Local News

The official advice from the Spirit of Sittingbourne, who are progressing the plans for the town centre regeneration, is to avoid travelling through Sittingbourne town centre if possible from 29th May until the 3rd September.

This period will see the largest and most disruptive phase of the development and full details on exactly what is happening can be found on our associate website: www.sittingbourne.me.

A male body has been found in the Swale after a closure of the northbound carriageway of the A249 Sheppey Crossing.

Highways England (@highwaySEAST) tweeted at 04:00

#A249 #Sheppeycrossing northbound is currently closed due to police incident. Diversion is via the old Sheppey bridge. Please allow extra time for your journey this morning.

Kent Police confirmed they found a male body at 04:44 after being called our to report of an abandoned vehicle on the northbound carriageway of the A249 Sheppey Crossing.

The death is not being treated as suspicious.

The northbound carriageway was closed during rush hour with traffic being diverted via The Kingsferry Bridge. 

The Sheppey Crossing re-opened at 08:00.

A cannabis factory has been found after officers from Kent Police executed a drugs warrant in Sittingbourne.

The plants were seized at around 8.00am earlier today (Wednesday 25th April) on Wihtred Road in Bapchild. More than 150 mature plants were found and all in the final stages of drying ready to be sold.

Police Sergeant Jason Hedges, from Swale's Community Policing Team, told SFM News: "we actively seek to disrupt any criminal activity within Kent and today's warrant is a prime example of this. Had we not found these plants they would have been ground down and sold as drugs within Kent and perhaps beyond. Anyone who suspects there is criminal activity taking place near them, or suspects a person to be committing offences should always report it so it can be investigated."

Officers have not yet made any arrests but are carrying out ongoing enquiries.

A teenage girl was forced to carry a mobile phone with an earpiece and microphone attached by a controlling man so he could eavesdrop on her conversations.

Rique Wall would also insist she speak to him for hours on end, dictated when she could leave her Sittingbourne home, and carried out a number of sexual offences against her.

Wall, 32, of Kimberley Road in Croydon, committed the offences between April 2014 and July 2016.

He was jailed for nine years at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday (12th April) after being found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of controlling or coercive behaviour.

The Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Steve Rees of Kent Police, told SFM News: "Wall targeted the young girl when she was exceptionally vulnerable and took advantage of her need for support. He then subjected her to a long period of emotional abuse and controlling behaviour, which included supplying her with mobile phones and equipment so he could control who she spoke to and stopping her from leaving her home and seeing friends. I'd like to pay tribute to the victim for her courage in overcoming her abuser and helping to ensure he serves a long period behind bars, without her support Wall may never have seen trial. We have specially trained officers on hand ready to aid and support any victims of sexual abuse and controlling behaviour. If you are a victim, please get in touch."