Trash gets bashed but piles up again


ELEVENrubbish sacks were filled with street litter in just three hours when volunteers joined a Bash the Trash event led by Larkfield Neigh- bourhoodWatch. The team worked tirelessly, clearing


the area around ChaucerWay and the recreation ground. Evidence of fly-tipping was uncov-


MP Tracey Crouch joins the clean-up volunteers.


Probe over ‘disabled mockery’


ANINVESTIGATION was


launched after allegations that disabled youngsters were mocked by having their pictures pinned on a “wall of shame” at a Kings Hill office. Kent County Council said a


member of staff had been sus- pended while a disciplinary hearing took place. The allegations centre on the school transport office where photographs of children who looked different were said to have been placed on a wall. It is believed the pictures were sent to the office by parents applying for school bus passes. KCC said it totally condemned


any such behaviour and ex- pected the highest standards of professional conduct from all staff.


“Accordingly, these allegations


are being dealt with very ur- gently and the member of staff involved in this issue has been suspended while a disciplinary hearing takes place in accor- dance with county council pro- cedures.”


Coff’up for cause THIS month’s Teston Commu- nity Coffee Stop is raising money for the Mortimer Soci- ety, which provides residential care for adults with disabilities. The society has two residen-


tial homes, Birling House in Snodland and Frindsbury House in Rochester. The coffee fundraiser is held


on the last Saturday of every month in the village hall (10am-noon). A different char- ity benefits each month – in April it was the RSPCA, next month it’s the Rainbows.


Senior moments? THE number of over-65s in Kent will have increased by over 32% by 2022. In the same period, the county’s overall population is expected to grow by 10.6% – or more than 148,000. The rate of growth will be slower in West Kent, county councillors were told in a health report.


ered including two black sacks of household rubbish and two For Sale/Sold notices dumped in the hedgerows. Items too large to move were re- ported to Tonbridge and Malling Council, which supported the event


along with Kent County Council. Many of the co-ordinators in Neigh- bourhoodWatch are members of the borough council’s Street Monitor Scheme. The volunteers were joined by MP Tracey Crouch and local coun- cillors.


Organisers said it was disappoint-


ing, following the efforts of Neigh- bourhood Watch, that within a week the area – especially Chaucer Way – was as bad as before. They said the message to get across


was: “Please take your rubbish home to keep Larkfield a tidy, pleasant place in which to live”.


Lights go out on festive canopy


MAIDSTONE High Street is to lose its trademark canopy of all- white Christmas lights – as a result of a controversial “im- provement project”. The first phases of the High


Street regeneration, costing £2.2m, are due to start later this year. But a report to councillors


said it would result in the loss of the lighting canopy and some trees in which lights have been displayed. “It is not within the scope of


the project to design and pur- chase a replacement Christmas lights display,” it added. Cllr FranWilson, leader of the


Lib Dems,whohave opposed the scheme for the past two years, said: “What we are going to re- ceive is design over common


sense and public enjoyment.” A few years ago, Canterbury praised Maidstone for its “par- ticularly dramatic and effec- tive” all-white canopy effect when the city was re- viewing its festive options. But lights will continue to be


funded by Maidstone Council in the town centre, though a de- cision will be taken later about contracts and spend. Several thousand people are attracted to the lights switch-on event at the end of November but the council has not yet as- sessed the event’s economic im- pact.


Investment in lights for the


last three years has meant costs have exceeded budget, though it is expected to be out of the red this year.


THE lack of any parking spaces for a 26-flat af- fordable development in Church Street, Maid- stone, for people over the age of 50 was labelled as “discriminatory” by a planning committee member. The joint application from Golding Homes and


the Cutbush and Corrall charity for two blocks containing 16 one-bed and 10 two-bed apartments was given almost unanimous backing by the com- mittee. But concern over having no parking provision


was strongly emphasised by Cllr Jenni Paterson, who said: “Many people over the age of 50 do, and will continue to, drive cars. For many with mobility problems, the private car is their only means of getting around. “Many may have friends with mobility prob-


INVICTA Girls Grammar has made it to the regional finalof a mock trialcom- petition, beating off Astor of Hever and a schoolin Dover at Maidstone Magis- trates Court. The competition, organ-


ised by the Citizenship Foundation in partnership with the Magistrates’ Asso- ciation and local magis- trates and court staff, aims to introduce young people to the legal system. This year’s case involved a


Invicta pupils celebrate their success in court.


course of conduct that amounted to disorderly be-


To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330 Human cannonball


inquestopens ANinquest has been opened and adjourned into the death of a man who died in a human cannonball stunt at Kent Show- ground on Easter Monday. Matthew Cranch (24), of Wa- tergate Bay, Newquay, died of multiple injuries after a stunt, involving him being fired from a cannon, went wrong.


School keeps up


its good work RYARSH Primary School has had its next inspection deferred for at least a year following an interim assessment by Ofsted inspectors. The school, which received a “good” rating in May 2008, has been notified that its perform- ance has been sustained and therefore its next full inspec- tionwill not take place any ear- lier than the 2012 summer term.


Parking no obstacle for 26 flats development


lems and want to visit them. Many of us in this committee are over the age of 50 and we still work and own cars. It is an arrogant assumption that older people do not require, need or even want cars in an urban area. It is insulting and discrim- inatory.” Cllr Clive English trumpeted the scheme, ex- plaining that the lack of parking had enabled is- sues such as landscaping to be improved. He stressed that the residents who would be consid- ered for the new homes would be on Cutbush and Corrall’s database as not requiring parking spaces. A lack of spaces had worked well on almshouses managed by the charity throughout Maidstone, he insisted. Eleven councillors voted in favour of the scheme, with Cllr Paterson abstaining.


Order in court: Invicta wins mock trial event


haviour. Teams of 12 to 14 year-olds took on the roles of lawyers, wit- nesses, magistrates and court staff in a specially written criminalcase, battling against other schools – as prosecution and defence – with their performance judged by realmagistrates and legal professionals. It is one of the only ac- tive learning competi-


tions to address the legal system.


Malling 31


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