A builder from West Sussex has been fined for not telling two elderly customers they could legally cancel their contract in a seven-day cooling off period.

Albert Brazil traded as First Class Property Maintenance. He was convicted by Worthing Magistrates Court after a case was brought by West Sussex Trading Standards.

Brazil, who did not attend court, was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £1,934 prosecution costs plus a victim surcharge of £400.

If you have any concerns or need advice, then please contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice on 08454 04 05 06.

The man who died after a shotgun was discharged at a gun store in Reigate on Tuesday has been formally identified as Michael Joseph Belford Surrey Police say.

Mr Belford who was 76 visited the John Powell Gun Makers on Church Street just after 9am.

At 9.40am officers were called to the scene after a report that a gun had been discharged at the location and Mr Belford was declared dead at the scene.

It’s still not certain if the shooting was accidental

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.