Get ready for day of fun in Snodland


THE Snodland community has been busy planning the fun day at Nevill Park on July 30, 11am-4pm. The day will include performances by


Poster winner Anthony Towner (middle) and runners up left Louie Aspel (left) and Jack Goodayle - all of St Katherines School


local groups in boxing, silhouette danc- ing, ju jitsu, karate, keep fit, and street dance Group Abyss, who made it through to the finals of Britain's Got Talent. Other attractions will include a bouncy castle, sumo suits, gladiator jousting, stocks with wet sponges, welly wanging, beat the goalkeeper, face painting, craft- ing, sports day games, teddy bear hunt and “Dr Bike” will fix bicycles.


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


Polytunnels defence Dear Sir - In your article there is a section from Rod King of Vines Farm stating he fears for his life's work, having created a nature re- serve (June, Mallings). He says he worries about what chemicals are used to grow strawberries; well, it is very well- documented that less chemicals are used when grown under polytunnels (up to 50% less in the early days of tunnels, and maybe more now) than when not.


Farming advice services such


as ADAS or FAST will be able to back up this claim, along with the Government service DEFRA, Central Science LabYork or even


AGENERATOR for an irrigation system on a farm at Mereworth was stolen overnight. Vandals slashed a tyre of a car


in a parking bay in Browning Close, Larkfield. Jewellery and three laptops


were among items taken during a daytime break-in at a property in Russett Close, Aylesford. A Flymo strimmer was taken


from a shed at a property in Nightingale Close, Larkfield. A car parked overnight in Sainsbury’s car park, Quarry Wood, was keyed and two tyres were slashed. A rotary washing line was


stolen overnight from a garden inWoodlands Road, Ditton. Jewellery and a mobile phone


were among items taken after a break-in at a property in Unwin Close, Aylesford. Fuel was siphoned from the


tank of a commercial vehicle parked at Quarry Wood indus- trial estate. A Sony Playstation and a


game were taken in a burglary at a property in Springett Close, Eccles. An upper window of a prop-


erty in Old Road, East Peck- ham, was broken. A number of children were seen running off just after the incident. Two laptops and jewellery


were among items taken in a daytime break-in at a property in PilgrimsWay, Eccles. A garage window at a prop-


erty in Castle Way, Leybourne, was smashed. A metal A-frame sign was


24 Malling


There will be a fun dog show with com- petitions such as waggiest tail and best child handler. The schedule was developed after pupils at the town’s three schools - St Katherines, Roberts Road and Holmesdale Technology College -made suggestions of their favoured fun day activities and de- signed their own posters. The event is being organised by The


Beat Project. For more details, contact Nicky Delacey on 07824 485 167 or log on to www.thebeatproject.org.uk/snodland.


You can write to us at: Downs Mail, 2 Forge House, Bearsted Green Business Park, Bearsted, Maidstone, ME14 4DT or e-mail: info@downsmail.co.uk


East Malling Research Centre. Pollution by chemicals is not


going to occur as all are applied in perfect dry conditions under the polytunnels. The farms in West Peckham


andMereworth have had tunnels on them for at least 23 years on a rotational basis. The farm’s own field rotation records will show this, and anybody who has really lived and taken notice of the sur- rounding areas will have seen this.


The area has been increased


over the years, but the first tun- nelswere there all that time ago. As for flooding risk, Hugh


Lowe Farms put in a complete drainage scheme to take all sur- face and run-off water from the


West Peckham farm, divert it into a reservoir to then be able to re- use this water for crop irrigation. This was put in place back in 2002/2003 and had the full back- ing and permission of the Envi- ronment Agency. I hope this goes some way to correcting some of the facts in your article. John Clark, Partner at Beech Farm,West Peckham


Beware of charges Dear Sir - I would just like to make your readers aware of the time limits in various car parks. I have recently received a Park-


ing Charge Notice (£60 fine) for parking in the Asda Living car park in Maidstone for two hours


Beat the criminals IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE PHONE: Police: 01732 771055 Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111


taken from the arcade in West Malling High Street. A door was damaged during


an attempted burglary overnight at a commercial unit in Sheldon Way, Larkfield. Asection of fencing to a prop-


erty in Ragstone Court, Ditton, was broken down and set on fire overnight. The rear numberplate


was removed from a car in a hotel car park in London Road, Larkfield. A van parked in Brampton Field, Dit- ton, was keyed. A Tirfor winch was


taken overnight from the yard of commercial premises in Boyle Way, East Peckham. A number of cars parked in Kingfisher Road and Springfield Road, Larkfield, were keyed. Front and rear numberplates


were removed from a car parked overnight in Tonbridge Road, Wateringbury. The rear bumper lights were removed from a car parked in Harvest Ridge, Leybourne. The front door of a property in Sassoon Close, Larkfield,was damaged overnight. Milk and bottled water were taken from the doorstep of a


property in Middle Mill Road, East Malling. Fencing was cut at commer-


cial premises on New Hythe Business Park in Bellingham Way, Ditton. Fuel was siphoned from the


tanks of three commercial vehi- cles parked on the forecourt of a industrial unit in Burnt Ash Road, Aylesford. Three tyres of a car parked on the drive of a property in Church Field, Snodland,were slashed. At Larkfield village


hall, keys allowing ac- cess to the kitchen and an internal door were


stolen. A bench was removed from a


back garden in Hermitage Lane, Aylesford. An attempt had also been made to break into a shed. A car in a car park in Beau- fighter Road, Kings Hill, was set on fire. Two males were seen near the vehicle, one of whom got into it, and just after the fire was detected. A white Ford Transit van was


taken overnight from The Street, Mereworth. Two side windows of a car parked overnight in Browning Close, Larkfield,were smashed. Lead flashing was removed


and 10 minutes. I was in Asda the whole time having a coffee and then shopped, unaware of the time re- striction (two hours). Although there are signs, these are easily missed. Two hours is just not long enough for a coffee and a shop.


When I informed Asda they


did not care even though I have still got the receipt for the pur- chases I made that day. You are photographed on the way in and photographed on the way out. I believe a similar scheme is at Quarry Wood in Aylesford and many other places. I think it is appalling the way innocent shoppers are targeted. Karen Carpenter, by email


from an outbuilding roof at Pre- ston Hall, Royal British Legion Village. A church in Swallow Road, Larkfield, was broken into at night but nothing was taken. A storage area in a petrol fill-


ing station in Holborough Road, Snodland, was broken into and an industrial Hoover vacuum cleaner and chemicals taken. Afolded pramwas taken from


the drive of a property in Lam- bourne Drive, Kings Hill. The numberplates were taken


from a van parked in Keats Road, Larkfield. Criminal damage was caused


to a car parked overnight in the High Street, Aylesford. Two handbags and their con-


tents were taken from a car parked in the country park off Malling Road, Larkfield. Acable at a sub station in Sta-


tion Road, Aylesford, was cut. A number of items were


stolen following a break-in at a property in Stangate Road, Bir- ling. Two bikes attached to a motor caravan on the drive of a prop- erty in Pilgrims Way, Trot- tiscliffe, were taken overnight. A shed to a property in Pump


Close, Leybourne, was broken into and an “old-fashioned” green Dawes bike taken. A catalytic converter was


taken from a van parked at com- mercial premises in New Hythe Lane, Larkfield. Acopper canopy on the porch


roof of a property in The Av- enue, Aylesford, was taken.


You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk


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