussex.

Guests will be treated to a ‘Sussex bubbly and Harvey’s ale reception’ followed by a seven-course banquet using Sussex ingredients.

Book your tickets for the awards banquet at sussexfoodawards.biz/awards-banquet

These are 15 of the best pictures from the night, showcasing a few of the winners who bagged some of the prestigious awards.

National media outlets are reporting that the County Oak Medical Centre in Carden Hill, Brighton, has been shut today (February 10) for cleaning as a precaution after the staff member tested positive. It is understood the staff member has not been in contact with patients. Current patients are being contacted by the GP with the latest information. It is understood the practice will remain closed for the rest of the day (Monday) but could be opening tomorrow. This comes after the Department for Health announced four other people in Brighton had the virus, which causes flu-like symptoms. They said the new cases are all known contacts of a previously confirmed UK case, and the virus was passed on in France. Emergency treatment pods have been set up at hospitals across Sussex to assess people presenting with coronavirus. Anyone who has travelled from anywhere in China in the last 14 days and developed symptoms of a cough, fever, or shortness of breath, is advised to immediately isolate themselves and call NHS 111.

Here are some of the most striking images of the damage Storm Ciara has caused across the country.

The day before we met, auctioneer Rupert Toovey had been busy persuading a gentleman in the process of downsizing his home not to sell his three most prized possessions.

That might seem a curious objective for a man who has spent his entire working life bringing wonderful items to the salesroom.

But Rev Toovey is not your typical auctioneer.

He advised the client not to part with the three items because they were precious to him in ways far more important than a monetary valuation might reveal.

"They reflected part of the patchwork quilt of his life. And one of the objects particularly he considered to be truly beautiful. It seems to me that in life it's part of our human purpose to make beauty in the world and it's right we should celebrate it. He needed to take them with him."

This Valentine's Day, Toovey's - of which Rupert is chairman and founder - will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Like so much that defines his life, that original launch was a step of faith.

He had driven all around the county trying to find the right building. Finally, he alighted on the perfect home for Toovey's on the Star Road trading estate at Partridge Green which had a huge amount of car parking.

With his uncle and his dad - family is the hallmark of the business - they formed an advance party to get the building ship shape and many of the team he had previously led at Bellman's joined them in the venture.

"I thought, I'll open on Valentine's night. Well, if you're young and foolish you don't think about these things very carefully, but as it approached I thought oh my goodness, nobody's going to come. And it was blowing a terrible storm and the water was running down the road."

But people came in their droves.

"Teresa - my wife - will tell you that she turned into the Star Road trading estate and couldn't find anywhere to park. And she thought, thank goodness, it's going to be fine. My mother had done the catering and the wine was abundant, the food was abundant. The cake got cut smaller and smaller. You wouldn't believe you could get that many people in a building. And after that, of course, you never looked back. But it was heart in your mouth at the start!"

Since then, the regional auction house - whose catchment stretches from Portsmouth to Bexhill and up to South London in a sort of arc - has been responsible for many landmark international sales.

Take, for example, the De La Rue Collection from Rusper which gave Toovey’s its first truly world-class results in 1998. The remarkable collection came from the famous De La Rue family, who printed money and stamps for the British Empire; or the Little Thakeham House Sale of Arts and Crafts furniture and objects collected by Tim and Pauline Ractliff for their Edwin Lutyens house, Little Thakeham.

The Bolney Lodge Collection saw buyers spend well over a million pounds on furniture and works of art from the estate of the late Judge Coles QC.

None of this success fell in his lap. It had to be worked for.

"Well let me say that if you have your own business, then it's a way of life not a job. So you just do what has to be done. And it's joyful!"

Part of that joy is bringing together and developing just the right team to work alongside you in the great adventure.

"We have 20 staff and we have another eight retained consultants and then we have a beautiful tidal workforce who come in around the sales - wonderful people, young and old who bless each other across the generations.

"They're all fantastic. Even those that aren't family are family.They're such an extraordinarily talented and spirited bunch of people, most of whom have been with me their entire careers. To train and enable people to be the biggest people that they are able to be is the greatest privilege, actually. But it's so important also, isn't it, to notice not where people arrive with you but where they have got to. Part of what I do is I nail the canvass to the frame and then I hand out the paint brushes to the right people to paint on it."

But they paint those great pictures in a way unheard of in most sales operations.

"Nobody in the firm has a target - only to look after the wonderful people, our clients - their interests are absolutely first."

While that very traditional approach to putting the customer first is at the heart of the business, innovation has been the key that has unlocked some of the biggest achievements.

"In Tooveys.com we've invested massively. Tooveys was the first auction house in the country to have the marketing website and it really is industry-leading. That's important in one sense but it's most valuable because we have the depth of expertise behind it so that if you're buying things for your Asian art collection in Hong Kong you know that if you speak to Lars Tharp whose our Asian art consultant or Tom Rowsell that you will trust their eyes as much as your own if not more. That quality of expertise as well as the technology is vital."

Nor, in his drive for technological marketing has he overlooked traditional newspapers, like this one and its sister titles. He has advertised in them throughout the 25 years and regularly contributes highly respected articles.

Why?

"It's about patronage and it's about reputation. To have that quality of voice with the integrity that our local newspapers bring is really vital to our community and despite what everybody says the best way to directly meet the people that you want to encounter is through your local newspapers. They are vital to the business."

In our interview, he mentions the word 'beautiful' a lot. It is beauty which motivates him.

"I've always wanted to do things beautifully. So the real inspiration is actually about being passionate about people, about being passionate about art and antiques. So I've never chased the money, it's never been the driver. Everything has always been a happy accident of doing the right thing and running a good ship."

Being captain of that ship, also requires looking ahead to the next 25 years - as well as celebrating the past quarter of a century of business.

"Well I've been reflecting on the next 25 years and the wonderful thing is my brother Nicholas Toovey and Tom Rowsell I have brought them into equity-holding directorship within the company. It's really important to me that I can see a procession for Toovey's for it to be run by like-minded people who have the same values, even if they are inspired differently.

"And my hope for Toovey's is that in another 25 years when it's its 50th anniversary that it will still be a regional centre of expertise, that it will still be an organisation that enables people to come into the profession to grow, to flourish and to discover their gifts. And I hope that it will still be, in all humility, a force for good in the local community."

That force for good extends to substantial on-going support of the Sussex arts and heritage scene - through the sponsoring of exhibitions to giving his time for fund-raising auctions.

Toovey’s are long-term sponsors of the Shipley Arts Festival, Pallant House Gallery, Sussex Heritage Trust, the wonderful Horsham Museum and Art Gallery, the National Trust at Petworth and many others.

"Our company continues to invest in the Sussex community which I love, supporting numerous charities and community groups including Mary How Trust, our local hospices St Barnabas, Chestnut Tree House, St Catherine’s and the Friends of Sussex Hospices, the NSPCC, as well as the WI, U3A and numerous parish churches across the county with talks, professional advice and fund-raising."

That outreach is reflected in his spiritual life. Rupert is rooted and sent from St Mary’s, Storrington where he is licensed as an Associate Vicar in the Church of England. It is from this ancient Christian place that he is sent to exercise workplace ministry amongst the networks of people he serves, often at profound moments of change in their lives.

"Waiting on invitation I take sacrament and blessing out into the world, meeting and serving people where they are. I observe, celebrate and affirm calling and vocation in the everyday - work can be holy and in God’s purpose. My calling to ordained ministry came later in life. I was ordained as a Priest in the Church of England in 2011."

But why, when he was already so busy and committed to the community, did he decide to take that step of faith?

"That's God's sense of humour, isn't it? I have a really deep sense of calling, of vocation to be an auctioneer and the way that I seek to serve people in the world has always been borne out of my faith, and it informs the way that I engage people.

"What became apparent going back over ten years ago now was that there was a new and persistent calling coming from God. God's very patient with me so he repeats himself until I finally notice. Once you've heard - like listening to a loving mother telling you something important - there's no peace without answering it.

"And it's a really exciting thing that they way that God has called me is to affirm what's beautiful in our community because there is calling and vocation in all our walks of life if only we stopped to notice. Actually the really valuable bit of what we do in our work is the bit often we don't charge for."

So will he slow down a little after 25 years?

"I can't imagine it at the moment. I've got such a rich tapestry already, haven't I?" he says with his irrepressible boyish good-humour.

He will pause for a special celebration on Valentine's night to mark the 25 years although even then the main objective will be to raise much needed funds for Chestnut Tree House.

I will join him on that evening.

It has been my privilege to have known Rupert for all those 25 years and longer. I first encountered him at Bury village hall bringing down his gavel at a charity auction. He is every bit as sincere in his mission to the community as his actions would suggest. And, to borrow his favourite word, every bit as beautiful in the way he discharges those duties before both the people of this region and his God.

The annual survey looks at a combination of 26 different factors, including life expectancy, happiness scores, exam results and average earnings.

These are the top 10 best places to live in the UK according to that survey. Full results can be found on Lloyds Banking Group’s website. 

A partner at Crawley law firm has scooped a nationwide industry award.

Daniel Tozer, Partner and Head of Corporate Finance at asb law has won Corporate Lawyer of the Year at the South East Dealmakers Awards 2020.

The Corporate Lawyer of the Year Award recognises stand out Lawyers in the Corporate Finance field throughout the South East.

He was shortlisted with 5 other lawyers from top firms in the region and to take the award against such competition is a real testament to the dedication and hard work Daniel and the team put in on behalf of our clients.

Danield claimed the award due to his successes over the past year which included becoming a Partner at the firm and his work in reshaping and expanding the team. Deal highlights included the acquisitions of Graybrook Insurance Brokers and WPS by Seventeen Group and the acquisitions of Sussex Recruitment and Gel Resourcing by HRGO plc.

He said “It’s great recognition for the whole team. We work very hard to ensure we always deliver results and this was a nice way to take a moment to reflect on a very successful 2019 and look ahead to an exciting future“.

Daniel’s individual success is a reflection of the Corporate Finance team as a whole. Over the last year, Daniel has worked hard to expand the team with the right talent so that they can continue to offer the best service for clients. The new additions bring with them extra depth and experience and will work beside the incumbent team over both the Maidstone and Crawley offices.