From March 16th

Father dies of diabetic attack after changing medication  A diabetic slipped into a coma and died after doctors changed the medication he was using.

Police snare knife-wielding commuters Rail passengers carrying knives will be hunted down by police today. (thurs) British Transport Police will bring its anti-weapon detection machines to Sussex for the first time. See also Police crackdown to stop weapons being taken onto trains

Minister says householders in South East need facts and not fiction on council tax  Local Government Minister Phil Woolas today said more facts and less fiction about council tax were needed as he moved to reassure householders in the South East about how homes are valued for council tax purposes. He urged people to read the facts for themselves in a new guide published today by the Valuation Office Agency 

Numbers becoming homeless fall in the South East   New cases of homelessness are continuing to fall in the South East. They are 22% down on this time last year new figures show today. National statistics show that 1,660 new households became homeless in the South East during October to December last year – this compares to a recent peak of 4,050 acceptances just three years earlier.

Complaints about ‘rude police’ on rise Reports of PCs being impolite have rocketed by 25 per cent between 2005 and 2006.

Detective lifts lid on ‘fiddled’ crime figures  Sussex Police has been accused of manipulating crime figures by one of its own detectives. Johnno Hills, who has just resigned from the force, said he was lifting the lid on a widespread practice of misinterpreting incidents to improve clear-up rates. 

Express Yourself Gallery to open in Hailsham  The new venture has been jointly funded by East Sussex County Council and the Sussex Partnership NHS Trust, in partnership with Pictures, Prints & Framing Ltd.

Hunt is on for ‘dirty thieves’ Detectives are hunting a pair of pensioners posing as good Samaritans, who have stolen thousands of pounds from bank customers after pelting them with excrement.

Residents to report Asbo offenders at meeting  People can report the anti-social behaviour of others at a drop-in surgery this week.

From March 7th

Sussex hospital blunders cost £50m  The figure makes up almost half the £100 million needed to fund hospital services across the region that are set to be cut. Statistics released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal £31 million was paid out to victims of clinical negligence between 2001 and 2006.Settlements resulted from mistakes such as failure to diagnose fractures, problems with childbirth and injuries caused by injections. A further £2.6 million was paid out to employees and visitors who had accidents at NHS sites. Lawyers’ fees account for the remaining £14 million.

The Litigation Authority paid out £10.35 million on behalf of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust, £9.26 million for Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust, £7.4 million for Worthing and Southlands Hospitals Trust, £5.26 million for Royal West Sussex Trust and £317,635 for South Downs Health Trust.

Residents of a sheltered home earmarked for demolition are refusing to move. The five women who still live in the 20 flat property in Brighton Road, Lancing, said today the housing association would have to secure a court order to evict them. Rita Clarke, 81, said: “It’s awful our society is not bothering to look after us.

Brighton’s men scrub up the best
Men in Brighton spend more on toiletries than anywhere else in the UK, according to new research. Interesting maybe, but more of an ad than an article…

Council secretive over top salaries   Brighton and Hove City Council has been criticised for telling taxpayers the six-figure salaries of its highest paid officials are “none of your business”. Town hall chiefs across the country have revealed which of their staff earn more than £100,000 in response to a Freedom of Information request by the Taxpayers’ Alliance lobby group. But our city council refused to give a detailed response and was yesterday accused by campaigners of promoting a “culture of secrecy”.  The Taxpayers’ Alliance claims council tax rises are funding a growing army of “fat cat” officials and asked 230 local authorities for details of their top earners.

Workers win £10m backpay   Brighton and Hove council is facing a £10 million wages bill because of years of underpaying its female staff. Further job cuts and increased pressure on council taxes are predicted as wages for as many as 600 women employees are brought up to the level of their male equivalents and up to six years’ backpay is covered.Children in care ‘dumped on coast ’Thousands of children in care are being “dumped” in coastal towns miles away from their home area, according to a report from MPs. Councils in London, Northumberland and Lancashire send children to seaside areas where foster or residential care can be provided more cheaply, it claims. But although the authorities sending children pay for accommodation, they do not pick up the extra costs of education, healthcare and youth services, which the host council has to fund. The Commons Communities Committee recommends that children should be sent away only when it is in the best interests of the child, not to save money. It also criticises the Government for neglecting coastal towns, which include some of the most deprived pockets in the country (Source – The Times)

Town says no to every gipsy site  Residents were celebrating last night after Conservative – run Hastings Borough Council rejected proposals to build a site for travellers in the town.

Row over unauthorised traveller site  Norman Baker, MP for Lewes, said East Sussex County Council had failed in its duty by not taking action over the encampment at Glynde.

Smoking ban by hospital trust
The largest hospital trust in Sussex is to ban smoking in all its buildings and grounds next month.

Police chief denies theft charges
A senior policeman accused of a string of theft and deception offences against his own