Local News

Woman Charged With 10 Shoplifting Offences

Woman Charged With 10 Shoplifting Offences

Ten charges relating to the theft of fragrances, cleaning products and groceries from various shops in Sittingbourne have been made against one woman.

Michelle Bull is alleged to have targeted stores in the High Street, Eurolink Way, Northwood Drive, Quartz Way and Sheppey Way in Bobbing, on ten occasions between Friday 8th February and Friday 26th April.

The combined value of items stolen is reported to be worth over £1,400.

The 30-year-old, of no fixed address, has been remanded in custody to appear at Medway Magistrates' Court today (Friday 3rd May).

 

Fire Crews Tackle Upchurch Co-op Blaze

Fire Crews Tackle Upchurch Co-op Blaze

Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called to The Street in Upchurch shortly after 10.00pm last n ight (Monday 29th April), to reports of a fire in the Co-op supermarket.

Four fire engines attended and crews wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reel jets and water from a hydrant to extinguish the fire on the ground floor.

People living in accommodation above the shop had to be evacuated the building.

There were no reported injuries and the cause is being investigated.

Police Cadets Help On 'Speedwatch' Duties

Police Cadets Help On 'Speedwatch' Duties

More than 400 vehicles were speed checked by Kent Volunteer Police Cadets on Saturday (27th April).

The cadets, based with the force's Sittingbourne troop, attended four locations across Sittingbourne and Sheppey for a day of road safety checks.

Each used speed guns to record a vehicle's speed and provided words of advice to drivers who had been stopped due to their speeding.

The roads checked were Woodstock Road in Sittingbourne, Chestnut Street in Danaway and both Scocles Road and Minster Roads, in Minster-On-Sea.

The highest speed registered was 43mph in a 30mph zone.

Police Constable Mat Booth, who accompanied the cadets for the speed checks, told SFM News: "The cadets did a fantastic job and learned a lot about road safety, and interacting with the public, in the process. Their efforts led to numerous motorists being challenged for their manner of driving. Throughout the course of the year we will continue to get the cadets involved in community initiatives to help develop their knowledge of policing.'

The Kent Volunteer Police Cadets scheme opened in September 2016 and is a uniformed organisation supported by Kent Police for young people aged 13 to 17-years-old.

Cadets meet once a week for two to three hours during term time and in addition volunteer three hours each month to help with a community based project.

For more information, visit: www.kent.police.uk/kcsn-archive/kent-volunteer-police-cadets.

Appeal Following Local Man's Death In Borough Green

Appeal Following Local Man's Death In Borough Green

Kent Police are appealing for witnesses following the death of a pedestrian in Borough Green.

At around 3.15pm on Thursday (18th April) officers were made aware of concerns for the welfare of a person near a roundabout on the A25, Borough Green Road. Patrols and the South East Coast Ambulance Service attended and a man, aged in his 30s and from the Sittingbourne area, was pronounced deceased at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.

It is reported that a vehicle may have been involved in a collision with the man and an investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the incident. Officers would now like to hear from anyone who may have seen him or has any other information may assist their enquiries. They are particularly keen to obtain dash cam and mobile phone footage from anyone travelling in the area at the time.

If you have any information please call 01622 654767 quoting reference 18-1008 or, alternatively, you can call Kent Crimestoppers (free and anonimously) on 0800 555 111.

 

 

Councillors Tour Water Main Replacement Site

Councillors Tour Water Main Replacement Site

Pic: L-R Cllr Hampshire and Cllr Baldock speaking to Jeremy Dufour, Engineering Project Manager

Swale Borough Council members were treated to a tour of South East Water's water main replacement site in Borden last week.

Borden and Grove Park ward councillors Nicholas Hampshire and Mike Baldock met engineers replacing more than a mile of burst-prone water mains in the village. The old cast iron pipes in Pond Farm Road and Wises Lane, laid in the 1950s, are being replaced with flexible plastic pipes with a lifespan of more than 70 years. To date, water workers have replaced almost 85 per cent of the pipework with just 300 metres of pipe laying remaining in Wises Lane.

Pond Farm Road and Wises Lane have been closed in sections during the work, which began in January and work is due to finish by the end of June although residents will be able to access the road for local elections on 2 May and the Sittingbourne 10k running race on 19 May.

Jeremy Dufour, Project Manager at South East Water, told SFM News: "I would like to thank Councillor Hampshire and Councillor Baldock for taking the time to visit the site of our £520,000 water main replacement project in Borden. The team on site have made excellent progress, with more than 1.5 kilometres of water main laid and already in use, supplying villagers with top quality crystal-clear tap water. As we reach the final stages of our project, I would encourage residents to visit our website corporate.southeastwater.co.uk/Borden for further information and regular progress updates."

Councillor Mike Baldock, member of Borden Parish Council and Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: "Many of my constituents were understandably concerned about this project after various other utility companies have carried out work in the village in the past. I am really pleased to say that this project has been handled well, with excellent communications and a ready response to any queries that arose."

This work forms part of a £424 million investment by South East Water between 2015 and 2020.

'Runaway Thief' Being Sought By Police

'Runaway Thief' Being Sought By Police

Swale Police officers are searching for a suspected runaway thief after being called to a report of two men travelling in a suspected stolen vehicle on Swale Way, Kemsley, at around about noon today (Wednesday 17th April).

A police spokesman told SFM News: "our officers located the van in stationary traffic and, as they approached it, two men are reported to have made off on foot."

It's believed that following a search of the local area a 17-year-old boy from the Sittingbourne area was arrested on suspicion of theft and remains in police custody.

Kent Police confirmed that: "enquiries to locate a second individual remain ongoing."

Anyone with any information is asked to call Kent Police on 101 or, alternatively, they can call Kent Crimestoppers free on 0800 555 111.

 

 

The Team From RPM Records Visit SFM Towers

The Team From RPM Records Visit SFM Towers

A BIG thank to the current team at RPM Records (Danny, Megan, Stephen, Kye, George and Catherine) for coming in to see us recently.

RPM Records (at 30 West Street, Sittingbourne ME10 1AP) is a second-hand record shop run by the Fenner Frost Foundation, a registered charity supporting people with learning difficulties by helping them with the direct learning of skills to help them access paid employment opportunities. The team get involved with all aspects of running the shop form preparing and fulfilling stock, serving customers, answering phones and dealing with cash handling.

For more information please visit: fennerfrostfoundation.org.uk.

This is a great LOCAL charity and 106.9 SFM are happy to support Alison and the team in all their endeavours.

 

Man Freed From Car Following Keycol Hill Collision

Man Freed From Car Following Keycol Hill Crash

(Stock Picture)

 Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called to the A2 Keycol Hill in Bobbing earlier this afternoon.

It was following reports of a collision involving one vehicle at approximately 13:15hrs.

Two fire engines attended and crews used hydraulic rescue equipment to remove the car roof and free a man trapped inside.

He was handed into the care of South East Coast Ambulance paramedics, who were also attending the scene.

Kent Police closed the road in both directions during the incident and re-opened it shortly after 2.00pm.

Witness Appeal Following Sittingbourne Robbery

Witness Appeal Following Sittingbourne Robbery

Kent Police detectives are appealing for witnesses after a handbag was reported stolen during a robbery in Sittingbourne at the weekend.

The incident is reported to have taken place in Pembury Street shortly after 9pm on Sunday (17th March).

Detective Constable Rob Feasey told SFM News: "The victim, a woman in her 40s, was by her parked car when a man asked her for the time and grabbed her handbag. During a short struggle she fell to the floor, suffering cuts to her knee, elbow and hands".

The man ran away towards Dover Street along a path that runs parallel to Pembury Court. He is described as being white, aged between 40 and 50, 5ft 9in tall and of a thin build with light brown hair. He was wearing a dark blue or black hooded top with grey sleeves and the hood up.

The handbag, which was black leather with tassels on the bottom, contained a black leather purse with a black bow, bank cards and an iPhone 6.

DC Feasey told SFM News: "We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the robbery or recognises the description of the suspect".

If you can help, please call Kent Police on 01795 419 119 quoting reference number 46/50596/19 or, alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers free and  anonymously on 0800 555 111.

 

 

Rotary Club's 9th Annual 10K Race Entry Open

Rotary Club's 9th Annual 10K Race Entry Open

The Rotary Club of Sittingbourne Invicta are looking for entries to their nineth 10k and 2k Races to be held at Westlands School, Sittingbourne on the morning of Sunday 19th May.

This is a sporting and community event which is also a major fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Sittingbourne Invicta. The races are popular, attracting around 300 entrants for the 10k and 200 entrants for the 2k. Last year's races raised around £4,000 bringing the total in the eight races to date to nearly £50,000 all of which has been donated to charities.

There will be musical entertainment with the 106.9 SFM Roadshow on hand, stalls selling home baked cakes, ice cream and other tempting foods, teas and coffees and juices, with displays by local groups involved in the organisation of the races. There is plenty of car parking space for those coming by car.

10K Race
This race is approved by UK Athletics (No 2019 - 36188) and is listed in Runner's World.
All runners start from the Westlands School playing fields at 11.00am and the route follows a measured route along rural roads through the delightful undulating Kent countryside before returning to the school. There's just one short stretch of off-road running where some caution is required.
To enter you must be 16 or over on the day of the race. Each runner will be assigned an official race number on the day and be chip-timed.
All entrants will receive a "goody bag" and there will be trophies for the winners in different categories.

If you register before Friday 10th May 2019 the entry fee is £13 for affiliated runners and £15 for non-affiliated runners. Registration will be open on the day from 08:30am to 10:30am when the fee will be £15 for affiliated runners and £17 for unaffiliated runners.

You can register and pay online through the Runner's World website (booking fee applies) or download an entry form from the Invicta website (invictarotary.org) to post in.

2K Fun Run and Swale Combined Athletic Club Primary Schools Team 2k Race
The race is open to primary school teams and independent runners.
Swale Combined Athletic Club is promoting our 2k Race as a primary school competition with the winning team receiving a perpetual shield for a year. The first three teams also receive a plaque, which can be kept by the school.

School teams can include any number of runners, but only the first 4 runners from each team will score towards the shield. As runners finish they will be handed a finishing number token, which they will give to their Team Manager who will write their name, race number and finishing token on a form supplied by Swale Combined AC. This will then be handed to the race scorer with the collected tokens. The team with the lowest finishing score wins i.e. 1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th will score 15 points.
All finishers receive a running medal.

Entry to the Sittingbourne Invicta 2K Race for both school team runners and independent runners is £2.50.
All non-team registrations will be made on the day when a race number will be issued.
Registration on the day opens at 8:30am and closes at 9.30am for the 2k Fun Run to start at 09:45am.

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