Local News

Thousands Of Cannabis Plants Found In Leysdown

Thousands Of Cannabis Plants Found In Leysdown

Detectives investigating drug supply in Swale have arrested and charged five people following the search of the disused Merlins nightclub on the Isle Of Sheppey.

Officers attended the building on Leysdown Road in Leysdown on Friday (10th September) afternoon, where they found four separate rooms containing a total of more than 3,000 cannabis plants.

Five men were arrested at the scene and have all been remanded in custody ahead of their appearance at Medway Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Monday 13th September).

They are Thomas Dunne, aged 69, and his son Tommy Dunne, 22, of Leysdown Road, both of whom have been charged with cultivating cannabis and abstraction of electricity, and Indrit Gaxhenji, 34, Oligert Alija, 19, and Arditi Hoxha, 18, all of no fixed address and who have also been charged with cultivating cannabis.

It is understood that parts of Leydown were without electricity for a large part of Friday evening whilst UK Power Networks dealt with disconnecting supply to the cultivation.

Lack Of Secondary School Places To Be Discussed

Lack Of Secondary School Places To Be Discussed

Swale Borough Councillors are set to be discussing the lack of options for secondary school places in Sittingbourne and Sheppey at the next round of area committee meetings.

At the Sittingbourne and Sheppey meetings, councillors will receive an introductory paper from Swale Council Leader, Roger Truelove, a statement from Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson, and a presentation from Marisa White, Area Education Officer at Kent County Council (KCC) outlining how the provision of secondary schools can be improved.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader at the council, said: “We know education is not a borough council service, but elected members are well aware of the distress caused to families because of the shortage of secondary school places in Swale. This year, many youngsters have been allocated spaces at schools that were not their first choice. As an authority wishing to see progress in our local economy, we want to see an expansion of skills to help young people access good jobs in Swale. The provision of vocational schooling is important to us, and although perspectives will be different in our different areas, we fully support the possibility of a new school in north west Sittingbourne. It is also important that young people have more choice on the Isle of Sheppey.

He went on to add: “Everybody is welcome at the area committee meetings, they are a forum for the public to have their say on local issues that are important to them. I encourage anybody who is affected by this issue to come and join us.”

Upcoming area committee meetings:

Tuesday 7th September

Kemsley Hall

Sittingbourne

7:00pm                                                            

Tuesday 14th September

Minster Working Men’s Club

Sheppey

7:00pm

Council To Support 'Climate And Ecological' Emergency

Council To Support 'Climate And Ecological' Emergency

Swale Borough Council is supporting local organisations and community groups to host 27 events around the borough for Great Big Green Week.

Seventeen local organisations will be hosting a variety of events ranging from litter picks and webinars to art workshops and a giant whale installation circus to celebrate action on the climate and ecological emergency for the week-long event.

Great Big Green Week is a national week of events running from Saturday 18th to Sunday 26th September ahead of the global climate conference, COP26, in November.

The council has been working with The Climate Coalition to provide over £5,000 funding to support local events around the borough.

Cllr Tim Valentine, cabinet member for the climate emergency at the council, Told SFM News: “We’ve allocated 17 grants totalling over £5,000 to local businesses, organisations, groups and charities in support of their Great Big Green Week events. People can attend any of the 27 events including exhibitions, roadshows, litter picks, workshops, awareness days and tree planting starting on Saturday 18th September. We have roadshows in Faversham, Sittingbourne and Sheerness throughout the week with 150 free pollinator-friendly plants to give away, and lots of fun events around the borough".

He went on to add:  “In Sittingbourne there will be a youth forum for young people to pledge their actions on the climate emergency and a variety of events at Milton Creek Country Park including mindfulness workshop, turning old boots into bird boxes and making mutant flower artwork from plastic drinks bottles with a local artist. People can also join in orchard clearing and tree planting at Oare community orchard, create pollinator patches around Painters Forstal and Ospringe, and Diversity House will be hosting a week-long event. There are lots of family activities to get involved in across the borough and we encourage everybody to get involved and help us tackle the climate and ecological emergency.”

For more information on how you can get involved please visit: www.greatbiggreenweek.com/find-an-event.

Four Men Jailed After Violent Eastchurch Attack

Four Men Jailed After Violent Eastchurch Attack

An assault, which happened in front of terrified families at a caravan park in Eastchurch last summer, has led to four men being handed jail terms.

Jason Taylor Snr, Oliver Taylor, Carl Allam and Jason Taylor Jnr were all jailed for the violent incident which resulted in the victim being punched and knocked unconscious before the group fled.

The victim was attacked during the day at a caravan park in Warden Road on Wednesday 16th June 2020 by Jason Taylor Jnr, aged 26 and of Mountview in Borden.

The incident happened after an argument broke out outside one of the caravans. Following this the group attended the front counter at the caravan park where Taylor Jnr started to attack a man in his 60s while holding a machete.

During the disturbance Allam, 31, of Coldharbour Lane, Kemsley, used a large Katana bladed knife to scare off the victim’s family and members of the public by waving the knife at them.

Oliver Taylor, 25, of Canterbury Road, Sittingbourne, then used a baseball bat where he inflicted further head injuries to the victim.

The three Taylors (pictured) then surrounded the victim where he was punched in the face knocking him unconscious. They then fled the scene leaving the victim on the floor and continued to shout at other people in the park on their way out.

After the incident, the man was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries and has since recovered.

Following an investigation all four men were arrested and later charged with one count each of violent disorder. They each admitted the charges and were jailed on Tuesday (31st August) at Maidstone Crown Court.

Jason Taylor Jnr was jailed for two years and seven months while his father, 50, of Mountview, Borden, was handed a two year and six-month sentence. Carl Allam and Oliver Taylor were both sentenced to two years and five months in jail. 

Detective Sergeant Shaun Vidgeon of Swale’s Criminal Investigation Department told SFM News: "This was a frightening incident which happened in broad daylight in front of many terrified people including children. The victim was subjected to a prolonged and vicious assault, which resulted in a complex and time-consuming investigation in order identify those responsible, and I’m pleased that a jail term has been imposed on all of those involved."

Phoenix House Home To Bus Shelter Project

Phoenix House Home To Bus Shelter Project

The doors of Phoenix House, on Central Avenue, re-opened this week as the new home for The Bus Shelter Kent Project.

The Bus Shelter Kent Project offers hot meals and food parcels to those in need and also helps to find accommadation for anyone who finds themselves homeless in the Sittingbourne area.

After coming out of lockdown the group were using the car park but have now received the keys to the building, previously occupied by Swale Community Centres.

Their Open Day (Thursday 26th August) saw nearly 50 meals being served, with help from Morrisons Sittingbourne.

The service will now be available at Phoenix House between 10:00am and 2:00pm Monday to Friday and all donations are greatfully received.

Firefighters Tackle A Large Haystack Blaze

Firefighters Tackle A Large Haystack Blaze

The Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) were at the scene of a haystack fire on Quinton Road earlier today (Thursday 26th August).

They were called to the scene just after 11:00am and one fire engine was in attendance, with crews using drag rakes and a hose reel jet to prevent further fire spread.

No casualties were reported. 
 
Firefighters asked those living or working in the Quinton Road and Sonora Way areas to keep all windows and doors closed as a precaution due to the smoke but this was lifted at 2.20pm when the fire was finally extinguished.

Appeal After Woman On Mobility Scooter Harassed

Appeal After Woman On Mobility Scooter Harassed

Local officers are appealling for information following a report a woman, using a mobility scoote and being assisted by a service dog, was harassed by four young people in Sittingbourne on Monday (16th August) morning.

The four individuals, who are described as being males in their mid to late teens, are said to have verbally abused the woman in Bourne Place, off St Michael’s Road, between 8.40pm and 9pm on Monday. The suspects are all described as being white and were wearing black tops. Two of the individuals were wearing dark trousers, with another wearing black shorts and the final one wearing grey trousers. At least one of the individuals was travelling on an e-scooter.

Since the incident, officers have spoken to the victim and also gathered CCTV from a number of sources, with the footage continuing to be reviewed. As part of enquiries, investigators are keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or captured the suspects on privately held video footage such as dash cameras or CCTV.

Anyone with any information that can assist is asked to call 01795 419119 quoting 46/150091/21, or, alternatively, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers free and anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or using the anonymous online form available via this link: https://crimestoppers-uk.org

Upchurch PCSOs Commended For Response

Upchurch PCSOs Commended For Response

The supervisor of two PCSOs who came to the rescue of a man who had suffered a medical incident in Upchurch has commended the officers for their quick thinking.

PCSOs Lee Fennell and John Cork were on patrol in Upchurch on the evening of Monday 2nd August when a member of the public flagged them down to report a man had fallen from his bike.

On arrival, they located the cyclist lying on the pavement and drifting in and out of consciousness. The pair established he was a diabetic and did not have any insulin on him.

Concerned he may be slipping into a diabetic coma, PCSO Fennell rushed to a nearby store and got a chocolate bar and orange juice while PCSO Cork stayed with him. As they were assisting the man a member of the public stopped at the scene and told the officers he was a doctor and began triage.

With the assistance of the sugary snacks, the man’s condition improved and attending medical crews confirmed the cyclists blood sugar was very low but the chocolate and orange juice had helped with his recovery.

Sergeant Ryan Chase told SFM News: "This is a good example of members of the community working with our officers to assist someone in need. I would like to commend PCSOs Fennell and Cork for their actions, as well as the member of the public who flagged them down and the doctor who stopped the moment he saw someone who needed help. Their actions potentially saved a life. Thankfully the man concerned was returned home by the ambulance crew and made a full recovery."

'Deliberate' Corn Field Fire In Rodmersham

'Deliberate' Corn Field Fire In Rodmersham

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) were called to reports of a fire in corn fields off Highsted Road, in Rodmersham, earlier today (Saturday 14th August).

Two fire engines were sent to the scene at around 3:30pm and crews used hose reel jets to extinguish the flames, which destroyed an area of approximately 10m x 10m of corn. 
 
No casualties were reported. 
 
It’s believed the fire was started deliberately. 
 
The KFRS told SFM News: "Grass fires are more common in the summer months, when the ground is dry and can cause flames to spread more quickly. Incidents like this can have a devastating impact, injuring or killing wildlife, destroying property and livelihoods, and even putting people’s lives at risk. 
 
You can help to reduce the risk of a grass fire, by: 
 
- When lighting a bonfire, keep it to a manageable size, make sure it’s well clear of greenery and property, and always supervise it while it’s burning. Avoid having a bonfire in windy weather. 
 
- Dispose of smoking materials responsibly, making sure they’re fully stubbed out and cooled before being put in a bin - consider using a portable ashtray when on the go. 
 
- Place disposable barbecues on a sturdy, non-flammable surface when cooking, away from greenery and property, and only place in a bin once fully cool".

Police Appeal After Sheep Found 'Butchered' In Field

Police Appeal After Sheep Found 'Butchered' In Field

Rural crime investigators are appealing for information after two sheep were killed in a field in Newington.

The livestock were found dead in Church Lane on the night of Sunday 8th and Monday 9th August 2021.

Sergeant Darren Walshaw, from Kent Police’s Rural Task Force, told SFM News: "The two sheep concerned had been butchered by a person, or persons, with expertise in removing meat from a carcass and this this is naturally a distressing incident for the people who reared the animals. Fortunately, incidents of this nature are relatively rare however we do know that farm animals can be seen as a target for thieves. We are fully aware of the impact offending of this nature has on farmers and will always review all reasonable lines of enquiry. I’d also encourage members of the public, particularly people living in rural communities, to be wary of this type of offending and to contact us if they have any suspicions."

Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to call Kent Police on 01795 419119 quoting 46/144168/21 or, alternatively, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers free and anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or using the anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org.

Pages

CSVCSV
Subscribe to Latest 106.9 SFM Local News

100% Local Radio for Sittingbourne