Village gets post office back


RESIDENTSat Testonhave their ownpost office serv- ice once more after setting up their own general store. The village post office andgeneral store closed last


year after the death of 66-year-oldZygnantwhoran it for 21 years. But residentsandparishcouncillors pulled together


to open a new community store which opened a few weeks ago in a green cabin next to the village hall. The shop is being run as a non-profit making con-


cernwith temporary planning permission for a year. NowPostOfficeheadquarters has restored services


to the newshop with an outreach facility every Tues- day and Friday from 9amto 1pm. It is hoped a permanent arrangement will be made


after a consultation period which ended on August 23.


Drink drive case AN Aylesford man appeared at Mid Kent Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded guilty to drink-driving following an in- cident in Brewer Street, Maid- stone.


Lazarus Banda (50), of Ayles-


ford Priory, Aylesford, was stopped while driving a Re- naultMegane. He gave a breath test of 106 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 mg.


Magistrates disqualified Banda from driving for three years and ordered him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.


The village stores and post office in Teston Mercury spill alert in high street


EMERGENCY services were called to the centre of West Malling after mercury was spilled on the pavement. Part of the High Street was closed off for three hours after a shopper reported seeing about a cupful of the toxic substance near a drain outside Costa Coffee. Police, two fire engines and a special response unit arrived on


the scene after the member of the public raised the alarm at around 4.20pm on Sunday, August 25. Themercury was taken away by police after being cleared up by


fire crews and was disposed of by Kent Highways. Officers were unable to establish where it came from.


Shading concern FRANCES Fielding has applied for conservation area consent to fell a leylandii cypress tree at 8 Phoenix Cottages, Maidstone Road, Wateringbury, due to shading of property at the rear.


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Birch tree ‘too large’ DAWNDunmill has applied for conservation area consent to fell a silver birch tree at 4War- den Terrace, Wateringbury, “because it has become too large for the space it occupies.”


Ken & E Rail Rail


Passengers could face rail fare hike


COMMUTERS could be looking at another massive hike in fares in the New Year – putting the cost of an annual season ticket to London from West Malling above £4,000. The Trades Union Congress is already protesting at stations around the county, claiming that the cost of rail travel will have gone up by 40.1% in six years, while average earnings only rose by 15.16%. Commuters travelling from


West Malling could have to pay more than £335 a month or £4,043 per year if the antici- pated fare increase of 4.1%was to be applied in January. Train operators can increase


fares by July’s Retail Price Index – which was 3.1% – plus 1%.


The exact fare increases will


not be announced until Decem- ber, but they could be a bitter Christmas present for the thou- sands of commuters from Kent who travel daily up to the City for work. The Association of Train Op- erating Companies says that in- creases above inflation are needed to support investment in new trains, better stations and faster services.


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