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Dominic King: Sussex Police forced retirement, paedophile priest Roy Cotton and Herne Bay Pier

Sussex Police forced retirement, paedophile priest Roy Cotton and Herne Bay Pier

BBC Radio Kent - Dominic King, Sussex Police forced retirement, paedophile priest Roy Cotton and Herne Bay Pier

Sussex Police's plan to force officers to retire after 30 years of service are approved.

Matt speaks to the chairman of the Sussex Police Authority about approving plans to force experienced officers to retire. Plus, Matt gets reaction from the Sussex Police Federation's chairman.

Matt Davison, sitting in for Dominic King, speaks to the chairman of the Sussex Police Authority, Steve Waight, about his organisation's approval of the plan to force officers to retire after 30 years of service. It is part of Sussex Police's strategy to meet its target of saving £52m by 2015. Matt also gets reaction from Bob Brown, chairman of the Sussex Police Federation.

Matt hears how striking evidence is revealed showing the top of the Church of England knew that a paedophile priest had a conviction for child abuse before he was ordained. 

Roy Cotton was recommended to the then Archbishop of Canterbury in 1966. Cotton went on to abuse a number of boys in Eastbourne in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Matt hears from campaigners who want to re-build Herne Bay Pier, which was once the second longest pier in the world. Campaigners want to recruit 1,000 local residents to form a trust to decide how the historical structure should be re-built.  

Drivetime across the south east is a six-month pilot from BBC Radio Kent, BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey. For Listen Live on the iPlayer, you will hear the programme with local bulletins for each county. If you listen on the iPlayer on Listen Again, you will hear the whole programme but with Kent news bulletins only. This pilot is being assessed by the BBC Trust and the BBC will be carrying out audience research to decide whether the pilot continues. Any permanent change would require full Trust approval.

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Sussex Police forced retirement, paedophile priest Roy Cotton and Herne Bay Pier

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