Local News

Ferry services between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight have been disrupted after a vessel struck a berth at Gunwharf on Tuesday morning.

Heavy rain is forecast across the South today, with a yellow weather warning in force until 8am tomorrow.

A new free exhibition has opened at Chichester Cathedral, celebrating the story behind one of its most striking and significant artworks – the John Piper tapestry.

West Sussex County Council has criticised the government’s U-turn over the postponement of May’s local elections.

Portsmouth City Council has confirmed it is moving forward with plans for a memorial statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II, with fundraising expected to begin in spring 2026.

Police are investigating an assault in Worthing.

The family of a man killed in the Coxford area of Southampton have paid tribute to him, describing him as a much-loved son and brother.

Tributes have been paid to Malcolm Wauchope, known affectionately as “Choppy”, who has died after a battle with cancer.

The first phase of a major new employment hub at Welborne has been given the go-ahead.

Police in Chichester are appealing for help to locate a man wanted in connection with theft offences and breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue have been called out after a power outage.

Homeless people across Arun can continue to access emergency accommodation until at least Friday.

Thousands of patients across Sussex are seeing improved communication while on hospital waiting lists.

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service says twelve students have now finished its latest IGNITE course.

Police have charged a man with grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of a bladed article and possession of an offensive weapon following an incident in Bognor.

Hampshire County Council’s £354 million deficit for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support is set to be largely paid off after confirmation of a multi-billion-pound Government rescue package.

People who have been in care in West Sussex are set to receive stronger support and fairer treatment.

Residents in Southwick are being reminded they have the opportunity to meet their local police team later this week.

Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery has announced it has secured a £249,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to transform its gallery spaces for a major new exhibition marking the city’s centenary.

Plans to build 40 homes in Turners Hill have been approved by Mid Sussex District Council.

The leader of West Sussex County Council says abuse of council staff has to stop.

County councillors have expressed support for introducing default 20mph speed limits on new housing developments.

The MP for Crowborough has said she shares residents’ concern and frustration over plans to close the town’s Lloyds Bank branch.

The government has confirmed the final legal step needed to establish the Sussex & Brighton Combined County Authority.

Love will be in the air in Arundel this Saturday, as Tarrant Square hosts the town’s first dedicated Valentine’s Day event.

Calls for a Chichester cricketing legend to be remembered in the park in which he used to play have been backed by his great-grandson.

Police are investigating a report of criminal damage and a break-in at a Co-op store on the High Street in Lindfield.

A 30-year-old man has been charged with driving offences after a pursuit in Eastbourne.

Plans to build 101 homes in Partridge Green are to be considered by Horsham District Council for the second time.

Chichester District Council has published a new 10-year biodiversity strategy setting out how it plans to tackle nature loss and support wildlife recovery across the district.

A pedestrian involved in a road traffic collision in Hastings has since sadly died.

It’s now ten years since Fatima Mohamed-Ali vanished from her home in Newhaven.

Businesses and artists are joining forces to boost footfall in Worthing town centre this spring through a new initiative called Dwell.

A council chief executive has announced his resignation just weeks before details on the major restructure of Hampshire’s local authorities are due to be announced.

More than 1,700 students are graduating at the Brighton Centre this week as the University of Brighton holds its winter ceremonies.

Three Year 10 pupils at The Portsmouth Academy have met with Hampshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones to present an app they developed to help tackle knife crime in Portsmouth.

Sussex Police are urging residents to stay vigilant as Valentine’s Day approaches, warning that romance fraud is becoming an increasing concern across the region.

A man has been remanded in custody charged with rape and sexual offences relating to three girls in West Sussex.

Council tax bills in Fareham could rise by 2.99 per cent under proposals for the 2026/27 financial year.

West Sussex County Council is warning drivers not to ignore road closures during flooding.

A landscape gardener from Horsham who sexually abused a girl over several years has been jailed.

Businesses from across West Sussex’s fast-growing tech sector have come together for a major innovation roundtable.

Applications have opened for a new intake onto the apprenticeship programme at London Gatwick Airport, offering aspiring engineers the opportunity to begin their careers in one of the UK’s most dynamic working environments.

Moments before boarding a flight, Helen Warren’s holiday came to an abrupt halt when she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at London Gatwick.

A repeat offender in Sussex has returned to prison for exposing himself to a lone woman and masturbating just 12 days after being released on licence.

A Sussex Police officer has been found not guilty of engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour against his ex-partner following a trial at Kingston Crown Court

Police are looking to identify this man in connection with a rape investigation in Bognor Regis.

Southern Water has responded to concerns raised by Portsmouth’s two Labour MPs about ongoing sewer works on Eastern Road.

Two drivers have been taken to hospital following a crash on the A267 at Five Ashes.

A car has crashed into the main entrance doors at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

Motorists across the South are being urged to take extra care on the roads this morning after another spell of heavy rain overnight led to widespread flooding and difficult driving conditions.

A woman from Chichester who inspired and supported countless people through her courage and honesty through her cancer journey has sadly died.

Six defendants have been sentenced for 39 offences including rape, sexual assault, child cruelty and perverting the course of justice against two girls in their family in West Sussex.

A yellow weather warning remains in force today as further heavy rain is forecast across parts of West Sussex and Hampshire.

Chichester District Council has announced a major £8 million investment in its three leisure centres as part of a new 15-year leisure contract due to begin on 1 May 2026. The decision was approved at a special Cabinet meeting on 20 January and has now been confirmed following the standard call-in period.

Hits from pop royalty including Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter will feature in this year’s colourful laser shows at Chichester Canal Basin, taking place later this month.

Plans to lower the speed limit in part of Newhaven are due to go in front of county councillors next week.

Councillor claims “In two years, Southsea will have one of the finest promenades in Europe” as sea defence designs are approved.

Vapes and tobacco products with an estimated street value of £138,000 have been seized by Hampshire County Council.

A formal complaint is to be lodged after members of the Sussex Police & Crime Panel voted to censure the Police & Crime Commissioner.

Many people across the Chichester area will remember Camilla Chapman – the local woman who is urgently trying to raise £250,000 to help fund specialist cancer treatment.

A man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 80-year-old Anthony Scarrott from Worthing.

More acts have been confirmed for this year’s Back Then Festival, as organisers continue to build anticipation for one of Chichester’s biggest summer music events.

Portsmouth City Council is set to begin refurbishment work on the Sails of the South on the M275 from 10 February, as part of efforts to keep the landmark safe and looking its best ahead of Portsmouth’s centenary year as a city.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage following a road traffic collision in Portsmouth.

The Safer Arun Partnership has launched a new Community Safety Grant Fund.

Sussex Police and partners have taken part in a campaign of arrests and safeguarding as part of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Intensification Week.

Police in Brighton are appealing for witnesses and information after an assault in Saunders View Park on Monday 2 February at around 7.30pm.

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is urging hospitality venues across the county to review their fire safety arrangements following a series of serious and fatal fires in similar settings overseas.

The Bishop of Chichester has announced he’s retiring at the end of May.

A man has been charged with raping a 17-year-old boy in St Leonards.

Police investigating a serious assault and affray in Horsham have released images of two men they wish to speak with.

Gatwick Airport has announced the launch of two new routes to Germany, strengthening its connections with key European cities.

An appeal for witnesses has been launched following a serious road collision in Southampton.

A man has been found guilty of raping a teenage boy in a flat in central Brighton.

Police made three arrests and seized drugs and cash during warrants at three addresses in Bognor.

Rail passengers across the South East are being warned to expect disruption for the rest of the day, following what train operators have described as “multiple incidents” across the network.

People across Hampshire and parts of West Sussex are being urged to prepare for heavy rain, as unsettled weather continues to affect the south coast.

A Bognor Regis shop owner has been ordered to pay £105,000 after being sentenced for repeatedly selling counterfeit cigarettes and illegal vapes.

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in East Grinstead has welcomed the publication of the National Cancer Plan for England, describing it as closely aligned with the work the trust already delivers for patients across the South East.

Work has reached a key stage at Havant Thicket Reservoir, as Portsmouth Water marks progress on the UK’s first major new reservoir in decades.

MPs have been warned that poor transport links are holding back the West Sussex economy, with concerns raised over unreliable rail services and chronic congestion on the A27.

Independent high street businesses in Chichester District that trade in the evening or at night could benefit from a new funding boost.

A supermarket chain’s bid to secure a licence for a new store in Hailsham is due to go in front of Wealden councillors.

People looking to buy a puppy in Chichester area are being urged to choose a licensed breeder.

Students are being encouraged to boost their job prospects while helping their local community by volunteering with Arun & Chichester Citizens Advice.

Police in Fareham are continuing to appeal for witnesses after a man and a woman were approached by a group of young people at the town’s railway station.

Portsmouth City Council has outlined £3m of savings and a council tax rise ahead of the budget-setting process.

A new Mayoral Combined County Authority is being set up across East and West Sussex, and Brighton and Hove, even though a mayor won’t be elected until 2028.

South East Water is facing growing criticism for keeping a hosepipe ban in place, despite Ardingly Reservoir being full.

A record number of illegal vapes and tobacco products have been seized in Hampshire as Trading Standards step up action against rogue traders.

A moped rider caught dealing Class A drugs in Crawley has been jailed.

Police are investigating reports of attempted break-ins across parts of Mid Sussex and Crawley.

Firefighters are warning residents after a recycling lorry caught fire in Burgess Hill.

The Environment Agency is set to begin essential refurbishment work at the Widewater Lagoon in late January 2026.

Police forces in the South are joining other forces across the country in a four-week Firearms Amnesty for five types of BRUNI-manufactured side / top-venting blank firers  (TVBFs) which are now illegal to possess following testing by the National Crime Agency and policing.  

Firefighters from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue are continuing to deal with the aftermath of a blaze at Southampton General Hospital, where a major incident was declared earlier this morning.

Firefighters have successfully extinguished a blaze at a pub in Market Square in Petworth this afternoon.

Homes in and around Selsey have seen their water supplies restored after an overnight fault left some properties without water or experiencing low pressure earlier today.

A popular West Sussex houseplant brand is expanding its presence in Chichester with the opening of a new shop in the city centre.

A Sussex crime panel has voted that it has lost confidence in the regions Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, following concerns over her attendance at a recent protest.

Racing fans are being invited to one of the standout fixtures of the winter jumps season, as the National Spirit Hurdle returns to Fontwell Park Racecourse next month.

Plans showing how the next section of Southsea seafront could look are set to be decided by councillors next week.

Portsmouth City Council has published new figures showing progress in supporting businesses across the city during 2025.

New parents Kira and Dan, from Horsham, have been reunited with the SECAmb clinicians who helped deliver their first baby during an emergency home birth and treated a serious postpartum complication that followed.

Construction of a major new housing development in Worthing town centre is set to get underway this month.

A man from Bognor Regis has been jailed after sexually assaulting two women while they slept.

The Solent WASPI campaign has accused ministers of showing “utter contempt” towards women born in the 1950s after the Government again ruled out paying compensation over changes to the state pension age.

A pupil at the prestigious Roedean School in Brighton has been found dead.

Eastbourne Borough Council says it will fast-track a bid to the government’s new £1.5 billion fund for cultural venues.

Adur and Worthing councils say they’ve helped scores of the least well-off households across the area with supermarket vouchers worth £100, as part of ongoing cost-of-living support.

Plans to invest nearly £3.5 million in Portsmouth’s community and civic assets are being hailed as helping to futureproof the city ahead of Local Government Reorganisation.

Santander has announced plans to close 44 branches across the UK, including locations in Gosport and Andover, as part of a major shake-up of its high street presence.

A major summer music event has been confirmed for Chichester, with thousands of people expected to attend when the Back Then Festival arrives in the city later this year.

One of Chichester’s longest-standing cultural institutions is marking a major milestone as it enters its fiftieth anniversary year.

A major £250 million investment in healthcare has been confirmed by the Government and the New Hospitals Programme to deliver a new regional Centre of Excellence for cancer care in Brighton and Hove.

Rail passengers in West Sussex and Surrey are being told the railway line between Horsham and Dorking is expected to reopen by mid-February, following disruption caused by a landslip.

A Sussex Police officer charged with dangerous driving has been released with no further action by prosecutors.

Police are appealing for help to identify the owner of a dog believed to be a Labrador after it was found alone at the water’s edge on the Roedean undercliff.

Water bills across the South are set to rise again next year, adding further pressure to household budgets following steep increases in recent years.

Plans have been revealed for a new Aldi store in Hastings as part of a wider UK expansion.

West Sussex County Council is expected to approve its proposed budget for the year ahead at a Cabinet meeting next week.

A community grant scheme aimed at reducing household waste is already delivering results across West Sussex.

Drivers are being urged to plan journeys in advance as a section of the M3 will be fully closed in both directions over the weekend.

Police in Gosport are appealing for help after a shoplifting incident at Waitrose.

Long-awaited plans to refurbish and modernise the building which housed Crawley’s first department store have been approved by the borough council.

Horsham man Keith Clifton has been found guilty of a string of rapes and sexual abuse against a young girl over several years.

Police say a man has died and a teenager has been taken to hospital following a serious crash on the A27 near the Amex Stadium, just outside Brighton.