Police hunt for village raiders
POLICE investigating a sudden spike in rural burglary in the Aylesford area have asked the public to help them catch those responsible.
Neighbourhood policing In- spector Nick Sparkes said there had been “a sudden, but not huge rise” in the number of bur- glaries in April with six in one week along the A20 corridor, in villages such as Aylesford, Dit- ton, Leybourne and Larkfield. “What we want is people liv-
ing in these areas to be extra vigilant and to report any suspi- cious behaviour to us. “We had issues around bur-
glary in the Mallings last year and, at that time, information from the public helped us bring two suspects to justice. We’d like the same help again,” he said. Six burglaries or attempted burglaries in houses and sheds were reported betweenApril 17
and 22 and stolen items in- cluded jewellery, tools, mp3 players and a games console. Officers would especially like
to hear from anyone witnessing cold calls or if they suspect someone is scouting an area for empty properties. Inspector Sparkes asked resi-
dents to take a moment to con- sider home security. He said: “In some of the most recent incidents, it seems of- fenders have broken into sheds and then used garden tools and ladders to access the house. So don’t overlook the importance of shed security as well, even if the shed is in your back garden and contains relatively inex- pensive equipment.” Anyone with information can
call Kent police on 101 or use 999 if a crime is in progress. You can also contact Crimestop- pers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Cat burglar hits garden
THEOWNERof a limited edition bronze resin cat has appealed for its re- turn after itwas stolen from the top of her gardenwall at EastMalling. Julie Todd said the orna-
ment, valued at £140, had great sentimental value. “It is an unusual piece and we are hoping itmay reap- pear somewhere if it is publicised”, she said. The cat was created by
sculptorPeterClose as the seventh of an edition of 500 and has his name and the number stamped on the base. It was firmly wired on top of the 14ft wall in Clare Wood Drive, and Julie suspects the thief climbed on a garden seat to remove it in daylight during the Easter weekend. Call Kent police with information on 101.
Shake-up at leisure centres
EIGHT volunteers are needed to become community trustees in a shake-up of the running of Tonbridge and Malling’s leisure centres aimed at saving the council £500,000 a year. Councillors voted to reduce
their power over the borough’s four main sports centres and appoint a board to govern a new charitable trust – a not for profit distributing organisation (NPDO). Eleven trustees will form the management board to oversee the running of Larkfield Leisure Centre, the Angel Cen- tre, Tonbridge; Tonbridge Swimming Pool and Poult Wood Golf Centre. The community trustees, in- cluding a chairman, will join two councillors and a staff member on the board. Tonbridge and Malling Council will retain ownership of the sites, and will be con-
sulted on all major decisions. The staff of about 50will trans- fer to the new organisation. Officers have estimated that introduction of an NPDO would mean the council would avoid business rates and VAT, which could save up to half a million pounds. The council said the quality
and range of services would re- main at the present high stan- dard and any trading surpluses would be reinvested. The council’s chief leisure officer Robert Styles said: “This is a real opportunity for people who have the profes- sional skills. We are looking for people who feel they could voluntarily offer their time and expertise to ensure that the leisure facilites in the borough are second to none.” For more details about be- coming a trustee, visit
www.tmbc.gov.uk
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