Fresh water on tap after
Sale of restaurant follows death
investment SOUTH East Water’s new £360,000 water main is now supplying fresh tap water to Maidstone. This follows an upgrade programme lasting three and a half months, which saw a new section of water main installed along the A20 Lon- don Road at Ditton. James Smith, delivery manager for South East Water, said: “It is never easy retiring an old section of pipeline and installing a brand new water main while keeping traffic moving along such a busy road. “I would like to thank the
local community and mo- torists for their patience and co-operation while this im- portant project was com- pleted. I would also like to recognise our contractor, Clancy Docwra, for the hard work and long hours they have put in to the project over the past few months.” The work forms part of the company’s five-year £390 million investment pro- gramme which will ensure that clean, safewater contin- ues to be delivered to its cus- tomers.
THE Hengist restaurant at Aylesford was placed on the market after the sudden death of its owner Paul Smith. The future of the Grade II
listed building in the High Street was due to be decided at auction on October 31. The three-storey premises
was advertised by Clive Emson auctioneers as offering potential for continued use as a restau- rant or for conversion, subject to planning permission, after property receivers instructed the sale. The guide price for the freehold was £180-200,000. Mr Smith (43) was found
dead at his home in nearby Rochester Road, on September 1. An inquest was opened and the cause of his death given as suspension. Two weeks after the tragedy, staff announced the closure of the restaurant.
Well-known in Kent business circles, Mr Smith was the founder of Regal Estates sales and letting agency but had not owned the firm for some time. The Hengist had gained a widespread reputation as a fine dining venue after being launchedin2005byMrSmith with celebrity chef Richard Phillips. The pair also worked together
on several other ventures in- cluding The Windmill in Hollingbourne and Thackeray’s in TunbridgeWells. The auction was due after the Downs Mail went to press.
Life coach guilty of fraud offence Continued from page one
said: “We had five children we were trying to feed and a house we were trying to keep and we had no money. I was trying to get my business going and did not want to apply for jobseeker’s al- lowance, so we needed money coming in to help us survive. “Of course I regret it. I don’t
like what has happened, but we didwhatwehad to do.Wedid- n’t go out of our way to rip peo- ple off; we just thought we were claiming for what we were enti- tled to.” Jacobs says his comments on social networking sites such as
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Twitter, where he has more than 800 followers, reflect his past, not the present. One of them says he is “transforming the world of learning with a life-long commitment to the personal growth of others”. One of Jacobs’ Facebook pages features quotes designed to be positive and inspiring. These in- clude: “Be careful the friends you choose, for you will become like them”. Jacobs was involvedwith BBC
Two show The Men Who Made Us Thin,which was aired in Au- gust. The four-part series fea- tured presenter Jacques Peretti
taking part in a boot camp in Maidstone. Everest pleaded guilty atMed-
way Magistrates’ Court to four counts of fraud through dishon- estly claiming benefit and was given a suspended 120-day prison term and ordered to pay £85 costs plus a victim sur- charge. Jacobs pleaded guilty to aiding
and abetting Everest to defraud Medway Council with a view to obtaining housing benefit for himself.Hewas given 200 hours community service over two years and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
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