People in Surrey are being offered free online courses to improve their literacy skills.

It’s a government run initiative which is being administered by Surrey County Council with the courses designed to be worked around a person’s other demands and hobbies.

Businesses can put forward employees as well as normal individual users, with most of the courses online, although some are also taught in the classroom.

A full list of the courses available can be found on the council’s website.

Reigate and Banstead executive have agreed to proposals to upgrade CCTV cameras in 22 town centre locations.

It’s in addition to 39 other cameras which have been installed around the area bringing the total up to 61.

They remain open to the possibility of increasing this number further once locations are identified and the details finalised.

A man has been taken to hospital with what’s being described as life threatening injuries in Crawley.

It’s been reported that the man fell from the third floor of the County mall shopping centre on Sunday afternoon.

The centre was evacuated as Police and ambulances arrived, along with the KSS air ambulance which landed in nearby Southgate Fields.

The shopping centre declined to give any comment at the time.

The date has been announced for next year’s Surrey half marathon.

It’s due to take place on 16^th March and will take place in Woking and the surrounding countryside.

The day is set to include a 2km and 5km race for children, as well as a 13-mile course for older participants.

Matt Wood is the co-founder of RunThrough which organises the event. He said: “The Surrey Half Marathon is one of our flagship events, and we’re thrilled to see it continue to grow.

“Every year, we witness incredible performances from runners of all levels, and we’re proud of the positive impact it has on the local community.

A man who murdered his girlfriend in Crawley has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Local resident Holly Sanchez was tragically found deceased at a bungalow in Oates Walk around 9am on 13 May, 2023. She was aged 32.

She died as a result of multiple injuries suffered during a domestic abusive relationship with 31-year-old Ryan Evans.

Holly’s family have issued the following statement:

“Holly was a daughter, granddaughter, aunt, sister, and most importantly a mother. We miss Holly and her infectious laugh every day. She was taken from us and her children by a cruel and evil monster, and the sentencing reflects Evans’ brutal treatment of Holly over the last six weeks of her life.

“We would like to thank the investigation team and our family liaison officers for all of their help and support throughout one of the most traumatic years. We would appreciate space and privacy while we process the terrible things we have heard and seen while we have been at court.

“We hope that Holly’s case raises awareness of how quickly domestic violence can have fatal consequences. We hope that Holly’s story will reach victims of domestic violence that are too scared to speak out and ask for help. We also hope that it raises awareness to the families of those who are currently suffering abuse and we would encourage families to pay close attention to any small changes of behaviour by their loved ones.”

Evans, of Oates Walk, Crawley, was arrested and charged with murder. He denied the offence and was remanded in custody to appear before Lewes Crown Court for trial on 24 June.

He was further charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, coercive and controlling behaviour and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm, all relating to Ms Sanchez.

These four additional offences were in relation to incidents previously reported to Sussex Police. Evans was interviewed and bailed with strict conditions not to contact the victim directly or indirectly, and Ms Sanchez was referred to the relevant safeguarding agencies as the alleged offences were investigated.

The CPS subsequently authorised these further charges – at the request of Sussex Police – following the murder charge, all of which Evans denied.

On Tuesday 16 July, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on the offences of murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, coercive and controlling behaviour and one count of causing grievous bodily harm; Evans was found not guilty of the second count of grievous bodily harm.

He was remanded in custody and appeared before Lewes Crown Court – sitting at Hove – on Friday 13 September, where he was sentenced to life and told he must serve a minimum of 23 years, minus time already spent on remand.

Two further people were arrested in connection with the investigation, but were released with no further action.

Detective Superintendent Debbie White, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “Firstly, I’d like to commend Ms Sanchez’ family who have assisted us throughout this investigation and bravely stood before court to provide vital witness testimonies during the trial.

“They also had to hear the harrowing description of injuries inflicted on Ms Sanchez by Ryan Evans, which included causing significant hand and facial injuries. He also took financial advantage of her and made repeated threats of violence – before his offending escalated and ultimately led to her death in May 2023.

“No one should ever have to endure a violent relationship, and that’s why we offer a Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) – known as Clare’s Law – where people can request information on their partner or ex-partner’s criminal history to see if they are at risk of domestic violence.

“It means more people are making informed decisions on their own safety much sooner, potentially saving lives.

“I’d also like to thank all other witnesses who came forward to provide evidence, which assisted in our investigation to bring this violent offender to justice.”

Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Lewis, the force tactical lead for domestic abuse, added: “Clare’s Law enables the police to disclose information to a victim or potential victim of domestic abuse about their partner’s or ex-partner’s previous abusive or violent offending. This can either be requested by the individuals or a concerned third party through the ‘right to ask’, or provided by police through the ‘right to know’.

“We have seen a 233 per cent increase in DVDS applications in 2024 compared to the same period in 2021, which is encouraging because it means more and more people are finding the confidence to engage with us and seek the help they may need.

“We work closely with our partners to help victims by offering advice, support, seeking civil orders and signposting them to relevant agencies. We also have a programme in place where we monitor and manage offenders who are subject to stalking prevention orders or domestic violence prevention orders, to ensure those at risk are kept safe.

“Our overarching aim is to protect the public and relentlessly pursue offenders, and I would urge anyone with concerns to read more about Clare’s Law here.”

As part of this investigation, Sussex Police made a mandatory referral to the IOPC, which concluded there was no indication of misconduct by officers.

DCI Lewis added: “We remain committed to ensuring victims of domestic abuse receive the support and safeguarding they need by working closely with our partners, and we continually review our performance and strive to improve wherever possible.

“We also work closely with the IOPC to achieve best practise, and have dramatically improved our processes to ensure disclosures are made faster. In some cases, responses to applications are being provided 75 per cent more quickly than before the scheme was in place.”

More information on these improvements can be found online here:

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, report to police online or via 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency.