The Argus • 28/04/2025

How Churchill Square has changed over the years in pictures

It has been nearly 60 years since the grand shopping centre in the city was unveiled; here is what it looked like before the redesign. Churchill Square had been planned since the 1930s but was held up by the Second World War. It was envisaged by architect Sir Hugh Casson, who had been largely responsible for the Festival of Britain. At one time there were plans to demolish the Grand Hotel but these were rejected after a public inquiry. Houses demolished to make way for the shops...

The Argus • 28/04/2025

Mother seeks justice for 'murdered' daughter who drowned in river

Pat Tompkins from Saltdean is still fighting for her daughter Angela Read, who drowned in the Hastings River, New South Wales, in April 2000. Australian police and pathologists in New South Wales believed the 34-year-old killed herself, but Ms Tompkins believes she was murdered. READ MORE: Road blocked as emergency services attend incident Ms Tompkins with one of her grandchildren in 1997 (Image: Supplied) She said: "My daughter would have never taken her own life; I am absolutely co...

The Argus • 27/04/2025

Arrest after car collides with shopfront

Officers were called over reports a vehicle had crashed into a shopfront in Seaside, Eastbourne at 9.55am on April 26. The police force has confirmed that no one was injured inside the building, and that the driver of the vehicle was not at the scene. READ MORE: Two people taken to hospital after incident in marina Officers attended an address in the town, where a 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and...

The Argus • 27/04/2025

Fans pictures from emphatic Albion 3-2 come back against West Ham

It was a warm and sunny day and it brought out all the Albion fans to the stands at the Amex yesterday, April 27. The Seagulls took the lead early on with a sublime shot from outside the box by Yasin Ayari in the 13th minute, marking his first of the Premier League season. The first half was relatively quiet thereafter; West Ham found a way back through a Kudus goal in the 48th minute, which was followed by a Soucek headed goal in the 83rd minute. It seemed that all hope was lost for...

The Argus • 27/04/2025

Road blocked after three vehicle collision involving bus

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The Argus • 26/04/2025

One person electrocuted and two others injured at St George's Day fete

Police officers assisted emergency services with the incident in Markstates Common, near Chailey on Saturday at 11am. The event was immediately abandoned.  The bungee cord trampoline ride was set up under a pylon at the event. The police force said that it was understood that a man in his 20s sustained an electric shock and was taken to hospital as a precaution. Two more were treated at the scene, the ambulance service confirmed. READ MORE: Updates as trains delayed due to "safet...

The Argus • 26/04/2025

Landmark store transformed into art gallery

Kellie Miller Art (KMA) gallery opened its doors to invited guests on Friday evening in its new Church Street home. The former Dockerills hardware store was bubbling with people from all backgrounds, and decorated with fascinating paintings, potteries and various artistic pieces. The two floors were filled with people from all over the country (Image: Ramy Abou-Setta / The Argus) Prior to the gallery taking over the lease, the store was home to the last Dockerills standing, though the bu...

The Argus • 25/04/2025

Airport is a step closer to opening another runway after latest announcement

The Secretary of State for Transport’s said on February 27 she is “minded to grant consent” for the Northern Runway at planning application if it met certain requests. London Gatwick has today (April 25) responded positively to these, stating it will accept stricter limits on aircraft noise and has put forward an improved noise insulation scheme for local residents. The airport has outlined a position similar to the scheme recently approved for London Luton, which goes well beyond existi...

The Argus • 25/04/2025

Plan unveiled for direct train from Brighton to Birmingham and Newcastle

Arriva Group said the trains would run under its Grand Central brand and call at stations such as York, Sheffield, Birmingham New Street, Oxford, Reading and Gatwick airport. The train operator is submitting an application to regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for permission to launch the services. Arriva Group said five services per day in each direction could begin running from December 2026. READ MORE: Historic bingo hall to reopen and is hiring staff The new route wo...

The Argus • 25/04/2025

Man seeks ‘never before seen’ angle of aristocrat who was born into slavery

Etienne Daly, who lives in Brighton, has been researching Dido Elizabeth Belle for 12 years and wants to see what she would look like face-on. Dido Elizabeth Belle holds historical significance as a mixed-race woman raised as a free gentlewoman in 18th-century Britain, an almost unheard of status for someone of African descent. She was born to an enslaved African mother and a British naval officer. She was brought up by her great-uncle, Lord Mansfield, the Lord Chief Justice, at Kenw...

The Argus • 23/04/2025

Ancient woodland saved after high court battle with country club

Wealden District Council challenged an appeal decision on a proposed development on an ancient woodland at Wellshurst Golf and Country Club in Hellingly at the High Court. Councillor Ian Tysh, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party) and lead councillor for planning and environment, said that the outcome is a “triumph for environmental protection". The ruling means that the woodland has been saved from development for the time being, the council said. READ MORE: Cliff collapse warning issu...

The Argus • 23/04/2025

Drugs and illegal working practices uncovered at barber and vape shops

Officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) were joined by agencies including Trading Standards, Immigration Enforcement and the Department of Work and Pensions along with local police forces to visit 11 barber and vape shops across Sussex, Hampshire and Thames Valley. In Sussex, officers visited a premises in Crawley and a premises in Hastings as part of the operation. Sussex Police said that "a number of individuals were appropriately safeguarded by officers" an...

The Argus • 23/04/2025

Police launch appeal after man "hit by cyclist" leaving him with brain trauma

Adil Elyas, from Hove and in his 50s, was reported to have been hit by a cyclist while crossing Western Road in Brighton near to the Waitrose bus stop on April 15 at 4pm. Sussex Police has now launched an appeal for witnesses of the incident to come forward. READ MORE: Hove man named and charged with terrorism offence The police force has said that the bike, which may have been electric, did not stop at the scene, and that enquiries to locate the rider are ongoing. A spokeswoman...

The Argus • 23/04/2025

US citizens to be charged 25 more at theatre show - unless they're a Democrat

The Treason Show, which will be coming to Brighton as part of the Brighton Fringe festival, has said that it will be imposing 25 per cent tariffs to American attendees. The organisers have said that there will be exemptions to US citizens who can prove they’re Democrats, and that they will be given a 10 per cent discount. This comes as US President Donald Trump unveiled an array of tariffs on countries on April 2 in what he dubbed “liberation day”. He then abruptly backed off his tar...

The Argus • 22/04/2025

Paddling pool could re-open this summer after all

Brighton and Hove City Council has told The Argus that it is "working on a solution as we speak" to re-open the King’s Road paddling pool in Brighton this summer. Councillor Alan Robins, cabinet member for sports and recreation, said that he is "trying to find the money" to refurbish the pool. This comes after he said earlier this month that the pool will remain closed amid a “challenging financial climate”. The pool is heavily used in the summer months and is seen as a cheap and safe da...

The Argus • 21/04/2025

'I've been tempted to buy a hammer and start knocking down the King Alfred myself'

Peter Kyle, MP for Hove and Portslade, has raised his concerns over the redevelopment of the King Alfred Leisure Centre in Kingsway, Hove. In an interview with The Argus, Mr Kyle said that if he could, he would “buy a hammer” himself and knock the site down himself. He said: “I've been so bitterly frustrated about the failure to get King Alfred developed over the years and bring world class sports facilities to our community. “You know, I've been tempted at times to go to Robert Dyes...

The Argus • 19/04/2025

MP says Hove is 'giving Miami a run for its money'

Labour MP Peter Kyle for Hove and Portslade praised the new Hove Beach Park in an interview with The Argus. The project, known as Kingsway to the Sea, was established by Brighton and Hove City Council to regenerate the “underused” and “run-down” seafront in West Hove by creating a new park. Following a public online vote in February 2023, the park was then named Hove Beach Park. “I was very closely involved in Kingsway to the sea. In fact, I signed the original application for having...

The Argus • 18/04/2025

Technology secretary and Hove MP reveals why he used ChatGPT to ask about policy

Peter Kyle, the secretary of State for science, innovation and technology, told The Argus that media reports about his AI usage in government have “no context”. On March 13 an article was published in New Scientist headlined "How the UK tech secretary uses ChatGPT for policy advice" following a Freedom of Information request asking for his records using the AI software. READ MORE: Residents contact MP ‘in terror’ over disability benefit cuts The Hove and Portslade MP explained that h...

The Argus • 17/04/2025

Man left with bleed on brain after e-bike delivery driver 'hit and run'

Adil Elyas, from Hove, was crossing the road in Western Road, Brighton on Tuesday afternoon at roughly 3pm when the collision happened. Three eye witnesses told The Argus that they saw Adil fly into the air, flip over and hit his head against the road and watched as the delivery driver rode off. READ MORE: School teacher banned after sending ‘intimate’ emails to female pupils Adil was rushed to A&E at Royal Sussex County Hospital, where he was diagnosed with the bleed, along with bra...

The Argus • 17/04/2025

Ex-police officer found not guilty of assaulting member of public

Adam Burke, 30, appeared at Staines Magistrates’ Court for a two-day trial on April 9 and 10, after he denied a charge of assault in connection with use of force on a member of the public at an incident in Brighton on December 8, 2023. Burke resigned as a police constable from the force in December 2023. The matter was referred to the Independent Office of Police Conduct who directed that a local investigation by the force’s Professional Standards Department should be conducted. Crim...