Praise for green scheme success


TONBRIDGE andMalling’s eco-friendly res- idents have been praised for their excellent recycling performance. All newspapers and magazines from the council’s green box kerbside collections and paper banks are delivered to Aylesford Newsprint. In 2010, the borough delivered an impressive 4,150 tonnes of paper to the Aylesford mill to be processed into new newsprint for the publishing indus- try.


Only clean, fresh paper, free from con- taminants such as glass and food waste, is suitable and the deliveries from Tonbridge andMalling consistently meet this require- ment. Aylesford Newsprint financial director Ian Broxup said the borough had been sup-


Memorial for tree


man Merlyn A TREE will be planted at West Peckham in memory of Merlyn Sear Parry, a keen tree expert who lived in the village for more than 40 years and passed away last year. Parish councillors agreed to


the memorial tree on the vil- lage green as a replacement for a diseased chestnutwhich needs to be removed. Tonbridge and Malling Council suggested a Cau- casian lime as a suitable species.


‘GHOST’ – by international artist Adam Chodzko – has won the Liberty Kent Public Art Award, which is given by Kings Hill developer Liberty Property Trust UK Ltd and KCC. The work is a specially made


kayakwhich ferried people, one by one, to Deadman’s Island, off


plying top quality paper for more than 15 years. “The residents clearly understand how to recycle effectively and we are de- lighted to recognise this.” He presented as award to Tonbridge and Malling mayor Cllr Brian Luker during a visit to the mill. Tonbridge andMalling residents can now recycle their low-energy light bulbs. The council has teamed up with recycling firm Recolight to install special new bins around the borough, including Asda at Kings Hill, Sainsbury’s at Quarry Wood and Snodland Community Centre. The bulbs contain minute quantities of mercury and are therefore classed as haz- ardous waste and should be recycled sus- tainably.


Driver foils truck robbery


A LORRY driver who went to sleep in the back of his parked cab, awoke to the sound of thieves trying to break in. The incident happened at 11.20pm on the industrial estate at Forstal Road, Aylesford. After being woken up by the sound of breaking glass, the driver found two men trying to get into the front of the cab. The pair fled empty-handed after the driver knocked them off balance as they tried to get in. One suspect was described as aged 16 to 20, 6ft 3in tall, Afro- Caribbean, wearing a dark blue or black hooded top, clean shaven and slim. The second man was 5ft 10in tall, wearing a light coloured long-sleeved hooded top with a dark coloured body warmer on top. Police have appealed for information. Contact Detective Con-


stable Nicola Mullins on 01622 604267 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Journey to the island of the dead is a winner


Queenborough, Isle of Sheppey, which was used as a burial ground for prisoners in the 18th and 19th centuries. Passengers were given control


of a video camera at the bow of the vessel and encouraged to make their own film of the jour- ney, contributing to an archive.


Judged by an expert panel, the


prize was for the best piece of public art created in Kent in the last two years, and was an- nounced at a ceremony at Kings Hill Golf Club. The winner re- ceived £7,000with £5,000 going to the commissioner, Whitstable Biennale 2010.


Club impresses FA chief FOOTBALL Association chairman David Bern- stein watched lads from Aylesford FC enjoy a game when he visited Kent. Mr Bernstein was out and about to view best practice in the counties and kicked off his day with a visit to Aylesford FC where he saw an under 11s match against Castle Colts. The soccer chief said he was really impressed


by what he had seen at Kent FA and Aylesford FC, one of the county’s charter standard clubs. “It’s fantastic to see the tremendous facilities


FA chairman David Bernstein with Aylesford FC youngsters


here and to watch the boys play in such high quality, safe surroundings.” Next stop was Priestfield Stadium where, ac- companied by Kent FA chairman Barry Bright and chief executive Paul Dolan, he watched Gills beat Oxford United 1-0.


AN ELDERLY widow, who died from an overdose, had been wor- ried shemight have to go into a nursing home, an inquest was told. Coroner Patricia Harding ruled that retired art teacher andmag-


istrate Sheila Nisbet Evans killed herself, but said it was impossi- ble to say exactly why. The 78-year-old was found lying on her bed at home in Upper


Mill,Wateringbury, just after 11am on Thursday, May 5, by care worker Samantha Pullen who called in for an hour each week- day.


Everything seemed normal the previous day and she thoughtMrs Nisbet Evans was looking forward to a visit from her daughter. The inquest heard that the pensioner left two notes, including one for her daughter, Anne Graham.


14 Malling


Mayor of Tonbridge andMalling Cllr Brian Luker receives the award from Aylesford Newsprint financial director Ian Broxup and recycling operations manager Gemma Barratt


County Council rivals


fail to ‘get Carter’ KCC boss Paul Carter has sur- vived a leadership challenge. In a ballot of members, Cllr


Carter, who represents Maid- stone Rural North at County Hall, secured 53 of the 73 votes. Former cabinet members Cllr


Keith Ferrin and Cllr Nick Chard claimed it was time for a change at the top. They polled nine and 11 votes respectively. Afterwards, Cllr Carter, who


livesinLangley,saidhewas delighted to receive such a clear mandate. “There’s much to do and I am relishing getting on with the job, he added.”


Wedding dress


dumped in garden A NETTLESTEAD residentwas surprised to discover that a wedding gown had been dumped in her front garden. The cream-coloured garment


was wrapped in a bag – labelled with the details of a cleaning company in Rye – when Pamela Chilvers found it out- side her home in Gibbs Hill. She said: “I am surrounded


by fields so if the owner was trying to dispose of it, why not throw it in a field? They must have got out of the car and put it in the garden. Maybe the cou- ple had a row.” Ms Chilvers added: “I was anxious to get it to the police quickly in case the wedding was the following day.” The owner of the wedding


dress is urged to contact Ton- bridge Police Station, where it is being held, on 01622 690690.


Former magistrate feared future in nursing home, coroner heard


Mrs Graham, who travelled from her home in theNetherlands to attend the Maidstone hearing, said that two years ago, her mother had spoken of suicide if her age made life difficult, but had not mentioned it again. She said: “I think the thought of going into a home was quite horrifying to her.” The coroner said that Mrs Nisbet Evans, who had swallowed an overdose of painkillers and prescribed tablets, was quite healthy but was convinced that at some stage she would become depend- ent on others. She told Mrs Graham: “I am very sorry that I have been unable


to determine amotive in this matter. Itmay well be that she knew she was going to have to go into a nursing home.”


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