News Local bands to


join star acts LOCAL up-and-coming musicians are set to wow the crowds at Sep- tember’s Hops and Harvest Bou- tique Festival. Talented performers already signed up for the two-day family event at Kent Life Heritage Farm Park, near Maidstone, include bands who have supported the likes of Reef, Reverend and The Makers and The Frattellis. The artists complement the headline acts already announced, with Starsailor, Toploader and Newton Faulkner all taking to the main stage on September 9 and 10. Kent Life’s general manager Na-


talie Cox said:“We are very excited about the music programme – and there will be more names to an- nounce very soon. "Just as there are activities to


cater for everyone, there will be music for all tastes.” The Peaks, a group of 17-year-


old schoolfriends from Canter- bury, were invited to perform on the Croissant Neuf Bandstand stage at Glastonbury this year. Ben Russell and The Charmers,


rated by Radio 1's Dave Rodigan, Wake Up Leo - support to Reef, Reverend and The Makers and The Frattellis - and Contraband are all on the bill, too.


downsmail.co.uk


Ironbu Stephen does the double in Spain


HE’S done it – endurance rider Stephen Cooper, from Maidstone, has completed his “perfect 10” – Ironbutt Rides, that is. To the uninitiated that’s a 1,000-


mile road trip on two wheels in 24 hours. And, to draw a line under the heady challenge that has been in his headlight for more than five years, Stephen decided to do two back to back, riding to Valencia in Spain and back on a modest Kymco Downtown 300 scooter. It turned out to be a road trip full


of challenges for the retailer host for Jaguar Land Rover, not least the atrociousweather in France and no thanks to Eurotunnel, which re- neged on its offer to cover his cross- ing because it was its “busy season” (five empty carriages as his train pulled out of Folkestone did little to convince him of that). But, in blinding rain, he set out


on his challenge, this time, for the Whizz Kids charity. The plan was to ride 2,000 miles in 48 hours, but a last-minute detour to avoid the storms, and that increased that to 2,162 miles in 53 hours.


Pervert jailed for ‘appalling’ abuse


A“PREDATORY” sex offender from Maidstone responsible for the sys- tematic abuse of three children has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. MartynWaller, pictured, repeatedly targeted his victims between 2000 and 2012, committing offences which in- cluded rape. Waller (55), formerly of Westmor-


land Road, Maidstone,was arrested on January 25, 2016, after allegationswere made to Kent Police. An investigation revealed he had


also preyed upon other children. Appearing before MaidstoneCrown


Court, Waller pleaded guilty to nine charges including indecent assault, in- decency with a child, and sexual activ- ity with a child. Hewas sentenced on July 28 and will


be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and also placed on the sex offender's register indefinitely. Detective ConstableEmmaCrombie, of Kent Police’s Public Protection


Unit, said:“Waller is a predatory paedophile, who subjected young chil- dren to the most appalling abuse and used their fear to ensure they com- plied with his demands. “I would like to thank the victims, who have been incredibly brave to


come forward and give evidence againstWaller. Sadly, they will no doubt carry the mental scars of his crimes with them for a long time but I hope they will be able to move forward from this. “Successful convictions such as this are just one of the reasonswe urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to contact the police. It is never too late to report any sexual offence andwe will always treat any information with the utmost confidence.”


30 Maidstone September 2017


ments, the highway, his levels of concentration and the aching tired- ness of endurance riding – all of which left him recovering seven days later. Stephen said: “After eight suc- cessful trips, the challenge some- how felt unfinished. Ten draws a line under it, and now I’m done. “I think the Kymco will also be grateful after being a bullet-proof and reliable partner throughout.” In fact, it wasn’t his bike, or the


heat in Spain, the storms in France, or “gate-crashing” a wedding for directions, that nearly caused him to throw in the towel, but a faulty zip on his jacket. He said: “After five hours riding


Previous rides have seen Stephen


(52), from Mayfair Avenue, travel to European destinations including Berlin, as well as beating the en- durance record set by Scomardi Scooters by a massive 160 miles in 24 hours. His final double challenge turned out to be a test against the ele-


in torrential rain I stopped to get the blood back in my legs, but then I couldn’t do my zip up without it bursting open. I remember think- ing ‘please don’t let the cheapest component in this whole exercise be the architect of my downfall’. “I finally got the zip mated on the


10th try… I’ve never breathed such a big sigh of relief over something so previously insignificant.”


Police nab drivers on drink or drugs


KENT Police have nabbed more than 170 drivers who were under the influence of drugs or drink. Officers arrested 171 people dur-


ing a crackdown in June. The annual campaign targets


those “who put themselves and oth- ers in danger by driving vehicles on roads despite being over the legal limit of alcohol or after taking con- trolled drugs”. The campaign coincided with the


start of the summer, when there is generally an increase in traffic pass- ing through the county. Over the month, officers across


Kent arrested a total of 142 people for either driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle in excess of the prescribed alcohol limit, and 29 for being unfit to drive through drugs. Chief Inspector Peter Steenhuis


from Kent Police’s Roads Policing Unit (RPU) said: “I am pleased that our officers have been able to stop a number of irresponsible drivers from potentially causing harm on Kent’s roads. “Drivers should never get behind


the wheel if they have had alcohol or are under the influence of controlled drugs as they significantly increase the chances of harming themselves


and others. Getting a drink or drug driving conviction could cost you your driving licence, and perhaps even your job, but worse still you could be responsible for causing someone serious injury or death. “There is no safe amount of alco-


hol to have in your system when driving, so if you plan to have an al- coholic drink you should make al- ternative arrangements to get home.” Kent County Council Road Safety


Team Leader Vicky Harvey said: “Just one drink can increase the chances of having a crash, some- times with tragic consequences for you, anyone you hit and their fami- lies. Likewise with drugs – it’s not just illegal but it will impair your driving ability. “Both substances make it difficult


to concentrate, to react in an emer- gency, to perceive accurately what’s going on around you and to judge properly the best course of action to avoid disaster. The message is sim- ple - if you’re driving, don’t drink and don’t take drugs.” The summer drink and drug driv-


ing campaign ran from throughout the month of June.


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