Cat dies after yobs’ airgun attack


A SUTTON Valence couple’s post-holiday happiness was crushed when their beloved pet cat was shot with an airgun and died. Mark and JennyWeller believe their four-


year old feline Domino was shot deliber- ately and police are now investigating. They had been delighted to see that Domino was fit and well when they col- lected him from the cattery, following their week’s holiday in Italy. But less than 24 hours later, their pre-


cious pet was dead – almost certainly the victim of a cruel prank. Domino had spent much of the day asleep in the conservatory and ate his din- ner, as usual. He went out about 3pm, re- turning before dark at 6pm and was immediately sick. Jenny, from Chartway Street, said: “Iwas-


n’t too worried at the time, as he had been sick occasionally in the past.” The cat padded off upstairs to rest and it


was only an hour or so later, that the couple found a spot of blood on his stomach. They took him immediately to Notcutts Veterinary Surgery, where the vet found a


Advertising for


parish firms BUSINESSES operating in Boughton Monchelsea will soon be able to advertise free on the parish council’s website – www.boughton-monchelsea- pc.org.uk If you are interesting in join-


ing this business register, con- tact the parish clerk on clerk.bmpc@btinternet.com listing your name, address, business and full contact de- tails, including e-mail address and website if you have one. Only traders operating within the parish can be included. In conjunction with the


South Maidstone Business As- sociation (SMBA), the parish council is holding a business fair in the village hall, Church Street from 4pm onWednesday February 26, 2014. Businesses operating within Boughton Monchelsea can go along and promote themselves free of charge. SMBA will also be arranging


a number of free seminars at the event, including accounting and legal advice. To book a table, contact the parish clerk.


Charity gifts LIFE-SAVING charity the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambu- lance has launched its 2013 Christmas catalogue. It features exclusive Christmas


cards as well as calendars, toys and gifts. It also contains infor- mation on major developments of the service over the past year, including night operation and the launch of blood transfusions, and how to become a volunteer. There’s also the chance to win


up to £1,000 by purchasing a lot- tery gift voucher. To order a copy of the cata-


logue call 01622 833833 or go to www.kssairambulance.org.uk


24 South Work finished on lock


THE Environment Agency has completed restoration work on Teston Lock, revolutionising the site for visitors and boosting local wildlife. The new construction has been built within the existing lock and im-


proves the safety and convenience for the boats using it. Features in- clude improved mooring, new access steps, and rubbing timbers and fendering to reduce the risk of damage to visiting vessels. Wildlifewill also benefit from theworks. A newfish pass has been in-


stalled, which provides climbable slopes for fish wanting to travel up- stream, so fish such as barbel, roach, perch, dace, chub and pike can pass through the site freely. Work began on the £2.4million construction project in November last


year and was completed at the end of August, although landscaping of the site continued for severalweeks. The fish pass at Teston also doubles as a canoe pass, and is the first in


the country to be built to accurately measure the flow of water cascad- ing down it. Phil Munslow, Environment Agency waterways manager, said: “The


newlock at Testonwill nowbe functional for at least the next 70 years, and should be a great asset to visitors to the area throughout that time. Teston Lock is the eighth of 10 locks along the 31km stretch of non-


tidal River Medway, andwas originally built in 1913. Two new decorative timber bridges have been installed over the en-


trance and exit of the pass, with improvements made to footpaths be- tween the bridges and along the river.


OFFICERS from Kent Police continued their crackdown on illegal drugs when they raided homes in The Cockpit, Marden. Officers from Kent Police’s Divisional Support


Unit assisted Maidstone Neighbourhood Police officers in executing warrants at three properties. One of the searched properties resulted in 24 deal-sized bags of herbal cannabis being seized under the Misuse of Drugs Act, along with a Sam- sung mobile phone, a cannabis grinder, eight plas- tic clip bags, a set of digital scales and four pieces of identification. No-one was in the property at the time and enquiries continue.


The pet no one wanted Mark and Jenny got Domino from Swale Cats Protection in February. “Hewas quite a feisty cat so no- body really wanted him, but he had got to know us and was very loving and playful. Our previous cat lived to be 14 so we expected to have him a long time.”


small hole in the middle of his stomach. “The vet said he must have been shot by


an air rifle andwould need an operation to remove the pellet,” said Jenny. Mark and Jenny returned home and were contacted by the vet at 1am to say the pel- let had gone through seven sections of the small intestine, 40cm ofwhich had needed to be removed. Although Domino survived


for a few hours following the operation, he died shortly after coming round from the anaesthetic, probably from a blood clot. Jenny said: “The vet gave us the offend-


ing pellet which we have now given to the police. We are sure he was deliberately shot, as the pellet went through his stom- ach in such a way that he must have been up a tree and shot at from the ground. “Domino was very distinctive, with a


pure white body and black blotches, so could not have been mistaken for anything other than a cat.” Jenny was so distraught at what hap-


pened – as were the rest of the family – that she says shewill not have anymore cats as long as she lives in Chartway Street. “To have a pet run over is bad enough,


but that would be an accident. This was just horrific,” she said. Jenny hopes her story will be a warning


to other cat owners in the area and also to the owners of air rifles. “Someone out there was responsible for


this,” she said. “I hope they have a con- science for the suffering they have caused.”


Sport vision AVISIONfor thefutureofsport in Yalding and Laddingford was presented to an audience at the inaugural meeting of YALSA – the Yalding and Laddingford Sports Association – held at The Chequers, Laddingford. Members want to raise funds


to purchase a new pavilion for The Kintons, which would be shared by both football and cricket teams, while working together on a number of initia- tives to unite the sports men and women in the village. Jamie Massett was appointed chairman, with Sharon Dawes as secretary, Shaun Kelly treas- urer and Rachel Curley as press officer.


Offices ‘detrimental’ A PROPOSAL to convert two barns for office and storage use at Spindlebush Farm, Yalding Hill, Yalding, has been refused. Maidstone Council said the scheme would be detrimental to transport and the highway network.


Wine sales bid LESLIE Balfour-Lynn has ap- plied for planning permission to sell wines from an existing wine-tasting room at Hush Heath Winery, Five Oak Lane, Staplehurst.


Drugs seized in raids on village homes


Entry was forced into a second property where sniffer dogs found a small amount of herbal cannabis and a grinder. The third property yielded more herbal cannabis and a grinder, plus a syringe with a needle and a suspicious bottle containing an unknown substance. Chief Superintendent Steve Corbishley, divi-


sional commander for West Kent, said: “Raids such as these are known to disrupt and intimidate criminals in our area and my message to those still intent on trading and using drugs in West Kent is clear –we could be knocking on your door next.”


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