‘Conman’ charged £3,000 to cut down tree Town Talk


A MAN was arrested by police after he tried to take a pensioner to her bank to draw out £3,000 in cash after lopping a tree in her back garden. He had already taken the 85-


year-old lady from Snodland to the High Street branch of San- tander in Maidstone High Street, on a previous day to draw out the money.


The cashier, when told by the


lady what the money was for, said that, because of the bank holiday, there were insufficient funds in the bank and asked her to return two days later. The cashier later telephoned the


lady to ask if she was alright. The man had knocked on the


door of the pensioner’s house and offered to cut down the tree in her


garden for £300. She agreed, but when he had finished, leaving a five-foot stump, he took the £300 and said he hadmade a mistake, and the cost was £3,000. The lady told him she did not


have the money at home but said she had it in her bank account and he offered to drive her to Maid- stone to withdraw it . “He was very clever about it,”


Everyone’s roped


in for Jubilee fun A HOST of celebrations involving various clubs, groups and organi- sations, were crammed into the four-day Jubilee holiday at Snod- land. The tug o’ war and children’s games proved popular at a bring and share lunch in the grounds of the Rectory, St Katherine’s Lane, and the weekend also included a 1950s-style fete, civic service, children’s party and concert. There was also a street party in


the cricket meadow and a straw- berry tea for older people. More pictures on pages 2 and 3 of Town Talk.


Walkers step out to mark parish boundaries


ONLY 15 people took part in the annual 12-mile Snodland bound- ary walk – and there were no dogs this year. Leaving Oast Park Golf Club,


the walk included Holborough marshes, Luddesdown, Dode Church and Holly Hill returning to Snodland along Paddlesworth Road. All the walkers received a cer- tificate from the town council, which organises the event. The boundary walk is a modern version of “beating the bounds”, an ancient ritual which was per- formed by local officials, helped by parishioners armedwith sticks, beating the parish boundaries, so


she told Town Talk. “He drove me into Maidstone in his white van, but did not come in to the bank in case he was caught on camera.” Neighbours and friends who


heard about the incident rallied round and the police were in- formed. A 33-year-old man from West Malling was arrested and has been bailed until June 22.


Volunteers save the day for


carnival parade THE procession of floats and walkers through the town for Snodland Carnival will go ahead on July 7, after an ap- peal for volunteers to manage the traffic was successful. We reported in the last


issue of Town Talk that the po- lice were no longer able to manage traffic at events such as the carnival. The procession will start


everybody was aware of the boundaries if they had not been plottedonamap. It was revived by the then


parish council in 1995 and has become established as one of the town council’s annual com- munity events.


from Holmesdale Technology College and proceed along Malling Road, the High Street, Queen’s Avenue, Holborough Road, High Street and Con- stitution Hill to Potyns Sports- ground. The theme for this year’s carnival is London attractions. The new mayor of Ton- bridge and Malling, David Davis and his wife, Mary, will lead the procession after helping judge the winners of the floats and walkers. The Red Hill Corps of Drums, the Glenduart Pipe Band, Brooks Academy of Dance, Silhouettes dancers and birds from Eagle Heights Wildlife Park, Eynsford will be providing the entertainment when the procession arrives at Potyns.


Local news for Snodland and Halling


A Downs Mail supplement produced in conjunction with the Snodland Chamber of Commerce.


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