Daniel Sexton

The Nao Victoria, a full-scale Spanish replica of the first ship to circumnavigate the globe, is visiting Dover for 10 days and will be open to visitors. The original vessel completed its historic voyage from 1519 to 1522 under Juan Sebastian Elcano but was later lost at sea. Built in Spain in 1991 and managed by the Nao Victoria Foundation since 2007, the replica has previously visited Kent and is being welcomed by the Port of Dover as a major maritime attraction.

Human bones discovered beneath Ross and Claire Sledger's patio in Wye, Kent, in 2019 have been estimated to be about 1,000 years old and possibly Anglo-Saxon. After the remains were reported to police and identified as human, Reverend Ravi Holy arranged a short burial service at St Gregory and St Martin Church, with members of the local community attending. The Wye Historical Society said skeletons had previously been found in the area, which was developed for housing in the 1930s.

Temple Ewell Nursing Home near Dover has been placed in special measures after a Care Quality Commission inspection rated it inadequate and identified breaches across seven regulations, including care and treatment, staffing, safeguarding, consent, recruitment and leadership. Inspectors found significant and avoidable harm, inadequate diabetes-care choices, inaccurate records and poor emergency planning. The home’s operator, Crownwood Healthcare, said it had taken decisive action and that an independent mock inspection in August showed considerable improvements. The CQC will closely monitor the service while improvements are made.

Twenty people were injured, two seriously, when a Southern passenger train carrying about 150 people derailed near Lewes in East Sussex. Three carriages came off the tracks, with some overturning into a field and passengers initially trapped inside. Emergency services evacuated everyone, treated casualties at the scene and took some to hospital. Rail Accident Investigation Branch staff are investigating the cause, while Network Rail warned that no reopening timetable was yet available. Major disruption and alternative travel arrangements are expected to continue.

An 18-year-old man died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Camber Sands in East Sussex. Sussex Police said three people entered difficulty shortly before 19:00 BST on Sunday; the man was rescued about 30 minutes later but died despite paramedics’ efforts. The other two, aged 16 and 24, reached shore safely. The group had travelled from London and knew each other. Coastguard, lifeboat and ambulance crews responded, while police inquiries continued. Authorities said there were no suspicious circumstances and the death would be referred to a coroner.

An 18-year-old man died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Camber Sands in East Sussex. Sussex Police said three people entered difficulty on Sunday evening; the man was rescued about 30 minutes later but could not be revived, while a 16-year-old boy and a 24-year-old man reached shore safely. The group had travelled from London and knew one another. Coastguard, lifeboat and ambulance crews responded, and police said the death was not suspicious but would be referred to a coroner.

Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trusts will expand their existing group to include Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in East Grinstead, West Sussex. The three trusts will remain independent NHS foundation trusts with their own boards, leadership, identities and accountability, while sharing clinical expertise and learning to strengthen services and improve patient care. Collaboration between the trusts has been underway since December 2025.

Kent County Council has launched the next phase of its cost-cutting programme, known as the Dolge plan, after overhauling the separate efficiency department originally established by the Reform UK-led administration. Cabinet member Chris Hespe said the plan aims to improve value for money but could not specify a savings target. Council leader Linden Kemkaran defended the approach as applying business methods to public services, while Liberal Democrat opposition leader Richard Streatfeild called it a reinvention that ignores Kent's ageing population and serious budget risks. The council says the first year of the initiative produced £100m in savings, reduced future spending by £39.5m and lowered debt.

A former Royal Observation Corps Cold War monitoring bunker in Folkestone, Kent, has been listed for a guide price of £45,000. Built by the Ministry of Defence in 1971, the 4-metre-deep bunker was designed to detect nuclear explosions and monitor radioactive fallout, and was last actively used in 1991. It is accessed only by ladder, has lost its original fixtures, and is concealed beneath two concrete structures, but reportedly remains dry and at a stable temperature year-round. Estate agent Sam Fogarty describes it as a rare and unusual property and believes it may be the last of 1,500 such bunkers built in the UK.

A French Navy patrol boat, the PSP Flamant, fired 17 shots during a BBC interview with Conservative MP and shadow home secretary Chris Philp in the English Channel near Cap de Gris-Nez. Philp and witnesses said there was no warning and described the incident as possible intimidation aimed at stopping coverage of migrant crossings. French authorities said it was a routine handgun training exercise, that required warning signals were displayed and safety procedures followed, and that the exercise was unrelated to the nearby British vessel. The competing accounts remain unresolved, while Philp says he will raise the matter with the French ambassador.

Five-year-old Rosie from Snodland, Kent, completed a 6.8km scooter challenge around Leybourne Lakes Country Park to raise money for her friend Sid, who has spinal muscular atrophy type 1 and uses a wheelchair. Rosie has raised more than £3,600, exceeding her £2,000 target, to help Sid's family fund adaptations that will make their home more accessible.

A record 128 people crossed the English Channel in a single small boat as part of 225 arrivals across three vessels in one day, bringing the yearly total to more than 12,000, a 44% decrease from last year. The Home Office warned that smuggling gangs are increasing risks by overcrowding unsafe boats and highlighted a new UK‑France agreement aimed at expanding enforcement on French beaches after more than 45,000 attempted crossings have been stopped since the election.

Police arrested a man in Crawley after a Cane Corso seriously injured two people, prompting armed officers to respond and euthanize the dog for safety reasons. The injured individuals received medical treatment, and Sussex Police are investigating the circumstances while requesting information from witnesses.

West Sussex locations feature prominently in the case of serial killer John George Haigh, whose murders between 1944 and 1949 culminated in his trial at Horsham Magistrates Court. Haigh befriended and killed William McSwan before murdering McSwan’s parents and several others, dissolving their bodies in acid and attempting to avoid detection. Evidence recovered from a Crawley workshop, including bone fragments and personal items, disproved his belief that the absence of bodies would prevent conviction. A failed insanity defense led to his swift conviction and execution in 1949.

Woking Crematorium, opened in 1878, pioneered modern British cremation despite strong initial local opposition rooted in religious and safety concerns. Conceived by surgeon Sir Henry Thompson, who founded the Cremation Society of England, it hosted the UK’s first official cremation in 1885. Initially slow to gain acceptance, cremation grew steadily and now accounts for more than 75% of UK funerals, marking Woking as the quiet starting point for a major national shift in attitudes toward death and public health.

A driver’s windscreen shattered after gravel was thrown from a footbridge over the M3 near Lightwater and Frimley, though no injuries were reported. Surrey Police say two people were seen throwing stones around 09:00 and have launched an appeal for witnesses or footage from the area. An investigating officer warned that such actions can have fatal consequences and stressed that those responsible will be prosecuted.

More than 200 people were dispersed from beaches in Thanet between May and July under enhanced police powers aimed at addressing anti‑social behaviour. Kent Police, working with Southeastern and British Transport Police, issued 219 dispersal orders, along with community protection warnings, home visits and letters to households. Thanet District Council introduced a year‑round alcohol ban in Margate and Ramsgate town centres. Police have also seized items used anti‑socially and delivered school presentations to prevent youth criminalisation, with senior officers saying the measures are improving safety.

Natalie Andersen, who previously attempted to rescue a drowning man near Brighton’s Palace Pier, is completing a 5km River Adur swim to raise funds for the Royal Life Saving Society UK. She hopes the challenge will promote awareness of water safety as hot weather approaches and emphasises the need to assess risks while enjoying open water. Andersen has trained regularly for the event and highlights the charity’s role in educating communities about staying safe around water.

A Norwegian woman and her English husband in Farnham anticipate the England–Norway World Cup match with mixed loyalties. Recently returned from Bergen, they plan to watch the game with family, each predicting victory for their home nation while expressing support for the other. The match kicks off at 22:00 BST.

A five-year-old boy with spinal muscular atrophy in Yalding broke his arm while trying to reach a toilet in a home his parents say is unsafe without planned adaptations. The family has been waiting more than a year for a Disabled Facilities Grant for the required work, valued at £138,000. His parents describe ongoing struggles to secure support, equipment, and care. Maidstone Borough Council says it is working with the family to progress the necessary funding.

A conservation initiative aims to reduce invasive American mink populations in Kent by 90% within two years using expanded trapping and monitoring funded by a £20,000 BASC Wildlife Fund grant. The Waterlife Recovery Trust will deploy 56 smart traps and other equipment in areas with reported mink sightings. Conservationists warn mink predation severely threatens water voles and ground‑nesting birds. The project builds on successful eradication efforts in East Anglia, where mink were eliminated after significant population reductions.

Residents in Merstham are petitioning Surrey County Council to restore overnight street lighting due to concerns about safety and rising anti-social behaviour, citing recent car break-ins and insecurity. Surrey Police report that targeted enforcement efforts, including joint work with the Metropolitan Police, have reduced offences from a peak earlier in the spring. Local views differ on the extent of the problem, while other Surrey areas, including Woking, have launched broader crackdowns on anti-social behaviour and issued dispersal orders across multiple towns.

A Surrey woman linked her malignant melanoma diagnosis to sunburn she suffered as a teenager in Tenerife, after years of assuming a mark on her chin was a birthmark. Following multiple surgeries and treatment for Stage 3 cancer, she is undergoing long‑term immunotherapy while supporting a Cancer Research UK campaign promoting sun safety.

A council meeting is planned to address rising costs and delays in building the new Cranleigh Leisure Centre, whose budget has increased from £20m to nearly £36m. Residents and local stakeholders have raised concerns about construction impacts, parking, and access, while the current 55‑year‑old centre is considered outdated and due for demolition once the new facility is completed. Completion of the new centre is now expected in 2027.

A 91-year-old Cranleigh resident, Alan Still, completed a skydive and raised £5,000 for the Rowleys Centre for the Community. Staff from the organisation visited him to present a thank-you gift and award. Still described the experience as exhilarating and plans to take on a 100 mph zipwire in Wales for his next challenge.