POLICE are warning Buxted and Hadlow Down residents to be aware of suspicious activity after six burglaries or attempted burglaries have been reported in the area since February 10.

They say these mainly happen during the evening or overnight when would-be intruders either force doors or windows or get in through unlocked doors.

Between Friday and Saturday, February 10-11 a house in Framfield Road, Buxted was broken into and cash and electrical items stolen. then a house in Hurstwood Road, Buxted was broken into between Saturday and Sunday, February 18-19 but burglars appear to have been disturbed by an alarm and nothing was stolen.

On February 18 a house in Hasingford Lane, Hadlow Down, was broken into but once again intruders were disturbed by an alarm.

Electrical items were taken when a house in Nan Tucks Lane, Buxted was broken into on Monday, February 20 and electrical goods and money stolen from a home in Etchingwood Lane, Buxted between Sunday and Monday, February 19-20.

An alarm wrecked attempts to break into another house, this time in Wilderness Lane, Hadlow Down between Monday and Tuesday, February 20-21 and nothing was stolen.

DC Alex Campbell of East Sussex priority crime team said: “We would ask everyone to ensure that all doors and windows are locked, especially overnight or while you are out, and to report anything suspicious to police on 999 if it is taking place, otherwise via 101 quoting Operation Discover.

“On three occasions the offenders have been disturbed by intruder alarms at the properties. We would ask local residents to listen out for any alarms and contact police if these are believed to have been activated in suspicious circumstances.

“It is also recommended that photographs of expensive items you may have in your home are kept and you have full details, including serial numbers, of your personal belongings.”

Anyone with information regarding any of these burglaries is asked to contact Sussex Police on 101 quoting Operation Discover or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

]]> 1.3549331 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:31:02 +0000 http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/your_mep_looks_at_a_lost_generation_1_3548919

OUR young people are our future. I don’t say that as a vague platitude or as the father of young children but in a very practical sense.

They are tomorrow’s doctors, nurses, construction workers, teachers, retail workers and so on.

Or rather they have the potential to be.

Parliamentary arguments over the economy can often seem a bit detached and fuelled by political point scoring but they have very real consequences.

We are facing a crisis of youth unemployment. The latest figures make for grim reading and show there are now over one million young people out of work – that means nearly one in four 18-24 year olds is unemployed; the highest number since records began. That is a disaster for our young people and a disaster for the future of Britain.

Worse, it now appears that unemployment is becoming entrenched. The number of young people claiming JSA for over six months is rocketing:

In East Sussex the figure has jumped 92 per cent in the last year.

In West Sussex there has been a 48 per cent increase in long term claimants.

Spending so long on the dole at a young age can have life-long consequences. Far too many skilled youngsters are being left frustrated and idle because the jobs they want simply don’t exist.

We often hear Conservative Ministers blaming unemployment on laziness or scrounging, but the truth is that in some of these places there are up to 20 JSA claimants per vacancy at the job centre!

This is a jobs crisis not one of apathy.

The Government is creating a jobless generation, with more young people out of work than ever before. It is painfully clear that the Government’s welfare to work programmes are not doing the job and the time for dithering is over – Ministers must act now before a generation is left scarred by their mistakes.

As part of Labour’s five point plan for jobs I want to see a £2billion bankers’ bonus tax with the proceeds invested in up to 100,000 jobs for young people and a tax break for small firms taking on new employees.

We need to get the economy going again and we need to protect our young people from the blight of unemployment.

If you want to get in touch just email me at {mailto:southeast@peterskinnermep.eu|southeast@peterskinnermep.eu|southeast@peterskinnermep.eu}

And don’t forget you can learn more on my website {http://www.peterskinnermep.eu/|www.peterskinnermep.eu|www.peterskinnermep.eu} and you can follow me on Twitter (@PWSkinnerMEP) and Facebook (Peter Skinner MEP).

PETER SKINNER

Member of the European Parliament for the South East Region

]]> 1.3548919 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:20:51 +0000 http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/find_it_and_qype_take_down_thousands_of_fake_reviews_1_3548796

Find It, powered by Qype, Europe’s leading consumer reviews site, has cut thousands of misleading or malicious reviews from its 13.5 million online listings.

Taking a tough stance on third parties who abuse online reviews, Find It and Qype have taken down over 2,000 fake reviews in the last month. Around three per cent of new reviews have been deleted since the partnership declared war on unethical listings.

With a new review appearing every 30 seconds on everything from hostels and tourist attractions to hairdressers and minicab companies, Find It and Qype have implemented a continuous campaign to keep the directory clean and ensure all business listings and reviews for the East Sussex district are accurate and fair.

Find It, powered by Qype, is committed to stopping people who use its listings for financial gain, and aims to stamp out biased or unreliable reviews.

“Find It is the number one source for trusted local reviews and listings, and working with Qype we want to ensure every single listing is independent and impartial,” Andy Prior, Digital Product Manager at Johnston Press.

Find it, powered by Qype, gives you immediate access to over two million independent reviews on everything from quirky cafés and clubs to plumbers and primary schools. Covering 166,000 locations worldwide, including thousands of real reviews on the best places to go in the East Sussex district, Find it powered by Qype is an indispensable guide for locals, at home or away.

Find businesses listed in your local area at www.sussexexpress.co.uk/findit

A DRAMATIC POLICE pursuit ended with the arrest of five men after a van was allegedly rammed into a police patrol car.

Sussex Police said a brave officer disturbed burglars during a break-in at a golf warehouse in Polegate around 7.10pm on Saturday, February 18.

He heard an alarm sounding from the Chaucer Industrial Estate in Ditton’s Road and investigated.

Suddenly the officer found a group of men running from the warehouse who quickly got into a van, said Sussex Police.

The fearless officer tried to stop them but the van was allegedly driven into his patrol car, damaging the wheel arch.

A police pursuit began with the officer following the van in his car. He called for back-up and a traffic police car took over the pursuit.

The van was pulled over by police on the A22 towards Hailsham.

Sussex Police said five men were arrested on suspicion of burglary.

A 44-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and failing to stop. They have all been released on bail until April 5 for further inquiries.

Det Sgt Jo Benton said: “The officer did a good job and thanks to his diligence we were able to arrest five suspects. We are still appealing for witnesses to the incident.”

Anyone who has information should contact Sussex Police on 101 quoting serial 1420 of February 18.

]]> 1.3546172 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:36:14 +0000 http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/council_freeze_for_lewes_district_residents_1_3543970

LEWES District residents will see no increase to their council tax bills for the coming year.

This means that an average Band D tax payer will still pay £192.48 for the year.

The council is setting out an ambitious agenda to improve customer services, work smarter and save money by delivering a programme to modernise the way it works.

New leader of Lewes District Council, Councillor James Page, said: “We are determined to do all we can for the residents of Lewes District in these tough times, which is why we are freezing council tax.

“We are confident that we will also continue to improve services to our residents while saving money which we can pass on to residents in the form of a council tax freeze.

“The electorate voted us in to take control of the Council’s services and finances and we have listened and acted.”

Residents’ council tax bills are made up of the budget needs of East Sussex County Council, the Sussex Police Authority, East Sussex Fire Authority and their local town or parish council.

All of the principal authorities have agreed to freeze their elements of the council tax bill.

The average council tax for town and parish councils for the year increases by £2.01. To be clear, the Lewes District Council element of council tax will remain frozen.

The total average Band D amount is £1,644.88.

]]> 1.3543970 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:13:05 +0000 http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/new_leader_of_lewes_district_council_elected_1_3543650

COUNCILLOR James Page has been elected as the new Leader of Lewes District Council.

Cllr Page said: “I’m honoured to be leader of Lewes District Council. I became involved in local politics because I felt things that could be done better.

“The residents of Lewes District deserve the best services possible for the council tax they pay.

“I have today set out a new direction. We want to create a “One District, One Council” approach that brings the council closer to the residents of the district.

“We are going to focus on three things – unswerving commitment to excellent value services, uncompromising commitment to quality and unlocking the talents of staff to improve services.

“What does this mean in practical terms for residents? Well it means improving customer services, working smarter and saving money.”

Cllr Page takes over from cllr Tony Nicholson who stood down as leader, a role he took on in May 2011, following the local elections.

There are three councillors on cabinet without portfolio. They bring business expertise and experience to the roles they fulfil.

]]> 1.3543650 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:07:47 +0000