Local News

Thousands of pounds worth of groceries have been recovered and four women arrested following reports of shoplifting from a supermarket in Sittingbourne.

At about 2.50pm on Sunday (15th February) Kent Police were called after CCTV captured a group leaving the Sainsbury store on Avenue of Remembrance with several trolleys full of goods without paying.

When officers arrived, the suspects had already left in two vehicles. These were quickly identified by officers from the Community Safety Unit and traced to another supermarket in Bysing Wood Road, Faversham.

Around 40 minutes later, three women were arrested inside the store while attempting to de tag items, and another was detained in a vehicle outside.

A search of the vehicles uncovered more than £3,000 worth of goods, including cleaning products, chocolate and other groceries.

The four women, aged 16, 21, 23 and 45, all from London, were arrested on suspicion of theft from a shop and handling stolen goods. The 23 year old was also arrested on suspicion of driving while disqualified.

They have all been released on bail while enquiries continue.

A computer-generated image has been issued following a report of a sexual assault in Sittingbourne.

Kent police received a report that a man was followed while walking along William Street at about 3.30pm on Monday 22nd December 2025.

The suspect reportedly made a sexual comment before touching him inappropriately over his clothes. After the victim confronted him about his actions, the suspect left the scene in the direction of the High Street.

Officers attended and enquiries have been completed including reviewing CCTV footage. Investigators are now in a position to release an e-fit of the suspect, who is described as 5ft 5in tall, spoke broken English, and was wearing a black bomber jacket and jeans at the time of the incident.

Anyone who recognises the man in the e-fit, or has relevant information or CCTV footage that could assist the investigation, is urged to contact Kent Police on 01795 419 119 quoting reference 46/218884/25. 

Alternatively they can contact Crimestoppers FREE and anonymously on 0800 555 111 or they can use their online form at:https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/pre-form .

Nominations are now open to recognise the contributions of community heroes here in Swale.

The Mayor’s Civic Award is asking for people to nominate hidden heroes who work to help others across the borough. 

Nominees can come from all ages and backgrounds; they just need to have made a difference to their local community and live in Swale.

The nominations are open until Tuesday 31st March and the winners will be selected by the Mayor of Swale, Cllr Karen Watson, and a panel of councillors.

Winners will be invited to an award ceremony at Swale House, in May, followed by an afternoon tea with the mayor.

Last year’s awards saw 11 local heroes recognised for their hard work and dedication to helping their communities.

The Mayor of Swale, Cllr Karen Watson, told SFM News: “It is an honour and privilege to be able to help recognise some of the most caring, compassionate, and hardworking people in Swale, through the Mayor’s Civic Awards. The awards are an opportunity for everyone to show their appreciation for the members of our community who work tirelessly to better Swale, help people, and make a real difference. If you know someone who goes above and beyond to help those around them, whether that is through volunteering, acts of heroism or charity work please nominate them for this award.  

The Mayor went on to add: “Swale is blessed with so many amazing organisations so we know picking just a few people to honour will be incredibly difficult, but, equally, I can’t wait to see all the nominations come in.  I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who gives up their time to help our communities - even if you don’t get this award - we truly appreciate everyone’s efforts to make Swale a kinder place.”

For more information, including how to make a nomination, visit Swale Borough Council’s website or you can email: mayor@swale.gov.uk.

Last year’s winners were:

Highly commended 

Ross Elderfield -  a football coach in Sheerness who spearheaded the clubs first girls team – The Whippets Development Team, with the aim of encouraging more young girls to play football.  When he is not braving wet and windy weather training youth teams, he is organising fundraising events.

Claire Ives - who was instrumental in setting up new services for people over the age of 50 and ensured a successful merger between two Age UK services. She brought together different charities under one roof to deliver services from the Heather House community hub in Sittingbourne. She is also the chair of the swale voluntary sector group which brings together organisations to make sure Swale’s most vulnerable are supported in a coherent impactful way.

Finn Tumber - dedicated to raising the awareness of mental health. He runs a yearly charity football match 'The Connor Mackay Cup', which last year raised £15,000 for mental health charities. He has a podcast which works to break the stigma of mental health and encourage people to talk. He organises and promotes events to get the community together and build friendships. He also volunteers regularly for initiatives such as at the children's Lego club.

Lorraine March -  her team care for over 600 animals a year including hedgehogs, foxes, birds and marine animals including seals. They aim to rescue wildlife found injured, sick or orphaned and treat, rehabilitate and then release them where possible. They also raise awareness for these amazing animals and promote road safety and warn against the dangers of littering.

Rebecca Breiner - suffered from hearing loss at an early age and learnt sign language through music. She formed the Song Signing Academy and is now an ambassador for the Charities Sign2Sing and Signhealth. Rather than sing with their voices, her choir sings with their hands in British Sign Language. She also offers online and in-person chances for Swale residents to learn sign language.

Civic award

Steven Pullen - who shared the award and always helped others as a first responder and ambulance driver. He is also the director and founding member of Swale Pride and has worked to ensure that the branch developed into the thriving community it is today.

Jordan Chan - sharing the award with Steven - raised over £12,000 for charity and was the only Kent finalist for Mr Gay Great Britain, which he entered to raise awareness of LGBT issues across Swale. He also created a calendar to raise money and awareness for testicular cancer. He uses his platform to speak out against bullying and homophobia.

Kelly Kay - chairperson of the Sittingbourne and District Carnival Association, who took on the enormous challenge of restoring and improving the Sittingbourne Carnival, ensuring it could once again be a

Michelle Henneker  - who has been at the forefront of coordinating support for displaced Ukrainians in Sittingbourne and Sheppey ever since the UK welcomed those fleeing the Russian invasion. She has facilitated language lessons, housing advice and support for the mental health and wellbeing of children and the opportunity for the local Ukrainian population to have a safe space to meet.

Mayor’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Andrew Redman - who has been a volunteer for H.M. Coastguard for over 43 years. He is a coastguard rescue officer and can get called out at any time of the day or night to a cliff rescue, someone stuck in the mud, missing person search or a water rescue. He has saved countless lives.

Mayor’s Special Award

Tracy Marsh - a volunteer Coordinator for SATEDA. Despite a huge workload she treats every victim of domestic abuse with the upmost compassion, care and respect helping them to rebuild their lives and realise that there is life after domestic abuse. People can access help, such as a food bank, Sharewear, counselling, the freedom programme, wellbeing events and other support because of her.

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) has six public governor vacancies open for election locally in the county.

Public governors are volunteers who represent the views of local communities and help influence how community services are developed and delivered. They play a vital role in making sure services reflect the needs, experiences and priorities of the people who use them.

Public Governor for Tonbridge and Malling Rachel Knight (pictured) stood for election as a way to share her experiences and say thank you for care her husband has received.

Rachel told SFM: “My husband had an aortic aneurism and stroke 20 years ago, which has meant he has needed lifelong NHS care. Much of this has been from community services, so I stood for governor to share our experiences and say thank you. I have always loved the NHS and I felt it was an opportunity to give something back.”

This year’s elections come as  community healthis set to be at the heart of the NHS's 10-Year Plan and KCHFT has been selected as a national Neighbourhood Health pioneer, with public governors having the opportunity to be involved in shaping how care is delivered closer to home and within local neighbourhoods.

John Goulston, KCHFT Chair told SFM: “How we support people to stay well and out of hospital, and how we give children the best start in life are at the core of community NHS services in Kent. We need you to share your experiences and help us shape these services so the voice of patients is at the heart of our decisions.”

Who can stand for election

To stand as a public governor, individuals must:

• be a member of Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
• live in one of the areas with a current vacancy
• be aged 16 or over

They currently have a public governor vacancy in each of these six constituencies:

• Canterbury
• Folkestone and Hythe
• Gravesham
• Swale
• Thanet
• Tunbridge Wells

Membership is free and people who are not already members can sign up online.

Join can join as a member at: www.kentcht.nhs.uk/forms/membership-form/

Nominations are now open and applications must be submitted via the official election website: www.cesvotes.com/Kentcommunity202

People choose to become governors to:

• represent their local community and give people a voice
• influence how community health services are designed and improved
• bring lived experience, local knowledge and fresh perspectives
• gain insight into how the NHS works and develop new skills
• make a meaningful difference to health and wellbeing locally.

Existing governors describe the role as rewarding, eye-opening and a powerful way to contribute to positive change in their communities, but don't just take our word for it. Hear from some of our governors why they chose to stand for election in this short video.

To find out more visit their website at: https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/community-health-online/could-you-join-us-as-...

Members who would like more information or support with applying can contact the Governor Support Team on - email: kcht.governors@nhs.net or phone: 0300 013 2143.