Anti-terror police investigating a suicide bombing in Syria that they believe to have been carried out by a British man are searching a house in Crawley.

The attack happened last week on a prison in the city of Aleppo and resulted in some of its inmates escaping.

Justina Beeken, The Chief Inspector from Sussex Police said that there has been no formal identification of the man and that they cannot yet confirm where he is from or who he is.  She added that Sussex Police were working closely with the South East Counter Terrorism Unit and assisting them with all their inquiries.

It’s believed that this is the first suicide bombing in Syria to be carried out by a Briton.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/sussex

Council Tax Freeze Recommended

Following on from yesterday’s news that Surrey County Council had voted for a 1.99% rise in council tax, some even better news from Crawley Borough Council.

Cabinet proposed to freeze their share of the tax again this year at their meeting on Wednesday Evening.

Council leader Howard Bloom said that the freeze was made possible by £8.8 million worth of savings and efficiency increases in the last 6 years

The budget would protect frontline services and allow continuing investment in the town, despite a cut of more than 12 percent in government funding and business rates.

A Council Tax freeze would mean that the Crawley Borough Council element of residents’ bill would again be £187.83 for a band D property. Council Tax bills are made up of three elements – Crawley Borough Council, West Sussex County Council and the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner.

A final decision on the 2014/15 budget, which includes the Council Tax, will be taken at the Full Council meeting on Wednesday 26 February.

For more details on Council Tax bandings and ways to pay, visit www.crawley.gov.uk/counciltax

A meeting of nearly 200 parents and supporters of Dunottar Girls School, Reigate, has voted unanimously in support of a proposal by educational charity United Learning to save the school from closure.

Action group, Dunottar Voice, is now promoting the plan to the school’s board of governors, proposing that boys be admitted to the school from September into years 7 and 9 and also the sixth form.

United Learning has committed to fund the school’s inevitable financial loss in the immediate future and to reinvest in its long term development as a co-ed institution.

For further information, please contact SaveDunottarSchool@gmail.com

For information about United Learning, please contact Justin McLaren on 0203 006 5872.

Surrey County Council’s highways team are set to focus their efforts on flood prevention as the region continues to be battered by severe weather.

Along with the army and Kier services the council’s road teams have filled and handed out 15,000 sandbags and fixed over 1,200 potholes.

It has already been estimated that the repair bill to fix Surrey’s roads and bridges will hit £6m.

http://news.surreycc.gov.uk/2014/02/11/surrey-highways-work-to-focus-on-flood-recovery/

Whitepost Hill in Redhill has been closed due to damage caused by a burst water main.

The burst happened last Friday evening and caused minor flooding in two properties.

The main has been repaired but the road has been badly damaged.

Repair work and reinstatement is taking place but Whitepost Hill is likely to remain closed until early next week.

Source: www.waterplc.com