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Patrick Barlow

I'm a young journalist currently working at BBC South East, having formerly worked at The Argus in Brighton. I have worked on a range of different stories including live court reporting, extensive investigations and breaking news scenarios, as well as sourcing stories for Radio and TV.

BBC News •

Kent headteachers back smartphone ban after Netflix's Adolescence

Children as young as seven are being given smartphones, with some primary school pupils consuming harmful misogynistic content, a headteacher has said.Sophia Dover, headteacher at Cheriton Primary School near Folkestone in Kent, says the school is to support campaigners by implementing a smartphone ban in September after problems with pupil WhatsApp groups and social media sites such as Snapchat.She is calling for a national ban, citing examples from another school where pupils set up an "Andrew...
The Argus •

Life in the neighbourhood blighted by drugs and anti-social behaviour

People living and working in the Regency area of Brighton are reporting a rise in anti-social behaviour with “blasé” drug dealing and taking in their streets becoming a daily nuisance. Residents fear trouble is linked to hostels in the area.

The Argus met with residents to discuss the complex issues behind the problem and what can be done to help eradicate the issue.

A man pushing another man outside a homeless hostel in Oriental Place (Image: Supplied)

Sitting down with one long-sta...
The Argus •

Clashes and celebratory chants as hundreds gather for counter-protest

A huge crowd gathered in Queens Road yesterday at about 6pm and stayed there for hours amid fears of possible riots in the city.

Violent protests have been causing destruction across the country since the tragic Southport stabbings which killed three girls last week.

There were rumours that the violence was going to spread to Brighton and Hastings on Wednesday night.

But in Brighton, counter-protesters massively outnumbered anti-immigration protesters.

Tensions flared early as po...
The Argus •

Alcohol deliveries 'could be costing people their lives', workers warn

Twenty four-hour services in Sussex mean that spirits, wine and boxes of beer can be delivered within 15 minutes, sometimes without proper ID and sobriety checks.

The Argus found some people suffering from alcohol abuse can obtain drink at any time of the day or night through services advertising late-night alcohol delivery.

Alcohol can be ordered 24 hours per day and seven days a week (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Concerns were raised by care workers and drivers that the serv...
The Argus •

Patients still being treated in A&E corridors and it could get worse

More than 40 patients are being squeezed into corridors due to a lack of room in bays and cubicles at the Royal Sussex County Hospital with “no limit” to the numbers being treated.

Staff say they are now preparing for a long winter as the situation is “getting worse” with some patients spending more than a day in the corridor.

Hospital bosses said they were "acting now" to ease the strain on staff but admitted that pressures were "incredibly high and rising". They stressed that A&E remai...
The Argus •

Watch: Dramatic video shows ravaged inside of Royal Albion hotel gutted by fire

Exposed brick and ruined floors can be seen through windows and damaged walls inside the building as demolition experts prepare to tear down parts of the building.

Smoke can still be seen coming from sections of the building after the hotel went up in flames on Saturday, July 15.

The video, taken on Tuesday afternoon, shows a person walking through parts of the Royal Albion hotel which have not been damaged by fire before arriving at sections which have been destroyed by the blaze....
The Argus •

Scores of police officers investigated for domestic abuse or sexual offences

Statistics revealed under a Freedom of Information request found that 95 officers were investigated between 2017 and 2022, with figures for sexual offence allegations rising considerably in that period.

The figures include allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment and abuse of position for a sexual purpose. Annual figures for sexual offence allegations increased five-fold between 2019 and 2022.

Over the five-year period, 68 officers were investigated for allegations of sexual offe...
The Argus •

Dad of killer spoke to his son on the day he stabbed his grandmother - court told

Sue Addis, 69, died in her bathroom in Cedars Gardens, Brighton, in January 2021 after she was attacked by Pietro Addis, 17 at the time.

A post-mortem investigation found that the restaurateur, who ran Donatello, was stabbed 17 times, with the cause of death being given as “stab wounds to the neck and chest”.

Addis, now 19, is standing trial for the alleged murder of his grandmother.

He admits killing Mrs Addis but denies murder.

Expert psychiatrist Dr Duncan Harding told Lewes C...
The Argus •

Heartbreak at death of beloved sister after she was treated in corridor for 12 hours

Tamara Davis, 31, died in intensive care after spending hours in the corridor of an emergency department where she was coughing up blood and suffered from severe diarrhoea, her family said.

Following her death, her sister Miya Davis has described her treatment as “disgusting” and called on more to be done for patients in the future. The NHS Trust that runs the hospital has sent their condolences to the family.

Speaking to The Argus, Miya, 24, said: “I think the treatment was disgusting....
The Argus •

Patients are dying in our corridors – inside the Royal Sussex A&E crisis

As many as 40 people at a time have been receiving treatment in a walkway at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton as there is no room in bays and cubicles.

NHS doctors at the hospital have now shared their horror stories of working on the ward, where  some patients are waiting as long as 15 hours for treatment.

Dr Alison Beadsworth, a consultant in the Royal Sussex A&E department, said: “Some of these people may die eventually but certainly having to spend your last few days of y...