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News Royal honours announced


LOCAL people have been celebrating being named in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list. Of this year’s 1,196 recipients, 76%


have undertaken “outstanding work in their communities”. In the Maidstone area they are: George Batts (90), from Barming,


will be made an MBE for his volun- tary service to war veterans. A vet- eran of the Normandy Landings, George became the national secre- tary and treasurer of the now-dis- banded Normandy Veterans’ Association and spent many years organising pilgrimages to France to remember The Fallen in the D-Day conflict. His voluntary work has also in- cluded compiling an archive of eye- witness accounts from the battlefields and assisting with civic visits, for which he received an award from Prime Minister David Cameron in 2014.


than £500,000 for the Retail Trust with an annual fly-fishing event over the last 28 years. The former Maidstone Grammar schoolboy, who built a hugely suc- cessful career in retailing and re- cruitment, said: “I’m delighted to have been able to give something back and help some of its people who have fallen on hard times.” Craig, who met and married his


Craig Vidler, George Batts and Venessa Willms have all been honoured VenessaWillms, fromMaidstone,


will beawarded anOBEfor services to education. The director of pri- mary education for Ark Schools said: “Over the past nine years at Ark, including seven as the found- ing principal at King Solomon Academy, I have worked with tal- ented teachers and senior leaders to


THEwindscreen of aminibuswas smashed in Forstal Road, Aylesford,when an objectwas thrown at it. Cashwas stolen by raiders who broke into


a café in Martin Square, Larkfield. The patio door at the back of a house in


Edgar Close was damaged during an at- tempted break-in at Kings Hill. A property in Station Road, Aylesford,


was broken into and items, including cash, were stolen. Inquiries are ongoing. Cash and electrical equipment were among items stolen from a house in Watts Close, Snodland. A group of youths are thought to have damaged a shop sign in Lunsford Lane, Larkfield. A car was broken into while in a desig-


nated parking bay behind the owner’s prop- erty in Brampton Field, Ditton. Fishing tackle was stolen from a garden


shed in London Road, Ryarsh. Aluminium chequer plates were stolen


from a Land Rover in the Station Road car park in Aylesford. A shed at The Malling School in Beech


Road, East Malling, was broken into. A list of items stolen is awaited. A black tool box containing various hand


tools was stolen from a Ford Mondeo in Eagle Close, Larkfield. Itemswere stolen during a raid on several


sheds in North Meadow, Offham. The driver of a car or a motorbike is thought to be responsible for causing crimi- nal damage at a property in Atlas Close, Kings Hill, when it was driven across the lawn. A vehicle in The Beeches, Aylesford,was


keyed. The tarpaulin was damaged on a lorry parked in a lay-by on the Snodland Bypass, but nothing taken. A man in a black Audi was seen acting suspiciously at the time. Aburglar alarm frightened off raiders at a


house in Phoenix Drive,Wateringbury, after they smashed twowindows. Tools were taken from a van in Medway


Court, Aylesford. A Citroen C3 left in the Owen Close car


24 Malling February 2016


provide every child with the tools they need to go to university or pur- sue a career of their choice.” Craig Vidler receives a BEM for services to charity. The 69-year-old, who lived near Mote Park in Maid- stone throughout his early years, has raised money for charities such as the Royal Marsden and more


wife of 46 years while working in South Africa, returned with Mar- jorie and their daughter Claire to Maidstone in 1971 and lived in Loose and for a short time in Leeds village. The couplenowlive near Ashford


but are regular visitors to the area, particularly Bearsted. Craig remains a founding partner of a mentoring service for the over-55s.


NeighbourhoodWatch Working to reduce crime. Call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or local police


park at East Mallingwas keyed. AVWvan in Eccles Road, Eccles,was bro-


ken into but nothing appeared to have been stolen.


Damage was caused to a communal door


at a property in High Street, Aylesford. Damage was also caused to a vehicle in an allocated parking bay in High Street, Ayles- ford. The front forks of a Sulcata bicycle were


stolen from the garden of a home in Temple Way, East Malling. A white Peugot caravan, with the regis- tration prefix WU52,was stolen from a com- mercial yard in The Street, Ryarsh. Tools, including a Makita saw and a De-


walt router were stolen from a garden shed in North Meadow, Offham. A skip was taken from a yard in Lake


Road, Aylesford. A bicycle left behind a property in Martin Square, Larkfield,was stolen. A metal drain cover was stolen from the


road in BraeburnWay, Kings Hill. Awindowwas damaged when something


was fired at it in Malling Road, Snodland. The tyres were slashed on a car in Butch-


ers Lane, Mereworth. The rear windscreen was smashed on a Mercedes C270 in Hermitage Lane, Ayles- ford. A red Honda motorbike was taken from


the garage of a property in London Road at Ryarsh. Agarage in London Road East, Aylesford,


was broken into but nothing was reported stolen.


Children’s toyswere taken from a garden


in Nursery Road, Ditton. Dieselwas stolen from a vehicle in Bullen


Lane, East Peckham. A garden shed was broken into in Woodgate Road and various items taken,


and a garage in Roughetts Road, both in Ryarsh. A Toyota people-carrier parked on the


drive outside a property in Snodland was damaged. Damagewas caused to a house and a gar-


den shed during a break in at a property in Pepingstraw Close, Offham. Nothing was reported as stolen. Golf equipment was stolen from the shed


of a property in East Street, Addington. Attemptswere made to break into a Land


Rover on the drive of a home in Carnation Crescent, East Malling.Nothingwas taken. Tools were taken from a building in Broadwater Road, East Malling. A car was stolen from Snoll Hatch Road,


East Peckham. The bodyworkwas damaged on a parked


car in New Hythe Lane, Larkfield. Itemswere taken from a vehicle in Jasmine


Road, another in Lime Crescent and a third car in Hardie Close, East Malling. Aset of outside lightswere damaged


at a premises in Norman Road, West Malling. Lead was stolen from a garage at a prop-


erty in Smithers Lane, East Peckham. Equipment was taken from a car in Mos-


quito Road, Mereworth, and the window of a house in the same roadwas damaged. The window of a house in Kent Road, Snodland,was smashed.


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