Sittingbourne

A speeding motorist, who was using his mobile phone minutes before he caused the death of another driver, has been jailed.

Loui Curtis caused the fatal collision on the Londonbound carriageway of the M2, close to the junction 5 exit, on Monday 3rd August 2020.

The 27-year-old of Hawbeck Road, Gillingham, was driving his black BMW 320D when it collided with the rear of a blue Toyota Yaris at 12.50am. The victim, a 34-year-old man from Rochester, died at the scene.

Witnesses are being sought to an attempted robbery in Murston.

The incident is reported to have happened in Elm Grove on Thursday 27th January, when the victim was riding an e-scooter at 4.45pm.

He is alleged to have been approached by two children who used racist language directed towards him.

A short time later the children then saw the victim in Woodberry Drive at the junction of Keswick Avenue, where one of them is reported to have attempted to take the scooter.

People can now have their say on Swale Borough Council’s plans to regenerate Sittingbourne town centre.

The plans are outlined in a draft supplementary planning document that is now available for public consultation after it was approved by councillors in December.

Following consultation, the document will then become part of the current local plan and will shape how the council considers new development proposals, outlining what developers and landowners need to include in planning applications.

An escaped prisoner, who led officers on a police pursuit near Sittingbourne, has been jailed.

William Adams was handed a two-year and four-month prison sentence after admitting dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

He was additionally charged with being unlawfully at large after he absconded from a prison in Sussex on 14 July 2021. He was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday 27 January 2022.

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.

Local anti-litter charity, Litter Angels, have won £500 from the Asda Foundation’s Green Token Giving initiative to assist with tackling litter across Sittingbourne and Sheppey.

Shoppers could vote for their chosen charity between 1^st October and 30^th November via the Asda Foundation’s website.

Litter Angels received £500 as the winner and two runners-up received £200 each.

An appeal for witnesses has been issued by Kent Police following a serious collision near Sittingbourne earlier today (Friday 28th January).

At around 12.35pm a blue Ford Fiesta had left the Oad Street junction in Stockbury when it was involved in a collision with a white Ford Ranger travelling on the southbound carriageway of the A249 Sittingbourne Road, just past the Stockbury roundabout.

A woman sustained serious injuries and was taken to a London hospital.

A motorist, who sped past Kent Police patrols at 130mph, has been arrested after failing to stop for police on the M2 in Sittingbourne.

The patrol observed the motorist driving erratically shortly before 9.40pm last night (Monday 24th January) and signalled for him to stop. The car failed to stop for the officers and continued until the driver pulled over and attempted to run away. He was caught and failed a roadside drugs swipe for cannabis and cocaine.

Dashcam footage is being sought after a stone thrown from a bridge in Borden struck a motorhome travelling on the M2.

The incident happened at around 4.30pm yesterday afternoon (Monday 24th January) in the Oad Street area of Borden.

The driver, who was unharmed, told police that she saw three boys on the bridge prior to the incident. The stone hit the roof of the motorhome before colliding with the windscreen. The vehicle remained driveable and she reached a place of safety before calling the police.

A Sittingbourne resident, who used social media apps in attempts to groom a child for sex offences, has been jailed.

Michael Smith repeatedly sent indecent images and videos of himself to another user who he believed was only 13 years old.