26/12/2016 South East Today

Hundreds of people lined the streets of Lewes this morning

The colourful event saw horses ridden through the High Street

But as ever, it also reignited the heated debate

It may be more than 12 years since hunting with dogs was outlawed,

but today the Boxing Day hunt meeting at Lewes was

Hundreds lining the high street to witness this annual tradition.

Good for the farming and hunting community.

Just a really great tradition that's been going on for years.

There will always be a hunt, no matter what happens.

What do you say to the people over there who say it's

They cause issues, they keep breeding.

The event is one of many across the UK.

The Countryside Alliance say around 200,000 people will come out

But it also serves to reignite the debate about fox hunting.

Would you like to see the Hunting Act repealed?

I personally actually don't mind either way.

The main thing is that my wife and I, with our children,

we get out, we thoroughly enjoy being in the countryside riding.

Jumping hedges is what I go out and do and that's

Among the spectators, a small pocket of anti-hunt protesters.

And despite an occasional scuffle, today's event remained good-natured.

I think it's important to be here today, to show

that there are people opposed to hunting.

Mori polls show that 83% of the population

The other thing that the Ipsos Mori polls also show is that locally

support for the ban on hunting has also grown.

There is literally nowhere in Britain where there

is a majority of people calling for a return to hunting.

Hunting with hounds may have been long since outlawed.

But the spectacle alone of horses, riders and hounds continues

There are calls for Medway Council to do more to tackle homelessness,

after a rough sleeper was found dead outside a shop doorway in Chatham.

The man, in his forties, who has not been named,

was found on Christmas Eve outside a shop on the high street.

Charity group One Big Family have urged Medway Council

A elderly Sussex couple's home was destroyed by a fire

on Christmas Day, after they put real candles on their Christmas tree

to show their grandchildren a German tradition. West Sussex

firefighters were called to the bungalow

The children were unharmed, but the couple in their eighties

were treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue said it was a reminder

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was killed crossing

It happened at the crossing in Crossways Boulevard in Dartford

The man in his twenties, and from Tyne and Wear,

A 22-year-old man and 20-year-old woman from Dartford were arrested

on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving,

failing to stop at the scene and perverting the course

South East Coast ambulance service say they are struggling to respond

People are being urged to seek alternative treatment from other

health care providers, or use the NHS 111 line for non-life

The Bluebell Railway in Sussex has been awarded a grant

of more than ?1 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund

for essential repairs and creating exhibition space.

The tourist attraction operates over 11 miles of track

from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead.

Football now, and three of our teams were in action this afternoon.

In League One, Charlton Athletic beat the MK Dons 1-0,

and Gillingham managed a 1-1 draw away to Peterborough.

Meanwhile, in League Two, Leyton Orient held off a brave

Crawley Town fightback to secure a Boxing Day win - final score 3-2.

People across the South East have braved the elements today

Some councils had urged swimmers to stay away from beaches

But in Kent, hundreds turned out for the festive tradition like this

one in Dover organised by the Dover Lifeguard Club.

Here is Nina with the weather. Much colder than are very mild Christmas

Day. It will continue to get colder in the next few days. High pressure

will keep it dry. Clear skies tonight. From then onwards, fog

forming. That could -- could become a problem. The rest of this evening

and overnight we will see falling temperatures. A widespread frost by

first thing tomorrow morning. Temperatures of minus three degrees.

A chilly start tomorrow morning. It will quickly clear. Another lovely

day with plenty of sunshine. Temperatures will recover to a rant

about five to 6 degrees. Milder around the coast. That high pressure

is just moving around a little bit midweek. It starts to introduce

slightly moister air from northern France. The fog becomes more

extensive. It could be fairly stubborn. Overcast skies through the

day. A chilly feel on Wednesday. The fine weather lasts onto Thursday.

and longer spells of rain over northern isles. By the