Sittingbourne

Sittingbourne's Aldi supermarket is set to close for two months from 4pm this coming Sunday (12th January).

The popular budget store, situated on East Street, has been there since 2005 and will see a long anticipated expansion scheme finalised. The plans were approved by Swale Borough Council in May 2024 and the branch is set to be re-open at 8am on Thursday 13th March.

Police investigators are appealing for witnesses after a man reported being robbed in Sittingbourne.

The incident happened between 9:00pm and 9:15pm on Christmas Eve (Tuesday 24th Decemebr 2024) as he was walking along Murston Road.

The victim, who is in his 20s, states he was assaulted by two men who approached him on electric bikes and demanded his wallet. He was then assaulted and the men stole his mobile phone before leaving the scene along Canterbury Road.

A suspected cocaine dealer has appeared in court after a police dog located class A drugs in a car in Sittingbourne over the weekend.

On Sunday (29th December 2024), officers were on a routine patrol in the town when they stopped a VW Passat on the Avenue of Remembrance. They suspected the driver was involved in the supply of drugs and he was detained for a search. The constables then seized a mobile phone and PD Charlie attended the scene to check the vehicle over.

Report by Mike Green

A bizarre stoppage time goal from Ashford United’s Michael West denied Sittingbourne a fifteenth successive South East victory on New Year's Day (1st January 2025) - a day when the weather was definitely the winner at a rain sodden Homelands. 

Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called last  night (Monday 30th December) at 7.50pm to reports of a bedroom fire at a house in Wild Ash Croft in Murston, Sittingbourne. 

Four fire engines attended and crews, wearing breathing apparatus, used hose reel jets to extinguish the flames.

One person was passed into the care of SECAmb paramedics. 

The cause is not yet known, but is being investigated. 

A roads policing expert has been awarded The King’s Police Medal for his dedication to keeping Kent moving during times of disruption over many years.

Recently retired Police Constable Ross Dorman played a key role in helping prepare the county for the impact of new border controls following the UK’s exit from the European Union.

He was also instrumental in helping partner agencies respond to new rules on freight drivers introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent closure of the French border in December 2020.

A body has been recovered by officers searching for a missing man from Sittingbourne.

Kent Police attended a rural area near Hartlip on Sunday (22nd December) where the body had been located.

Formal identification has not yet taken place, however, the family of a 65 year old man who was reported missing on Thursday 21st November have been informed.

The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report is being prepared for the coroner.

The search for a 65 year old man missing from Sittingbourne for more than two weeks is continuing.

Peter Henderson was last seen in the Pear Tree Walk area of Newington at 12.17am on Tuesday 19th November 2024.

Since his disappearance officers have carried out various lines of enquiry, including reviewing CCTV and house to house enquiries but Mr Henderson remains missing.

He is described as white, around 5ft 10in, and has light grey combed over hair. He also has a short grey beard and wears glasses.

Two of Swale's local Specsavers stores, in Sittingbourne and Sheerness, have joined forces to support local children's charity Demelza.

The stores have chosen the charity as their charity of the year for 2025, and have already started collecting toys in store to donate this festive season.

On Saturday (30th November) the Mayor of Swale, Councillor Ben Martin, popped into The Forum store to support the appeal by dropping in a donation of his own.

Neighbourhood officers have brought some robust enforcement to Sittingbourne in response to recent reports of anti-social behaviour.

A dispersal order was instigated in the town’s retail park over the weekend between 5pm on Friday (29th November) until 5pm yesterday (Sunday 1st December). Officers were deployed to the area after business owners and shoppers raised their concerns about the conduct of some visitors.