Disabled man dies after steps fall


A 43-YEAR-OLD disabled man from Lark- field died after crashing down a flight of steps in his wheelchair as he left a hotel by the wrong door. David Henley, of Cronin Close, had prob-


ably drunk 10 pints of beer at a colleague’s retirement party at the Grange Moor Hotel in St Michael’s Road,Maidstone, an inquest heard.


Friends rushed to help after he landed


face down at the foot of the steps, and para- medics arrived soon after. Mr Henley was rushed to the Tunbridge Wells Hospital in- Pembury, but died two hours later at 2am on February 25 last year. A post mortem examination showed he


died after sustaining facial injuries and vomiting and bleeding which entered his airways and lungs. He had an alcohol read- ing of nearly three times the legal drink-


drive limit. An administration assistant with Kent County Council, Mr Henley, who was born with spina bifida, was well- known and liked and led an independent life. He left the hotel at midnight when a taxi arrived to take him home and tragically chose the wrong door, despite being famil- iar with the exit arrangements. Sgt Paul Raines told the hearing at the Archbishop’s Palace, Maidstone, it was not noted at the time whether appropriate signs were on the doors. “I believe these were added after the incident,” he said. The inquest heard that health and safety inspectors had previously approved the hotel arrangements. They had reported that more signage to an exit ramp would be use- ful for wheelchair users but this did not amount to a breach of regulations.


ONE ofMaidstone’smost iconic buildings – the 104- year-old Tabernacle at TheMote Cricket Club ground – is to be listed by English Heritage. The Tabernacle was built by the 1st Lord Bearsted


for his private use next to the main pavilion he fi- nanced for the club. He made his fortune when he set up a tanker business transporting oil worldwide. He saw the opportunity as he travelled with the family trading company,whichincluded decorated seashells among its specialities. He needed a name for his new business – and he called it Shell Oil. Lord Bearsted lived in MoteHouse on the family es-


tate of Mote Park. After his death in 1928, the park was sold to Maidstone Corporation for £50,000 and the cricket groundwas left in trust to the Mote CC. He enjoyed cricket and was the only team member


to change in the Tabernacle. The building – with kitchen, fireplace, toilet and shower aswell as a large room – was also the centre of business and enter- taining. The cost of upkeep was a challenge first for the


Creeper thefts MAIDSTONE residents are being urged to review their home security after a “creeper burglary”. A creeper burglary is when intruders take the owner’s car keys and steal their vehicles. Police recovered two cars


stolen during a house-break in Alexandra Street. Electrical items and a games console were also taken. A second burglary, on the same night, in nearby Cross Street, was unsuccessful. Two men from Gillingham,


aged 31 and 51, have been ar- rested on suspicion of burglary and theft and bailed until No- vember 19.


Recording a verdict of accidental death, assistant coroner Alison Grief said: “This was not the first time he had been to this hotel. He was familiar with the layout and had previously used the ramp exit. He had had a very enjoyable night out with his friends and was aware of the correct exit. “I am satisfied that the events of that night


were a tragic accident. His friends and the staff and paramedics did all they could to assist him. He was clearly a dearly loved man.” Mr Henley’s mother, Christine, said: “We


aregladhehad suchagoodevening,we have always looked at it that way. His health was not good and it could have been that he had a miserable ending, lying ill in a bed. It happened far too early, but what a way to go – enjoying himself, laughing and chatting with his friends.”


Listing to preserve Mote Park’s Tabernacle


Water on tap SOUTH East Water’s new £360,000 water main is now supplying fresh tap water to Maidstone. This follows an upgrade pro- gramme lasting three and a half months, which saw a new sec- tion of water main installed along the A20 London Road at Ditton. James Smith, delivery man-


Band of Brothers cricket club and later for Mote CC and by three years ago itwas close to demolition. But a campaign raised grants of about £60,000 to restore the building, whilemaintaining the key historical fea- tures. Nowit serves as The Mote Youth SportsCentre. The club’s development chairman, Dennis Fowle,


said: “We are very proud of our renewed Tabernacle and that it is now seen fit by English Heritage for list- ing to protect it for ever.”


‘Beautiful’ tree wins protection A HORSE chestnut tree has been protected to ensure it is not re- moved, should a proposed redevelopment of the listed Powerhub building in St Peter’s Street, Maid- stone, take place. West Farleigh-based Baltic Wharf (Maidstone) Ltd has applied to con- vert the former business estate into amix of business, retail and leisure, including foodstore at ground level, with offices above, a restaurant and parking for almost 400 cars. If the scheme is approved, the tree


at the junction of London Road and Buckland Hill would be felled as part of associated highway works. However, Maidstone Council’s planning committee voted unani- mously to subject it to a tree preservation order. A letter from a resident said the tree is a “beautiful mature spec- imen that is a local landmark and enhances the street scene.”


Hospice appoints temporary chief executive He said: “The executive team kept things tick-


THE Heart of Kent Hospice has appointed a tem- porary chief executive to oversee the charity’s af- fairs. Vicki Morrey has been brought in on a tempo-


rary contract in the absence of Kate Bosley, who was seriously injured in February while cycle training in Tenerife. Kate (50) had raised over £10,000 in the past for


the hospice where she worked, by participating in long distance cycling events. After spending someweeks in intensive care in


Tenerife, Mrs Bosley was flown home to Maid- stone, where she continues to recover “at her own pace”, according to a hospice spokesman.


30 Town


ing over in the short term but it was necessary to appoint an interim CEO to manage the charity in her absence and to give Kate time to recover at her own pace and in her own time until she decides to come back – if she decides to come back.” A native of Yorkshire, Kate worked at Demelza House Children’s Hospice before returning to the HOKH where she worked on the wards as a clin- ical manager after it opened in 1991. Vicki (56) has worked at several hospices around the UK, including Prospect Hospice, Swindon, London’s Trinity Hospice and St David’s Hospice, Newport, Gwent.


ager for South EastWater, said: “It is never easy retiring an old section of pipeline and in- stalling a new water main while keeping traffic moving along such a busy road. “I would like to thank the


local community andmotorists for their patience and co-oper- ation while this important proj- ect was completed.” The work forms part of the company’s five-year £390 mil- lion investment programme which will ensure that clean, safe water continues to be de- livered to its customers.


Home again A HOMELESS family has moved into a renovated home, thanks to Maidstone Council’s lease and repair scheme. The scheme, part-funded by


the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), provides a grant to owners to renovate and re- pair long-term empty proper- ties to bring them up to a decent standard. In return, the owner agrees to lease the prop- erty for five years through the council’s chosen partner, Av- enue Lettings, to a family from the council’s housing register.


Pupils’ art hopes SEVEN students from Invicta Grammar School have been shortlisted in the Art Prize for Schools Competition. The competition was run in collaboration with The Saatchi Gallery and The Sunday Times. The work by Lydia Ross,


Katie Driver, Hannah Bussey, Jenny Ford, Cara Birchall, Eleanor Spilker and Molly Baker can be seen at www.saatchigallery.com.


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