A VERMIN trap was stolen from open land off Pilgrims Way, Snodland. A Hotpoint tumble dryer was


taken from a shed belonging to a property in Taylors Lane, Trottiscliffe. A shed belonging to a prop-


erty in theHigh Street, Hadlow, was broken into and a silver Firefox children’s mountain bike and a petrol strimmerwere taken. The strimmer was later recovered close by. A vehicle parked in Goldings


Close, Kings Hill, had its spare wheel taken. A red and white Secteur Elite


road bike was stolen from a locked bike shed at flats in The Lakes, Larkfield. Intruders got into the yard of commercial premises in Cold- harbour Lane, Aylesford,and took two road breakers. Thieves forced the rear door


of a property in Marlowe Road, Larkfield, and stole jewellery and money. A vehicle parked at commer-


cial premises in Station Road, Aylesford,was broken into and an engine control unit was taken. A vehicle parked in Wood-


lands Road, Ditton, had its tyres slashed. Avehicle parked in a car park


in Station Road, Aylesford,was kicked, resulting in damage to the bodywork. A vehicle parked in Taylors


Lane, Trottiscliffe, had all its locks damaged, but no access was gained. The garage of a property in


Birch Crescent, Aylesford,was broken into and a large quantity of wine and items of golfing equipment were taken. A window of a property in Bondfield Road, East Malling, was broken and its front gate was taken. Intruders got into a bicycle storage unit at a research centre in East Malling and the wheels and lights were taken from a locked bicycle.


Beat the criminals IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE PHONE: Police: 101 Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111


Ablack and brown Carrera bi-


cyclewas taken from the garden of a property in Caxton Lane, Hadlow. Intruders broke into a


shed in the garden of a property in Caxton Lane, Hadlow,and a petrol strimmer was taken. The property itself was also bro- ken in to, and a tele- vision, a mobile phone and a games con- sole were taken. Forensic ev- idence is being examined. A vehicle parked in Water- slippe, Hadlow, had one of its tyres slashed. Another similar incident also occurred nearby. Jewellery and cash was stolen


by thieves who broke into a property in Fielding Drive, Hadlow. A lorry parked overnight in


New Hythe Lane, Larkfield, had its canvas sides slashed and cosmetics were taken. Metal fencing was cut at a


farm in Paddlesworth Road, Snodland. A mirror attached to a prop-


erty in Teddington Drive, Ley- bourne, was smashed. Agrey Citroen C3, registration number GJ06 OEZ, was stolen from an area close to flats in Bentley Close, in the Royal British Legion Village. The curtain on a lorry parked


in the industrial site in Mills Road, Quarry Wood,was slashedand anumberofdo- mestic boilers taken. A vehicle parked in Mill Hall,


Aylesford, had its exhaust taken. A business park unit in Laker


Road, Aylesford, was broken into and a large quantity of air conditioning units were taken.


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


Queue for almshouses Dear Sir – Thank you so much for high- lighting the situation regarding empty prop- erties faced by the Eustace Hook and Drummond Memorial Almshouse in the lat- est copy of DownsMail. We have since had over a dozen enquiries


and most of those who have seen the flats wish to be considered by the Trustees. We now have the once enviable situation


of more potential residents than flats, and we are therefore starting our own waiting list. Thank you and your team very much for your assistance. Jane Ayers, Eustace Hook and Drummond Memorial Almshouse


Another parking ‘rip-off’ Dear Sir – Like your reader, Peter Packham of Bearsted, I was also “ripped off” with a parking fine in exactly the same place at Lockmeadow. If only I had read his article first! I had a choice of spaces, but on close in-


24 Malling A man was seen lying under-


neath a van parked in New Road, Ditton. On inspection it was discovered a side window had been removed and taken, and the exhaust had been tampered with. A vehicle parked on


the drive of a property in Bush Road, East Peckham, had its win- dow broken and a GPS system and cash were


taken. Animal feed and bales of hay


were taken from an open-sided barn in a field off Carpenters Lane, Hadlow. Windows belonging to a prop-


erty in The Paddock, Hadlow, were damaged. Two men were seen running off shortly after the incident. A security camera was taken


from a property in Common Road, Hadlow. A purse was taken from a property in Alexander Grove, Hadlow. A vehicle parked in Coleridge


Close, Larkfield, was keyed. The tyre of a car parked in Edgeler Court, Snodland,was slashed. Agroup of youths took a skate


board ramp from a property in Ingram Close, Larkfield. The trailer of a commercial vehicle parked in a lay-by in Malling Road, Kings Hill, was broken into. The vehicle’s driver intervened, but the thieves took a quantity of cloth- ing accessories. A car parked in Admiral Moore Drive, in the Royal British Legion Village,was keyed. Two men were seen to rip the


alarm off the side wall of a shop in Twisden Road, East Malling.


This activated the alarm and the offenders ran off. The door of an outbuilding at


the East Malling research cen- tre was damaged. A vehicle parked in Tyler


Close, East Malling,had its number plates taken. A shed belonging to a prop-


erty in Hadlow High Street was broken into and a red Mon- goosemountain bike was taken. Coppiced wood was taken


from woodland in Tonbridge Road, Mereworth. Karcher pressure washers


were stolen from a lorry parked in Sortmill Road, Snodland. An unlocked blue Senda mo- torcycle, registration number EU58 FDM, was taken from the front garden of a property in Bull Lane, Eccles. Thieves took a sat nav holder


from an unlocked car parked on the driveway of a property in Mackenders Lane, Eccles. A black BMW, registration number X5 T4GNY, was taken from the overflow car park be- longing to a motor trade com- pany inWood Close, Ditton. A cage containing gas cylin-


ders in the car park of a garden nursery in Teston Road, Offham, was broken into and a quantity of cylinders were taken. The bonnet of a vehicle parked in Pear Tree Avenue, Ditton, was scratched. Stones were thrown at the window of a property in Queens Avenue, Snodland, smashing it.


WORKING? WE SERVICE ALL MAKES AND MODELS CALL 01622 880751


ALARM NOT ALARMS & SECURITY LTD


You can write to us at: Downs Mail, 2 Forge House, Bearsted Green Business Park, Bearsted, Maidstone, ME14 4DT or e-mail: info@downsmail.co.uk


spection of the markings in that spot, I de- cided it was a valid space with a smudged T shape, indicating a parking space on ei- ther side of the T. A few years ago I used to park frequently


at Lockmeadow, when I went to the local gym, and I can’t say I have ever seen peo- ple turn in that spot. It is more normal to reverse out backwards if there are no spaces at the rear of the car park. I have written to KCC suggesting they re-


paint their markings more effectively and clearly indicate that it is a turning spot. If they don’t, I will.


Teresa Ewence, Loose


Signs of cabbies’ hypocrisy Dear Sir – I have just read in the Downs Mail South edition how Dennis Conyon and his “cabbies” are furious about the council U-turn at the High Street, after they cam- paigned for signs to inform drivers of the prohibition. Is this not a touch of hypocrisy? At the


junction of Mill Street/Bishop’s Way/Palace Avenue there is a bus lane from Mill Street (All Saints’ side) into Mill Street (Robins and Day). The sign clearly states this is a bus and cycle lane and does not authorise taxis to travel north across this junction. Does this stop the taxi drivers? No, it does not. How can the cabbies of Maidstone be


upsetwith a decision that enables drivers to use a more convenient route, when they are continuing to flout the law and use the con- venience of the bus lane? Mr Thom, Coxheath


Give us back proper library Dear Sir – The new library is more like a combination of a computer games centre and toddlers’ nursery than anything else. Is that what “state of the art” means? Perhaps Maidstone Council can provide


us with a proper library again? There is a vacant property in St Faith’s Street just right for the job. George Whitney, Anglesea Avenue, Loose


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


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