News
Traders slam ‘groy’ town
BUSINESS leaders and councillors voiced their frustrations about problems such as begging, home- lessness and anti-social behaviour in Maidstone town centre. A business briefing session at the
Town Hall heard that one of the key issueswasMaidstone Council’s lack of investment in public toilets. Martin Kennedy, who recently bought the Kentish Lady cruiser, based nearArchbishop’sPalace, said the riverside had become “grotty” with people using the ground as a toilet and leaving needles. He urged the police and authorities to “come down to the river and see what’s going on there. It’s a ghetto.” Several traders, including Ciaran O’Quigley ofMuMuinWeek Street and Julie Lucas of Banks Bar com- plained of begging, drug abuse and doorways being used as toilets. Inspector Jody Gogan-Cook, of Maidstone police community safety unit, outlined recent changes in town centre policing and asked busi- nesses to liaise with the police. Anupdate to anti-social behaviour
laws had given police dispersal powers to deal with anyone likely to cause harassment. Officers had since carried out two night-time and one day-time dispersal operations. “There are lots of plans afoot. We want to get a solution,” she said. Other initiatives, including the “Killing with Kindness” poster cam- paign, the need to secure empty re- tail premises and for people to provide information about street problems, were described by Will Myers,whowas seconded as an out- reach worker from Porchlight, the homeless charity, seven months ago. Maidstone High Street ward Cllr
Clive English said the council should not have closed most of its public toi- lets five years ago. He accused sen- ior management at the borough council and the police of not using the powers they already had. GraemeWyles, of the town centre management committee, said: “Some of the things that have been reported are horrific. A lot of these would be preventable if the toilet fa- cilities in the townwere better.”
downsmail.co.uk Hotel helps homeless
THE Tudor Park hotel, near Bearsted, is serving hot meals to the home- less as part of Maidstone Churches’ Winter Shel- ter campaign, which is again being backed by the Downs Mail. Staff at the hotel are providing the food on Thursday nights for the entire 12-week winter initiative after reading about the campaign in this newspaper. Volunteers from the Maidstone ChurchesWinter Shel- ter charity collect a giant casserole, plus bread rolls, from the hotel every Thursday, and take it to St Michael and All Angels Church, Tonbridge Road, to feed up to 15 homeless peoplewhowill be stay- ing the night in the church hall. The campaign, which was launchedin 2013, provides food, company and a bed for the night for the town’s homeless until the end of February. “Tudor Park’s ef- forts are a God send,” said Major
Tudor Park chefs TomBiddle and Julie Boer hand food to Major Grayson Williams
Grayson Williams, chair of the charity’s trustees and member of the Salvation Army, one of the seven churches involved in the shelter programme. The Maidstone Mosque was
also hoping to provide meals for the homeless for the scheme. Downs Mail readerswanting to
help can call 07906 628413 or email
dianagordonuk@googlemail.com. Donations can also be taken to the Salvation Army citadel in Union Street between 9am and noon.
Elton books Kent concert
LEGENDARY singer and songwriter Elton John will be performing at the Kent Event Centre in Detling on Sunday, May 3.
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