Isle Of Sheppey

People visiting Swale’s award-winning beaches this summer are being reminded to stay safe on the coast.

The beaches on the Island remain popular every year, and Swale Borough Council is again partnering with the RNLI to make sure people stay safe at Sheerness and Leysdown beaches.

Lifeguard cover began operating on Leysdown-on-Sea and Sheerness beaches seven days a week, from Saturday 8th July and will be there until Sunday 3rd September, having covered weekends and Bank Holidays since 27th May earlier this year. 

Robust action was taken last week against suspected poachers in Sheppey.

Kent Police's Rural Task Force officers attended Thomsett Way in Queenborough last Friday (21st October) following reports that poaching was taking place on the land.

Upon arrival officers witnessed four people with eight Jack Russell type dogs who were seen flushing out rabbits from the reeds before chasing them.

A sinking boat was spared from going under thanks to the expertise of officers from Kent Police’s Search and Marine Unit.

Two members of the public were on board the 40-foot motor cruiser when a faulty pump caused it to start flooding near Queenborough Harbour, Sheppey, at around 4pm on Wednesday (27th September) afternoon.

Officers from the Search and Marine Unit were patrolling the River Medway on the Kent Police vessel Invicta when they were made aware of the problem by HM Coastguard, and arrived at the location shortly afterwards.

People visiting Sheerness and Leysdown beaches this weekend will see the start of this summer’s lifeguard service.

The six-week Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) weekend and bank holiday Lifeguard service starts this weekend (Saturday 28th May) at Sheerness and Leysdown beaches ahead of the summer season.

The seven days per week summer service covering Sheerness, Leysdown and Minster beaches starts on Saturday 9th  July through to Sunday 4th September.

Leysdown, Minster Leas and Sheerness beaches have all received blue flags again this year.

After meeting the highest standards for cleanliness, facilities and water quality, all three beaches have been awarded with a blue flag.

Leysdown beach has also received the Seaside Award from Keep Britain Tidy presented to England’s best beaches.

Swale’s popular beaches have earned top marks again after last year’s monitoring by the Environment Agency.

Minster Leas, Sheerness and Leysdown all achieved the highest rating of Excellent, bringing the beaches one step closer to earning a blue flag in time for summer.

The ratings from the Environment Agency are based on more than 30 monitored measures at over 400 bathing waters in England between May and September every year.

Shops in Swale have been fined and given words of advice after being caught selling alcohol and e-cigarettes to children.

Officers from the town centre teams in Sittingbourne and Sheerness worked with five police cadets on Saturday (29th January).

The volunteers, aged between 14 and 16, visited 11 shops and attempted to buy alcohol and e-cigarettes as part of a proactive operation to safeguard young people.

Detectives investigating drug supply in Swale have arrested and charged five people following the search of the disused Merlins nightclub on the Isle Of Sheppey.

Officers attended the building on Leysdown Road in Leysdown on Friday (10th September) afternoon, where they found four separate rooms containing a total of more than 3,000 cannabis plants.

Five men were arrested at the scene and have all been remanded in custody ahead of their appearance at Medway Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Monday 13th September).

An assault, which happened in front of terrified families at a caravan park in Eastchurch last summer, has led to four men being handed jail terms.

Jason Taylor Snr, Oliver Taylor, Carl Allam and Jason Taylor Jnr were all jailed for the violent incident which resulted in the victim being punched and knocked unconscious before the group fled.

The victim was attacked during the day at a caravan park in Warden Road on Wednesday 16th June 2020 by Jason Taylor Jnr, aged 26 and of Mountview in Borden.

The Environment Agency has issued a Flood Alert due to the high tide forecast for this afternoon (Tuesday 15th December).

The highest tide level is expected to be around 12:40pm with flooding possible two hours either side of this time.

The Environment Aganecy confirmed that they "were monitoring the situation, though flooding to properties is not expected. Our incident response staff are checking our defences and structures and are prepared to respond if required.".