YOU might just say that policing has gone to the dogs in Sussex.

In young Rio’s case there is a reason for that – he is a detection dog, trained to sniff out firearms, cash and illicit substances.

One-year-old Rio, a crossbreed ‘spointer’ (a pointer and spaniel mix), has been working for Sussex Police since July, following an intensive six-week training course at a centre in Guildford run by Surrey Police.

Just last week Rio, who lives at home with handler Kelly Kennedy and is based in Worthing, assisted his (human) colleagues with three Littlehampton drug raids all in the space of one busy morning – and was rewarded generously with his favourite treats: tennis balls.

Kelly, who joins Rio on all his jobs, describes the pup as ‘manic’ and full of personality.

She says: “He is a very energetic little dog and everyone knows when he enters the room.”

On average the career length for a police dog is about seven years, making Rio a real new boy.

The young canine cop works like a dog six days a week and is put into shape by fellow police hound Tenko, a three-year-old German shepherd who also lives with Kelly and is trained in tracking, searching and detaining people.

Tenko is mostly tolerant of Rio’s playfulness but she is also unafraid of showing the bouncy pup who is boss with a little jokey pawing.

The two dogs, supervised by Kelly, join each other on all their policing jobs.

Kelly says that Rio’s energy makes him very well suited to a job in policing.

“He completely loves it. He definitely couldn’t be a stay-at-home dog.”

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WEST SUSSEX will welcome 240 Syrian refugees to the county over the next four years, the county council has confirmed today (Thursday, November 12).

Families are expected to arrive as early as next year, following West Sussex County Council’s formal agreement to support the refugees.

Leader Louise Goldsmith said the county was determined to play its part in helping the most vulnerable.

Louise said: “As a county we have pledged to take 240 refugees over the next four years. There are lots of details to sort out but this is about helping those refugees in the greatest need including people who are vulnerable, women, children or those who are in need of medical care. As a county we want to do what we can to help.

“Thank you to all those people who have already come forward with offers of support. We are collating all those offers and are also keen to hear from people and groups who want to help.”

The county council is keen to hear from the following:

- Voluntary and community groups or individuals who are keen to help

- Syrian communities already in West Sussex

- Arabic groups that might be in a position to offer practical support and welcome

- Faith groups that are expressing an interest in providing support

- Groups which have experience or expertise in supporting refugees

- Private sector landlords

Over the coming weeks the county council will be working with borough and district councils and other groups to finalise plans to welcome the refugees.

Anyone who can be of assistance should email graham.tabbner@westsussex.gov.u

For more information see www.westsussex.gov.uk/campaigns/syrian-refugee-crisis

NICK Herbert, MP for Arundel and South Downs, has called for school funding to be reviewed by the Government as ‘a basic issue of fairness’.

He made the comments during a backbench debate on school funding in Westminster Hall on Thursday (5 November).

Mr Herbert said: “Although West Sussex might be seen as a leafy and affluent county, it is not entirely so – there are significant pockets of deprivation.”

The Conservative MP noted that West Sussex was the fourth worst-funded district for schooling in England with a per-pupil spending of £4,198, beneath the England average of £4,612 and significantly below the £8,587 average received by the City of London.

Evidence of the funding shortfall in Sussex schools, Mr Herbert said, was to be found in its ‘relatively poor’ pupil-teacher ratios compared to other districts.

He pointed out that Midhurst Rother College, an academy serving students from Arundel and South Downs, has a pupil-teacher ratio of 1:17, while London’s Paddington and Lambeth academy schools have ratios of 1:8 and 1:12 respectively.

“If West Sussex were funded just at the average level for all county councils, our schools would receive an additional £15 million per annum,” claimed the MP.

Before the 2015 general election Prime Minister David Cameron made a ‘flat cash’ commitment to protect per-pupil funding levels from public spending cuts.

But Mr Herbert suggested this did not go quite far enough: “It will be hard for schools to deal with flat cash if their funding is already on the floor.

“What heads and chairs of governors from schools in my constituency are saying to me is that they already face a difficult position because of the relatively poor funding.”

The MP noted that there were difficulties inherent in expecting standards to rise from cash boosts alone, but suggested the situation was so bad it needed review.

He said: “We cannot always say that improving public services means giving them more money, but I think that we are making it harder for schools when they are funded at the level that they are and when the unfairness is so manifest.”

While welcoming the Government’s manifesto commitment to deal with the problem of school funding Mr Herbert also said that the issue should be addressed in the upcoming Autumn Statement and Spending Review.

A woman from Shoreham-by-Sea is facing a possible jail term after repeatedly threatening to stab a man and burn down his flat.

Rosie Ralph, 22, of Middle Road, Shoreham, sent 48 harassing text messages to the man over the space of a few weeks.

Ralph appeared at Chichester Crown Court on Thursday, November 12, where she was also due to be sentenced for three counts of possessing a bladed article in a public place and assaulting a police constable and a police community support officer.

Taking into account Ralph’s ‘severe mental health problems’, judge Christopher Parker QC adjourned her sentencing so a specialist report could be drawn up to see if an alternative to a jail term could be found.

Judge Parker QC told Ralph: “You are to remain in custody until December 10, where you will definitely be sentenced.

“You are either going straight to prison for a considerable period or you will be given intense supervision to protect you and the public.

“I don’t want you to be abandoned. But it’s going to require significant care from somebody with significant experience of this type of case.”

The court heard that between June 2 and June 30, 2015, Ralph sent 48 text messages to a man she knew.

In one of the messages, which was typical, Ralph threatened to ‘set your flat on fire and knock on your door and stab you tonight’, Charmaine Wilson, prosecuting, said.

It left the man ‘too scared to leave his flat’ in case Ralph was waiting outside.

Defending, John Naylor said Ralph had turned down the man’s sexual advances, which had led to her messaging him.

On another occasion police were called to Hove after Ralph had called 999 to say she had taken an overdose and had a knife on her.

On August 4 of this year, she was arrested for possessing a blade in her handbag and kicked a police constable and a PCSO in a vehicle on the way to the police station.

Ralph had previously admitted all the charges and defending, Mr Naylor told the court: “It has to be noted that most of the offending is as a result of her mental health problems’.

The court heard that Ralph, who has a personality disorder, had breached a number of conditional discharges and a suspended prison sentence for similar offences.

Judge Parker QC adjourned the sentencing until December 10, and asked the probation service to produce a detailed report for alternatives to jail.

But he warned: “Rosie Ralph you were last in front of me in May this year where you received a suspended prison sentence.

“A great deal of care was made to try to help you but there wasn’t any guarantee a suspended sentence would stop you committing further offences and clearly it hasn’t done.

“If there is a way of helping you it will be found, but I cannot promise you will avoid prison.”

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Police were called to A27 Arundel Road, Hollyacres, Worthing after a two vehicle collision at 12.25pm today (November 12).

The driver of a Ford Fiesta car involved suffered minor injuries but the other vehicle failed to stop and drove off.

Anyone who saw the collision is asked to contact police by emailing collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk or ring 101 quoting serial 0579 of 12/11.

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STUDENTS came face-to-face with a life-size killer whale as The Big Bang @ Adur and Worthing returned for its third year.

The engaging and interactive engineering and science fair was organised by Northbrook College and held at its Shoreham Airport Campus on Tuesday.

Part of the Big Bang South East programme, the vibrant event enabled students aged ten to 14 to engage with STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering and maths, bringing their learning to life and helping them to understand their application in industry.

The youngsters were able to try their hand at flying a Chinook helicopter on a flight simulator and meet a magician, who turned maths into magic, among the 23 activity providers.

Zoe McCaig, from a visiting academy, said: “The pupils I brought were blown away by all the different activities they got to do and they really enjoyed the day.

“Some of my older STEM pupils were overawed by some of the opportunities there are at colleges and universities, so much so that they want to do an assembly in school to show others not only what they do in STEM Club but also what they did at the Big Bang event.”

Andrew Swayne, chairman of event sponsor Adur and Worthing Business Partnership, was delighted to witness the enthusiasm and engagement of the students.

He said he was encouraged to see how the event has grown, with more activity providers each year.

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The Labour leader visited Crawley and said he would revitalise high streets by reversing changes to planning laws which have been opposed by the town’s council and business groups.

Jeremy Corbyn said he would end permitted development laws and that he was confident Labour would win in the town in the next general election when he visited Caterpillar Pre-School yesterday (November 11).

Permitted development rights (PDR) allow disused office, commercial or retail space to be converted into private sector housing without the need for planning permission from the borough council.

He said: “I would re-empower local authorities to ensure fewer out of town developments, more high street-needed developments and balance shopping opportunity in them because otherwise we just end up with high streets all across the country which are fundamentally dead and some people who can do car-based suburban shopping doing so but others simply not having them stuck with a small number of high-end quite expensive shops.

“We need to reinvigorate our high streets and I feel very strongly the high street is a very important thing in any town.

“It’s your centre of your community, your life and you should be able to do your life and you should be able to shop as well as your leisure activities so we need a balance in high streets.

“They cannot just be charity shops, estate agents and pay-day loan companies.”

During his visit the Labour leader also spoke to parents and staff about his opposition to Tory proposals to cut working tax credits.

Crawley business leaders voiced their disappointment over central government’s decision to make PDR, which were introduced temporarily in 2013, permanent in May 2016.

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DRAFT plans for 1,500 new homes to be developed on Ford Airfield have been drawn up and are set to be exhibited by Ford Parish Council during a meeting for parishioners at Yapton Village Hall on Saturday.

The proposals, awaiting parish residents’ approval, mark a doubling of an earlier draft neighbourhood plan according to which only around 700 homes would be constructed on the site.

In the original 700-homes plan the Ford planning group indicated a ‘wish list’ of infrastructure provisions, including a primary school, a doctor’s surgery and community buildings.

The earlier draft went forward for further consultation following support from Ford residents at a special meeting in March this year.

However, results from a survey conducted by the Ford Neighbourhood Plan Group released in November 2014 indicated that 94 per cent of local respondents agreed they wanted ‘no further large scale or excessive development’.

In 2009, the Government abandoned proposals to build a 5,000-home Eco-Town on the airfield after courting fierce opposition, including from MPs Nick Gibb (Littlehampton and Bognor Regis) and Nick Herbert (Arundel and South Downs).

But the revised proposals, which Ford Parish Council chairman Trevor Ford insisted are very much conditional on parishioners’ approval, fall well short of the houses demanded by the abandoned Eco-Town scheme.

Mr Ford was emphatic the plans were not an ‘Eco-Town in disguise.’

The reworking of the neighbourhood plan follows revisions to Arun District Council’s own local plan.

Arun raised its housing targets earlier this year from 580 new homes per annum to 641 a year amid criticism directed at the council’s supposedly insufficient level of housing provision.

In summer, an open letter signed by 159 residents called for two Arun councillors to resign, decrying the ‘spectacular failure’ of the council’s local plan.

The team in Ford responsible for the original neighbourhood plan reworked their proposals in the light of Arun’s revised housed targets, accommodating for the possibility they might be expected to take on a large portion of the extra homes.

A letter sent to parish residents said the decision to rework the proposals was based on the fact that “the development they (the neighbourhood plan team) had designed would be damaged by a later ‘add on’ of additional housing and it would be better to pre-empt and design for it.”

While Mr Ford described the new draft proposals as ‘fairly comprehensive plans’ he emphasised they would be put to parish residents before further conversations with Arun and neighbouring parishes such as Yapton.

“The time for wider consultation comes later,” he said, envisaging a referendum sometime in June.

But Vicky Newman, who was chairman of the now-disbanded Campaign Against Ford Eco-Town (CAFE) expressed fears this was a “quick and rather underhand way of Arun fulfilling its own (housing) quota under the guise of localism.”

She added: “the whole point of community plans are for communities to grow according to their own local vision.”

But, she said “a large proposal can bypass the usual planning channels and be dressed up as a neighbourhood plan without the same level of scrutiny and public consultation as sites which propose only 50 or 400 homes.”

The planning consultancy Barton Willmore, who were also involved in the abandoned Eco-Town scheme, have been responsible for drafting the neighbourhood plans.

THE FOLLOWING are court results for Chichester and Worthing magistrates’ courts from October 19 to 23.

Ryan Spires, 42, of Kingsway, George V Avenue, Worthing, was given a community order and must pay £60 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after admitting failing to give a breath test when required by police at Worthing Custody Centre on August 31, 2015. He was disqualified from driving for 20 months.

Craig Newman, 26, of Sackville Road, Broadwater, must serve eight weeks in prison after failing to comply with a suspended sentence order. He was dealt with for the original offences, racially aggravated assault in Worthing on September 27, 2014, and racially aggravated harassment in Worthing between August 1, 2014, and September 27, 2014. Two sentences of eight weeks’ prison, suspended for 12 weeks, were implemented as sentences of eight weeks for each, to run concurrently.

Joshua Alban-Smith, 19, of Little Paddocks, Ferring, was fined £100 and must pay £50 compensation, £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after admitting assaulting a police constable in Chapel Road, Worthing, on October 4, 2015.

Robert Fenwick, 40, of Farncombe Road, Worthing, was fined £80 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £180 criminal courts charge, after admitting stealing clothing and cutlery worth £216.99 from Beales, Worthing, on September 10, 2015.

Kial Robinson, 19, of Gosden Road, Littlehampton, was fined £85 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £180 criminal courts charge, after admitting possessing .2 grams cocaine on Bognor Regis Pier on October 4, 2015.

Amy O’Donnell, of Tithe Barn, Mill Road, Lancing, was given a community order and must carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work after admitting stealing jewellery in Lancing between March 10 and 17, 2015. She must pay £60 compensation, £60 victim surcharge, £85 costs and £180 criminal courts charge.

Robert Dayer, 45, of Maybridge Square, Goring, was fined £80 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after admitting disorderly behaviour while drunk in May Close, Worthing, on September 5, 2015.

Nicholas Anderson, 30, of Goring Road, Goring, was fined £220 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after being found guilty of driving over the 30mph speed limit in Broadwater Road, Worthing, on March 22, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with three points.

Ryan Baker, 39, of The Winter Knoll, Littlehampton, was fined £220 and must pay £22 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after being found guilty of failing to stop at a red light in Upper Brighton Road, Sompting, on April 13, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with three points.

Lucy Boniface, 32, of Cheyne Court, Rectory Road, Shoreham, was fined £660 and must pay £66 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after being found guilty of driving without insurance in Pond Road, Shoreham, on May 16, 2015. Her driving record was endorsed with six points.

Julie Green, 28, of Kingston Court, Stoney Lane, Shoreham, was fined £220 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after being found guilty of using hand-held phone while driving on the A27 Shoreham on May 24, 2015. Her driving record was endorsed with three points.

Louis Meredith, 27, of Westlake Gardens, Tarring, was fined £200 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after admitting driving while in a position that did not give proper control of the vehicle. His driving record was endorsed with three points.

Christopher Smith, 35, of Findon Road, Findon, was fined £75 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting driving over the 30mph speed limit in Offington Lane, Worthing, on March 22, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with three points.

Gavin Stephens, 38, of Boundary Road, Worthing, was fined £220 and must pay £22 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after being found guilty of driving over the 30mph speed limit in Broadwater Road, Worthing, on April 17, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with three points.

Charles Carman, 25, of Canada Close, Worthing, was fined £215 and must pay £22 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting driving over the 30mph speed limit in Western Road, Lancing, on February 21, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with four points.

Daniel Castle, 27, of Salvington Road, Salvington, was fined £220 and must pay £22 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after being found guilty of driving without wearing a seatbelt in Salvington Road, Worthing, on June 12, 2015.

Jamie Cowsell, 44, of Selden Road, East Worthing, was fined £440 and must pay £44 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after being found guilty of driving a vehicle with a faulty tyre in Ifield Drive, Crawley, on March 2, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with three points.

James Lewis, 28, of Leeds Close, Durrington, was fined £345 and must pay £34 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after admitting driving over 70mph on the M23 Crawley on July 21, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with six points.

Cheryl Pierce, 42, of Gospond Road, Barnham, was fined £660 and must pay £66 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after being found guilty of driving without insurance in Roway Way, Bognor Regis, on June 10, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with six points.

Lisa Thompson, 32, of Forest View Park, Crossbush Lane, Poling, was fined £660 and must pay £66 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after being found guilty driving without insurance in Ellis Close, Arundel, on June 10, 2015.

Jack Yates, 21, of Grand Avenue, Worthing, was fined £115 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after being found guilty of driving over the 30mph speed limit in Kingsway, Hove, on March 20, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with six points.

Jamie Crowley, 25, of Ensign Way, Littlehampton, was fined £165 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after admitting driving over 70mph on the A27 Patching on April 13, 2014. His driving record was endorsed with six points.

Mark Grima, 41, of Helyers Green, Wick, was fined £145 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after admitting driving over the 30mph speed limit in London Road, Pulborough, on April 14, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with three points.

Badrul Haque, 39, of Wenban Road, Worthing, was fined £185 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after admitting failing to stop at a red light in Broadwater Road, Worthing, on May 3, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with three points.

Benjamin Russell, 41, of Sackville Way, Broadwater, was fined £660 and must pay £66 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £160 criminal courts charge, after being found guilty of failing to identify a driver when required by police in Shoreham on May 7, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with six points.

Demeter Zsolt, 35, of Heatherlie, Sea Place, Goring, was fined £220 and must pay £22 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after being found guilty of driving over the 30mph speed limit in Marine Parade, Brighton, on April 17, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with three points.

Andrew Bull, 40, of Manning Road, Wick, was fined £40 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after admitting driving without due care and attention in Station Road, Angmering, on July 9, 2015. His driving record was endorsed with three points.

Shelagh East, 53, of North Street, Wick, was discharged conditionally for one year and must pay £18 victim surcharge, £85 costs, after admitting assault by beating in Anchor Springs, Littlehampton, on September 18, 2015. She also admitted racially aggravated harassment and must pay £180 criminal courts charge.

Simon Gray, 40, of Herne Lane, Rustington, was given a community order after admitting assault by beating in Brighton Road, Worthing, on October 7, 2015. He was also fined £100 and must pay £60 victim surcharge, £85 costs and £150 criminal courts charge.

Dean Scott, 42, of Buckinham Road, Shoreham, was fined £690 and must pay £69 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after being found guilty of drink-driving (83mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath) in Keymer Way, Goring, on October 8, 2015. He was disqualified from driving for 22 months. He also admitted driving without insurance and driving a vehicle without an MOT certificate, no separate penalty.

Bruno Stifani, 55, of Sackville Road, Broadwater, was fined £120 and must pay £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge, after admitting drink-driving (53mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath) on the A27 Chichester on October 8, 2015. He was disqualified from driving for 16 months.

Rees Leverton, 24, of Littlehampton Road, Worthing, was given a community order and must carry out 60 hours’ unpaid work after admitting assault by beating in Worthing on August 29, 2015; and obstructing a police constable. He must pay £60 victim surcharge, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge.

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FERRING Conservation Group was challenged to name ten different varieties on a Tree Identification Walk.

Dressed for predicted showers, 20 keen members set out from the Bluebird Café car park in Ferring, led by Tricia Hall, the group’s wildlife expert.

Jane Hayman, from Ferring Conservation Group, said: “Tricia challenged us to try to identify ten trees along the way and gave us further facts to add to our knowledge as we came to each tree.”

The first tree correctly identified was a white poplar, an untidy looking tree with dark green-grey leaves and pale grey bark.

Further along the bank, a graceful crack willow was spotted, one of 300 species of willow worldwide. This is one of Britain’s largest native trees, named after the sound made when its branches and twigs fall to the ground.

As a kestrel hovered overhead, the walkers headed west towards Kingston. Treading carefully along the muddy paths, they successfully identified an English elm.

Tricia told the group that Dutch elm disease actually originated in America but was identified by phytopathologists in Holland. The disease has killed more than 60 million British elms in two epidemics and continues to spread today.

As the group headed back towards the west bank of The Rife, they came across a majestic English oak tree. These trees grow to between 20 to 40 metres tall and have leaves that typically have little stem and grow in bunches.

For thousands of years, oak was the prized hardwood timber used for ship building until the mid-19th century, and remains a popular wood for house building.

Jane said: “As our walk came to an end and we made our way northwards to Ferring Country Centre for some well-deserved refreshment, we reflected on our eye-opening journey into our dependence on trees and the benefits they have to all mankind and how every tree has its own story to tell.”

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Fundraisers from across Sussex will be dressing up, making cakes and doing whatever it takes to raise money for Children In Need.

The annual fundraising event takes place today (Friday, December 13) to raise money for children’s causes across the UK with people from across Sussex among those taking part.

Schools, work places and community groups will be among those fundraising for Children In Need today.

Their efforts follow hot on the heels of The One Show’s Rickshaw Challenge - a cycle ride from Land’s End to the East End - which travelled through Sussex earlier this week.

The BBC’s South East Today show will also be holding its evening Children In Need party at the Redoubt Fortress in Eastbourne

Meanwhile we want to know what you are doing to raise money, so get in touch with our reporters and let us know.

Emails us your pictures ands details to {mailto:copydesk.sussex@jpress.co.uk|copydesk.sussex@jpress.co.uk|copydesk.sussex@jpress.co.uk}.

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Today is the day many superstitious people will have been dreading ... yes it’s Friday the 13th.

For years this date has been considered unlucky and if something bad has happened to you on this day, it has more often than not, been blamed on it being ‘Friday the 13th’.

Did you know there is even a name given to having a fear of this particular date? The term is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia...

There are many reasons why people associate bad luck or feeling with Friday the 13th.

For example, some hold that 12 is a complete number – there are 12 signs of the Zodiac, 12 tribes of Israel... – so 13, one over, is considered unlucky.

Some even believe that if 13 people sit down to dinner, one will surely die (this is thought to originate from the Last Supper of Christ when Judas — one of Jesus’ 12 apostles — arrived as the 13th guest to the Last Supper. The next morning, it was Judas who betrayed Jesus, leading to his arrest and crucifixion.)

Here are a just a few events, which date back hundreds of years, and reasons why Friday the 13th has a reputation for bad luck:

On Friday, October 13th, 1307, thousands of Crusades warriors were imprisoned.

Members of the Knights Templar were accused of heresy, blasphemy and homosexuality. Many later died from torture, carried out by officers of the French King Philip IV.

In 1539, on August, Friday the 13th, the Aztecs killed 39,000 in one day.

Hammurabi’s Code, the first set of state initiated laws, leaves out the number 13, leading many to believe the superstition dates back to Babylon in 1700 BC.

Meanwhile, Friday used to be known as ‘hanging day’ as it was customary to execute criminals on this day.

There were 13 steps up to the scaffold, 13 turns in a hangman’s noose and 13 pence and a halfpenny paid to the hangman.

In 1881, a group of New Yorkers started The 13 Club, in an attempt to remove the superstitious stigma from the number.

However, at their first meeting on Friday the 13th, all thirteen members walked under a ladder into a room filled spilled salt and broken mirrors.

They all died in a freak accident involving a runaway truck.

Also did you know that most skyscrapers do not include a thirteenth floor?

An incident in New York highlights the reason why. Gregory Johnson bravely included a thirteenth floor in his designs for the Empire State Building in the Big Apple.

However, just three days after it was finished, on a Friday, the weight of the building caused it to crumble and it crushed the thirteenth floor. It has been structurally sound ever since...

The Nazis dropped a bomb on Buckingham Palace on Friday the 13th in September 1940, as part of the Blitz during World War II. Members of the Royal family were apparently taking tea at the time.

On Friday, June 13th, 1952, Massachusetts Governor Kyle McArthur banned all private automotive transportation on the unlucky day. Yet despite the ban, nine overcrowded city buses crashed into each other in downtown Boston.

And on Friday the 13th, October 1972, a plane crashed in the Andes. Twelve people died instantly and more were killed in an avalanche later. Those who survived did so by resorting to cannibalism. The crash was later the subject of the film, “Alive.”

Given the evidence above, perhaps it would be wise to stay indoors today, until midnight at least!

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A missing teenager from Angmering has been found safe and well, police have said.

Kyron Clarke was reported missing from his home on October 31.

The 13-year-old, was located by Metropolitan Police officers on Wednesday November 11.

Police have thanked members of the public and media for their help in locating the teenager.

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A man who went missing from his home in Littlehampton has been found by police.

Richard Leyshon was reported missing on October 29.

Police said the 41-year-old was found on Thursday November 12 in London by the Metropolitan Police and detained under the Mental Health Act.

Officers added they would like to thank the media and members of the public who shared concerns for his welfare.

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Engineering works have caused major changes to rail services to and from London Victoria this weekend with only three trains operating per hour on Sunday, November 15.

In a statement Southern Rail has announced due to works being carried out by Network Rail between London Victoria and Selhurst on November 14 and 15 some lines will be closed and a reduced service will run to and from London Victoria. Some services have been amended to start and terminate at London Bridge.

The statement reads: “Only three trains per hour instead of the usual 22 will operate from Victoria all day on Sunday which means that trains are expected to be extremely busy. Passengers are advised to use London Bridge if possible.

“Gatwick Express services will not run at the weekend, so passengers are advised to travel on Southern services.

“Saturday/Sunday and Sunday/Monday overnight train services will be diverted into London Bridge with a replacement bus service operating between London Victoria and London Bridge, London Victoria and Clapham Junction, Clapham Junction and East Croydon.

“On Sunday, a reduced train service will run to London Victoria. An hourly service to Brighton, an hourly service to Littlehampton and an hourly service to Lewes will run. An hourly service from London Bridge to Brighton will also run.

“London Victoria to East Grinstead train services and London Victoria to Dorking train services via Mitcham Junction will run to London Bridge. A bus service will run between London Victoria and Clapham Junction. Gatwick Express train services will not run. Southern metro services will be amended with some starting at Clapham Junction.”

It also states the 05:02 London Victoria to Brighton and the 05:32 London Victoria to Ore services on Monday morning (November 16) will be diverted to start from London Bridge.

Full details of this weekend’s changes can be found at southernrailway.com

A list of the major changes are stated below:

Saturday November 14

n The 31 minutes past the hour services to Horsham will not run.

n The 51 minutes past the hour services to Brighton will not run.

n The Gatwick Express services will not run.

n The seven minutes and the 37 minutes past the hour services to Brighton have been changed to 15 and 45 minutes past the hour calling at East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Haywards Heath and Brighton.

n The 16 minutes past the hour services to Littlehampton and Eastbourne have been changed to five minutes past the hour and have been diverted after Clapham Junction via Crystal Palace.

n The 46 minutes past the hour services to Ore and Littlehampton have been changed to 35 minutes past the hour and have been diverted after Clapham Junction via Crystal Palace.

n The two minutes past the hour services to Portsmouth Harbour & Bognor Regis will start from London Bridge.

n The 23 and 53 minutes past the hour services to East Grinstead have been diverted after Clapham Junction via Crystal Palace calling additionally at Norwood Junction.

n 13 and 43 minutes past the hour services to Caterham have been changed to 16 and 43 minutes past the hour and have been diverted after Balham calling at Streatham Hill, Crystal Palace and Norwood Junction instead of Streatham Common, Norbury, Thornton Heath and Selhurst. A bus will run from Balham.

n The six minutes and 36 minutes past the hour services to Sutton have been extended to Dorking calling additionally at Cheam, Epsom, Ashtead, Leatherhead and Dorking.

n Customers for Mitcham Eastfields, Mitcham Junction, Hackbridge and Carshalton should travel to Balham for a replacement bus service to Streatham Common for another replacement bus service from there.

n The one minute and past the hour services to Dorking will not run.

n The three minute and 33 minutes past the hour services to Sutton will not run.

n The 17 and 47 minutes past the hour services to Epsom will not run.

n The 19 and 49 minutes past the hour services to London Bridge will not run.

n The 23 minutes past the hour services to Epsom Downs will not run.

n The 53 minutes past the hour services to Epsom will not run.

Additionally overnight Saturday London Bridge will operate services to Three Bridges and buses will run between Victoria and London Bridge and Victoria and Clapham Junction.

Sunday 15th November:

n The Gatwick Express services will not run.

n The two minutes past the hour services to Bognor Regis will start from London Bridge.

n The six minutes past the hour services to Brighton have been changed to 11 minutes past the hour and will start from Southeastern platforms.

n The eight and 28 minutes past the hour services to Caterham will start from Clapham Junction.

n The ten and 40 minutes past the hour services to Dorking will start from London Bridge.

n The 17 minutes past the hour services to Portsmouth Harbour and Littlehampton have been changed to 59 minutes past the hour and will start from Southeastern platforms.

n The 22 and 52 minutes past the hour services to Epsom will not run.

n The 23 and 53 minutes past the hour services to East Grinstead will start from London Bridge.

n The 24 and 54 minutes past the hour services to Sutton will start from Clapham Junction.

n The 27 minutes past the hour services to Brighton will not run.

n The 32 minutes past the hour services to Brighton will start from London Bridge.

n The 47 minutes past the hour services to Ore have been diverted to Brighton and Lewes, and changed to 29 minutes past the hour.

Additionally buses will run to Clapham Junction.

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A police officer allegedly threatened a prostitute for cheaper sex, a court heard yesterday (Thursday, November 12).

Luke Smith faces a misconduct charge for threatening a prostitute to obtain free or discounted sexual services while on duty.

As well as allegedly twice filming himself masturbating in a police station and sending pictures of sexual material to prostitutes while on duty in uniform.

The 33-year-old constable based in Hastings is also charged with knowingly or recklessly obtaining, disclosing or procuring the disclosure of personal information without the consent of the data controller.

The allegations come from a period between January, 2011, and March 2015.

Smith was released on bail at Brighton Magistrates’ Court and will attend crown court on December 10.

He did not enter a plea for legal reasons.

He was arrested in March following allegations made against him by a female resident.

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The first predatory dinosaur to be sold in Britain is to go under the hammer at an auction near Horsham next week.

The almost complete rare juvenile allosaurus skeleton is 285 cm long and is expected to up to fetch up to £500,000.

The dinosaur - which roamed the earth 155 to 145 million years ago during the late Jurassic period - is part of a special ‘evolution sale’ being held at Summers Place, Billingshurst, on November 25.

The allosaurus, derived from the Greek meaning ‘different lizard’, was one of the largest predatory dinosaurs of the time sometimes reaching 28 feet long.

The skeleton was found at a quarry in Wyoming, USA, and its skull shows a set of dagger-like teeth.

Summers Place director Rupert van der Werff said that they expect a lot of European and Asian interest in the sale of the dinosaur.

He said: “The allosaurus, together with the T-Rex, has become the quintessentially large, carnivorous dinosaur in western popular culture. Given the size of this allosaurus it also adds the cute factor and it may not just attract interest from museums, but could also be the wow factor in a luxurious living room.”

The allosaurus has featured in books and films since the early 20th century including in The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle and the 1925 film of it – the first full-length motion picture to feature dinosaurs.

Allosaurus was at the top of the food chain, probably preying on large herbivorous dinosaurs and other predators. Potential prey included ornithopods, stegosaurids and sauropods.

Some paleontologists think allosaurus had cooperative social behaviour and hunted in packs, while others believethey may have been aggressive toward each. It may have attacked large prey by ambush, using its upper jaw like a hatchet.

Remains of small dinosaurs and juveniles of larger species are extremely rarely found because the most likely cause of death was predation, meaning there would be little left to be preserved.

The funeral of Graham Mallinson, who died in the Shoreham Airshow disaster, was held in Newick yesterday (Thursday, November 12).

Graham, whose real name was James, was watching the airshow from the A27 when he was killed on August 22, 2015.

Relatives and friends gathered at St Mary’s Church on Thursday afternoon to pay their respects to the 72-year-old retired engineer.

Mr Mallinson was a passionate steam railway enthusiast and avid photographer. At the time of his death, his family paid tribute to ‘the kindest and most generous man’.

They said: “Always loyal and reliable, he was a private and loving family man with a great sense of humour. A very caring husband and father who was dearly loved, he will be very sorely missed by all his family and the wide circle of friends who had the good fortune to know him.

“Educated at Dulwich College, he joined Tannoy in the 1960s - moving on to hold various posts in the electronics industry until his retirement. As a highly respected engineer, he was a perfectionist in everything he did and this carried through into his private life, including photography.

“He was a life member and active volunteer of the Bluebell Railway, contributing a wealth of knowledge and experience over many years.

“More recently he developed an interest in photographing vintage aircraft and was at Shoreham to capture one of the last flights of the Vulcan bomber.

“He loved driving and covered thousands of miles throughout the UK- from the Scottish Highlands to the West Country - in his pursuit of steam. His hobby also took him overseas to South Africa as well as Ireland, Isle of Man and the Isle of Wight.

“He was at the right place at the wrong time, doing what he loved best on a beautiful summer’s day.”

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It might not be a Banksy, but the street art spotted today (Friday, November 13) was apparently by a street artist inspired by him.

The graffiti matches work of Weston-super-Mare born and bred JPS, who describes himself as ‘more than your average street artist’ on his Facebook page. The same work is featured on his Facebook page and website, where you can see him creating it.

Questions about whether the street art was the work of internationally acclaimed Banksy were raised by residents earlier today, when Kirsty Alder spotted the mural in Chichester.

She said: “I spotted this today in a side street off of East Street. “Looks extraordinarily similar to many of Banksy’s pieces?”

JPS said Banksy, also a political activist and film director, whose identity is unknown, changed his life. “In 2009, the street artist known as JPS was on a downward spiral- then a visit to the Banksy exhibit in Bristol turned his life around,” his website states. The 37-year-old street artist said: “Five and a half years ago, I was homeless from drink and drugs, two of my friends were murdered when I was 19 and I went down a bad path.

“I’m from a tough estate and I lost a lot of friends. I hid my grief through drink, and wasted 12 years of my life. Then in 2009 I went to visit the Banksy show in Bristol and I thought ‘hey I could do that’. I was into fine art when I was younger, but Banksy inspired me, he saved my life and I respect him.” He said his work has been featured at the Tate Modern and in a Hyundai advert. “It’s not that I just wanna damage a wall, I’m very careful where I do my pieces,” he said.

“What’s art for some isn’t for others.”

Find out more at http://www.jpsart.co.uk/

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Sitting on a wooden table alongside an array of family photographs and rusted jewellery, a set of house keys belonging to a man who believed he would be returning home.

For the millions of people who got on the train heading for Auschwitz-Birkenau, many did not know they were travelling to their death.

Instead, they were simply told to pack a suitcase of their most treasured belongings - items that now provide a haunting reminder of the innocence of those who were murdered at Auschwitz.

On the eve of National Remembrance Day in Poland, students from schools across Sussex travelled to Auschwitz with the Holocaust Educational Trust to see for themselves the place where unspeakable atrocities were committed during some of the darkest moments in world history.

The first stop of the day was to the town of Oswiecim, where once 58 per cent of the population was Jewish. Now, not one Jew lives there.

Rabbi Andrew Shaw delivered a moving speech inside the town’s single Synagogue, reading lyrics from a song called The Man From Vilna.

“We ran as one towards the shul, our spirits in a trance, and we tore apart the barricade, in defiance we would dance.

“But the scene before our eyes shook us to the core - scraps of siddur, bullet holes, bloodstains on the floor.

“Turning to the eastern wall, we looked on in despair, there’d be no scrolls to dance with, the holy ark was bare. Then we heard two children crying, a boy and girl whom no one knew, and we realised that no children were among us but those two.”

The words resonated with those inside the room, for it reminded us that the horrors of those days didn’t stop with those who died, but lived on with the few survivors.

The group then headed to Auschwitz I, where nothing could prepare them for the awful sights inside.

Here, the people behind the statistics and figures were laid bare - their photographs lined the corridors, with faces bruised and eyes hollow, and their clothes and shoes, dirty and torn, dumped in lifeless piles.

Perhaps most sickeningly was one room containing a mountain of human hair - hair that had been shaved from every man, woman and child who came through the gates of Auschwitz and hair later used to make clothes for German civilians.

It was just one of many acts undertaken to strip all prisoners of their identity, removing all characteristics until all that differentiated one man from another was a number tattooed on his body.

Next stop was Auschwitz-Birkenau. Stepping through the gate, we were greeted with a dazzling, blood-red sunset - but while the colour may have been appropriate, its beauty was not.

For this place was the main extermination centre. It was the place where decisions were made as to who would be kept on to work and who would be sent to die.

Though, those who were ‘lucky’ enough not to be sent to the gas chamber would often not last much longer in the camp, where they were starved in the most inhumane conditions imaginable.

Walking through the soulless brick blocks, it was hard to imagine a life where cleaning latrines was considered a luxury, but that’s what it was.

As darkness enveloped the site, which was larger than any of us could have envisaged, the group gathered for an emotional service.

With lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes, we listened to poignant readings and prayers before observing a minute silence and reflecting on the reality of what we had witnessed that day.

You can learn the numbers - six million Jews died in the Holocaust, more than one million of which were at Auschwitz - but it’s not until you walk alongside the railway line or through the gas chambers you can even begin to imagine the true extent of the horror that took place on that soil. It’s not until you see the belongings and the faces of the mother, father, sister, daughter, son, grandfather, neighbour and friend that you can comprehend the suffering and loss experienced by so many. There are no words that do it justice.

The day finished with each student lighting a memorial candle and placing it on the end of the railway line, spreading light and hope in one of the world’s darkest places. Through sharing their experiences of the day, those students will take one step towards ensuring such atrocities are never repeated.

The Holocaust Educational Trust was established in 1988 with the aim of educating young people from every background about the Holocaust.

The Trust works in schools, universities and in the community to raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust, providing teacher training, an outreach programme for schools, teaching aids and resource material.

The HET’s Lessons From Auschwitz Project is open to post-16 students from across the country. The trip to Auschwitz on November 10 included students from a number of schools in Sussex.

East Sussex: ARK William Parker Academy, Bexhill College, Hailsham Community College, Michael Hall School, Ringmer Community College, Uckfield Community Technology College.

West Sussex: Bishop Luffa School, Burgess Hill School for Girls, Hazelwick School, Imberhorne School, Muntham House School, St. Paul’s Catholic College, The College of Richard Collyer, The Regis School, The Weald School, Worthing College.

Photos by Yakir Zur.

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