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downsmail.co.uk Pre-loaders hiing pub trade Continued from front page


peak ‘party’ time was now from 1am to 4am – with many people coming straight from home, having consumed large quantities of alco- hol in advance. NEF chairman Paul Alcock, who


is a regular volunteer on the Urban Blue Bus, said the bus had been far busier already this year than last. He said: “A lot more people are drinking a lot more at home. The statistics are looking horrendous.” He said a new campaign, whereby those helped by the Blue Bus were given an option to come back and assist others,was proving very successful. “Someone can be on the bus


being sick oneweek – then holding the bag for someone else the week after. It seems to beworkingwell in getting the message home.” Breathalyser research carried out


on the bus revealed that 27% of people tested in 2011-12 were well over the drink-drive limit when they arrived in town; itwas a simi- lar sum in 2012-13.However, so far this year the figure was as high as 40%. Mr Alcock said: “We are not say-


Family fun at


summer fete FUN and games for all the family will be on the cards – as well as a clairvoyant – when the residents of ParkWood hold their summer fete. The fete will take place from


noon to 4pm on Saturday, July 26, near the shops and car park. There will be a host of games and


stalls, including a bouncy castle for the children and face painting. Residents and local charities are invited to take stalls, with profits going to the stallholders. Provisional plans include cake decorating, custard pie throwing, darts, play your cards right, a teddy tombola and coconut shy. The po- lice and fire services will be invited to attend, as well as the army cadets. It is hoped that local groups who


use Heather House – such as the boxing club – will put on demon- strations during the day. Local choirs and a DJ will pro-


vide the music. For further information or offers


of help, call Fusion community de- velopment worker Aimee Bartlett at the Fusion Healthy Living Cen- tre on 01622 691177.


FREEMore local www.downsmail.co.uk


news online 46 Maidstone Town June 2014


drinking less in our premises.” Mr Moore said he regularly had instances of people trying to smug- gle in bottles of spirits or hip flasks and bag and body searches were now part of the security regime. He said: “If things don’t change,


the writing is on the wall. People are getting blotto at home and not coming to us sober. The problems start after they have had about two drinks and we are left to clear up the mess.” Mr Moore said his security bill


The Urban Blue Bus


ing these people are driving. But we are using the measurement as a yardstick of how much people have had to drink – or pre-loaded – be- fore coming out for the evening.” Steve Moore, manager of the Source Bar in Rose Yard, said prof- itswere down 20% year on year.He said: “A lot less people are buying alcohol when they come out. It is hitting us really hard as a business. “They are coming out later and


had gone up by a third in the past nine months, yet early evening drinking declined markedly. “I have been in the business 25 years and never known it to be as bad as now,” he added. The change in licensing laws, de- signed to turn Britain into a café culture, had failed abysmally, he said. “The idea was for people to come out and have a few drinks, sitting at a bar or street café. Allwe have done is create a culture where people get hammered at home and roll out at midnight, then carnage ensues. Iwas far happier when peo- ple came out at 8pm and went home at 2am.We have a much big-


Media students’ film prize


THE Spielbergs of the future earned MidKent College the award for best drama at an inter-college film competition. Director George Ellsworth (19), fromAshford, and producers Tyler Mace


(21), fromMaidstone, and Annabel Tay- lor (18), from Boughton Monchelsea, impressed with their creation Remnants at the Kent Association of Further Edu- cation Colleges (KAFEC) event. The film, which stars student Abel


Capistrano (20), from Maidstone, tells of a survivor of a deadly virus in a post- apocalyptic world. Creative media lecturer Ross Buttery


said: “My students put a lot of time and effort into producing a short film of real quality. Aswell as drawing up their own scripts, storyboards and risk assess- ments, they also had to have every shooting location signed off by the Kent Film Office, just like Hollywood film- makers do. Next year’s students have a hard act to follow!” The competition attracted 50 entries fromcolleges across Kent,with the winners announced at a ceremony at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Remnants will be screened at an end-of-year exhibition at MidKent Col-


lege’s Maidstone Campus later this year, along with other videos, photo- graphs, graphics and more produced by creativemedia students. Search for EllsworthFilm on Youtube to view Remnants and other films directed by George Ellsworth.


Pastors’ thanks to volunteers


MAIDSTONE street and prayer pastors are marking Volunteers’Week, the firstweek in June, with a “thank you” event. The group will meeting at Muggleton’s Inn from 11am to noon on Sat-


urday, June 7. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available – as well as the usual alcoholic refreshments – and there will be a chance to chat to the team about their work around the town. The street pastors are always looking for more helpers. Contact Maid- stone co-ordinator Nigel Downes at maidstone@streetpastors.org.uk


ger game to deal with now.” Trading standards officer Jason


Reilly said people were drinking less but going for drinks with a higher alcohol content. He said: “Theywant the maximum strength and to drink it as quickly as possi- ble. It’s quite horrible.” Operators will meet to address


the town’s drinking culture. Ideas include hosting ‘club’ sessions in Jubilee Square earlier in the evening to give young people a taste of what the town’s clubs have to offer, selling wristbands which allow admission to all participating clubs and pubs – an idea recently adopted in Canterbury – and a new system of ID. Other ideas to get people into


town include getting taxi operators to promote a fixed fee rate for cus- tomers coming from places such as Medway and Ashford.


Do you think the town is a worse place for people drink- ing at home before going out? Email the editor on stephen@downsmail.co.uk


Bid to prevent


illegal fishing POACHERS on the River Medway could find they not only have the long arm of the law on their back – but the long arm of their councillor. South ward Cllr Derek Mortimer approached two individuals who were illegally fishing at Tovil Bridge on Bank Holiday Monday – during the closed season. Evidence of illegal fishingwas also


uncovered at the River Len local na- ture reserve early on the morning of Easter Sunday by Cllr Tony Har- wood, who passed on details to the environment agency. Cllr Mortimer said: “We have lis-


tened to residents’ concerns about poaching on Maidstone's rivers and are taking practical action.” CllrHarwood said: “Residents are growing increasingly angry about this abuse of our environment and wildlife, and the anti-social behav- iour which often accompanies it.” The Lib Dem group has collected evidence of abuses of the statutory closed season in Maidstone, which seeks to protect coarse fish when they are carrying eggs and carries a maximum penalty of £50,000. The problem is being driven by the killing of coarse fish for food. The close season runs from March


15 to June 15, and applies to all rivers and streams. Anyone spotting suspicious activ-


ity on localwater courses should call the Environment Agency Hot Line on 0800 80 70 60.


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