A renewed pledge against child sexual exploitation (CSE) has been made by new and returning West Sussex county councillors.

The pledge was originally signed by county councillors in October 2015 as there was cross-party support to ‘say something if you see something’.

The new cohort of representatives elected in May renewed their commitment to tackling CSE when they met on Friday (July 21).

Stephen Hillier, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Child sexual exploitation is a horrific crime which takes place in West Sussex and across the UK so it is essential that we continue to work together in our communities to increase our knowledge and awareness of what signs people should look out for.

“We’re unlikely to eradicate child sexual exploitation but we can become better at recognising the signs and responding to concerns. Sometimes all it takes is to listen to someone.

“The work that the county council has done over the last couple of years, alongside its partners, has led to significant improvements and with continued hard work we would hope that we can make West Sussex an even safer place for our young people.”

Last year the Safer West Sussex Partnership funded CSE awareness training for more than 650 public sector professionals, including schools, hoteliers, taxi drivers and other frontline staff.

The training offered by the partnership - made up of the local councils, police, health partners and the voluntary service – included understanding CSE and what people can do should they see something they believe could be harmful to a child or young person.

In addition, prevention activity has taken place in secondary schools and colleges.

More than 20,000 young people across West Sussex have now seen a performance of the CSE awareness play Chelsea’s Choice which aims to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to be able to protect themselves from this form of abuse.

The signs of CSE include skipping school, physical harming, change in usual behaviour, and unexplained gifts.

To report concerns about a child or information contact Sussex Police on 101.

Anonymous reports can be made via the National CSE helpline 116 000.

To find out more about CSE and the support available visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/CSE

Cyber hackers are secretly trading details of more than 250,000 Sussex residents online in a bid to defraud them, undercover investigators have found.

See below for a special report from the Johnston Press Investigations Unit.

Public sector workers across the South-East work £1.6 billion worth of free hours every year, according to a report released today (Wednesday July 26).

New research by GMB, the union for public sector staff, reveals that more of the region’s 267,000 public sector workers regularly work more than eight unpaid hours a week than anywhere else in the country

If public sector workers in the South-East were paid for these hours, they would be owed more than £6,000 on average - equivalent to a 25 per cent pay rise.

And more than 47,000 public sector workers in the South-East regularly work more than 15 hours a week for free – again more than anywhere else in the country.

Public sector workers are almost twice as likely to work unpaid overtime than their private sector counterparts.

GMB warns public sector staff were working ‘dangerous’ levels of extra hours.

Midwives and social workers were two of the hardest hit public sector occupations, with almost four in ten typically putting in unpaid hours.

A quarter of people in school support staff roles, such as teaching assistants and school secretaries, also regularly worked unpaid.

Paul Maloney, GMB Regional Secretary, said: “Philip Hammond says that public sector workers are ‘overpaid’ but these shocking new figures show just how out of touch he is.

“Public sector workers are the backbone of the South-East– working above and beyond their contracted hours because they are committed to jobs they love.

“Yet the Government rewards their dedication with crippling real-terms pay cuts.

“Ministers think they can push staff indefinitely, but low pay, unmanageable workloads and stress are pushing many of our members to the limit.

“Unpaid hours mean that thousands across the South-East are effectively earning below the minimum wage, especially in the care sector.

“The reality is that public services in the region are held together by the devotion of overworked and underappreciated employees, who are effectively handing the Government £1.6 billion worth of their labour for free.

“It’s frankly patronising and ill-informed to dismiss calls for wages increases when millions of salaries would rise by a quarter if payslips genuinely reflected all hours worked.

“Enough is enough - it’s time to tackle ever rising workloads and give our public sector workers the real pay rises they desperately need and deserve.”

The perfect job is a four-day, 24 hour week with a salary of £61,000-a-year, free fruit and a boss who likes a pint, it has emerged.

Regular reviews and pay rises, being allowed to work in jeans, flexible working hours and a pension are other key requirements for the ideal role.

The report also revealed the dream job would be a 12 minute walk from home, provide a pleasant view from the office window and offer 32 days holiday-a-year.

Benefits such as discounts at local gyms or sports clubs were also a must in the survey of 2,000 adults in employment.

A good work-life balance is THE most important factor for the perfect job, and half of those polled wish for a boss who understands that family comes first.

Having the option to work from home is crucial for many workers, who need the flexibility to be able to look after sick children, or move hours around to suit school events.

Mark Rhodes, Marketing Director for reed.co.uk, said: “Work-life balance means something different to each of us.

“For some it may be combining hard work and dedication to the job with the pursuit of personal interests and hobbies outside of work, whilst for others it might be the fulfilment of childcare and family responsibilities.

“For dual-income couples who both work full-time, it is little surprise that flexibility and an understanding employer rank so highly.

“But our research shows that work-life balance is also an important factor for millennials.

“They’ve grown up with technology that gives them access to information and allows them to be productive anywhere, and it’s shaped their view of work. “

For those who are happy to travel to work, a designated parking space and the ability to leave work on time everyday are a must.

In addition, the perfect job would provide free tea and coffee all day, as well as fresh fruit and a fully equipped kitchen.

Other perks would be a quiet workspace to allow maximum concentration, access to a fantastic stationery cupboard, as well as a company car which is replaced every three years.

Workers are also agreed their ideal career would allow them to have two computer screens on the desk, be the boss of their own workload and have a real opinion that counts in the office.

The average respondent would also ideally manage four members of staff, and work in a team of seven.

Six in 10 people would like to work in a job where they had the option to travel, and the average worker is happy to go on three business lunch a month.

Unfortunately, researchers at OnePoll.com found only 21 per cent of those polled are already working in their perfect job - and 54 per cent believe there is no such thing.

The average person is happy in their work for just 57 per cent of the time, and 58 per cent claim things would be greatly improved if their employer was willing to make a few easy changes.

Four in 10 people simply want recognition of how hard they work, while the same percent would like shorter hours and flexible working hours.

A third of those polled say their existing job would be much better if they had more support in their role, while 13 per cent would be happier with a more varied work load.

Less pressure to get so much done, team building sessions and more perks would also contribute to people feeling more satisfied in their current role.

And for those 19 per cent of people in employment who are on the hunt for the perfect job, 49 per cent are looking for a company with good ethics, while 31 per cent want to work somewhere which provides good customer service.

Mark Rhodes, for reed.co.uk, added: “The research indicates that most of us have fairly modest expectations when it comes to finding our perfect role.

“For most people a dream job needn’t mean being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds for working just a few hours a week.

“Whilst it might not be realistic to offer full-time staff a four day week and a private office with a view, there are lots of things employers can offer to help keep their teams happy, engaged and productive.

“Reviewing the dress code and offering simple perks, like free tea and coffee and daily fruit, don’t cost the earth, but they do help staff feel valued and can make a business a more attractive proposition for prospective employees.”

TOP 30 DESIRABLE PERKS OF THE PERFECT JOB

1. A good work-life balance

2. Excellent pension

3. Flexible working hours

4. A boss who understands family comes first

5. Being able to work from home if you need to

6. Bonus scheme

7. Private healthcare for you and the family

8. You’re able to leave work on time everyday

9. Free tea and coffee

10. Your own office

11. A nice view from the window

12. A designated parking space

13. A quiet workspace, so you can concentrate

14. The ability to have an opinion / say

15. A boss who is a family man / woman themselves

16. A chair which is measured to you, so that you are always comfortable

17. Being allowed to work in jeans

18. You can be your own boss

19. Gym membership

20. Free fruit provision

21. A company car

22. Fully equipped kitchen

23. Being treated to lunch at posh venues regularly

24. You are treated to the latest gadgets such as phones, laptops

25. A boss that enjoys a pint

26. Discounts to local leisure facilities

27. Access to a fantastic stationery cupboard

28. Two computer screens on the desk

29. Regular reviews / appraisals

30. Shower facilities

Families have the chance to sample some free ice cream in Worthing on Sunday (July, 30).

An ice-cream van touring seaside towns will make its way to Marine Parade from 11am to 4pm, giving visitors a chance to try some ice cream for free.

The tour will promote the release of family comedy the boss baby on DVD.

It starts in London on Friday, where TV personality Kate Thornton will be meeting parents for a national survey to find out who is the boss of the family during the summer holidays.

She said: “In most families, everything is centered on the children’s happiness, especially during the summer holidays and as a consequence that can sometimes feel like the kids are the boss of the house.

“As a mother, I know finding fun things to do with the kids can be stressful so a day out at the seaside eating ice cream with The Boss Baby will be fun for all the family.”

A worried mother is calling for better awareness after she had to repeatedly tell hospital staff something serious was wrong with her baby, Brooke.

Alana Spendlove, 36, said she and her partner Andrew had not yet taken their three-day-old daughter home from Worthing Hospital when she started screaming and having seizures: “It looked almost like she was not with us.”

Salvington childminder Alana said she called staff to check Brooke five times before they saw something was wrong and rushed her to intensive care.

She said: “I felt like I was being an obsessive mum. They said she seems fine. It happened again and I was in tears – I said something’s not right.”

Alana said it was after the fifth time she got staff to check on Brooke that things changed and she was taken to intensive care with dangerously low blood sugar.

“It was shocking, you do not expect to have a baby and then for all that to happen.”

She was sent to St Richard’s and Southampton General hospitals, where she also battled meningitis, but is now at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

There, doctors diagnosed Brooke with hyperinsulinism, a one-in-40,000 condition where her pancreas releases too much insulin, lowering her blood sugar dramatically.

Brooke, now three months old, will stay there until she is stable enough to go home.

Alana added: “If we hadn’t made a fuss, our daughter may not be with us today.

“Parents need to know to get your child’s blood tested.”

Denise Matthams, Head of Nursing for Women and Children service at Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “While we cannot comment on the specific case, we do recognise that this has been a difficult time for the family and our thoughts are with Alana and her baby Brooke.

“We have clear policies for managing low blood sugars in infants, which is a common problem that staff regularly manage.

“However, hyperinsulinism is a rare condition, but one of the many potential causes we consider when low blood sugars persist and do not respond to treatment.

“In more challenging cases we work closely with our colleagues in tertiary centres, who provide more specific and specialist advice, in line with the networked approach to neonatal care in the UK.”

The winners of a garden competition in Lancing were announced at a ‘wonderful’ event on Saturday, July 15, organised by Lancing Parish Council.

Jean Griffin, from BBC Radio Sussex Dig It, spent the day judging between 24 varied entries, before giving an ‘excellent and amusing’ talk.

Anne Slocombe took first place in the best kept garden category, while Mary Moody came first in the hanging basket category.

Both winners were presented with vouchers from sponsors by Gardner and Scardifield and Jacob Steel.

Councillors thanked Gardner and Scardifield for generously providing a shield for the winner.

The council said the day was ‘a great success’ and hope to make it an annual event.

A safety issue has been identified with a batch of Dimplex portable 10L dehumidifiers.

The company has found that a component on the printed circuit board may overheat, resulting in the product catching fire.

Affected products can be identified by the serial number, which is located on the product rating plate. This is accessible by removing the water tank.

Models identified as being at risk include: DXDH10N, DXDH16N, FTE10, FTE16, FTE20, with serial numbers starting with 501 through to 522.

The date of manufacture of affected units is between January and June 2015

Also on the list of recalled dehumidifiers are models DXDH10N, DH212, with serial numbers starting with 0, 1 or 2, manufactured prior to August 2012

The Irish-based consumer electrical goods firm, known for its heaters and other home appliances, has advised anyone with an affected product to stop using it IMMEDIATELY, by switching it off at the mains socket and unplugging the dehumidifier from the socket.

Affected customers are urged to call the company’s helpline as soon as possible - on 0800 028 53 86 (Monday-Thursday 8.30am-5pm, Friday 8.30am-3pm) so that they can arrange a replacement product.

Memorial stands to remember three talented footballers were unveiled to the public on Sunday.

People were invited to the event at Worthing United Football Club in Lyons Way.

The stands are to honour Matthew Grimstone, Jacob Schilt and Matt Chaplain and bear the footballers’ names.

Jacob and Matt were just 23 when they became victims of the Shoreham Airshow tragedy on August 22, 2015. They both played football at the club.

Matt Chaplain was a county league footballer and respected club manager who died from a cardiac arrest aged just 38, on April 15, 2013.

Four football matches also take place to mark the occasion.

On Sunday (July 23), Worthing United U15 played against Worthing Town U15, followed by Worthing United Ladies and Luton Town Ladies and Worthing United XI and Heartbeat United.

On Tuesday (July 25), Worthing United FC played against Shoreham FC.

Steve Taylor, chairman of Worthing United FC, said: “Sunday was a wonderful day for the club, the games were well attended and the matches entertaining.

“Matthew’s, Jacob’s and Matt’s family were very happy with the lasting memorial to the lads on what was an emotional day for all.

“As a club we will always remember them and we will always support the families in any way we can.

“We are on target to have raised £1,000 to complete the stand with a new tannoy system.”

Mike Standing, Heartbeat United manager, said: “The stand is a great way of paying tribute to all three lads, and I would struggle to think of a more appropriate way of turning the money into a way of remembering them.

“It is a permanent reminder of those lost to us, but also of breaking the Guinness World Record and all the hard work involved in that.

“With regards to the record [the longest marathon football match – 108 hours and two minutes] I could not think of a greater bunch of people to have gone through the experience with.

“Playing through thunderstorms and torrential rain at times proved extremely tough, but we all pulled together to get through and now we can see the results.

“Heartbeat United are grateful to everyone who supported our match, and in turn we are deeply proud to have been able to help create this tribute to Matt, Matt, and Jacob.”

See page 24 in this week’s Herald and Gazette for more pictures from the match.

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It turns out the feminine name chosen for a sloth at Drusillas Park needs to change after it turns out Consuela is actually a male.

It’s very hard to determine the gender of a sloth, as there is virtually no difference between males and females. In fact, it is so hard to tell their sex, it’s actually quicker to send a fur sample off for DNA testing than it is for zoo keepers to try and work it out for themselves.

Drusillas’ head keeper, Mark Kenward, had his suspicions for a while that Consuela wasn’t female. After embarking on a little investigation, he uncovered that the poor fella had been wrongly named.

Now Drusillas, in Alfriston, is hoping the general public can come up with a suitable name for the male sloth, launching its naming competition at 8pm tonight (Wednesday, July 26) via its Facebook page www.facebook.com/drusillaspark

The competition will be closing on Wednesday, August 2, 2017.

A decision on whether to grant outline planning permission for up to 52 homes on grazing land in Shoreham has been deferred by councillors, who said they required more information before reaching a verdict.

Adur’s planning committee was told a revised air quality report had been submitted by applicants Cobbetts Developments Ltd just hours before a meeting on Monday (July, 24), held at the Shoreham Centre in Pond Road.

Councillors agreed they wished to consult the report before coming to a decision.

The application – which would develop a triangle of land bordered by the River Adur to the West, the A27 Shoreham Flyover to the North and Steyning Road to the East – had been recommended for refusal by planning officer Peter Barnett.

At the meeting, he told the committee the development would be harmful to the setting of the natural park, the nearby conservation area and the riverside, and would extend urbanisation.

Speaking against the plan, Eric Cleobury, of the Paddock, said there were several reasons the scheme was ‘not appropriate’.

He said the only entrance to the development would be from the ‘extremely busy’ A283 Steyning Road.

He also pointed to the lack of a nearby school, doctor surgery, shops, and good public transport options.

Catherine Arnold, speaking on behalf of school campaign group Future Adur Schools Team, said the development would ‘exacerbate’ the problem of school place shortages in Shoreham.

But Robert Thornton, of Cobbett Developments, said none of the objections raised by the planning officer were ‘insurmountable’.

He said the 52 flats and houses, 30 per cent of which would be affordable, would help address the ‘dire shortage of housing in the area’.

Though the land is not included within the emerging local plan, he described it as ‘half an isolated field on the edge of town’ and one of the ‘least constrained’ areas of land in the district.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Cleobury said it was ‘disappointing’ a decision had not been reached, while Mrs Arnold agreed it was ‘unsatisfactory’.

A decision on a related application to permit the realignment of the flood defence, which is being built adjacent to the field as part of the Adur Tidal Walls project, was also deferred.

A Shoreham vet has given up her 15-year career to channel her professional skills into educating people about a ‘neglected and misunderstood’ canine disease.

Resident Hannah Capon has started an education campaign on how to manage canine arthritis, an affliction that she says affects about 1.2 million dogs in the UK – including her beloved 14-year-old collie, Holly.

According to Hannah, about 80 per cent of all dogs over the age of eight suffer from the disease.

It is likely to be the most common reason owners decided to put their pets to sleep, she said.

But Hannah believes that simple effective management of the disease is possible, with some simple adaptions to lifestyle, diet and owner attitude.

She said: “The sad truth is that an arthritic dog will have been in pain for months if not years and coping undetected.

“I want to improve awareness of the pervasiveness of arthritis.

“By changing perception of how dogs show signs of pain, we can identify the disease much earlier, act sooner, and extend the life and the quality of that life.”

To kickstart her campaign, Hannah is taking on an ambitious 100-mile fundraising trek along the South Downs with pet Holly.

The pair will camp at night and walk for eight straight days from Saturday, September 9.

A purpose-built hand cart will carry all their equipment and can be used to carry Holly too, if the pet needs to rest.

Hannah said the challenge would be ‘a huge adventure’ for them both.

She said: “It’s a very popular route with dog walkers and I hope to come in to contact with many people and share our story.”

To find out more, visit www.caninearthritis.co.uk

Watch a short video about canine arthritis which accompanies the campaign – filmed in Shoreham by George Ravenscroft – here: vimeo.com/212755962

There were plenty of green fingers at St Mary’s Church Hall in Goring when scores attended Worthing Flower Club’s flower arranging demonstration.

Chelsea Flower Show medal-winning florist Lucinda Knapman was on hand to teach the ladies in attendance how to make a basic arrangement.

She said: “It is great to be able to play with such beautiful flowers, and everyone enjoyed what I was doing which was lovely. They have such enthusiasm.”

Winners of the raffle and arrangements by Lucinda included club vice-chairman Sandra Cook, who along with her committee had spent nine months putting the event together. She said: “It was so exciting to win. I’m going to put it on a table at home so everyone can see it as you walk in”. The group is looking for new members. To join, call 01903 700 298.

A drug gang who were responsible for distributing cocaine, cannabis and MDMA across the south east have been jailed.

Police said five people were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday for a total of 27-and-a-half-years following a long-term investigation by officers.

Scott Anthony Linegar, 39, of Lower Green Gardens, Worcester Park was jailed for 15 years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, cocaine and MDMA, conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, cannabis, and converting criminal property, between January 1 2015 and April 21, 2017.

Alan Oldfield, 69, of Spreighton Road, West Molesey was jailed for seven years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, cocaine and MDMA, conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, cannabis, and converting criminal property, between January 1 2015 and April 21, 2017.

Brett Anthony Hilton, 43, of Windermere Road, Lightwater, was jailed for five-and-a-half-years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, cocaine and possessing criminal property.

Mark Foster, 54, of Plough Road, Smallfield was arrested at Gatwick Airport and was sentenced to eight months suspended for 18 months and was given a four month curfew order for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, cannabis and possessing criminal property.

Darren Mitten, 39, of Bailiff Street, Northampton, was sentenced to four months suspended for 12 months and was given a thee month curfew order for possessing criminal property, conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, cannabis.

Police said at least £500k worth of drugs passed through the gang in the two-year conspiracy period and around 1kg of cocaine, 5kg of cannabis and 500 MDMA (ecstacy) pills were seized in the investigation.

Two stun guns used to threaten and intimidate people were also recovered, including one disguised as a mobile phone.

Head of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit Detective Inspector Gareth Hicks said: “Scott Linegar was the head of this group who have been responsible for dealing drugs on a wholesale level across north Surrey and the south east.

“Dismantling this group is a huge result for us and the public of Surrey as they were at the top of the pyramid as far as distributing through their networks was concerned. Taking them out of the market dries up a supply chain through at least three of four levels before it would have got onto the streets, where ultimately the greatest harm occurs.

“Linegar is the man who orchestrated the whole organisation, and through possession of a stun gun disguised as a mobile phone, to intimidate others as he saw fit in order to further his criminal business interests and enforce drug related debts. He profited the most through this enterprise and as far as his recent history goes not had a legitimate job. He lived in a detached privately rented house, living a life of luxury including spending more than £68k in two years on holidays and travel.

“We believe that the cash transactions through his account are the tip of the iceberg and we will be pursuing him and the others through the Proceeds of Crime Act.

“Oldfield, as Linegar’s father-in-law was the main runner involved in this conspiracy, doing all the dirty work on his behalf. At 69-years-old he and Linegar probably thought the police wouldn’t ever think someone of his age would be involved in something like this and as such would be beyond suspicion and the perfect front.”

Police said on April 20 officers stopped Oldfield in his car in Hampton and he was arrested after admitting to having a block of cocaine underneath his seat. Later that day Linegar was arrested in Banstead.

Oldfield’s address was searched and a number of bags of cannabis were found, as well as bags of MDMA, a stun gun concealed inside a mobile phone box, scales, and a dealer’s list.

Officers said a search was also made of a shed where Oldfield had also known to spend time, and found inside were more bags of cannabis.

Later that week Hilton and Mitten were arrested. Foster’s address was also searched, while he was away on holiday and he was arrested at Gatwick Airport when he returned home in early May.

Police added over two-year period Linegar’s bank account had £138,000 in cash credits, despite having no declared employment history since 2012. He also spent £68k on holidays and more than £98k on rent of his Worcester Park home in that same two-year period.

Unacceptable, ill-conceived, inadequate – these are some of the words used by residents reacting to a one-option consultation on improvements to the A27 between Worthing and Lancing.

Highways England is asking residents’ opinions on a £69million scheme to cut congestion, which includes converting three of six junctions into crossroads controlled by traffic signals, widening five to create more lanes, and acquiring 6.2 hectares of land.

Nigel Kerridge, secretary of the Bypass not A27 Throughpass resident action group, said: “There are no positive features in any of the junctions changes proposed that we can understand.

“We believe that all of them will have serious negative impacts.

“The money could be much better spent elsewhere.”

He identified the ‘worst’ change as being at Lyons Farm – where right turns from the A27 eastbound into Sompting Road would be banned, affecting commercial traffic trying to reach the industrial estate.

Nathalie Hadjifotiou, of Forest Road, Worthing, said this would have ‘devastating implications’ for Broadwater residents as it would force lorries to travel down ‘unsuitable, quiet residential streets’ such as Downlands Avenue, or Forest Road and Shandon Avenue.

Many Lancing residents were equally unimpressed with the proposal.

Bill Freeman, secretary of the Lancing Manor SE Residents Network, said: “After two years development work, this is absolutely unacceptable.”

He said there were ‘major flaws’ and described the proposal for the Manor Roundabout intersection – which would prevent traffic travelling westwards from doing a u-turn, thus cutting off residents of Old Shoreham Road, Manor Close and Manor Way from their homes – as ‘unbelievable’.

“I cannot express strongly enough the anger which the community has for this ill conceived road scheme,” he said.

Jim Deen, of the Labour party, said: “We have been badly let down by our MPs who have failed to get sufficient funding to do the kind of improvements most residents and users of the road were hoping for.”

He said the debate should now move to developing an integrated plan which includes improvements to public transport and options like cycling and walking.

Urging residents to reject the proposed option, he said: “The disruption caused during the two years required to do the work will not be matched by the benefits.”

Both Tory MP’s have branded the plans a ‘non-starter’ and a ‘bad use of public funds for minimal effect’.

The Government’s Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling MP, said the option was not necessarily ‘the final scheme’ and said he hoped the consultation would ‘open up a dialogue’.

A two car crash blocked a seafront road this evening (July 26).

The A259 Brighton Road in Southwick was partially blocked in both directions following the collision between the A283 High Street and Kingston Lane

Police were at the scene and are directing traffic.

The road has been cleared.

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A petition created by a concerned resident calls for a zebra crossing to replace a traffic island on a ‘nightmare’ Shoreham road.

The petition comes after an accident on the road on Friday, in which a 15-year-old Spanish student was airlifted to St George’s Hospital in London after a collision with a truck at around 1.20pm.

Police confirmed that the girl remained in critical condition on Monday morning. Her family has travelled to the UK to see her.

Jo Parsons, who lives next to the crossing in Ormonde way, said she had been meaning to set up the petition for years but was spurred to take action on Friday following the incident.

The travel agent, who uses the crossing daily to take her two dogs to the recreation ground, said: “It’s a nightmare crossing there. Nobody stops.”

She believes the traffic crossing already in place on the ‘very narrow’ road is not enough. “It’s horrible standing there,” the 53-year-old said. “At least if you have a crossing, people will be more inclined to stop.”

The petition received more than 300 signatures in the first three days. Resident Jessica Aidley signed, writing: “It’s so difficult getting across with children, pushchairs, dogs or bikes.”

Anna Mills agreed, writing: “It’s a busy road with a housing estate on one side and a recreation ground on the other – it needs a crossing. It’s amazing there haven’t been more accidents.”

To sign the petition, visit www.change.org and search for A259 Shoreham.

Anyone who may have information about the collision is urged to email police at collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting Operation Grimsby.

Police confirmed the driver of the black Mercedes HGV, a 55-year-old man from Portsmouth, was uninjured in the incident

With thousands of Sussex residents’ details being traded online, Johnston Press Investigations Unit reporter Oli Poole volunteered himself as a hacking guinea pig to show how quickly your identity could be stolen.

Here’s what happened.

Born within a mile of each other, Alan and Coleen Marshall met as teenagers and have been married for 60 years.

Their birthdays are 14 days apart, so its seems destiny that they should meet at The Regent dance hall in Brighton when Alan was 19 and Coleen 17.

It was just a glance that brought them together, too.

Alan explained: “I went to the dance with my best mate at school. I saw this face of a lady literally through a gap. I just turned to my mate and said that lady is very nice.

“I asked her to dance and it all went from there.”

They were married two years later, at St Mary’s Church in Broadwater, on July 27, 1957.

Alan, who was born in Thackeray Road, East Worthing, was an electrician in the Royal Navy. He left his first job as a carpenter after hearing about his friend John’s life at sea.

Alan recalled: “When he came home from the Navy, he said the food was good and the money was good, so I went straight down to the recruitment office.”

Coleen, who was born in Brougham Road, East Worthing, was a nurse, a job she left when she got married but returned to when the children had grown up. She worked as a district nurse for 20 years and daughter Karen Franklin followed the same career.

Coleen said: “I loved my job and Karen loves it as well.”

Their son, Victor, is the professional standards co-ordinator for the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales. He led the implementation of the new police complaints system in 2003 and was awarded an OBE in 2010.

Coleen, 79, said: “We have got a very, very close family all around, which we are most thankful for. We have been good for each other. We have a good rapport.”

Alan, 81, added: “We have been very lucky. It has been quite a good life really.

“I had a bad spell healthwise for four years and Coleen took over everything. She is that sort of person. She has been lovely all our married life.”

Everything could have been so different, though, as Alan was heavily involved in the hydrogen bomb tests on Christmas Island in the late 1950s.

He was one of those nearest to the first bomb explosion and ended up with a hole in his kidney, partly due to the atomic tests and partly due to the searing heat in the Australian territory.

Alan said: “I was shipped to Hawaii. The Americans found out what was wrong when the British couldn’t. It was not necessarily because of the hydrogen bomb, the heat was 100 odd degrees.”

Invalided, he bought himself out of the Navy and had to have an operation to have part of the kidney removed. With the help of the Royal British Legion, he was able to win his case for compensation.

He joined Seeboard in Worthing as an electrician and worked there until he retired at the age of 60.

Alan is bit of a home bird, while Coleen is a member of Findon Village WI and enjoys crafts, reading and theatre – appropriately, as her brother Trevor Payne is the man behind the popular musical That’ll Be The Day.

The couple, of Lime Tree Avenue, Findon Valley, will be celebrating with a party for about 40 people at All Saints’ Church hall, Findon Valley, on Saturday.

They have five grandchildren, two of which are still at school. Two of Karen’s children work in television, Joe Franklin as a cameraman for Emmerdale and Ben Franklin as a BBC researcher. Her other son, William Franklin, is a teacher in Brighton.

Arundel Castle’s Jousting and Medieval Tournament is taking place this week.

The tournament, which is the longest of its kind in the world, pits participants from the Kingdoms of England, Norway, Poland and France against each other, all competing for the glory of being crowned winner of the Order of Arundel, team champions or the most chivalrous jouster.

After the first day of jousting, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Poland were tied, so there is everything to play for over the coming days.

Last year, the Kingdom of Norway secured victory on their debut but can they hold onto their title? Nothing is certain until the grand finale this Sunday.

In addition to the action at the tilt rail, thrilling hand-to-hand combat battles and falconry displays throughout the week are guaranteed to keep the audience captivated.

Visitors can also enjoy a living history encampment throughout the grounds complete with medieval craft and cookery demonstrations as well as opportunities to get involved in activities such as have-a-go archery.

Tickets for the Jousting and Medieval Tournament can be purchased at www.arundelcastle.org