7 Days of Headlines with Phil Mills
Bull terriers on the rampage, Steve Ovett gets freedom of the city, and Amex redevelopment
Poppy fields and crowded beaches heralded the return of fine weather at long last but behind the sunny smiles were some sinister goings on.
A 28-year-old Londoner was arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found in a flat in Kemp Town, Brighton. The victim, 63-year-old Michael Polding of St George’s Road, was discovered two months after detectives believe he was murdered. Detective Inspector Jon Fanner said: “He suffered a number of injuries and we have launched a homicide investigation.” Anyone with information should call 101.
A hit and run driver may have ram-raided a shop in Portslade just after he left a woman fighting for her life. A VW Passat used in the shop raid is believed to have knocked down Michelle Greest, 29, from Portslade, 15 minutes earlier in Kings Road, near the junction with West Street, Brighton. She was recovering at Hurstwood Park neurological hospital in Haywards Heath.
A man has been charged with eight counts of owning a dog dangerously out of control in a public place after six people were injured. Two bull terrier dogs went on the rampage in Hastings. All the victims needed hospital treatment, three were seriously hurt. Police are seeking a destruction order for the dogs.
And a fraudster was ordered by Lewes Crown Court to pay back £56,000 housing and council tax benefit to Brighton & Hove City Council, under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Julian Seamer of Church Road, used the money to buy a five bedroom house. He was given a suspended prison sentence in 2010 after admitting making false statements in relation to housing benefit.
On to happier news and Steve Ovett’s freedom of the city honour from Brighton and Hove: as the Olympic gold medalist saw his new statue unveiled on Brighton seafront, the University of Brighton announced it was seeking members of the public who have photographs of the original statue which was stolen from Preston Park in 2007. The university is creating a digital replica of the first statue using groundbreaking 3D technology and a gallery of photos to record the design for posterity. Members of the public will be able to see first-hand how the university digitally records artefacts at a major exhibition taking place from this week until Saturday 25 August. The remains of the original Ovett statue – including his leg, as shown by graphic design graduate Nadine Shaban – will also be on show. Anyone with photographs of Steve Ovett’s originally statue should send them to 3dc-info@3dcoform.eu and put “Steve Ovett photograph” in the subject box.
Meanwhile, the city’s other university, Sussex, has been granted permission for two new modern accommodation blocks to be built at the Falmer site, providing bedrooms for 148 students. Staying with development, Brighton & Hove Albion have brought forward their final expansion plan for the American Express Community Stadium and they could end up with 30,000 fans watching games by the close of the new season.
An extra 2,200 seats at the stadium’s north end, originally planned for installation for the 2013 season will now be brought in next spring.
Friends of St Ann’s Well Park opened a new play area which includes a maze and new children’s play equipment to provide, “hours of healthy, free fun”. Work has been completed on a new skatepark for local young people, in Bexhill Road playground, Woodingdean. And Cllr Sue Shanks joined head teacher, Michele Lawrie, other teachers and children to celebrate news that St Peter’s Community Infant and Nursery in Portslade is to be expanded to add a junior school – children pictured will be the first intake when it opens in September 2013.
Lastly, council planning chiefs have been showing their teeth – they have ordered the owner of The New Madeira Hotel in Marine Parade, Brighton, to remove, “an inappropriate timber decked seating area,” erected without permission in front of his hotel.
