A council has described the damage to a 19th-century landmark after it was painted with a St George’s Cross by vandals as “upsetting”..

A temporary injunction that was set to block asylum seekers from being housed at an Essex hotel has been overturned at the Court of Appeal..

A trial date has been set for a 76-year-old man charged with child cruelty offences after children became unwell at a summer camp where sweets were allegedly laced with sedatives..

Israel on Friday said its military had recovered the bodies of two hostages as it suspended noon pauses to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza City, calling it a “a dangerous combat zone”..

A vaccine for chickenpox will be rolled out on the NHS in England from January, officials have announced..

The majority of autistic people over the age of 40 in the UK are living without a diagnosis, a study suggests..

The NHS has become “reliant” on private companies, charities and social enterprises to deliver routine mental health care, a think tank has warned..

The person who killed two Catholic school pupils and wounded more than a dozen children fired 116 rounds from a rifle into the Minneapolis church, the city’s police chief said on Thursday..

The UK, alongside France and Germany, has announced its plan to revive UN-backed sanctions on Iran over fears it is developing nuclear weapons..

A volunteer Metropolitan Police officer has been found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a child..

Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the “senseless” Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight that killed more than a dozen people and caused damage to a British Council building in Kyiv..

Not a single childhood vaccine in England last year met the target needed to ensure diseases cannot spread among youngsters, according to new figures..

Sir Ed Davey will boycott US President Donald Trump’s state banquet next month in a protest against his position on Gaza..

Government funding for a programme which offers children from low-income families free meals and activities during the school holidays will be extended..

Pollution from the “huge” pig and poultry farming sectors is harming rivers, the wider landscape and nature, a report from the Wildlife Trusts warns..

The Government could close asylum hotels next year by allowing people from certain countries likely to be recognised as refugees temporary permission to stay under a “one-off scheme”, analysis by the Refugee Council has suggested..

More than 280,000 crimes went unrecorded by police last year, with “unacceptably low” numbers of anti-social behaviour offences being officially documented..

The Home Office’s bid to challenge the decision to temporarily block the owner of the Bell Hotel in Epping from housing asylum seekers is due to be heard at the Court of Appeal on Thursday..

Grimsby goalkeeper Christy Pym said it “had not sunk in” after his side knocked Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup by winning an epic penalty shootout 12-11..

Jack Draper’s arm injury has forced him to pull out of the US Open..

An Oscar-winning actress visited an independent cinema in East Sussex

A University of Brighton graduate is preparing to play a key role at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Horsham District Council commemorated Emergency Services Day with a wreath-laying ceremony.

Car lovers young and old flocked to a Gulf Wivelsfield Service Station at the weekend to admire an impressive display of classic cars from local owners.

A new one-of-a-kind spectacle, WILD: The Drone Light Show, is coming to Brighton and Hove in December.

The year 1066 is one of the most dramatic and transformative years in English history. It’s probably the battle that most British people know about. Having said that, there is a lot of debate and misinformation about what happened that year. In 2026-27 the 70m long Bayeux tapestry will be on display at the British Museum, their panels famously depicting the history of the Norman conquest of England.The events of 1066 began with the death of King Edward the Confessor, a monarch revered for his piety but criticized for leaving no clear heir. His death on 5 January triggered a scramble for the English throne, with multiple claimants asserting their rights in a contest that would culminate in three major battles and two full-scale invasions.Harold Godwinson, the powerful Earl of Wessex, was swiftly crowned king but his coronation was far from universally accepted. Across the North Sea, Harald Hardrada, the formidable King of Norway, believed he had a legitimate claim based on an earlier agreement between monarchs. Meanwhile, in Normandy, Duke William prepared his own invasion, asserting that Harold had once sworn an oath to support William’s succession, a moment that was later immortalized in thread and linen.The first invasion came from the north. On the 18 September 1066 Hardrada sailed up the River Humber with a fleet of around 300 ships, joined by Harold’s estranged brother, Tostig Godwinson. Their forces landed in Yorkshire and quickly overwhelmed the local earls at the Battle of Fulford on 20 September. Harold Godwinson responded with astonishing speed, marching his army nearly 200 miles north in less than a week. On 25 September, he met the Norse invaders at Stamford Bridge.The battle was fierce and decisive. Hardrada’s forces, caught off guard and without their full armour, were defeated. Hardrada and Tostig were killed, and the remnants of the Norse army retreated with only a fraction of their original fleet. Harold had secured a stunning victory—but his triumph was short-lived. Even as the English celebrated, William of Normandy was preparing to strike.Just days after Stamford Bridge, William landed at Pevensey on 28 September with a well-equipped invasion force. His army included infantry, cavalry, and archers—a tactical diversity that would prove crucial in the battles to come. Harold, still recovering from his northern campaign, rushed south to confront the Normans. On 14 October, the two armies met near Hastings, on the slopes of Senlac Hill, a high point where the town of Battle and Battle Abbey now stand.The English formed a formidable shield wall, a tactic that had served them well in previous battles. Initially, they repelled Norman assaults. But William’s forces employed a clever strategy. They feigned retreats that lured English soldiers from their defensive position, breaking the cohesion of the shield wall. As the day wore on, the tide turned. Harold was killed, traditionally believed to be struck by an arrow to the eye, though this detail remains debated to this day. With their king dead and their formation shattered, the English army collapsed. William had triumphed, but his path to the throne was not yet complete.The Bayeux Tapestry, that depicts the events, was created in the 1070s. It was likely to have been commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William’s half-brother. It famously shows a figure labelled “Harold” struck in the eye by an arrow, followed by another figure being cut down by a sword—leading to debate over how Harold actually died.Some historians argue the arrow was added later, and that Harold may have died by sword. Another common myth is that William was crowned immediately after Hastings. In reality, he had to secure London and negotiate with the remaining English nobility. His coronation took place on Christmas Day, 1066. William’s assertion of legitimacy was not universally accepted either. Many English nobles resisted, and rebellions continued for years after his coronation.The Norman victory marked the beginning of profound changes in England. Norman French became the language of the elite, influencing English vocabulary and legal terminology. Castles such as the Tower of London began to dot the landscape, asserting Norman dominance. William redistributed land to his followers, replacing Anglo-Saxon nobility with Norman lords. Over time, Anglo-Saxon and Norman traditions blended, shaping the medieval English identity.The invasions of 1066 were not merely military campaigns, they were contests of legitimacy, memory, and narrative. The battles were brutal, the stakes existential, and the consequences enduring. As we look back nearly a thousand years later, the Bayeux Tapestry reminds us that history is often stitched by the victors, but the threads of truth remain for those willing to unravel them.Dr James Williams is an emeritus reader in science education and communication at Sussex university

A launch event took place on Tuesday, September 9 to celebrate the reopening of the JOFF youth hub in Peacehaven.

Here we are again, at the start of Brighton Philharmonic’s exciting concert season! BPO is back, bigger and brighter than ever, with delicious programmes and brilliant soloists.

Five per cent of all life saving interventions across the rail network took place on Network Rail’s Sussex route in 2024/2025.

Her visit focused on supporting the women’s game and was facilitated by Lewes’ Liberal Democrat MP, James MacCleary.

A Crawley school needs an estimated £3m to replace part of its roof after damage led to tonnes of rain water flooding the first and ground floor.

A "particularly nasty" fly-tip has taken place next to a golf course in Crowborough, East Sussex, possibly related to banger racing.

You don’t need to splash the cash to enjoy great food and drink in Brighton and Hove, writes Nick Mosley.

A restaurant is set to be turned into a private members’ club with a spa.

He provided support until emergency services were contacted, reassuring the woman and her friend until help arrived.

The first on-street electric vehicle (EV) charger has been installed as part of a project believed to be the largest of its kind in the UK.

Residents of a village where 14 hedgehogs have been run over since March are campaigning the council to introduce official signage.

Tillingham, a restaurant and winery near Rye in East Sussex, received a mixed review in The Guardian the new hosts of television cooking show MasterChef.

A pub landlord from Brighton denies a woman’s allegation that he touched her vagina but said he “slapped” her bottom.

A three-year-old died from sepsis after a delay in treatment at a "manic" A&E in Chichester where her mother was told the symptoms were "probably just a virus".