Isle Of Sheppey

Local bus operator Chalkwell has announced temporary amendments to it's 334 bus service to and from the island on Saturdays, following the closures of the Kingsferry Bridge over the next few months.

The 334 will not serve Quinton Road, Sheppey Way and Iwade during the closures with services operating as far as Sonora Fields and Jacinth Drive out of Sittingbourne. They will then join the main A249 and go directly to Queenborough Morrisons via The Sheppey Crossing. The opposite will happen on journeys from Sheerness. 

The first of the Kingsferry Bridge closures commenced at 10pm last night (Friday 7th June) and will continue until 5am on Monday (10th June).

Network Rail will be providing a bus replacement for service between Sittingbourne and Sheerness on Sea (calling at all stations except 'Swale') throughout all the closures to enable repais to the road/rail bridge between the Isle of Sheppey and the mainland (here in Sittingbourne). 

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.

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.