A KENT man was arrested in Battle after he tried to use forged bank notes in the town’s shops.

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a burglary in Burwash Common in which two distinctive items of property were stolen.

THE court case against the leader of Rother District Council has been dropped due to ‘insufficient evidence’.

A MOTHER and daughter have given a Rye hairdressing salon a new lease of life.

RYE and Winchelsea Rotary Club helped beat the winter blues when they staged a recent Spanish Evening at Playden W.I. Hall.

A CHRISTENING gown was used again at Brede Church on Saturday 100 years to the day after it was first worn.

VISITORS to Northiam’s Great Dixter will be first in the country to be able to view and buy a new varity of rare Lent rose.

A PEASMARSH dad is facing up to his fear of heights to jump 12,000 feet out of a plane to raise funds for the hospital that saved his daughter,

A SHARP-EYED parking attendant at Camber Sands led to a drink driver being banned.

A TEENAGE girl kicked in a glass shop door after getting drunk on stolen bottles of wine.

THE Olympic Torch coming to Rye in July would be a waste of public money and would not benefit the town says one local councillor.

ROTHER District Council is recommending that we bite the bullet and accept the one off government grant of £177,000 in order to freeze council tax, meaning people will not have to pay more this year. The alternative was not to accept the grant and increase council tax by a substantial amount which would be unacceptable by those who are already suffering from the government’s austerity measures. However, next year looks daunting and the decision to either raise council tax or cut services substantially will have to be made unless town and parish councils can take on some of the burden by having some services devolved to them. It would appear that this is the way forward, but it all depends on an amicable agreement being reached between Rother and its town and parish councils as to what they would be prepared to take on. The nub of this problem would be whether there would be sufficient human and financial resources available to the town and parish councils. On February 24, two representatives from Rye Town Council have been invited by Rother District Council to table their ideas at a Devolved Services Working Group meeting. Other Parish Councils have also been invited. Each town and parish council will be allowed 20 minutes to speak – not exactly much time to set out any devolution plan! Rye Town Council’s representatives have had their ideas approved at a town council meeting on Monday. I would have wished the plan would have included a discussion on area committees, but until Rye Town Council has agreed this alternative approach to devolution it remains on hold for the moment. To my mind this would be the best solution, but I am aware that such a radical change in governance would take longer than the time available if we want to avoid a doomsday scenario next year.

THE Campaign for a Democratic Rye holds its AGM in the Benson Room at the George Hotel at 7pm, on Thursday February 23. As well as members of the CDR, anyone interested is welcome to attend.

RYE celebrates the fruits of the sea with the week-long annual Scallop Festival getting underway on Saturday February 25.

STAFF at Rye Retreat salon are looking to raise funds for Boathouse Theatre Arts by entering the Hastings Half Marathon on March 25.

THERE was some respite for hard hit tax payers this week when East Sussex County Council announced it would be freezing its section of the council tax.

DOZENS of sheep were killed and mutilated after two dogs went on a midnight rampage through fields at Pett.

SUSSEX lost 93 front-line police officers in the period between 2010 - 2011 according to new figures.

THE Royal Oak at Pett is holding a Quiz Night in aid of St Michael’s Hospice.

RYE College has unveiled ambitious plans to establish the first Studio School in the South of England.