A car has been left badly damaged by an arson attack in Crawley.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service was called to Fennel Crescent, Broadfield, at 2.15am today (Tuesday December 29).

Firefighters used breathing gear and a high pressure hose reel to put out the blaze.

Half of the car was fire damaged and police was called at 2.40am.

A Sussex Police spokesman said there were no reported injuries.

Police enquiries were continuing.

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Burglars stole ten gold rings from a jewellery box in a Crawley home.

The break-in happened in Brunswick Close, Furnace Green, between Tuesday December 15 and Friday December 18.

A police spokesman said the burglary was reported at around 9.20am on Monday (December 21)

Witnesses were asked to email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting reference 0282 of 21/12.

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Oakwood School pupils have been out in the community spreading Christmas cheer to residents.

Before breaking up the students visited five care homes and community centres in Horley.

They also spent lessons and time after school preparing and cooking gingerbread men and mince pies for the school choir to give out as they visited to perform Christmas carols.

Residents were pleased to hear them sing.

Jim Ford said: “It was really lovely to hear children sing carols. They talked nicely to the elderly people and showed a lot of respect. A pleasure and a treat, done a great job.”

Dorothy Brome said: “For those of us without grandchildren it is really nice to see them this time of year. Done an excellent job.”

The students’ good manners also impressed them.

Zoe Radway: “Lovely children, fitting in, mixing in and look very smart. Happy to chat, they will go far when they grow up, to be lovely good citizens. Lovely seeing them.

Keith Walton added: “Enjoyed listening to children, lovely to have children bring gifts and homemade mince pies. Friendly students, happy to have a chat.”

The school also made a contribution to the Horley Methodist Church annual Christmas Tree Festival.

The pupils’ ‘Tree of Opportunity’ was display in the church along with others from community groups, businesses and schools in the town.

The choir performed a selection of lovely Christmas music starting with a piano recital from one of their Year 7 students followed by a number of Christmas carols.

Motorists faced long delays on the M25 this morning (Tuesday December 29) after one lane was blocked.

There was queuing traffic on the motorway anti-clockwise between junction 8, A217 (Reigate) and junction 6, A22 (Godstone).

This was due to a broken down vehicle and an earlier vehicle fire which blocked a lane.

The incident has been cleared now and traffic is running freely.

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Hundreds of people lined the streets for the annual meet of the Southdown and Eridge Hunt on Boxing Day - but it wasn’t without incident.

Before the event in Lewes on Saturday (December 26), there had been ‘very strong suggestions’ that a demo would take place on the day following failed attempts from Deputy Mayor Cllr Imogen Makepeace to have the meet banned from the town.

Protesters took up their usual spot on the steps of the law courts with banners held high, but it wasn’t long before they clashed with the many supporters on the streets.

Inspector Rob Lovell, of Sussex Police, said: “There were a number of minor issues that arose during the hunt meet outside the White Hart Hotel in Lewes on Boxing Day morning (December 26).

“However, they were quickly resolved by police officers at the scene and the large crowd dispersed after the hunt had departed. There were no arrests.”

Once the minor altercations were resolved, the meet went ahead as planned.

To read Lewes Town Council’s response to calls for the hunt to be banned, click {http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/county-news/thousands-sign-petition-supporting-boxing-day-meet-in-lewes-1-7125795|here}.

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A Crawley man whose dog mauled his baby niece to death has appeared in court accused of breaching an order banning him from having dogs.

Urfan Ahmed, 38, of Burdock Close, Broadfield, and his partner, Linda Hood, 49, of Davis Close, Broadfield, appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on December 16.

Ahmed pleaded not guilty to being in custody of a dog while disqualified from keeping one in a field near Lowfield Heath Road, Charlwood, on September 14 and Hood pleaded not guilty to aiding or abetting him to have custody of a dog while he was banned, at her address on October 5.

The pair were released on bail to be tried at Horsham Magistrates’ Court on February 4.

Ahmed was first charged with keeping a dog prohibited under the dangerous dogs act after his 18-month-old niece was killed by one of his dogs in April 2010.

He was found guilty of breaching the five-year disqualification twice and possessing a dog dangerously out of control at a court hearing in 2013.

At the time, a police statement said he was banned from owning a dog until 2023 and fined £1,585.

It added Hood was also charged with being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control, and was given a two-year conditional discharge.

Inspector Di Lewis said in 2013: “The magistrate told Ahmed during the trial that if he comes before the courts again for keeping dogs, he will be sent to prison.”

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A child was hurt in a five vehicle crash on the M23.

Emergency services were called to the scene in the northbound carriageway near Gatwick Airport at about 11.30am today (Tuesday December 29).

A spokesman for Surrey Police said officers were called to reports of minor injuries following a five vehicle collision.

South East Coast Ambulance Service said paramedics checked over a child, man and woman at the scene.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service crews were dispatched to deal with reports of smoke coming from one of the cars.

Firefighters were stood down, however, after Surrey Police and the Highways Agency confirmed there was no fire and nobody was trapped in the vehicles.

Motorist faced delays after one lane was closed and a matrix speed limit sign was set to 50mph between Junction 9 (Gatwick) and Junction 7 (M25).

Congestion was reported in Junction 10 (Crawley A2011).

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A warning to dog owners about a mysterious flesh eating disease that has killed a number of dogs across Britain in recent weeks has gone out from a Sussex vet.

The Mewes Veterinary Clinic in Haywards Heath is warning dog owners that Alabama Rot could spread here and their dogs could be at risk.

The disease was first detected in the New Forest in 2013 after dogs walked there had fallen ill and started to develop lesions on their legs, paws and face. They later developed kidney failure.

Other cases have since been recorded in 16 counties across the UK.

Practice owner and vet Julia Mewes said: “The most important thing to realise is that this condition has affected a very small number of dogs and that most wounds/lesions will not be related to this condition. However, if you notice your dog develop any skin wounds, do not just leave it and hope it will get better.

“Take them to a veterinary surgery so an experienced vet can give them a thorough check and take bloods to check for any signs of renal failure. The initial blood results may be normal, but experts are advising to check the results again after two to four days.”

Although the cause and name of the UK disease are unknown, analysis has shown it is similar to a disease that was first reported in the 1980s in America, called Alabama Rot.

Alabama Rot caused severe kidney failure and typically affected greyhounds. The deaths in Britain in the past year have affected a variety of breeds.

Julia added: “There has been a lull in cases, but this recent extremely mild damp weather appears to have caused it to flare up again. As it can be fatal, we take this extremely seriously.

“There have been some dogs that have pulled through. These dogs are the ones who have been caught early on in the disease process.

“If you are worried for your dog’s welfare then ensure they see a vet immediately.”

The Mewes Vets is based in Haywards Heath and has been established for nearly 20 years. It specifically treats pets within Mid Sussex.

Police are tracing the owners of a selection of antiques stolen in burglaries across the south.

Officers seized the items after searching a vehicle and shop owned by Steven Abberley of Findon Close, Hove, who was sent to prison last month.

Abberley, was sentenced to nine years for his involvement in burglaries of antiques worth more than £120,000 from properties in Cowfold, Friston, West Chiltington, Washington, Goring-by-Sea, Glynde and North Chailey.

Items were also taken from homes in Emsworth, Hampshire, Saffron Walden, Essex, Marlborough, Wiltshire, and Cambridge, Cambridgeshire.

Detectives searched an address in Hardwick Way, Southwick and business premises in Shoreham and found a number of items which they have not been able to be trace to any of these homes. Officers believe they may have been stolen from elsewhere in the country.

Detective Constable Jon Stadius said: “These items are very unusual and we are hoping people may recognise them and come forward so we can return them to their rightful owners. We have published every item we have recovered on a Flikr page for people to have a look at if they had antiques stolen from them.

“The offences which Abberley committed spanned less than a two month period starting on December 31, 2013, and ending on February 4, 2014, when these antiques were recovered.

“Steven Abberley, his son Mason, of May Road, Brighton, and Paul Ansbro, of Church Road, Hove, targeted those most vulnerable in our society stealing valuable and highly sentimental items, in order to feed their gambling and drug addictions.

“They were sentenced to a total of 19 years earlier in December.”

To see the full list of pictures, visit the Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/suspolproperty/albums/72157661891340420/with/23790556995/

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A mouth-watering breakfast is a good way to kick start the New Year. David Woods, executive head chef at the Sofitel Hotel, based at Gatwick’s north terminal, has the perfect brunch recipe.

If you are feeling a little jaded after the New Year’s Eve celebrations and looking for a lay in, then this cooked brunch is sure to do the trick.

It’s a cross between a hash and the beautiful serrano ham and potato dish I had while on holiday in Barcelona. It was so delicious, I ordered it twice.

The potatoes can be parboiled in advance and kept in the fridge for when you are ready to make the brunch. Choose a variety of potato like Rooster that doesn’t fall apart when cooked.

I’ve added chopped, cooked beetroot – not the pickled variety – which adds a lovely splash of colour to the dish and gives it a subtle sweetness to complement the smoky Serrano ham. Beetroot also contains some great health benefits. It’s packed with vitamins and nutrients that boost the immune system helping you to fight off infection.

And it can help detox the liver – perfect if you have over indulged the night before.”

La Brasserie is Sofitel’s 2 AA rosette restaurant. To book, call 01293 567070 and select 3 for dining. Alternatively, email meetings1@sofitelgatwick.com.

Like us on {https://www.facebook.com/SofitelGatwickLondon|Facebook|website} or follow us on Twitter {https://twitter.com/sofitellondonga|@SofitelLondonGA|website}.

New Year’s Day Brunch

Serves two

Ingredients:

500g potatoes, peeled and cubed

½ bunch spring onions, sliced

2 small cooked beetroots, diced

100g slices of Serrano ham – or you can use Parma ham

4 eggs

Handful of chopped fresh parsley

2 tabs olive oil

1 tab of vegetable oil for the eggs

Method

Put the cubed potatoes into a pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes until the potatoes are parboiled, but still holding their shape. Place into cold water then drain. Store in the fridge for up to two days until you are ready to fry them.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the potatoes. Fry until golden. Add the spring onions and diced beetroot. Continue to fry for a few minutes until the beetroot is hot and the spring onion has just started to soften. Stir in the Serrano ham, and parsley.

In a small frying pan, heat the vegetable oil and fry the eggs until the white has just cooked.

To serve, toss the parsley through the cooked potatoes and pile onto two plates. Top each with the fried eggs.

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Details of New Year opening times for pharmacies have been confirmed by the Clinical Commissioning Groups for Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex.

These are the pharmacies directed by NHS England to open. Others may also open voluntarily, and patients are advised to check by phone if the pharmacy is open before travelling.

New YEar’s Day January 1

l Boots the Chemists, Arrivals Concourse Level 2, South 

Terminal, Gatwick Airport RH6 0NP, tel 01293 579451 

5am-9pm

l Asda Store Pharmacy, Pegler Way, Crawley RH11 7AH, tel 01293 663410

10am-6pm

l Boots the Chemists, Store 3, The County Mall Shopping Centre RH10 1FX, tel 01293 543778

10am-6pm

l Sainsbury’s Instore Pharmacy, The Pharmacy Department, Crawley Avenue, Crawley RH10 8NF, tel 01293 551805

9am-7pm

l Boots the Chemists, Pharmacy Dept, 40­46 London Road, East Grinstead RH19 1AB, tel 01342 323405

10am-4pm

l Boots the Chemists, Pharmacy Dept, 49/51 South Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 4LQ, tel 01444 440034

10am-4pm

l Sainsburys Instore Pharmacy, The Pharmacy Department, Market Place, Bannister Way, Haywards Heath RH16 1DG, tel 01444 415839

9am-5pm

l Boots the Chemists, Pharmacy Dept 1, Swan Walk, Horsham RH12 1HQ, tel 01403 230675

10am-5pm

l Sainsburys Instore Pharmacy, The Pharmacy Department, 7 Worthing Road, Horsham RH12 1SQ, tel 01403 254430

10am--4pm

A 20-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a car crashed into a bridge.

Police have appealed for witnesses after the blue Vauxhall Corsa crashed near East Grinstead in Turners Hill Road (B2110), at 6pm on Tuesday (December 29).

A police spokesman said: “A blue Vauxhall Corsa car had crashed into a bridge carrying the Bluebell Railway over the road.

“The driver, aged 20, was trapped in the vehicle. After being released by firefighters he was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, with serious injuries.

“The road was closed either side of the scene for almost five hours.”

Anyone who saw the crash or who noticed the car being driven shortly beforehand was asked to email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk or phone 101, quoting Operation Springhill.

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A 66-year-old cyclist has died after being struck by a car in Eastbourne.

Police appealed for witnesses after the victim was in collision with a black BMW 525 D Sport in Victoria Drive at about 2.55pm on Tuesday (December 29).

The driver, a 47-year-old man from Eastbourne, was uninjured.

He was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Sergeant Peter Verney from the Surrey and Sussex road policing unit said: “We are very keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed this collision and in particular anyone who may have seen the cyclist in the area in the time leading up to it.

“He was quite distinctive, being an older gentlemen, wearing a cloth cap and with a blue Cobalt mountain bike with a basket on the front.

“If you do have information about this tragic incident, please email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting Operation Aveley.”

A police spokesman said the driver had been bailed until March 23.

The road was closed while rescue, recovery and investigative work took place.

It was reopened shortly before 7.30pm.

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A Maidenbower driver has been banned from the roads for a year after pleading guilty to driving offences.

Sussex Police said Lee Errikson, 25, unemployed, of Beckford Way in Maidenbower, was arrested in Pearson Road in Pound Hill, on December 5.

He was charged with failing to comply with a preliminary impairment test, failing to provide a specimen, driving with no licence, driving with no insurance and failing to surrender to custody.

He pleaded guilty at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday December 24 and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay a £500 fine, a £150 criminal courts charge, £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

A total of 23 people have now been convicted for drink and drug-driving related offences in Sussex since Operation Dragonfly launched on December 1.

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Motorists faced delays following an accident on the M23.

An outbound lane was partially blocked on Gatwick Spur Road between junction 9a (A23 Airport Way) and junction 9 (M23), reports said at around 10am today (Wednesday December 30).

Update: Road now clear

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Albion boss Chris Hughton admits his side are going through a difficult period after their winless run increased to five games last night.

The Seagulls failed to score for the third successive match after they lost 1-0 at home to Ipswich and Hughton said: “There’s no doubt we’re finding it difficult to get the goals we need to win football matches.

“If you’re not getting them, you’ve got to make sure that you keep clean sheets. Certainly in the last two home games, we’ve found that difficult.

“I probably don’t think we could have done any more in the second half to try to get back in the game. We got in as many crosses in a half than at any time I’ve been here but at the minute we’re just lacking that way of finding a way to score a goal.

“There’s no doubt that this team has done ever so well for a large part of the season. What we generally haven’t been able to do is make the changes that perhaps others have. Even today, we weren’t able to start Bobby (Zamora), who will be better for the period of time that he was on and weren’t able to start James (Wilson) because he was feeling poorly.

“We’ve hit a little bit of a difficult period at the minute but we just need to show we’re a good enough side to come through this.”

Albion’s Jamie Murphy had an effort ruled out for offside, before a mistake by Lewis Dunk allowed Ipswich’s Daryl Murphy to score the only goal of the game and Hughton said: “On a day that you want things to go for you, we make the mistake for the goal but also from what I’ve seen so far the goal we scored in the first half shouldn’t have been disallowed.”

Albion had seven players ruled out through injury and Hughton said: “With the injuries, does it make life a little bit more difficult? Yes, of course it does because it means you don’t have the opportunity to rotate like some other teams do but we certainly don’t want to use that as an excuse.”

Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy said: “We’ve managed to beat one of the big boys, one of the top six. We beat Burnley when we caught them on the hop at the start of the season but we’d lost to Brighton at home and lost to Derby, Middlesbrough and Hull.

“I did think we had an opportunity here tonight because they’re kind of depleted a little bit as they’ve lost a few players.

“But we’ve been on a good run and I thought we were the better team, to be honest.”

Seagulls captain Gordon Greer could return from a tight hamstring for Friday’s home match with Wolves but Uwe Hunemeier will be out for around another six weeks with a groin injury.

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Police have appealed for witnesses after a man, 24, suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash.

The driver suffered serious head and abdominal injuries after a black BMW 316i collided with a tree after leaving Ifield Road, Charlwood, at about 2.30am on Tuesday (December 29), said Surrey Police.

A spokesman said he was in a serious but stable condition at hospital in Brighton today (December 30).

“The road was closed between the junction with The Street and Prestwood Lane for a number of hours while the injured driver was treated by medical staff and specialist investigators carried out a thorough examination of the scene,” the spokesman added.

The man was the only person in the car.

People who witnesses the collision or the manner of driving of the vehicle prior to the incident should call Surrey Police’s Collision Investigation Unit on 01483 639922, quoting reference P15330898, or the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively use its online reporting system at: https://my.surrey.police.uk/splonlinereportingweb

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Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise is reportedly selling his £4.95million estate in West Sussex.

According to US entertainment website Variety, the actor has put the property at Dormans Park, near to East Grinstead, which he has owned for nearly 10 years, on the market.

Variety reports that the 14.2 acre estate, includes a six-bedroom main house alongside eight bathrooms.

It also has features such as a 900 square-foot living room and a 33 foot-long master bedroom with access to a balcony.

Other selling points include manicured lawns, a tennis court and an outdoor swimming pool.

The property also includes a ‘pavilion’ with two additional bedrooms, kitchen/living area and bathrooms.

In the summer of 2014 Cruise whipped racegoers into a frenzy when he turned up at Goodwood Racecourse.

The actor is one of the most successful screen stars of all time, boasting box office smash hits such as the Mission: Impossible series, Top Gun and Jack Reacher to his name.

A prominent local estate agent, which is marketing the West Sussex property, declined to comment.

A man has been charged with drink-driving as part of the police’s Christmas and New Year crackdown.

Ellis Demonte, unemployed, of Dunnings Road in East Grinstead, was arrested in Broadwater Forest Lane, Groombridge, on Monday (December 28).

The 23-year-old was charged with driving with 70mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in his system, driving with no licence and driving with no insurance.

He is due to appear before Crawley Magistrates’ Court on January 18.

A further 32 people have been arrested on suspicion of drink and drug-driving related offences in Sussex since December 23.

In total around 174 have been arrested as part of Sussex and Surrey Police’s crackdown, named Operation Dragonfly, on drink and drug-driving since it was launched on December 1.

Chief Inspector Andy Gooch said: “The volume of arrests we have made in Sussex this month demonstrates the blatant disregard a lot of people have for the law.

“At a time when most people are celebrating and spending time with their loved ones, it is disappointing to see that a number of motorists continue to ignore our safety advice.

“Officers will be out on patrol again in the days leading up to and beyond the New Year, and anyone caught driving while under the influence of drink or drugs will be dealt with accordingly.”

People in Sussex can text officers on 65999 with the details of people they suspect of drink or drug driving or visit www.operationcrackdown.co.uk.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/.

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Crawley Down Gatwick

A good old fashioned Derby, with no holds barred, a bonus for the neutrals, a mare for managers and supporters alike, as goals continued to rain in at either end, rather in common with the recent rain-swept conditions of previous days.

Depleted Crawley Down broke the deadlock in the ninth minute when Ben Brooker drove home a James Day free-kick.

Two minutes later Sam Cane made it 2-0 when he headed home from another Trotter cross.

Brooker took a pass to run through an open Linger rearguard to notch number three as half-time was reached. HT 3-0 Anvils.

Come the second half and attacking the Kop End, the Anvil faithful awaited another first half re-run, and on 52 they were rewarded when Cane broke free to fire home past Jenner. 4-0 Anvils.

But the Lingers were not to be silenced and on 55 another incident in the Anvil box allowed Boylan to open the Lingers account with the resultant penalty. 4-1 Anvils.

This seemed to galvanise the Lingers as another Burroughs cross had Boylan firing over.

On the hour mark Tucker then fed Dave Houlders to rifle home the Anvils’ fifth to give the home scoreline another boost. Anvils 5-1.

Surely with still half hour to go it must be game, set and match for the Anvils, but these boys from Godstone Road are made of sterner stuff, and on 64 extended their score through Declan Smith this after Anvil keeper Maher had fended off two one-on-ones with the Linger attackers. 5-2 Anvils.

Changes on the Anvil bench with Josh Alcock replacing the hard working Andy Goodwin, on 75 after just firing over, flankman Tucker was on hand to score after a bit of pinball in the box. 6-2 Anvils.

Another change on the bench with Josh Brown replacing Mike Spence, but on 81 the Anvils were rocked yet again when a cross from sub TJ Stead was tucked away by Boylan again. 6-3 Anvils.

The vocal Linger support then raised not only the decibel level, but began to dream the impossible dream, whilst Anvils gathered urged their timepieces to move quicker, and when Dave Heaton on 84 netted from close range the Linger support came nearly to raising the roof, as the Anvil defence continued to look vulnerable, but somehow survived the final minutes of an absorbing contest, just can’t wait for the return! 6-4 Anvils.

Crawley Down Gatwick: Simon Maher, Sonny Barton, James Lovatt, Mike Spence (Josh Brown), Steve Dixon, James Day, Dave Houlders, Andy Goodwin (Josh Alcock), Ben Brooker, Sam Cane, Luke Trotter (Karl Jordan).

Unused sub: Martin Hopkins

Attendance: 104

Man of the Match: Steve Dixon