Unusual wake up call for Hadlow restaurant
Police act on metal theft misery
POLICE carried out early morn- ing raids across Kent and vis- ited scrapyards, including Aylesford, as part of a crack- down on the sale of stolen metal.
Officers visited 10 properties
THE owner of a popular Had- low restaurant had a rude awak- ening when a car mounted the pavement and reversed into his premises. Antonio Marcelino, propri-
etor of Casa Portuguesa, in The Square, had just got upwhen an elderly gentleman made an un- expected 7am entry, by revers- ing his Ford Fiesta into the front window of the restaurant, crashing into tables and chairs inside. Mr Marcelino’s children, who
were asleep in the flat above the restaurant, were awoken by the noise as some 10ft of the shop’s frontage was demolished. The driver of the car had to be
taken to hospital suffering from shock, while structural engi- neers had to be called to check the building was safe.
The restaurant closed for
lunch while the window was boarded up, but it was business as usual by the evening. Mr Marcelino has applied for planning permission to replace the damaged windowwith con- certina doors and a canopy. In themeantime, he has disguised the temporary repair inside the restaurant with some strategi- cally-placed pot plants.
(eight homes and two busi- nesses) across Thanet and ar- rested seven people, five for conspiracy to handle stolen goods and two on suspicion of supplying class A drugs. In addition, seven scrap yards across Kent were visited. At premises in Ramsgate, Tun- bridge Wells, Tonbridge and Tenterden search warrantswere executed and road checks held close to the businesses. At yards in Aylesford, Erith
and Canterbury, staffwere given advice by police about their re- sponsibilities under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act. Road checks were also carried out. Kent Police Deputy Chief Constable Alan Pughsley said: "The theft of metal is bringing
Rail Europe remains on track CONTINENTAL train travel specialist Rail Eu- rope is to retain its Kings Hill headquarters for a further ten years. The company, which is the UK’s leading spe- cialist in tickets and passes for rail travel around Europe, has been based on the business park since 2001. Its office building, 34 Tower View, was specially designed to suit its re-
quirements.More than 80 staff are based there.
misery - literally, to thousands of people. Householders are being left without power and light and businesses are unable to function when underground telephone cable is being torn out of the ground. The rail net- work has been disrupted and we have seen that thieves will even stoop as low as to rip the plaques off memorials dedi- cated to those who have died fighting in wars.” The investigation has been underway for the last six months and involved metal, in- cluding cabling, being offered to yards across the county. This was met by a varied reaction from flat refusal to acceptance of stolen cablingwith few ques- tions asked. Tracey Crouch, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, who joined the operation as an ob- server, said: "It is important that we as law makers understand what those who are enforcing the law are dealing with."
Cuppa and a chat and lots more A WIDE range of activities and services are on offer at the coffee and chat group that meets every Wednesday atSnodlandWorking Men’sClub inHol- boroughWay, from 11.30am to 2pm. Run by the Beat Project, sessions include tea, cof-
fee and cakes for £1 admission and children go free. There is also no charge for people attending for em- ployment advice and Connexions. Crafting activities are
available.Afree six-week lit- eracy course starts on February 22, 1pm to 2.30pm.
4 Malling
You can e-mail the Downs Mail —
info@downsmail.co.uk
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