Woof! Thanks for saving me, Ruby


MABEL the dalmatian is alive and well after a near-death expe- rience – and it is all thanks to the skill of specialist vets and a blood transfusion from her aun- tie Ruby! The two-year-old had been en-


joying a run round Bluebell Hill woods with owner Clive Muller when she accidentally impaled herself through the chest on a long, pointed stick. It pierced her chest to a depth


of six inches, damaging her lung and narrowly missing her heart. Clive’s wife, Tracy, pictured, is looking forward to a happy fu- ture with the two pets, reunited at home in Wilton Drive, Ditton. But for several days she feared Mabel would not pull through the ordeal. “It’s a miracle. We thought she wasn’t


going to make it. She had 52 staples in her wounds. The staff at the vet referral centre in Basildon were so amazing,” said Tracy, who is a dental nurse at Southcot surgery in Larkfield.


On track of crime at


local rail stations ANTI-social behaviour described by police as “absolutely unacceptable” prompted a crackdown on crime at several train stations on theMedway Valley line. One person was spoken to at Aylesford station for possession of cannabis. Half a dozen youngsters were banned from enter- ing Halling station for a period of 48 hours. Meanwhile, at Strood, officers dealt with


two passengers, one of whom had been seen spitting and the other had been reported for smoking. Insp Ed Walden, from British Transport Police, said: “This sort of behaviour is ab- solutely unacceptable and makes people feel uncomfortable and unsafe in what is other- wise a very safe environment. “Crime at these stations is low. However,


our priority is to make sure that people who use the rail network are not only safe but feel safe.” A spokesman for Southeastern said it was working with British Transport Police “to make the railways as safe as possible”.


 To report anti-social behaviour on trains or at rail stations, contact British Transport Police on 0800 405040. Alternatively, call Kent Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.


Fant pub demolition plan A SCHEME has been submitted to replace the former Anchor and Hope pub in Bower Lane, Fant, with three three-bedroom homes in a terraced form. Applicant Steven Cooper’s planning state-


ment says: “The building has missing floor- ing and ceilings within, holes in the roof, rotten windows and is generally in poor re- pair. “Within 200m of the site there are two public houses: The Coopers Cask at 50 Bower Lane and The First and Last, Bower Place.”


Pizza plan WAHIDULLA Masoudi wants to establish a pizza takeaway at 34 High Street, Maid- stone. The applicant was in negotiations with Switch Youth Café, which occupies 34a High Street, regarding the location of stor- age bins to the rear.


32 Town


at Newnham Court. They did an emergency op, cleaned the wound and stitched her up.”


However, Mabel’s condition worsened


and she was referred to the VRCC specialist hospital where she was kept in over the weekend. “Her blood platelets level was low. She needed a CT scan and a blood transfusion. We had no pet insurance but we said ‘just do whatever’s necessary’. “Later, they called to say she had gone downhill and they would have to open her up. They found part of her lung had col- lapsed and that the stick had gone between twomain arteries andmissed her heart by a few millimetres.” By Monday evening she was showing no


Husband Clive recalled the terrible mo-


ments two months ago, just after he had let Mabel off her lead in the wood near his of- fice. “I heard her screaming. I ran to find her and she was just sitting on the grass dazed. She fell on her side kicking and shaking. “I scooped her up and took her to the vets


KEN Bowra has been re- fusedinhis bidtoturna former sheephouse into a family dwelling at Hoppers Field, Tonbridge Road, Barming.


According to Maidstone Council’s planning depart- ment: “The building is not considered to be of sufficient architectural or historic merit to justify its retention and conversion to residen- tial use. The proposed de-


signs of improvement. The surgeon told the Mullers therewas one last chance for Mabel - a blood-match transfusion from Ruby, her six-year-old auntie. It worked - and after a two-week stay in hospital Mabel was home and raring to go again. Tracy said: “She seems fine. Going walks is not the same, though, as you’re on edge all the time after what happened.”


Barming sheephouse can’t be changed


velopment would therefore be harmful to the character of the countryside.” Its statement said insuffi-


cient evidence had been shown that “a commercial re-use of the building, in- cluding use as holiday ac- commodation, has been thoroughly investigated.” In 2004, the applicant was


given permission to use the building for tourist accom- modation, but he now


A LARGE new Audi car dealership is due to open off M20 junction 6 next year. Construction work has begun on creating


a 17-car showroom and 20-bay workshop on the former site of the Veglios Motel in Sandling Road, which will replace the company’s site in the QuarryWood Indus- trial Park, Aylesford. The original planning application, sub- mitted byBMW,was granted on appeal after Maidstone Council’s June 2004 refusal on the grounds of preventing the creep of out- of-town retail centres, landscape protection, wildlife conservation and road safety. Latterly, the site changed hands and a re-


vised detailed application was submitted by Audi that, following pre-application discussions with Maidstone Council, in- corporated a range of features designed to


claims this is not viable. Mr Bowra’s planning state-


ment said: “The building can legitimately be occupied all year round by persons who would be entitled to make use of the property as a residence (albeit temporar- ily). Logically, there cannot be any intensification of use that would arise simply by labelling the property a sin- gle residential unit rather than a holiday let.”


Work under way on new car showroom


provide habitat niches for wildlife. Cllr Tony Harwood, a planning commit-


tee member and Boxley parish councillor, said: “Hopefully, some of the orchids and rare invertebrates which formerly abounded on the site will survive the on- going destructive ground-works stage and re-colonise the small areas of habitat that form an element of the agreed landscaping plan for the site. Achieving safe access and egress for pedestrians and motorists at this new development on the already challeng- ing Running Horse roundabout A229 slip road is a real local concern.” Audi customer care coordinator Sue


Leach said: “The new site will have ex- tended facilities for customers and for staff.We aim to make the transition to our new premises as seamless as possible.


Free festival screenings for pupils LOCAL youngsters will again get a chance to go to the cinema free during National Schools FilmWeek. The festival, now in its 16th year, is supported by an online library of resources about each film. The programme at Maidstone Odeon, Lockmeadow,


from October 13 to 21, includes Kung Fu Panda, Social Network and Zookeeper. Amanda Wheatcroft, who teaches at Kingswood Pri-


mary School, near Maidstone, said: “Attending Film Week is a great introduction to storytelling, animation and art and can link to lots of subjects within the cur- riculum.” In all, there will be 2,500 screenings at 570 cinemas across the UK.


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


Dragons’ dancers! RAZZAMATAZ Theatre Schools, which, as a fledg- ling business back in 2007, received backing from TV’s Dragon’s Den, is opening its doors this month in Maid- stone. The school will be based


at the newly renovated YMCA centre in Loose. Classes in singing, danc-


ing and drama will run on Tuesday evenings from Sep- tember 20, for 4-18 year olds.


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