Local News

A Sittingbourne man has been charged in connection with a series of burglary and theft offences including several break-ins at The Central Park Greyhound Stadium.

It is alleged that between Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd January 2023, entry was repeatedly forced to bar areas inside the stadium in Murston and that alcohol, including multiple bottles of spirits, was stolen. Three laptops and a tip jar containing around £100 were also reportedly taken, with damage to the Church Road premises estimated in the region of several thousand pounds.

Officers from the Swale Local Policing Team have also been investigating allegations that yesterday (Monday 30th January) a man walking around Bourne Place car park in Sittingbourne had been seen trying a number of vehicle door handles. The suspect is also alleged to have tried to steal a bike from outside Sittingbourne train station.

On the same day, Liam Wood was arrested and taken into custody. Aged 32 and of Crown Quay Lane, Sittingbourne, he was later charged with four counts of burglary, going equipped for theft, two counts of vehicle interference and with the attempted theft of a bicycle. He was also charged with possession of a knife in a public place.

The suspect has been remanded in custody to appear before Medway Magistrates’ Court later today (Tuesday 31st January).

Detectives are appealing for witnesses to a serious assault in Faversham yesterday (Wednesday 25th January) evening.

Between 5pm and 5.20pm a silver BMW, driving along Lower Road, is reported to have been driven at a man standing on the pavement.

It is alleged some men got out of the vehicle and chased the victim into St Paul’s Avenue where he suffered an injury consistent with a stab wound.

The 19-year-old was taken to a London hospital where he remains in a stable condition. It is thought the victim and the suspects were known to each other.

Earlier today (Thursday 26th Janauary) a 40-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and taken into custody.

Detective Inspector Pete Smith told SFM News: ‘An investigation is underway into the circumstances including house-to-house enquiries in the area. We are urging witnesses or anybody with information to call our appeal line. Motorists with dashcam and residents with private CCTV are also asked to check for relevant footage.’"

Anyone with any information is asked to call 01795 419 119, quoting reference 46/15282/23 or, alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers free and anonymously on 0800 555 111, or by using the online form on their website.

Swale Borough Council has been awarded £20 million to improve health, education, leisure, and employment opportunities in Sheerness on the Isle Of Sheppey.

The Sheerness Revival project has been awarded the money from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The scheme will expand the existing health centre to provide more and better services from the Healthy Living Centre for local people.

Sheppey College will offer new courses to give young people aged 14-18 on the Island easier access to more training and education opportunities. The conversion of the Master’s House studios to creative workspace will help create and support local jobs.

There will also be new leisure activities such as soft play, adventure golf, TAG active, new café and outdoor gym at Beachfields will give local people and visitors a greater choice of things to do in the town.

The funding will also deliver public realm improvements from the train station and around the leisure complex. Improvements will be made to better connect the high street, train station and seafront to encourage visitors to explore and enjoy more of the town.

Cllr Mike Baldock, Leader of Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: “This is fantastic news for Sheerness, and the whole Island, and I’m immensely proud that all the hard work that has been put in by the local community and our officers has paid off. When the criteria for the Levelling Up funding were announced we knew we had to try to get some much-needed investment in Sheerness, and Gordon Henderson has given us nothing but his full support throughout the process, for which we are immensely grateful." 

He went on to add: “We spent a considerable amount of time and effort listening to the local community to put together the best bid possible for the budget allowed – without that support, I don’t think we would be where we are now. This is the largest amount of funding we have ever received, and I am confident it will make a real and lasting difference to local people’s lives and opportunities .It's a major step towards the revival of Sheerness, with benefits that spread across the whole Island.”

Gordon Henderson, member of parliament for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, told SFM News: “I’m delighted to have supported this bid by Swale Council, which will make a great difference to people in and around Sheerness. I have been lobbying the Government hard since the bid was submitted, emphasising how much my constituency needs this added investment, so I am pleased, and grateful, ministers have listened to my pleas. This scheme shows that by working together, we can improve the health, education, and employment prospects for local people, in a meaningful way.I look forward to continuing to work together with Swale Council to make this scheme a success, and to find ways we can build up on this to keep improving the Island for everyone.”

For more information on the bid, visit www.swale.gov.uk/levelling-up.

Swale, along with two other Kent councils, have signed a new waste and recycling contract with SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd.

Ashford, Maidstone and Swale councils – who work together as the Mid Kent Waste Partnership - have awarded the eight-year contract to Suez after a joint tender process.

The new £19 million a year contract begins in March 2024 and will bring improvements to all the existing service and make use of the latest technology.

Fortnightly collections of waste and recycling will continue across the three boroughs, with one wheeled bin for dry recycling, alongside the regular weekly food waste collections.

The new contract aims to increase recycling rates across the three boroughs and improve route efficiency. Lower emission vehicles will be used along with better technology to keep residents up to date.

The new vehicles are being funded directly by the councils to help save costs and will be more modern vehicles that use electric bin lifts, reducing the consumption of diesel dramatically and helping lower the services’ carbon footprint.

Ashford and Swale will also see their street cleansing service delivered by Suez, whilst Maidstone’s will remain in-house. The new contract includes proposed improvements to the level of cleansing in rural and residential areas, as well as quicker response times for the removal of fly-tipping.

Cllr Julian Saunders, chair of Swale’s Environment Committee told SFM News: “Council officers have worked effectively with their colleagues in Ashford and Maidstone over the last couple of years to get this new contract in place. We’ve listened to resident’s views throughout the process which is why we wanted to keep dry recycling collections in one bin and improve street cleansing. Working in a partnership to deliver what is our biggest contract, gives us a number of operational advantages and Suez provided a strong bid, showing enthusiasm to deliver the service and bringing their considerable industry experience to Mid Kent. The proposal has a number of strengths – maintaining the most valued elements of the current service, making other service improvements, reducing our carbon emissions and promoting recycling”.

The current service will continue to be delivered by the Mid Kent Waste Partnership along with Biffa Municipal Ltd until the start of the new contract. Staff working on the existing contract will be transferred to the new contractor.

In a Press Release Swale Borough Council added: "the partnership wish to express their thanks to Biffa for the last 10 years of service delivery".