Local News

Norfolk Man Charged With Sittingbourne Robbery

Norfolk Man Charged With Sittingbourne Robbery

A 28-year-old man is set to face magistrates next month after having been charged for a robbery that was reported nearly three years ago.

Kent Police were called on Sunday 4th July 2010 to reports of a robbery on Park Road in Sittingbourne. The victim was believed to have been threatened with an extendable baton unless he handed over his wallet.

Matthew Coward of Berners Street in Norwich was arrested on 12th November last year and has been charged with robbery.

He is due to appear at Maidstone Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 29th May.

New Tesco Extra Store Plans Scrapped

New Tesco Extra Store Plans Scrapped

After its recent announcement that its full-year pre-tax profit had more than halved - the worst performance in the company's history following £2.4bn of writedowns following its decision to exit the US and its UK-driven profit warning last year - Tesco has confirmed that it is to cancel its proposed 100 store expansion across the UK including the new Tesco Extra development for Milton Creek here in Sittingbourne.

Tesco confirmed that it had taken the UK charge as a direct result of its decision to "move away from building big stores" and that the company will "now concentrate on [its] online and convenience shop businesses". This resulted in the company identifying more than 100 sites - the majority bought between the last 5 to 10 years - that it would no longer develop.

The decision has had a mixed reaction locally but Tesco's withdrawal from the proposed regeneration on land north of the railway line means that the following plans will no longer be going ahead:-

  • 11 new retail stores and a cafe - that we seen as being key to attract a wide range of new shops to the town.
  • A new state-of-the-art and energy-efficient Tesco Extra.
  • A new parking area with 1,188 spaces - serving both the Tesco store and the town centre generally.
  • The opportunity for new homes to be built on the site in the future.

Tony Weaver will be discussing how this may or may not have an effect on Sittingbourne's Regeneration Plans on "In The Bourne" all this week - Mon-Fri 11am-3pm on 106.9 SFM.

 

Gareth Southgate Visits Minterne Footballers

Gareth Southgate Visits Minterne Footballers

The recently crowned regional npower Kids Cup Champions, Minterne Community Junior School from here in Sittingbourne (and supported by Gillingham FC), got the opportunity of a lifetime on Thursday (18th April) when they were put through their paces by former England defender Gareth Southgate.

During the campaign the school have seen off competition from clubs including Bristol Rovers, Plymouth and Wycombe to book their place in the National Finals of the Kids Cup, taking place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 18th May before the League Two Play-Off Final.

Gareth was joined by representatives from the Football League sponsors npower, and took the opportunity to meet the entire school in assembly where he answered numerous questions about his playing and managerial career.

He then passed on some valuable tips and techniques during a training session with the team; the session included footwork, movement and passing drills and finished with a game which Gareth himself took part in.

After the training session Gareth posed for photos and signed shirts and boots for all the team and their parents/guardians.

106.9 SFM wish the team the very best of luck at Wembley where they will face the school representing Morecambe FC.

 

Teenager Charged After Laser Shone At Helicopter

Teenager Charged After Laser Shone At Helicopter

A teenager has been charged after a laser was shone at the police helicopter in Sittingbourne.

At about 10.30pm on Wednesday (17th April) the helicopter was assisting officers searching on the ground for two men seen acting suspiciously in Gas Road, Milton Regis, when a laser was shone at the aircraft.

19-year-old William Henry Rye, of Tonge Road in Sittingbourne, has been charged with recklessly/negligently acting in manner likely to endanger an aircraft/person in an aircraft.

He has been bailed to appear at Maidstone Magistrates' Court on Monday 3rd June.

Sittingbourne Man Arrested For Kemsley Burglary

A 20-year-old man has been arrested following a burglary at a property in Sittingbourne.

Kent Police was called after 4pm on Tuesday 2nd April after reports of a break-in at an address in Adisham Green, Kemsley.

A number of jewellery items, including a gold engagement ring, gold wedding band and Armani watch were reported missing, as well as £3,500 worth of camera equipment and a mobile phone.

A 20-year-old man from Sittingbourne was arrested on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage and has been bailed until Wednesday 5th June pending further enquiries.

Chancellor Defends Benefit Changes In Sittingbourne

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, made a high profile visit to the Morrison's Distribution Centre in Kemsley earlier today (Tuesday 2nd April).

During the visit, followed by all major UK news organisations, he defended the benefits and tax changes that came in to effect yesterday, accusing critics of peddling "headline-seeking nonsense". The chancellor claimed that nine out of ten working households would actually be better off. Yesterday's shake-up included cuts to housing benefit, for some social housing tenants with a spare room, and alterations to council tax.

Mr Osborne argued that the government had had to "take difficult decisions to cut the deficit" as the current benefits system was "fundamentally broken".

Changes, introduced from the 1st April include:

  • The introduction of a  new £26,000 cap on the amount of benefits any one household can receive
  • A cut to housing benefit for working-age social housing tenants whose property is deemed to be larger than they need
  • Disability living allowance replaced by personal independence payment
  • Working-age benefits and tax credits to rise by 1% - a below-inflation cap

The Chancellor told workers "for too long, we've had a system where people who did the right thing - who get up in the morning and work hard - felt penalised for it, while people who did the wrong thing got rewarded for it. That's wrong. So this month we [The Coalition Government] are going to put things right. This month we will make work pay."

Listeners to 106.9 SFM will be able to discuss the Chancellor's visit, and his comments, with local MP Gordon Henderson on his LIVE On Air Surgery on Friday 12th April, on Tony Weaver's "In The Bourne" Programme between 1 and 2pm.

 

Distraction Theft In Sittingbourne

Distraction Theft In Sittingbourne

Kent Police are appealing for witnesses after an elderly woman had her purse stolen during a distraction theft in Sittingbourne.

The 85-year-old victim visited a bank in the High Street on Wednesday (27th March) at approximately 2.30pm and withdrew £50 from a cashpoint. She then returned to her car, parked by a supermarket on the Avenue of Remembrance, when a man came up to her and asked for directions to France.

The victim, who is local to the area, put her handbag in the passenger seat of her car and began writing down directions on a piece on paper handed to her by the man. As she did so, she became aware the man had moved to her side. He took the paper off her and left, at which point she noticed another man standing nearby and grinning.

The woman later noticed her purse had been taken from her handbag. It contained the £50 she had withdrawn and several bank cards - two of which were then used to withdraw £250 each.

The men are described as white, with one in his 30s with dark brown hair. He was well dressed in navy trousers and jacket. The other was around 60 years old, with a heavy build and a khaki overcoat.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Karen Caulfield, told SFM's Roger Wrapson "this was an underhanded theft of a vulnerable victim. I'm eager to hear from anybody who may have noticed either of these men. I'd like to remind people to take extra care when withdrawing money at public cashpoints - you never know who could be watching you enter your PIN. Often thieves will try to distract you while they or an accomplice steal your belongings. If you are in any way suspicious of somebody, call Kent Police immediately".

Anybody with any information is asked to call Kent Police's non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference XY/9419/13, or they can contact Kent Crimestoppers free (from any landline) and anonymously on 0800 555111.

 

 

CCTV Released After Sittingbourne Purse Theft

CCTV Released After Sittingbourne Purse Theft

Kent Police have released an image of two people they would like to speak to in connection with a stolen purse in Sittingbourne.

The black purse, which contained £250 cash, a number of cards and photographs of the victim's children, was taken from a shop in the High Street on 7th February. The victim had left the bag on top of some catalogues in the store and accidentally left without it.

It is believed a young couple then entered the shop and the man is seen to have spotted the purse and picked it up before the pair walked out.

The man is described as white with a stocky build, aged between 18 and 22 and wearing a dark jumper with white collar, a dark hooded coat, dark bottoms, dark trainers and white socks.

The woman is described as white with a slim build and long dark straight hair, between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 7 inches tall. She was wearing dark rimmed glasses, slim build, between 5ft5 and 5ft7, white puffer body warmer with fur-edged hood, black sleeves, black leggings and Ugg-style boots.

Officers investigating the theft are now looking to trace the man and woman shown in this image, as they believed they may have information that could help them with their enquiries.

Anybody who can identify the man or woman, or who may have information that could assist police, is asked to call Kent Police's non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference XY/4136/13, or they can contact Kent Crimestoppers free (from any landline) and anonymously on 0800 555111.

 

Local Man Jailed For Part In £1.9m Computer Chip Theft

Local Man Sentenced For Part In £1.9m Comp Chip Theft

Three men have been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for stealing high-value computer chips worth almost £2million.

The trio were arrested on 13th September 2012 by officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate following the theft that day of computer chips valued at £1.9m. The chips were part of a larger consignment (£4.5m) which were being transported via lorry trailer from Ireland via the UK to Holland. The men were disturbed during the theft, therefore preventing the theft of the whole load. The men were all charged on 14th September 2012.

Adrian Gowers, 48, of Langdale Close in Gillingham, Desmond Schwartz, 39, of Corton Close in Stevenage and Darren Tyrrell, 24, of Thomas Road, Murston, Sittingbourne all pleaded guilty on 20th December 2012 at Maidstone Crown Court. The men travelled in two vehicles, a stolen Fiat Ducato and a Vauxhall Vectra which was owned by Schwartz from Lordswood in Kent to the Bedfont area of West London just south of Heathrow, with the intention of stealing computer chips from the transport company. They spent several hours in Bedfont awaiting the load's arrival. Once it did arrive and was unloaded, the offenders drove into the yard and loaded some of the pallets into the stolen Ducato and then drove off.

They were arrested shortly after the theft by Kent Police officers who had been investigating the stolen vehicle. The Ducato had been stolen in Kent on 10 September and fitted with cloned number plates. Officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate conducted a thorough investigation, confiscating six mobile phones and establishing that Adrian Gowers first visited the Bedfont area on 25th August 2012. On 10th September, the white Fiat Ducato van was stolen from Borden in Sittingbourne. On 13th September, the two vehicles left the Lordswood, area in convoy at around 9.20am. Both vehicles arrived at an area just south of Heathrow at just after 11am. The men then spent several hours in the area. Both vehicles were then driven to Parkland Road in Ashford, Middlesex where the Vauxhall Vectra was then left.

The number plates were again changed on the Fiat Ducato before Gowers, Schwartz and Tyrrell approached the lorry park at around 5.10pm and parked next to a stacked pallet load of computer chips, which were awaiting collection to be transported to Holland. Whilst one remained in the driving seat, two men exited the vehicle and were seen to try and load the pallet in its entirety into the Ducato. When this failed, they slashed the wrappings of the pallet to unload individual boxes. They were then disturbed and challenged by an employee of the yard and they left at speed in the Ducato. The Ducato was abandoned in Feltham, having had its number plate changed again, and Gowers, Schwartz and Tyrrell walked to Parkland Road where they got into the parked Vauxhall Vectra. Schwartz then drove them away from the area.

The Vauxhall Vectra, now being followed by police, was forcibly stopped by Kent & Essex Serious Crime Directorate officers on the A30 at the junction with Blacknest Road in Surrey. The men were arrested and taken into custody at Medway Police Station. A car key was recovered from the back seat of the Vectra which was then used by officers to unlock the abandoned Fiat Ducato. Boxes of computer chips were recovered from the rear of the Ducato and established to be worth around £1.9m.

Today (Monday 18th March), Gowers was sentenced to five years and three months in prison, while Schwartz and Tyrell were each given custodial sentences of three years and nine months.

 

The Duke Of York Visits Sittingbourne

The Duke Of York Visits Sittingbourne

Prince Andrew, The Duke Of York, visited The Swale Skills Centre on Bonham Drive here in Sittingbourne earlier today (Thursday 14th March).

He was here to promote UK Apprenticeships and spoke to staff and apprentices at the centre. He also spoke to participants in the Caterham Car Project developed by the Rotary Club Of Sittingbourne Invicta and supported by 106.9 SFM.

He was here for approximately an hour before being helicoptered off to' The KentChoices 4 U' event at the Kent County Show Ground in Detling. 

Mike Whiting, the KCC Cabinet Member for Education, Learning & Skills, told SFM News "we want to support young people in making choices in their education and careers. It is important for them individually, Kent and the economy in general".

Tune in to Sam Gillham's Drivetime, from 3pm today, on 106.9 SFM for further information.

 

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