Sussex news bulletin on Thursday, October 5

Sussex World reporter Sam Morton brings you the news making the headlines on Thursday, October 5.

Transcript

00:00 Hello, I'm Sam Morton and here is your daily Sussex News bulletin on Thursday, October

00:04 5th.

00:05 Multiple fire crews were called to Horsham's town centre on Wednesday evening.

00:09 A fire was reported in West Street mobile phone repairing shop, Phone Doctor around

00:13 6.20pm.

00:15 While the incident was ongoing, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said "We currently

00:18 have four fire engines responding to a fire at a premises in Swan Walk, Horsham.

00:23 Please avoid the area to allow crews to work safely."

00:25 In an update at 8.40pm, the service said the fire had been put out and crews will be leaving

00:30 the scene shortly, adding "Thank you to local residents for your patience."

00:33 Fortunately, there were no casualties and the building had working smoke alarms so there

00:37 was a prompt response to the incident.

00:39 An investigation was carried out and the fire was believed to be of accidental ignition

00:42 with lithium-ion batteries being the suspected cause, the fire service said.

00:47 Meanwhile, a former prison and training centre in East Sussex that has been earmarked to

00:51 be turned into a centre for asylum seekers has been bought by the government.

00:55 North Eye in Bexhill is one of several sites chosen by the Home Office.

00:58 It is also confirmed this week that it is exploring the possibility of the site being

01:02 used as a detention centre for those who arrive in the UK illegally.

01:07 As spokesperson for Bexhill MP Hugh Merriman said, the Home Office is carrying out further

01:11 site surveys and testing which will go on for at least a couple of months.

01:15 Finally, residents in Seaford have expressed concerns about a seaside road being turned

01:19 into a climate change educational beach garden, fearing the area will become a mini theme

01:23 park.

01:24 The Ouse Valley Climate Action Group have proposed using the Cliff Gardens site as an

01:28 educational centre for raising awareness of the coastal's environmental impact on local

01:33 plants and animals as well as the coastal location's exposure to the effects of climate

01:37 change.

01:38 A number of residents in the town feared the proposed garden would turn this peaceful road

01:41 into a Disneyland filled with noisy children.

01:44 The plans for the road were validated by Lewis District Council in February this year.

01:48 At present, Cliff Gardens is an unmade private street suffering from a large number of potholes

01:53 and containing a national cycle route.

01:55 For all of those stories and much more you can see our website sussexworld.co.uk