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downsmail.co.uk Steps to improve Social festival


THE organiser of The Social Festival is to be reined in by Maidstone Council after a catalogue of complaints following this year’s event in September.


Reports of anti-social behaviour in


the streets around Mote Park were widespread, as youngsters availed themselves of “legal highs” being sold near the park gates, councillors were told. Drunks and drug dealers trespassed on residents’ drives, leav- ing litter and even more unsavoury calling cards as they spilled out un- supervised from the day-long music bash, the leisure committee heard. The Social Festival has taken place


in the park for the past three years and the council gets a fee from the organiser and a share of ticket sales. Laura Dickson, the council’s mar-


keting and sales manager, said: “It brings economic benefits to the bor- ough and supports the evening economy of the town centre.” It was estimated that the 10,000


festival goers spent almost £1m in bars, restaurants and hotels this year. But such was the devastation caused by the crowd that the council


£20,000 bill for


drug dealer A CONVICTED drug dealer who operated a cannabis factory from his Maidstone home has been or- dered to pay back nearly £20,000. Steven Miller (52), faces a further


15 months in prison if he fails to comply with a court ruling which allows police to claw back assets he gained from criminal activities. Miller was sentenced to three


years and 10 months in prison in September 2014, after admitting cultivating cannabis at his Brewer Street home. When a warrant was executed at the address drugs, five grow tents, £1,650 in cash and a stun gun were found. Miller was jailed after admitting further counts of possession with intent to supply cannabis, abstrac- tion of electricity and possessing a Taserweapon. At a hearing under the Proceeds


of Crime Act at Maidstone Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Carey ruled Miller had benefited to the sum of £120,525 over six years. He had as- sets worth £19,185 and was told he would have to pay this figure within three months or face a fur- ther 15 months in jail. Detective Inspector Kevin Barton


said: “Miller continues to serve a prison sentence for his offending and is now also going to have everything he owns taken off him. “The Proceeds of Crime Act is an effective tool to ensure that crime doesn’t pay. It often has a bigger impact on criminals than the prison term itself and ensures that offend- ers leave the justice system without ever benefiting from their crimes.”


20 Cubs discover art of fishing


CUBS fromacross the region picked up their rods to try their hand at fishing. The taster sessions on Runham


Lake, near Harrietsham were attended by Cub groups from Sutton Valence and Loose, with instruction given by Cranbrook and District Angling Club. A club spokesman said: “Most


had not tried fishing before and there were even comments of ‘fishing is boring’ that were soon forgotten after they caught their first fish. They all left with a goodie bag and a new enthusiasm to go fishing again.” Another session is planned


before the year is out with Cubs from Bearsted.


withheld £1,176 from the organiser’s deposit to cover reinstatement of the park and cleaningup after the event. Ms Dickson said: “Whilst the


event was regarded as well organ- ised within the park, it did create a series of serious problems for resi- dents in the surrounding streets.” The committee agreed that the


event should be allowed to take place again in 2016 – but not on the same weekend as another festival, such as the Maidstone Mela. The council will also insist on a much more stringent event management plan and appropriate licence – all to be paid for by the organiser. It will also insist on stricter secu-


rity and policing of the event, better signage and transport arranged to convey visitors to and from the rail- way stations. The plan will also ensure that


steps are taken in the planning and direction of the stages to insulate


sound better and reduce external noise levels. The council received 53 com-


plaints from residents around Mote Park following the September event – almost three times as many as the previous year. The complaints related to noise,


traffic management, litter and anti- social behaviour – including abusive behaviour and instances of people trespassing in gardens and defecat- ing in the streets. It took council staff three hours to


clear rubbish from Mote Avenue, and the Lower Road and Upper Road estates following the event. Residents complained about vehi-


cles trying to park or drop off in streets near the park, blocking drive- ways and parking on green spaces, despite provision of parking in the park and at the leisure centre. The organisers admitted there should have been more temporary toilets


and stewards at the park entrances. Cllr Clive English said: “In all my


21 years on the council, I have never had the volume of complaints about a single event as I did about this one. The kind of activity taking place in broad daylight, in the cut-throughs, is the sort of thing you would expect in Amsterdam, not Maidstone.” Event organiser Luke Bendall had already met with council officers and agreed to meet the additional obligations – including extra stew- arding, a traffic management plan and a comprehensive clean-up pro- gramme. Cllr English said he would prefer


to see the festival moved to Detling Showground but Ms Dickson said: “Detling Showground can accom- modate such an event but is notwell served by public transport and in all probability would see more people arriving by car causing local conges- tion and problems.”


Man aacked


by dog owner POLICE are calling for witnesses to an attack after a dog walker turned on a couple in a Maidstone park. Officers say the couplewere close


to the cafe in Mote Park when a col- lie-type dog jumped up. The man pushed the dog off be-


fore asking its owner to put it on a lead. However, the owner became abusive and repeatedly hit the man with a ball-thrower. It is understood that passers-by


told the dog’s owner to stop hitting his victim and intervened. The suspect is white, about 5ft 8in


tall, and in his late 30s or early 40s. He had brown hair and stubble and was wearing a bomber jacket at the time of the incident, at about 11am on Sunday, October 25. Anyone with any information should call Kent Police on 01622 604100, quoting YY/21552/15, or Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.


Burglar back in jail after stealing purse


A MAIDSTONE burglar who stole a vulnerable woman’s handbag just weeks after being released from prison has been sentenced to a fur- ther three-and-a-half years in jail. The 63-year-old victim had just


made lunch when she noticed Amos Smith (36) of Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, in the hallway of her home in Paddock Wood. He fled but the woman later dis-


covered that her purse containing a rail card, £12 cash and various bank and store cards had been stolen from her handbag.


Maidstone Town December 2015


Officers suspected Smith was re- sponsible from the description pro- vided and obtained CCTV footage that showed him in Paddock Wood at the time of the of- fence.


Smith (pictured) was on parole for a


previous conviction at the time and was immediately returned to prison following his arrest. He was charged with burglary but pleaded not guilty and was


convicted following a trial at Maid- stone Crown Court. Detective Constable Neil Buckle


said: “Amos Smith targeted a vul- nerable woman for his own finan- cial benefit and is now back behind bars as a result. “The fact that he had only just


been released from prison suggests he is incapable of learning from his mistakes. He now faces a lengthy custodial sentence that will prevent him from causing any further harm to the most vulnerable members of society.”


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