Historic homes lost in blaze
THE CAUSE of a blaze that de- stroyed two Georgian houses and severely damaged another in the centre ofWest Malling re- mains a mystery. Investigators determined
there were no suspicious cir- cumstances, but the listed ter- race in the High Street was so devastated that they could not establish how the fire started. Two families were left home-
less, although no-one was in- jured, by the blaze which broke out at about 11.30pm on Friday, January 11, and took five hours to bring under control. Nigel Jones, who lost most of
his house, called the fire service after being woken by the smoke alarm, and left with his wife, Charmaine. At the height of the blaze, 60 firefighters with 10 fire engines and two height vehicles were at the scene. Crowds, including the three couples whose homes were on fire, watched crews battle the flames billowing high above the three-storey houses. Residents and traders in the
town rallied round to assist the families and the emergency services. Police heaped praise on the community for its help as the fire burned during a bitterly cold night. and during the next day when the High Street was
Failing school
joins winners A PRIMARY school that was placed in special measures by Ofsted is to team up with one of the best performing schools in the country to help it improve. Aylesford Primary School, which was deemed inadequate by government inspectors in September, will join the Valley Invicta Academies Trust (VIAT), based in Huntsman Lane,Maidstone, this autumn. The trust consists of Valley
The listed homes following the fire, and right, firefighters tackle the flames
Picture Steve Hickmott
closed until the buildings were made safe. About 20 officers were involved in the operation throughout Saturday until about 6pm. Landlord Tony Stevens re- opened The Joiners Arms to provide shelter and hot drinks for the victims and offered them a room to stay in, while other offers of help and accommoda- tion came from neighbours. Next morning, as the damping
down continued, staff from Tesco and Costa Coffee kept fire crews and police supplied with food and drinks. Inspector John Phillips said: “Around 100 people from two
local businesses offered their help by bringing coffees and hot foods to the crews of both emer- gency services and it was cer- tainly appreciated. Neither of the companies had to do this but did so without hesitation. “Thanks to them, Kent Fire
and Rescue Service did not have to call in replacement units so they were able to max- imise their resources. “The traffic management worked very well and people were rallying round, bringing trolleys to help those affected rescue their belongings. It was great to see the community coming together.”
Park School and Invicta Gram- mar School. The grammar school came within the top 10 schools in the country for last year’s GCSE results. The idea is that staff at the secondary schools will help provide better educational opportunities for youngsters at Aylesford. Roy Ballard, chairman of gov- ernors at Aylesford Primary School, said: “We were looking for a sponsor that has demon- strated its ability to deliver the highest standards of education.” Aylesford will join the trust
in September but has already started working with it and KCC. The council’s area educa- tion officer David Adams said the trust would bring strong leadership and improved stan- dards to Aylesford and provide opportunities for staff from all three schools to share skills and experiences.
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