A number of people from Mauritius, and originally from the Chagos Islands, arrived at Gatwick Airport on Monday seeking accommodation. 

Crawley Borough Council arranged temporary shelter at the K2 Leisure Centre for half of the 77 recent arrivals.  The Council says it assessed each person for housing in the same way that other British Citizens would be, but 37 people didn’t qualify. 

Eighteen months ago the UK government offered a British citizen route for people of Chagossian descent. This was in recognition of the role that Britain played to forcibly move them from their homeland in the 60s and 70s to accommodate a US military base at Diego Garcia. 

Crawley has become home to the largest community of Chagossians in the UK who believe they still haven’t been compensated properly for the loss of their homeland.

Police are appealing for information after a serious collision near Horsham.

Emergency services were called to Monks Gate at about 4.30pm on Monday.

A patient in the Nissan was taken to hospital in London in a critical condition.

The driver of the Renault van was also treated by paramedics at the scene.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Sussex Police.

Phase one of Crawley’s Western Boulevard bus service improvement scheme is nearing completion.

Work will next focus on widening the junction between The Boulevard and The Broadway.

From the 10 June there is a temporary one-way system with only eastbound access between the High Street and The Boulevard junction opposite Poundland.

The road closure is expected to last until winter 2024.

An extra £8.5m is to be spent on repairing potholes in Surrey.

Work will be carried out over the summer on 85 miles of road, covering 100 routes through the county.

Surrey County Council said the so-called surface dressing process is environmentally friendly and can prolong the life of a road by a decade.

It is hoped the roads will be waterproof enough to prevent new potholes forming