News
Prosecutedrivers ‘flouting the law’
ILLEGALLY parked lorry drivers will continue to offend unless they are prosecuted, according to Ukip’s Eddie Powell. He made his comments after an operation to target antisocial HGV parking in Kent reached the mile- stone of 5,000 vehicles dealt with in just over 18 months. Cllr Powell, who sits on the bor-
ough council, says there is no deter- rent if there is no enforcement of the rules surrounding illegal truckers’ actions. Kent Police said 5,019 lorries have
been moved on, fined or immo- bilised by officers from Kent Police and Highways England since the joint enforcement operation started in December 2015. Some 4,294HGVsweremoved on because they were parked illegally or inappropriately and 18 others were dealt with for other traffic of- fences.
Tickets issued amounted to 695
drivers, while 12HGVswere immo- bilised after truckers initially refus- ing to pay their fines. Under the operation, officers pa- trol key locations including the A2
near Cobham and Lydden, the M20 and A20 between junction 9 and Dover, and the M2 at Farthing Cor- ner. Cllr Powell said: “Unless there is proper enforcement, there will just be repeat offending. There is no deterrent. “Only by prosecuting offenders
and mking them feel the full rigour of the law, will the message get home. Just moving truck drivers just doesn’t work. “Equally, Kent County Council
has been putting out these bollards on the roadsides to stop overnight illegal parking or stopping but this just moves lorries on to somewhere else.”
Chief Inspector Peter Steenhuis
from the Roads Policing Unit (RPU) said: “There are more lorries on the roads of Kent than ever before and that is having an impact on the wider road network and local com- munities.We appreciate HGVdriv- ers are under pressure to meet legal requirements about rest breaks and driving hours, but it is completely unacceptable to endanger other road users and park on slip roads and the hard shoulder.”
Lions have named President
MAIDSTONE Lions Club has a new president. The club, under Malcolm Luxton (left), handed over £20,000 to charities in the area during the last 12 months and it fell to him to hand over to Derek Ransley (right). Mr Ransley, who worked alongside Malcolm last year as fundraising chairman, is a retired distribution manager and was a previous president at his old club, Southborough Lions. Malcolm – who has served as president of the Maidstone club for four
terms – said: “The club enjoyed a very successful year in terms of fund raising and its social activities last year and I amsure that Derek will carry on the same success in his year as president.” He will swop roles with Mr Ransley as fund raising chairman for 2017-
18. Others may knowMalcolm as a former maths teacher at Cornwallis and Maplesden Noakes in Maidstone and Lib Dem borough councillor for South ward from 1998 to 2006.
downsmail.co.uk
01622 829183
www.balinea.co.uk E:
sales@balinea.co.uk
20 Maidstone August 2017
Visit our East Farleigh showroom to view our full range of beautiful bathrooms
Unit 5 Kilnbridge Works, Off Lower Road, East Farleigh, Maidstone Kent ME15 0HD
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
