Sittingbourne

At the Swale Borough Council Planning Committee last night (Thursday 28th April) permanent planning consent was given to Kent Speedway at Central Park Stadium, meaning that the sport can now carry on indefinitely at the Stadium. *** UPDATES TO FOLLOW ***

A man has been detained in hospital indefinitely after admitting the manslaughter of his own grandmother while visiting her in Sittingbourne.

Stuart Lay, aged 44, of Homewood Avenue, had been charged with the murder of 85-year-old Jean Robertson, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday (Monday 25th April). His plea was accepted and he was sentenced the same day. He has been detained indefinitely under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act. This means he will now be kept in a secure hospital.

Sittingbourne fire crews have issued a safety warning following a flat fire this morning (Friday 15th April) believed to have been started by a cigarette.

Firefighters from Sittingbourne and Faversham were called to the blaze at a first floor flat in Hawthorn Road, just after 9am. Crews were alerted to the fire after a neighbour heard the alarms sounding, saw smoke and dialled 999. The first crew arrived at the property within two and a half minutes of receiving the emergency call to find all but one of the nine flats in the building had been evacuated.

A security guard from Sittingbourne has won more than £12,000 in the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance's lottery.

Nigel Long, who works on the Sittingbourne Retail Park, signed up to the life-saving charity's regular Lottery and Superdraw when a canvasser called at his home last year.

*** 16:56 UPDATE - THE GIRLS HAVE BEEN LOCATED SAFE AND WELL ***

Kent Police are appealing for information into the whereabouts of two children reported missing from their home in Sittingbourne.

Chelsea Abbott, nine, and Taylor Redding, 10, were reported missing at 12.40pm today (Thursday 31st March) but are believed to have left their house in the Grovehurst Avenue, Kemsley area at about 5am when their parents were asleep.

Officers are growing increasingly concerned for their welfare and are currently searching the local area.

Kent Police Detectives, investigating a report that a car was stolen during a burglary in Sittingbourne, have released an e-fit image of a man they would like to speak to.

It was reported that a white Mercedes Benz E Class was stolen from The Meadows, just off Northwood Drive, between midnight and 6.30am on Tuesday 8th March.

The suspect is described as a white man, aged 18 to 20, approximately 5ft 8in tall, of skinny build and with brown hair - long on top and shorter at the sides. He was wearing a brown/green coloured parker style coat.

The new Sittingbourne Carnival Court was selected on Saturday (5th March) evening at the Woodcombe Sports And Social Club in Murston.

15-year old student Gemma Stokes was selected as Miss Sittingbourne Carnival Queen by a judging panel. The two Princesses on the Court this year will be Rebecca Port and Kendle Hunter. All the girls were crowned by Mayor Of Swale Cllr Anita Walker at a ceremony on the night.

On the Judging Panel were former Miss Sittingbourne 1981, Angela Maybourne, 106.9 SFM's very own Pete Flynn and Swale Borough Council's Regeneration Officer, Jill Read.

Highways England have confirmed that both lanes on the northbound A249 should re-open tomorrow morning (Friday 5th February) following the completion of work to repair damage caused by a burst water main last month.

Sittingbourne fire crews were called to a domestic shed fire in the back garden of a property in William Street earlier today.

Kent Fire And Rescue (KFRS) were called just after 10.30 am this morning (Tuesday 2nd February) and had to access the blaze using a hose from a fire engine in Park Road.

Park Road was closed to vehicles until 11:15am.

It is thought that a faulty tumble dryer, being used in the shed at the time, caused the blaze which also damaged ajoining fence panels.

Highways England (HE) has confirmed that it is hoping to reopen one lane on the northbound A249 later this week, following completion of temporary works.

They have confirmed that it is "currently unsafe to reopen the slip road and inside lane as surveys have not confirmed the stability of the ground underneath the road and the adjacent void in the ground is a potential risk to drivers".

Timeline of work carried out so far