downsmail.co.uk


M20 bridge collapse: man, 63, is charged


A MAN has been charged in con- nection with the collapse of the M20 footbridge last summer. The crossing broke up on the Lon- don-bound carriageway after being hit by a lorry carrying a digger. Police, who have been investigat-


ing since the incident onAugust 27, have charged a 63-year-old man from the north of England. The Darlington man was issued


with a summons to appear before Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on February 17 charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving and three counts of criminal dam- age, which relate to vehicles and the bridge. The incident happened on a bank holiday weekend when the motor- way would have been used by hun- dreds of thousands of motorists. More than 150 tonnes of concrete structure and debris crashed onto the carriageway near junction 4 for Leybourne. No one was killed in the incident


but a 73-year-old motorcyclist, Jim Shaw,was left with broken ribs after


throwing himself clear the collpase. A major incident response swung


into place immediately after the al- leged collision and the section of mo- torwaywas closed for some days. Little evidence of the incident re-


mains after a massive clear-up and dismantling operation, but itmaybe some time before it is rebuilt. AKent Police spokesman said: "A


man will appear before court fol- lowing the collapse of a pedestrian bridge over the M20 motorway in August 2016.


"Kent Police were called at 12.07pm on Saturday, August 27, 2016, to a report that a bridge had collapsed between junctions 4 and 3 on the London bound carriageway of the M20.” During the demolition process, carried out by a London-based spe- cialist company, immediately after the crash, 400 tonnes of rubble was removed from the scene. The incident caused massive dis- ruption to the Maidstone area in the days after it happened.


Arriva to improve bus services


BUS company Arriva has indicated it is to improve the reliability of its bus services across the network. It follows a string of complaints


from bus users across the borough, including Staplehurst where users – many of them students – were left waiting more than an hour for a bus on the coldest day of the year and out in the cold for 45 minutes just a week later. In a guarded statement following


a month of break-downs and late buses on the Number 5 village serv- ice between Maidstone and Sand- hurst, Arriva said: “We have conducted an in-depth analysis of the issues on the network and are now in the process of implementing changes which should mean buses are more reliable in future. “After registering changes with the


Traffic Commissioner, there is a 56- day period before they can be im- plemented, so we hope to see improvements in April.” Staplehurst borough councillor


Louise Brice said shewas pleased to note that the bus company was in- tending to respond. She said: “Arriva has done some


work to improve the service, but in the last month or so it has been one thing after another and there are nowa lot of unhappy people, partic- ularly parentswhoare worried, with exams coming up, that their children


News £1.45m boost to


healthier travel THE county council has been given £1.45m to promote healthier travel by foot, bike and bus. The cash will come from the De- partment of Transport over the next three years. KCCsays itwill put the money to-


wards cycle training for more than 1,000 adults, rangers to care for cycle paths, improvements to 10 walking and cycle routes, training primary school pupils to cross the road and a cycle recycling scheme. Advice on sustainable and active


travel will also be given to residents and commuters at train stations, schools and colleges.Alongside this, 11-19 year olds are to be encouraged to travel to and from school or col- lege in more health ways, and safer road use will be promoted. The cash comes from the govern-


ment’s Sustainable Travel Access Fund. Clive Pearman, KCC deputy cabinet member for environment and transport, said:“Wewere one of the few local authorities to receive money from this scheme. “We plan to build on our proven


track record of promoting and pro- viding active travel choices for the people of Kent. For all the jargon of ‘integrated packages of sustainable transport’, whatwe are saying iswe want to make it as quick, easy and good for you, and the environment, to get fromAto B.” Work will build on the Kent Con- nectedwebsite: kentconnected.org.


Gillet’s fillets


A MAN who shoplifted a large amount of meat from shops has es- caped being sent to jail. Matthew John Gillett (34) was sentenced on January 5, 2017, at Medway Magistrates’ Court. He admitted seven counts of shoplifting. The court heard how Gillett, of Cambridge Crescent, Maidstone, stole meat from the same super- market in Sutton Road, Maidstone, on seven occasions between De- cember 28 and January 4. Magistrates sentenced Gillett to


will not get to school on time.” The news from Arriva follows


other complaints of late arrivals and no-shows in recentweeks, including the 575 service used by students from Kings Hill, Snodland, Malling, Aylesford and Barming to get to schools, including Invicta and Maid- stone Grammar. Last month, Bearsted resident


PeterWiles took his complaint about the delays and cancellations of the Number 19 serving Bearsted and Grove Green to the Traffic Commis- sioner, as reported in Downs Mail. The Traffic Commissioner warns that the window of tolerance when


assessing the running of a registered service is whether it has run no more than two minutes early and five minutes late. Operators found not to be running services in accordance with registered timetables may be called on to attend a public inquiry, have their licence revoked, face a fine or be required to showhowthey intend to improve their service. Downs Mail asked Arriva to ex-


pand on its statement and to explain how the service and its network of routes would be improved but was told: “It basically means changes are coming but they can’t be imple- mented overnight as that’s the law.”


90 days in prison, suspended for 12 months. He must also pay £274 compensation, £85 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.


Girl injured


POLICE investigating an accident in Maidstone in which a 14-year- old girl suffered a broken ankle are appealing for witnesses. The collision on the Loose Road, involving a grey BMW car, hap- pened at just after 4.30pm on Mon- day, January 9, as the girl was on a pedestrian crossing. The driver stopped at the scene and the girl was taken to hospital. Anyone who saw the accident shoudl call Sergeant Hannah Brown on 01622 798538.


Maidstone Weald February 2017 27


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