Local News

Papa John’s Announce Plan To Close Local Store

Papa John’s Announce Plan To Close Local Store

Pizza chain Papa John's has today (Tuesday 26th March) announced ‘strategic closures to improve [it's] profitability and free up money'.

The company has announced that it plans to close 43 stores across the UK, in areas that are ‘underperforming’ after launching a review at the start of this year, and the Sittingbourne branch in West Street is among the list.

Papa John’s International announced all the affected stores will close by mid-May and it has not yet been confirmed how many staff will be impacted by the planned closures.

Managing director at Papa John’s UK, Chris Phylactou, said: "While this is a difficult decision, closing these underperforming locations will give us the opportunity to invest back into the right locations with the right partners for long-term growth".

 

Stabbing - Boy, 12, Appears Before Magistrates’ Court

Stabbing - Boy, 12, Appears Before Magistrates’ Court

A 12-year-old boy has appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court this afternoon (Monday 25th March) charged with the attempted murder of a 15-year-old girl, who was stabbed in the abdomen on Adelaide Drive on Friday (22nd March) afternoon.

The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, appeared in front of District Judge William Nelson, who sent the case to Maidstone Crown Court to be dealt with. The boy is expected to appear there for a preliminary hearing on Monday 22nd April  and was remanded in custody at a youth detention facility until then but could apply for bail again.

The girl, who also can’t be named for legal reasons, was taken to King’s College Hospital in London after the incident on Friday (22nd March), where she underwent emergency surgery for a bowel injury.

She is said to be in a stable condition and during the hearing chief prosecutor Julie Fabrace told the Judge (Nelson) it was still not known how long she would have to stay in hospital recovering.

Local residents on the Australian Estate have told SFM News that they were "extremely concerned" after finding out it was a stabbing incident involving children.

Kent Police have confirmed that they are no longer appealing for information, following an earlier appeal.

New Waste Contract And Collection Days In Swale

New Waste Contract And Collection Days In Swale
New refuse and waste collection vehicles will be working across the borough from Monday (25th March), when Swale Borough Council's (SBC) new waste and street cleaning contract begins.
 
SBC say that it will mean lower fuel costs, less emissions and quieter electric lifts, as well as better in-cab technology helping them to "deliver the reliable service you expect".
 
There have been teething problems with the postcode checker on SBC's website over the past week due to the high volume of requests being dealt with but they now tell SFM News this has been rectified.
 
SBC have confirmed that they will be collecting as normal over the up-and-coming bank holidays - so if you're due a collection on Good Friday (29th March) or Easter Monday (1st April) you are asked to make sure that your bins are out by the usual time (6am).
 
The council say that changes to the collection days have been made to help make the rounds more resilient. Instead of having all the lorries scattered across the borough, they'll be working in similar areas. That way, if one round has issues, others are nearby to help complete the collection.
 
SBC have confimred to SFM News that they've sent around 59,000 letters with information about any changes to collections to residents throughout the borough. There are some outstanding (narrow vehicle rounds and communal collections) where they have had to carry out extra work to make sure they're in line with regular rounds. Notices should be arriving on doormats next week and they say "sorry it's taken longer than we'd planned".
 
SBC say they are "working to minimise any disruption as we change over, but - realistically - there will be some teething problems. Everyone - crews, back office staff and whoever puts the bins out in your home - needs to get used to the new rounds and systems, but we're confident that once it's settled, it will be a better, more reliable service".
 
For more information, or to check your new collection day/s please see:- https://swale.gov.uk/bins-littering-and-the-environment/bins/my-collecti...

Police Appeal Following Schoolgirl Stabbing

Police Appeal Following Schoolgirl Stabbing

Witnesses are being sought after a teenager was seriously assaulted in Sittingbourne yesterday (Friday 22nd March) afternoon.

Kent Police were called at around 3.55pm following a report of an assault on Adelaide Drive, Sittingbourne.

Officers attended the scene, with South East Coast Ambulance Service, and a teenage girl was taken to a London hospital with injuries consistent with a stab wound. She remains in hospital in a stable condition.

A 12-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and remains in custody.

An investigation is ongoing and officers are urging anyone with information about the incident, including those with CCTV or dashcam footage, to come forward.

Anyone with any information is asked to call Kent Police on 01634 792209, quoting reference 46/46593/24 or alternatively they can contact Crimestoppers FREE and anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use the form on their website - https://crimestoppers-uk.org

Cash Found Hidden In Shoebox During Drug Search

Cash Found Hidden In Shoebox During Drug Search

A shoebox containing £30,000 has been discovered by officers responding to a report of antisocial behaviour in Sittingbourne.

Kent Police were called at around 5.40pm on Monday (5th March) to a report that four people were near St Giles Church in Church Road, Tonge, where they were smoking cannabis.

Local officers attended and the men were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act. A 22-year-old man was found in possession of a large quantity of cash, a mobile phone and cannabis.

Officers arrested the man and a further search was carried out at a property in Minster-on-Sea.

During the search police found shoeboxes containing cannabis and the large quantity of money.

The arrested man has been released on bail until Tuesday 4th June whilst Police enquiries continue.

Council Prosecutes Illegal Waste Carrier

Council Prosecutes Illegal Waste Carrier

Mat Jackson, of Eastchurch on the Isle Of Sheppey, was seen transporting a large load of waste, including scrap metal, on the A249 during Op Assist - a joint operation between Kent Police’s rural task force and Swale Borough Council - in May 2023.   

Mr Jackson drove away from the police, who pursued him in a marked police vehicle, they caught up with his flatbed lorry at a scrap metal site in Sittingbourne.   

Officers carried out vehicle checks at this location and discovered he was transporting the waste without a license and could not produce a transfer note.   

He was issued with two fixed penalty notices for these offences, which he failed to pay, so the council proceeded to take the case to court.  

He attended Medway Magistrates’ court on Friday 9th February and pleaded guilty to two offences: transporting controlled waste on the highway without being a licensed waste carrier and failing to produce waste transfer notes.  

The court fined him £500 for each offence, £470 investigation costs, £220 legal costs and £400 victim surcharge, totalling £2,090.  

Cllr Rich Lehmann, the chair of the Environment Committee at Swale Borough Council, told FM News: “This case shows why we carry out operations like Op Assist with Kent Police. While the scrap metal may make it to the recycling site, where is the rest of the waste - like the rubber from bike tyres, or fabrics from furniture - going?  A legitimate waste collection service should have no issue with getting a license and completing the appropriate paperwork, such as transfer notes, to show they are disposing of waste responsibly".   

Cllr Lehmann went on to add: “Fly-tipping is not only detrimental to the environment, but it takes up officers’ time and our resources, not to mention the cost of cleaning up someone else’s selfishly dumped waste. Please be wary of cheap services, always make sure they have a license and get a transfer note, because if any tipped waste is tracked back to you, you could also be facing fines. If we work together to stop fly-tippers, by not providing them with the waste in the first place, and disposing of our own waste responsibly, we can make Swale a cleaner place.” 

To check if someone is a licenced waste carrier you can visit: Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers (data.gov.uk)

Robber Jailed After Announcing His Name To Victim

Robber Jailed After Announcing His Name To Victim

A robbery victim has seen the man responsible jailed after his attacker revealed his name whilst making threats.

In the early morning of Saturday 16th December 2023, a man in his 60s was walking in Sittingbourne High Street when he was approached by a person he did not know, Max Martin,

Martin started to talk to him then demanded he withdraw some cash from an ATM. When the victim said he did not have any money, Martin put his hand in his pocket and said he had a knife. He was subjected to further threats and after Martin became increasingly aggressive, handed over the change in his pocket. The victim was warned not to call the police and in an attempt to put him in fear of further violence his attacker said; ‘I’m Max Martin.’

Following the incident, the robbery was reported to Kent Police and Martin, of The Meadows, was swiftly arrested by neighbourhood officers. He was later charged with robbery and pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court. On Friday 1 March 2024, the 40-year-old was jailed for three years and two months. The sentence included two months' imprisonment for breaching a suspended sentence.

Detective Constable Stuart Drakeley, of North Division CID, told SFM News: "This criminal put his victim through an appalling ordeal that left him in fear of serious violence. Martin’s arrogance led him to reveal his own name thinking this would ensure the victim’s silence. Unfortunately for him, this merely made his arrest and eventual imprisonment an easy task for our officers. I would like to thank the victim and witnesses whose assistance has ensured this man, who was already on a suspended sentence, has been brought to justice."

Witnesses Sought After Woman Assaulted In Car

Witnesses Sought After Woman Assaulted In Car

Kent Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a woman reported she was assaulted by a man in Leysdown-on-Sea on the isle Of Sheppey.

The incident happened inside a car on Leysdown Road, at around 9pm on Sunday 4th February.

The victim, who is in her 40s, was a front seat passenger in a white Peugeot 308, when it is alleged the man driving the vehicle, stopped and punched her multiple times. He then drove for a short distance before the car collided with a bollard and a fence.

The suspect left the scene before the arrival of patrols and the victim later went to hospital for medical attention to serious facial injuries. On Monday 5 February, a 54-year-old local man was arrested in connection with the incident. He was later released on bail pending further investigation.

PC Lydia Edwards, of Kent Police’s Vulnerability Investigation Team, told SFM Mews: "It is understood there were a number of people in Leysdown Road as well as others standing outside a public house, who may have witnessed the incident. We are appealing to anyone with information that may assist the investigation to contact our appeal line. Drivers with dashcam and residents with private CCTV are also asked to check for relevant footage."

Anyone with any information is asked to call 01795 419119, quoting reference 46/19595/24. Alternatively they can also contact Crimestoppers FREE and anonymously on 0800 555 111, or by using the online form on their website. 

Burglar Jailed For Co-op Teynham Break-In

Burglar Jailed For Co-op Teynham Break-In

A burglar, whose group caused thousands of pounds’ worth of damage during four hours of thefts and break-ins, has been jailed.

Liam Scott and two others stole a Land Rover from an address in Faversham shortly before 2am on Saturday 30th December 2023.

Around half an hour later, the same vehicle was driven into the clubhouse of a caravan park in Seasalter, Whitstable.

The group attempted to drag a cash machine from the building, but a strop they had attached to the towbar snapped. Instead, they stole alcohol and a cigarette machine from the premises before driving off.

Shortly after 5am that morning, the Land Rover was then used to damage the doors of a supermarket in Teynham. Tills containing a large amount of cash were stolen and the building was left with considerable damage.

Detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate investigated and linked the vehicle to the theft of fuel at a petrol station on the A299 in Thanet on the same night.

Examination of the CCTV footage from the petrol station led to Liam Scott being identified as a man seen filling up the vehicle with fuel.

He was arrested at his home in Faversham on Friday 5th January and later charged with two counts of burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and making off without payment.

The 24-year-old, of Lower Road, admitted those charges at Canterbury Crown Court last Monday (5th February) and was jailed for 31 months at the same court on Friday (9th February).

Detective Constable Aaron Chapman, Kent Police's investigating officer, told SFM News: "Scott's reckless behaviour on the night of these offences caused huge damage and loss to the vehicle owner and the businesses involved. I am pleased our swift investigation has seen him identified as a suspect, arrested, charged and now jailed less than six weeks after the offences took place. I hope the case sends out a message to anyone considering such criminal activity: We will track you down and hold you accountable for your action".

Fly-Tipping Week Of Action

Fly-Tipping Week Of Action

Waste carriers were targeted last week (Tuesday 30th January) as part of a regular crackdown on fly-tipping acropss the borough. 

Swale Borough Council teamed up with Kent Police’s Rural Task Force to crack down on suspected fly-tipping, collect evidence, and take enforcement action for waste related crimes. 

Outcomes of the day were: 

  • 7 vehicles stopped and searched
  • 2 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) issued

Each offender received a fixed penalty notice of £300 for failing to produce a permit to carry waste, or the necessary documents. 

Cllr Rich Lehmann, chair of the Environment Committee at the council, told SFM News: “We take a tough stance against fly-tipping, and have put a number of measures into place to tackle this blight on our countryside and the environment. These measures include working with the police to stop suspected illegal waste carriers and check that they have the correct documentation, serving fixed penalty notices to those that don’t. While this operation acts as a deterrent for people who mismanage waste, we still need resident's help in the borough to bring a stop to fly-tipping. You need to make sure you are disposing of your waste responsibly and checking any waste carriers you use have the correct documentation. Be wary of cheap waste removal services, because if fly-tipped waste is tracked back to you, you could also be facing a fixed penalty notice.  

Cllr Lehmann went on to add: "People often suggest that metal will not be fly-tipped because of its value. The metal may make it to the correct recycling point, but where is the rest of the load ending up? That is why we do these checks. It is our responsibility to make sure the waste goes where it is meant to be, and not on the side of the road or on a country lane. When we receive reports of fly-tipping within our area, we instruct our contractors to remove it, but this increases our costs and the burden on tax-payers. People have even less of an excuse to fly-tip now, as new legislation has led KCC to make changes to what can be disposed of for free at household waste recycling centres, including some DIY waste like bricks and concrete. Help us keep Swale clean, and dispose of your waste responsibly.”  

Swale Borough Council regularly carries out these days of action with Kent Police. The council’s enforcement team gathers intelligence in advance to help target the right areas to carry out their duties. 

To dispose of your waste responsibly check whether someone is licenced to carry waste by visiting the Environment Agency website, or calling 03708 506506. 

It also helps if you receive a written receipt or transfer note, including contact details, description of waste removed and details of where the waste is being taken to. 

Check what can now be disposed of for free here: Charges at HWRCs - Kent County Council 

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