Sixty drivers caught in speed crackdown


DRIVERS in Kings Hill have been told to watch their speed by police officers and the parish council. The housing development has 30mph speed limits throughout, but residents complained that many vehicles entering from the 50mph A228 are failing to slow down enough. Kent County Council stumped up £5,000 to pay for police speed checks. After the first six days, with


six similar sessions due over the following weeks, a total of 28 drivers were referred to driver improvement courses, 33 were handed fixed penalties and two were clocked doing speeds so far above the 30mph restriction they were sum- moned to court. Inspector Nick Sparkes said:


“It’s a real mix of people we’ve been dealingwith, from visitors


Kings Hill Parish Coun- cil chairman Sarah Barker in Gibson Drive with Cllr Dave Waller and Inspector Nick Sparkes


Checks have taken


place across the develop- ment with TowerHill and Gibson Drive identified as particular speeding hot spots.


Kings Hill Parish Cllr


Dave Waller said a speed indicator device, pur- chased by the residents’ association, had clocked some drivers doing 60 or 65mph. He said: “For years the


to the estate to people living here. The message to them all is ‘you need to reduce your speed’.”


Tax fraudster’s mum admits benefit scam on luxury home


THE mother of a convicted £8million fraudster has pleaded guilty to fiddling hous- ing benefit on her luxury home at Kings Hill. Klara Dvorkovits (62) failed


to tell Tonbridge and Malling Council that she was related to her landlord, who was in fact her daughter, when she claimed benefit, resulting in an overpayment of £8,965. Dvorkovits’ Estonian-born daughter Victoria Chambers and her husband, Ukrainian Youri Khomitch, were jailed for a total of 11 years in December, 2010, after financing a fabulous lifestyle as ringleaders of an Eastern European tax fraud gang.


During the prosecution, Dvokovits had agreed to move into her daughter’s six-bed- room detached home in a gated community at Hollandbury Park, to care for her four chil- dren.


During the investigation into


Mrs Dvokovits’ benefit fraud, it was discovered that even though there was an outstand- ing mortgage on Chambers’ home, this was being met from her’s and her husband’s frozen bank account funds. It also emerged that Chambers had encouraged her mother to com- plete the benefit claim. After hearing about the un-


usual circumstances of this case and the plight she had been left in by her daughter’s sentence, Sevenoaks magis- trates imposed a conditional discharge of two years and £250 costs. Chambers and Khomitch had


lived at Hollandbury Park for five years, running a string of companies offering acountancy services for eastern European workers. They submitted thou- sands of fraudulent self assess- ment tax returns for both fictitious people and individu- als whose identities had been stolen.


Gold star for dog warden


TONBRIDGE andMalling’s dog warden has been rewarded for her work during a reception at the House of Lords. Council employee Lorraine Baseden received the community an-


imal welfare footprints gold award for stray dog services from the RSPCA. The award reflects the council’s commitment to dogwel- fare over and above the statutory requirements, as well as Lor- raine’s personal and professional commitment and dedication in her role as dog warden and in the promotion of responsible dog ownership. The council offers an out-of-


hours collection service, ken- nelling, micro-chipping of all stray dogs before they are re- turned to their owners or re- homed, and runs proactive work to encourage responsible dog ownership.


fears have been anecdotal but now we have the means to prove it is a real problem. I live close to The Discovery Primary School and a lot of chil- dren walk to school. It’s good to see them walking but if drivers are going


too fast it can be dangerous. Cllr Sarah Barker, chairman of the parish council said: “We first


learned about this after it was set up in the neighbouring parish of West Malling. We liked the idea so the parish council contacted Kent County Council and after we got the moneywe liaised with Kent Po- lice to get the project off the ground and it has reaped re- wards.We hope it will continue in the future.” Insp Sparkes said the crack-


down had not impacted on re- sources elsewhere, and pledged his team would return to the village throughout 2013 to pre- vent drivers becoming compla- cent.


“What we are doing, because


it has been paid for by Kent County Council, is in addition to our normal policing re- sponse. Theideaistoremind people to slow down but if they don’t, we will use enforce- ment,” he warned.


Honours for East Peckham’s Sue


HOUSING chief Sue Chalkley has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours. Mrs Chalkley (55), who lives in Snoll


Hatch Road, East Peckham, with her hus- band Gary and two stepchildren, has worked in social housing for 37 years and is currently Chief Executive of Hastoe Housing Association, which helps resi- dents remain in their own towns and vil- lages when house prices are high. Mrs Chalkley, is also a director of theNa-


tional Flood Forum and a churchwarden at St Andrew’s Church in PaddockWood. She received her honour in recognition


of her services to housing and to tenants. She has no idea who nominated her for the honour but said


she was indeed honoured and thrilled. Mrs Chalkley joinedHastoe in 2007, having worked previously


as director of development and regeneration and operations di- rector at Gallions Housing Association and as regional director at Housing 21. Her career began in a quantity surveying practice followed by


11 years at L B Bromley, and then five years at Guardian Hous- ing Association, a leasehold specialist. She is a former chair of the Association of Retirement Housing Managers and chair of Gordon House Association (a charity pro- viding residential based therapy for compulsive gamblers).


Youngsters win yellow belts SIX Snodland youngsters have achieved their yellow belts in judo after complet- ing The Fighting Chance project. The scheme aims to combat anti-social issues, by providing regular classes where young people can learn new skills, helping them feel more included in the community and more confident in themselves. Organised between Ton- bridge &Malling Borough Council, Kent Police, and the Kent Integrated Youth Service with funding from the Kent Peo- ple’s Trust and Kent Fire and Rescue Service, Fighting Chance also works in close partnership with the British Judo Association. All participants are offered free mem- bership of the association in the hope of developing future judo champions. By the end of the 12-week course all


six of the young people who had regu- larly taken part had completed the yel- low belt challenge and have also been invited back to help mentor youngsters on the next course later this year.


To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330


Driving ban STEVEN Bonner (33), of Bull Lane, Eccles, was disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined £200 for fail- ing to provide a breath test.


Bonner admitted the offence which took place at Folkestone on September 16 last year. He also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to bail on October 8 without reasonable ex- cuse and was fined £50. Magistrates also imposed £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.


Tree faces chop AN application has been submitted to fell a sweet chestnut tree at 49 Bradbourne Lane, Ditton.


Malling 19


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40