Wednesday 18 July 2012

Sussex on top at Arundel on first day - eastbourneherald.co.uk

Sussex on top at Arundel on first day - eastbourneherald.co.uk

At lunch, the visitors were 92-4 after Sussex won the toss and elected to field.

James Anyon struck twice in successive balls in the third over of the day to dismiss Will Smith and Gordon Muchall, which left Durham 1-2.

Ben Stokes was then caught by Sussex captain Mike Yardy off Steve Magoffin’s bowling for 20, which made the score 34-3.

Opening batsman Mark Stoneman and Dale Benkenstein put on 50 for the fourth wicket before Stoneman was lbw to Monty Panesar for 50, with the score on 84.

Benkenstein and Paul Collingwood added a further eight runs before lunch was called early when rain stopped play after 27.4 overs.


Source: www.eastbourneherald.co.uk

Sussex v Durham: Day one, lunch - Chroniclelive.co.uk

MARK Stoneman scored his first County Championship 50 of 2012 to stop a dodgy start for Durham becoming something more serious at Arundel.

But the left-handed opener was unable to build on it, bringing Paul Collingwood to the crease before lunch on his first day as captain, despite batting at six in the order.

Stoneman made exactly 50 out of Durham's 92-4 when the players came off for lunch 12 minutes early because of rain.

Bowling first had been a no-brainer for Sussex when they won the toss under overcast skies after a quick burst of drizzle. The drizzle would be on and off for the entire session, but umpires Nigel Llong and Neil Mallender were thankfully prepared to tough it out until very near the scheduled end of the session. Twenty-seven overs and four balls had been bowled.

Sussex used the conditions well, reducing Durham to 1-2, then 34-3 before Stoneman and Dale Benkenstein put on 50 for the fourth wicket.

Rightly cautious at the start, Stoneman dominated the stand, contributing 41 runs to it.

He greeted the introduction of Monty Panesar with a four pulled very straight off the England spinner's econd ball, and a swept one from his third.

Two more followed off Luke Wright in the next over. At that point he had found the ropes seven times in 20 deliveries.

Stoneman tucked the ball into the legside for a single to bring up his 80-ball 50, only to go lbw when attempted to swep Panesar once more.

He had been helpless at the other end when James Anyon was on a hat-trick in the third over.

Will Smith fended its first ball to Michael Yardy, who took a good slip catch diving left, when he had scored the innings' only run.

Gordon Muchall was bowled through the gate as he attempted to drive at the next delivery.

The hat-trick ball went for two leg byes off the pads of Ben Stokes, who started very positively under the circumstances. A lovely shot off his legs for four suggested a player in good touch.

Stoneman took until the 11th over to score his first boundary, a lovely drive through offside more than doubling his score.

Stokes, though, made just 20 before falling victim to another good Yardy catch. Standing at second slip, he stretched up both hands to take an instinctive catch at second slip as Stokes drove at Steven Magoffin.

The Australian's figures from an impressive opening spell were 10-3-18-1.

Collingwood got off the mark with a cut four, his only runs with the drizzle increasing soon after to bring the players off the field. Benkenstein was 11 not out.

For a full report of the opening day, see The Journal tomorrow, with further reaction in the Chronicle.

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Source: www.chroniclelive.co.uk

Liveblog: Olympic torch relay Brighton to Hastings - The Argus.co.uk

10:53am

We now have hundreds of pictures from yesterday's torch relay in our Day One gallery . The pictures are very roughly in chronological order, with most coming from (in order) Rogate, Midhurst, Chichester, Arundel, Worthing, Bognor, Hove. 

 

Day two pictures are being uploaded as they come in, with Brighton ones already up here

I'm now getting started on the Hove celebrations gallery. Meanwhile, the torch is due to be leaving East Grinstead about now and heading for Tunbridge Wells, which we're not covering. We'll pick it back up when it re-enters Sussex at Crowborough. 


Source: www.theargus.co.uk

New provider for West Sussex support service - Chichester Observer

Essex Cares will run the county council’s Regaining Independence Support Service (RISS), which currently helps about 2,000 people a year across the county.

RISS delivers short-term targeted help for up to six weeks to people who have just come out of hospital to help them continue living as independently as possible in their own homes.

The £3m agreement, which will initially run for three years from this October, should mean the county council can help more people to live independently.

As part of the contract, 100 staff will be transferred to Essex Cares, meaning there will be continuity of service to customers who will notice no difference in support.

Occupational therapists, who conduct assessments, will continue to be employed by the county council but will work closely with Essex Cares staff.

Both the council and Essex Cares, a Local Authority Trading Company developed by Essex County Council, will support staff during this process.

Graham Tyler, West Sussex County Council’s deputy cabinet member for health and adults’ services said: “This will ensure that the County Council will not only be able to continue to provide what is already a good service and will also ensure that more people will be able to benefit from accessing the service.”

Amanda Rogers, the County Council’s adult services director, said: “This is good news for everybody across the county who could benefit from accessing the Regaining Independence Support Service.

“Essex Cares is inheriting a first class staff group and I have no doubt will take this service from strength to strength.”

Sherry Malik, Chairman of Essex Cares said: “This is a great landmark for the company. It shows that our experiences, and of course our excellent track record of delivery, has made us a natural partner for West Sussex County Council. We are delighted to be working with them.”


Source: www.chichester.co.uk

Assad's brother-in-law and top Syrian officials killed in Damascus suicide bomb - Daily Telegraph

"The terrorist suicide bombing" came in the high security Rawda district in the heart of the capital as battles raged in Damascus for the fourth consecutive day.

There were "badly wounded" among ministers and officials, the broadcaster said.

Gen Shawkat was the deputy Minister of Defense of Syria since September 2011. He previously served as the army’s deputy chief of staff from July 2009 to September 2011.

Gen Shawkat was considered one of the president’s top security chiefs, however, he was replaced in 2010 as head of Military Intelligence and made deputy chief-of-staff of the armed forces.

A claim of responsibility was posted on Facebook by Liwa al-Islam, a rebel group. Translated as "The Brigade of Islam", it said in a statement that it "targeted the cell called the crisis control room in the capital of Damascus."

The Free Syrian Army also claimed responsibility for the attack, according to spokesman Qassim Saadedine. "This is the volcano we talked about, we have just started," he said.

Syrian opposition leader Kamal al-Labwani told al-Arabiya, a satellite channel, that a member of the rebel Free Syrian Army planted a TNT and C-4-based device inside the building ahead of the meeting, and then detonate the bomb remotely before fleeing to safety.

Gen Hisham Ikhtiyar, head of National Security, were among those listed as wounded in the bombing, which came in the midst of an offensive launched by rebels to capture Damascus. There were conflicting reports about the fate of the Interior minister, Mohammed al-Shaar

The capital has seen four straight days of clashes pitting government troops against rebels - an unprecedented challenge to government rule in the tightly controlled capital.

Rajha, a former army general, was the most senior Christian government official in Syria. Assad appointed him to the post last year.

His death will resonate with Syria's minority Christian population, who make up about 10 percent of Syria's population and have generally stood by the regime.

Christians say they are particularly vulnerable to the violence sweeping the country of 22 million people, and they are fearful that Syria will become another Iraq, with Christians caught in the crossfire between rival Muslim groups.

Columns of black smoke rose over the capital, with the Local Coordination Committees, which organises anti-regime protests on the ground, reporting that Qaboon and Barzeh neighbourhoods were bombarded by loyalist forces.

It also said there was less traffic than normal in the city where fighting has raged since Sunday, with the rebels announcing a full-scale offensive dubbed "the Damascus volcano and earthquakes of Syria."

Regime forces and the FSA clashed in the Al-Midan and Zahira districts of Damascus as well as at Assali south of the city.


Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Brighton Police Station could close as part of major county review (From The Argus) - The Argus.co.uk

Brighton Police Station could close as part of major county review

Brighton police station could close under a wide-ranging review of properties owned by Sussex Police .

A repair bill of £2.5 million has motivated senior officers to investigate whether other sites could be used as a public contact point or police base in the city – but they have stressed no firm plans have been drawn up.

The force’s grade II listed conferencing and training centre, Slaugham Manor, is also in the firing line.

Sussex Police Authority is due to hear a report on the force’s latest estates review tomorrow. Options for Sussex House in Crowhurst Road, the police headquarters at Lewes, and vehicle workshops at Astley House, Lewes, are also being discussed.

Police properties at Hickstead, Hurstpierpoint and Southbourne, near Chichester, have already been approved for “disposal”.

The force, which is in the middle of a £50 million savings programme, is also discussing what to do with its Shoreham Airport base when its helicopter moves to a depot at Redhill in October.

Concerns were raised last year over the need for £2.5 million to be spent on cladding at Brighton police station in John Street. Authority members called for options to be considered before the money was spent.

Last year the police station stopped opening 24 hours a day, as part of a raft of cuts affecting public points of contact.

Hove police station and Eastbourne police station have already been earmarked for closure, subject to talks to open front desks in council offices.

The authority has already approved creating a “neighbourhood policing satellite office” in Broadfield Library, Crawley.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “We are exploring a number of options to deliver our service in more flexible and convenient ways, including where and how our people work. We are presenting an update on this review to the Police Authority this week.

“Work is under way to look at all our estate, particularly non-public facing buildings. As previously stated, we are committed to maintaining or improving existing service delivery and will not look to close any existing police station without an acceptable alternative in place.

‘No decision’ “Many of the locations mentioned in the report – such as John Street – are in very early stages of review with no decision having been made yet about their future.”

Mark White, the secretary of Sussex Police Federation, said he would rather see officer numbers protected than expensive buildings maintained.

He said: “If they have got to spend £2 million on John Street, that would have to be found somehow and possibly we’d have more officer cuts.”

But Andy Stenning, of Sussex Police Unison, which represents staff, said: “I think there will be a loss of service.”

Most of the candidates who are standing as Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex in elections in November supported the idea of looking for efficiency in the police’s properties.

Labour candidate Godfrey Daniel said police stations like John Street should be judged on whether they are fit for the job.

He said Brighton would need a base for officers, but not necessarily in the same place as the public point of contact.

He said: “The important thing for the public is they have got a police station they can call at. They don’t need the presence of people in offices five floors above them.”

Katy Bourne, who was selected as the Conservative candidate at the weekend, said: “It is about managing resources effectively, given the current economic climate, and that any monies are given into frontline policing and supporting neighbourhood policing.”

Ian Chisnall, who is standing as an independent, said the need for an operational base for police and a contact point for the public were separate issues.

He said: “What is critical is whatever they end up with, it is fit for purpose and gives the public reasonable access to facilities, but it doesn’t have to be John Street.”

Fellow independent candidate Matt Taylor said: “The police station is absolutely key to Brighton “Considering there have been so many constables taken off the front line, we have to make sure that police station stays. It is symbolic, especially with the courts next door. It gives a big message of community and strength in the heart of the city.”

Should John Street be spared closure?

Comments(8)

nwilliams says...
11:47am Wed 18 Jul 12

There are a number of former stations that are supposedly closed, but are actively used as office space. So the repair/maintenance and running overheads are still the same. I am not offering a view on whether a station should stay open or closed, but if it is necessary to close a station, then actually close it and sell the property. Remove the on-going costs of that building and reinvest the money in improving operational centres. Keep all your staff in the same centres, so you are only heating and maintaining specific offices, not all of them. I really do not understand the odd way this police service attempts to run its budget. nwilliams

Pyjama hedin says...
12:13pm Wed 18 Jul 12

Over the years the police have closed buildings, bought more spent a fortune kitting them out, only to close them a few years later and so the cycle begins again & again. Where else in Brighton could operational police be housed - out of town no doubt which may be useful to them but certainly not the public. Who said the police had retreated from communities?! Pyjama hedin

inmegarden says...
12:33pm Wed 18 Jul 12

Why not give G4S a go.....what could possibly go wrong with a free market approach? inmegarden

pjwilk says...
12:44pm Wed 18 Jul 12

Is there actually any Police any more,you only see them at football matches, demonstrations and riots. Probably because they on big overtime and expenses.Bring back the local human Bobbies. pjwilk

nwilliams says...
12:56pm Wed 18 Jul 12

[quote][p][bold]pjwilk[/bold] wrote: Is there actually any Police any more,you only see them at football matches, demonstrations and riots. Probably because they on big overtime and expenses.Bring back the local human Bobbies.[/p][/quote]Yes, there are, but only in remote, ex-police stations, sitting behind locked doors, pretending to be busy - or driving around in Volvos pretending to be going somewhere. They are very good being busy at having meetings. It amazes me that there are so many management layers and separate units in the police service, all pretending it is someone else's responsibility. In modern management practices, there has been a much flatter structure for a long time now. We would have more police on the streets if they didn't organize themselves in ways to avoid working. nwilliams

bloggs551 says...
1:21pm Wed 18 Jul 12

Amazing how quickly any story relating to the police descends into 'police swanning around in Volvos on overtime'. Would it be possible to discuss the issues in a rational manner rather than "I reckon or my mates says" bloggs551

kopite_rob says...
1:32pm Wed 18 Jul 12

If the station was to be vacated, perhaps the opportunity is there to demolish it at the same time as the old American Express building, job centre & court buildings. None of these buildings are very efficient or fit for purpose. A great way of redeveloping that whole quarter! kopite_rob

bloggs551 says...
1:37pm Wed 18 Jul 12

[quote][p][bold]kopite_rob[/bold] wrote: If the station was to be vacated, perhaps the opportunity is there to demolish it at the same time as the old American Express building, job centre & court buildings. None of these buildings are very efficient or fit for purpose. A great way of redeveloping that whole quarter![/p][/quote]Exactly! bloggs551

Source: www.theargus.co.uk

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