A water firm has been fined after admitting it allowed sewage to pollute householders' gardens.

Southern Water pleaded guilty to allowing the sewage to seep into gardens, a boating lake and a golf course in Worthing, West Sussex.

Worthing magistrates' court heard sewage, up to six feet deep in places, had escaped from a water treatment works on 3 January 2001.

Southern Water Services was fined �4,500 and ordered to pay �1,915 costs, following its guilty plea on Monday.

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Housing department acted 'unfairly'

A government watchdog has told Oxford City Council's housing department to pay �5,500 in compensation to a family who were forced to live in a cramped one-bedroom house.

The report, by the local government ombudsman, said the department was unjust in its actions.

The family of three, who want to remain anonymous, were forced to live in a one-bedroom bungalow by the department.

The ombudsman said the family should be rehoused - if this is not done immediately it recommends they are paid �1,000 for each year they are forced to stay in their present accommodation.

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Households evacuated by fire

Dozens of people have spent the night at a village hall in Littlehampton, West Sussex, after they were moved out of their homes because of a fire.

They were moved out just before midnight on Monday when smoke from the Onyx building in Harwood Road started to engulf homes.

A total of 75 firefighters were called to the scene and one man was rescued from the first floor of the building.

Police and fire investigators are trying to establish the cause of the fire.

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Ex-transport boss gets atomic job

The former head of London Transport has been appointed to a �60,000 part-time post as chairman of the Atomic Energy Authority.

Denis Tunnicliffe, 59, will take up his new job in April following the retirement of Sir Kenneth Eaton.

Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt said Mr Tunnicliffe's appointment would strengthen the decommissioning and environmental restoration of the authority's nuclear sites.

On Tuesday Mr Tunnicliffe said: "I am delighted to be joining AEA at this important stage in its development."

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Reading cultural capital plans

An ambitious aim to make Reading the new cultural capital of the South is formally launched on Tuesday.

The council is planning to set itself a series of goals for developing sport, the arts and leisure.

Among the ideas is a new performing arts centre to run alongside or replace the ageing Hexagon Theatre.

Reading residents will be invited to put forward their views before a blueprint is finalised.

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Police uncover human skeleton

Forensic examinations are being carried out on human remains uncovered at a house in London.

Detectives found the skeleton in Notting Hill after they were tipped off.

On Monday, a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said she could not confirm details of the age or sex of the remains.

She said the remains were discovered at the house in St Luke's Road last Wednesday after the execution of a search warrant.