A man who drowned saving a young child from being swept out to sea off West Sussex has been rewarded for his "self-sacrifice and courage".
Plamen Petkov, of Sutton, south London, died after saving a five-year-old girl off West Wittering beach on 26 May.
Mr Petkov, 32, who was a British citizen of Bulgarian origin, has been posthumously awarded the highest civilian Bulgarian distinction.
His family have also set up an RNLI fund in his name.
Mr Petkov dived into the water after he and a friend spotted a mother shouting for help because her daughter was adrift on an inflatable ring being taken out to sea.
'Heroic act'He managed to reach the girl but after he passed her to a woman from Guildford, who also entered the water, he was dragged under the water by strong currents.
Mr Petkov was pronounced dead at the scene by the emergency services despite attempts by the woman to resuscitate him.
He has been posthumously awarded the Honorary Decoration of St George by the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria for his "self-sacrifice and courage".
In a statement, his family said: "Although tragic, we are touched by the fact that Plamen's heroic act has been so widely and internationally praised.
"We would like to direct the support of those who have been moved by Plamen's bravery to the RNLI in their efforts to make Britain's beaches safer."
Gemma Nightingale, of the RNLI, said: "We are honoured that the family of Plamen Petkov have chosen to remember his life with a Forever by the Sea fund.
"It is a fitting tribute that this young man's ultimate generosity of spirit will be reflected in the generosity of those who now visit the site."
The young girl was reunited with her family who are from north west London.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Thanet principal: Future of students in east Kent 'gambled with' - BBC News
A college principal has said his students' futures are being "gambled with" unless politicians decide on a clear economic vision for east Kent.
Graham Razey, of Thanet College, said it must be decided whether tourism, the expansion of Manston Airport or green policies offer the best opportunities.
Unemployment in Thanet is more than double the South East average.
Thanet District Council said the private sector is also responsible for growth.
Kent County Council figures show unemployment in Thanet is 6.2% of the population, compared with the south east average of 2.6%.
'Lost opportunity'Mr Razey disagreed with Thanet District Council's decision to oppose all night flights at Manston Airport.
"I just hope we haven't lost an opportunity to create many jobs for our young people," he said.
"Farnborough College of Technology has a specialist centre for the training of aviation. Why not Thanet College working in conjunction with the airport to create the specialist training needed for the 3,000 to 4,000 jobs that I think are achievable?"
Mr Razey said in order to design the right courses, he needed to know what sort of employment the area was trying to attract.
He said: "We need to know what we want to be. We need to have a coherent strategic plan for east Kent."
Rob Hetherington, head of regeneration at Thanet District Council, said: "What we're trying to do on the economic development side is move away from it just being the council driving this.
"Regeneration is not just the remit of the council, there are other public sector bodies involved in it and the private sector.
"We've bought together the Thanet Regeneration Board to widen the remit of people trying to steer the regeneration agenda, so it's not just the local authority."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Sussex village's bonfire futures looking bleak - thisissussex.co.uk
BONFIRE celebrations in some East Sussex villages could be a thing of the past if local groups continue to struggle for money.
Mayfield and Fletching bonfire societies said this year's events would go ahead but after that the future was bleak unless people were prepared to help or give money.
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help: Jo Lee, vice-chairman of a Mayfield bonfire society
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help: Jo Lee, vice-chairman of a Mayfield bonfire society
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burning out: Mayfield Boyes and Belles Bonfire Society carnival and procession
Crowborough's organisers also said they are "struggling".
They have blamed the lack of community spirit in their villages.
Jo Lee, vice-chairman of Mayfield Bonfire Boyes and Belles Society, which has been running for more than 50 years, said each year they had to start from scratch.
"Funds we collect on the night just go to charity. None of it comes to us at all," she said.
"In years gone by we have managed to raise enough to have a slush fund. Paraffin costs are rising and people are not spending on entertainment.
"You have villages, such as Rotherfield and East Hoathly where people have a community spirit.
"Mayfield is different. It is a commuter village.
"People are quite happy to invite friends down for the event but don't want to help.
"Basically my message is 'support us or lose it'."
Sarah Bradford, chairman of Fletching Bonfire Society, said it cost £10,000 to put on the event each year and fundraising had not been as good as in the past.
"We are going to try and plod on as long as we can," she said.
"We get no support from the village. A lot of people have come from outside. They use the village at a weekend. Most of our fundraising is supported by family and friends of the committee."
Nigel Cassford, chairman of Crowborough Bonfire Society, said the group had been struggling for the past three years.
He said: "People are working longer and don't have as much time. Getting sponsors is harder and harder because they don't have as much money to give.
"We have had to economise. For example we dropped the fireworks display a few years ago. We are not in difficulties as such but times are tough."
But Les Pike, chairman of Rotherfield Bonfire Society, said his group had great support. He said: "We have well over 100 supporters. There is a fantastic community spirit in the village."
Source: www.thisissussex.co.uk
Sussex steal Kent Exiles' Thunder (From News Shopper) - News Shopper
Kent Exiles 12-50 Sussex Thunder
11:08am Tuesday 19th June 2012 in Sport
KENT Exiles were beaten by Sussex Thunder on Sunday in their final home game of the season.
Going into the game as underdogs, and with a depleted squad due to five games in as many weeks having taken its toll with injuries, the Exiles dug in early on and matched Thunder stride for stride.
After an early Thunder score the Exiles thought they had drawn level when Zac Ritchie threw to Sam Johnson and the wideout broke a tackle and outpaced the visiting defence, but a penalty wiped the score off the board.
Ritchie found Colin Chislett and then Johnson again to move them within touching distance of the endzone and Jon Miller caught the touchdown.
Sussex Thunder pulled ahead on their next drive, but the Exiles came straight back once again.
Ben Abbott continued his good form finding some running room and Ritchie found the reliable Chislett and Miller before Wesley Eversley jumped between three defenders to pull in the touchdown and bring the scores level again.
One more Thunder score as the half ran out gave the visitors the lead, but at half-time it was anyone's game.
However, the second half was a different story as Sussex Thunder’s defence started to get on top and force turnovers which resulted in some quick scoring without reply from the Exiles and before long the game was out of reach.
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Source: www.newsshopper.co.uk
Sussex Police hunt for suspect in Arundel rape case - thisissussex.co.uk
Sussex Police are trying to trace a man who is wanted in connection with a rape near Arundel in 2010.
Detectives are urging members of the public to come forward with any information they may have concerning the whereabouts of Abdul Bieeu, 23.
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Police want to speak to Abdul Bieeu
Mr Bieeu has already been arrested in connection with the rape but he was released on bail and failed to answer bail.
It is thought he may have gone to Libya for a time but may have now returned.
The rape, where the victim was a 19-year-old woman, took place on the site of a Comfort Inn Hotel in Lyminster Road, Lyminster between the 8th and 9th of September 2010.
Mr Bieeu is also known as Marney Rafah, Abdel Sadik, Marney Bieeu and Abdel Sadiq.
A second man has been arrested and charged with rape in relation to this incident. He is Richard Wooster, 24, of Highfield, Wick. He has pleaded not guilty to the offence and is due to appear on trial at Chichester Crown Court on September 3rd 2012.
Detective Constable Andrea Watts of West Sussex CID said: "We have been working to establish Mr Bieeu's whereabouts but have been unable to trace him so far. We are appealing for anyone who has information about his whereabouts to contact police.
"It was believed that he may have gone to Libya for a short time and may have now returned. He also has links to Manchester, Bolton, Chester and Southsea.
"Mr Bieeu has been known to work for cash-in-hand at restaurants and bars and may be using a different name."
If you have any information about his whereabouts please contact Sussex Police on 101 quoting serial 297 of 9/9 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Source: www.thisissussex.co.uk
'Singles spend more time on matrimonial sites than social networking sites' - Times of India
KOLKATA: Singles in search for a match tend to spend more time on matrimonial sites than social networking sites, a survey conducted by a leading India-based matrimonial portal stated on Tuesday.
Two in every three singles were found to be spending more time to find a partner on a dedicated marriage portal than try their luck in social networking sites.
The survey was conducted to gauge the growing popularity of the social networking sites and its impact on the matrimonial sector. The findings of the survey showcase that even though the social networking sites are gaining momentum, when it comes to searching for a partner, matrimonial sites are considered reliable and trustworthy by singles, and hence, they tend to visit these sites more often through the day.
The survey also highlights the importance singles give to social networking sites during partner search. The survey findings reveal that 31% singles agreed to be searching for the profile of their potential partner immediately after they receive expression of interest. While, 27% have denied checking the potential/short-listed partner's profile till they finalizes someone. One in every four singles add each other on social networking sites post their chat on the marriage portal's messenger and the rest 17% do so after their first meeting.
This trend of visiting the potential partner's profile on social networking sites like Facebook is mostly noticed amongst the male respondents (74%) than women respondents (63%). Women respondents have said they mostly feel the social networking sites are meant for friends, and hence, they refrain from adding potential partners to their social network.
But members who initially meet through matrimonial websites tend to check potential partners profile on social networking sites to know common interests, friends and hobbies they might have but do not look for a match through these sites.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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