News


Fenlon curfew A HEADCORN clothes thief has cheated six months behind bars – but must obey a curfew. Brian Fenlon (36), burgled an ad-


dress in the road where he lives and took personal items and clothing. Fenlon was sentenced on January


23 at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court after he admitted the offences in Thatch Barn Road, Headcorn. Magistrates sentenced Fenlon to


180 days in prison, suspended for two years, and a three-month curfew to remain athomefrom8pmto 5am. He must also pay £250 compensa-


tion, £85 costs and a £115 victim sur- charge.


Masked aack POLICE are appealing for witnesses following an attack on a Maidstone woman in her home. Officers investigating the incident,


in which jewellerywas taken, say the woman was assaulted at a house in Boughton Lane but did not sustain serious injuries. The suspect is described as white


andwaswearing a black balaclava. The incident took place at about


10am on Friday, January 27. Anyone with information is asked


to contact Kent Police on 01622 604100 quoting YY/2383/17, or Kent Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.


downsmail.co.uk


Closure will go ahead despite village protest


NATWEST has said it will not re- consider its decision to close its Staplehurst branch but is to inves- tigate providing a mobile service to start in three months’ time. It follows a last-ditch attempt to


get the bank in The Parade re- opened by concerned customers and their representatives.


from the bank travelled


Key figures to


Maidstone last week for a meet- ing with bor- ough councillor Louise Brice, pic- tured left, the local MP and Staplehurst parish council-


lors. But after hearing numerous problems the closure will present, particularly for the village’s large disabled community, and being handed a 300-signature petition, the bank remained unmoved, blaming the recent ram raid, pictured right, for the decision. Those at the meeting were told


that after two ram raids on the branch and taking advice from secu- rity consultants and the police, to re- open the branch “posed an unacceptable risk to personnel”. Cllr Brice said: “It is a shame the


bank didn’t put better security meas- ures in place following these inci- dents.However, they listened to our concerns and we made them aware of the particular issues the closure of the bank will have on the elderly, those without cars, and the severely disabled at Sobell House. Unfortu- nately, we do live in an age where the wider public thinks everyone has a smart phone, butwe made it clear


that a significant proportion of vil- lagers are over 65, a lot of people prefer to bank face-to-face and oth- ers do not have the facility or the de- sire to bank online. These people can seem less visible and as elected rep- resentatives it is our job tomakesure they are heard.” She added: “After theDownsMail


was published last month, I don’t think I’ve ever had so many calls from peoplewanting to sign the pe- tition because they couldn’t do it on- line. This I used as another graphic illustration of how a lot of vulnera- ble people will not be able to simply migrate to online banking.”


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