News


Snack bar gets lier scheme ‘tidy’ award


THE Blue Gem snack bar is among the latest batch of businesses in the Larkfield area to receive an award for keeping the space around their premises clean and tidy. Staff at the mobile catering unit,


which occupies a site in a layby on the A228 near Larkfield, were praised by Stuart Olsson, founder of the Larkfield Voluntary Litter Code scheme, for keeping the space around their van free of rubbish left by drivers. He said; “Every morning they


clean up the whole of the layby of the detritus left there overnight by the HGVs. They encourage the use of the litter bins provided while they are there and check the site again before they leave.” Firms sign up to the scheme, pledging to keep the area outside their premises free of litter. Com- munity judges visit the sites each month and award certificates to those who pass each inspection for 12 consecutive months. Other Larkfield recipients were Barclays Bank, Dawn to Dusk Day Nursery, Dine Alfresco, Happy Times Chinese takeaway and Lark- field Food andWine.


Woman steals meat in shops


A WOMAN who stole meat and fish from shops has been spared a prison sentence. Daisy Ratcliffe (32) was sen- tenced on September 19, at West Kent Magistrates’ Court, where she pleaded guilty to three counts of shoplifting. OnMarch 20, Ratcliffe, ofCharles


Street, TunbridgeWells, stole meat worth £28 from a shop in Ton- bridge Road, Maidstone. Then on June 1, she stole meat


and fish worth £148 from a super- market in St John’s Road, Tun- bridge Wells. And on August 15, she stole meat worth £120 from a service station in St John’s Road, TunbridgeWells. Magistrates sentenced Ratcliffe to


90 days in prison, suspended for 12 months. She was ordered to pay £296 compensation, £85 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.


Harvest WI


KINGS Hill Women’s Institute will be collecting goods to donate to the Salvation Army. Harvest produce will be gathered


at the WI’s meeting at the Kings Hill Community Centre, from 7.30pm, on Wednesday, October 25. The theme will be the Harvest Festival and will include a produce stall.


28 Malling October 2017


downsmail.co.uk


Reporting fraudsters will help beat crime


KENT County Council has joined a national call urging residents to report scams and fraud – now the most common type of crime, ac- counting for 3.6 million crimes in England andWales last year. In April this year, KCC Public Protection (Trading Standards) re- ceived more than 220 reports (around seven a day) from resi- dents stating they had lost money to a cybercrime with a combined loss of £1.1 million. Homeowners across the county


also receive more than 55 nuisance calls a month – three times the na- tional average. The Local Government Associa-


tion (LGA) is now urging people not to suffer in silence on behalf of the 370 councils in the country that it represents, adding that the fig- ures are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg, with only 5% of scams reported. A KCC spokesman said: “Even though different scams exploit dif- ferent vulnerabilities in people, they all have the same objective – to get people to part with their money,” adding that they can come by post, phone, email, the internet or adverts, ranging from fake on- line dating and disability parking badge sites to bogus diamond in- vestment schemes and weight-loss devices.


Recently, homeowners and hous-


ing organisations were warned about bogus traders using the Grenfell Tower fire to pose as council officials or professionals in the fire pre- vention industry to defraud them for services or goods that don’t exist or aren’t necessary, such as a free or sub- sidised safety in- spection of a property.


He added: “You are 20 times


more likely to be robbed at your computer screen than in the street.


“We are working in partnership


with community wardens and Cit- izens Advice to warn residents about scams and to support and advise those that have been tar- geted.” It is estimated that scams now


costs UK citizens nearly £10 billion a year.Cllr Simon Blackburn, chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “Heart- less, money-grabbing fraudsters don’t care about the financial and emotional distress their sham schemes cause. They just want to exploit people, many of whom are elderly or vulnerable.


New designs for gifts


NEW designs will feature on gifts on sale at Maidstone Mu- seum in the coming months. They were the winners of a


black and white art competition held by the ex- hibition centre, inviting bud- ding artists to draw an iconic image of the town. They will appear on sou- venirs and tote bags that will be on sale at the museum. Entries included cherry trees in


Mote Park, the statue of Queen Victoria in Jubilee Square, Frem- linWalk; several took their inspi- ration from the River Medway and Archbishop’s Palace. Prizes were awarded to winners: Georgina Winney; 2. Shelagh Oates; 3. Ella Chapman and in the junior category: Momina Asim, with her wonderful image


of the Kentish Lady and Maid- stone Bridge; 2. Dominic Wright’s drawing of the Thirsty Pig; 3. Lucy Richards. The judges included mem- bers of the mu- seum team and award-winning artist Graham Clarke. Graham said: “It was an interesting competition with a very real reward for the


winner. The judgeswere unanimous in


their final choice. We congratu- late the winner and trust that this project will help the museum and prove to be a fine souvenir for visitors to our county town.” Gifts featuring Georgina Win-


ney’s winning picture of Jubilee Square (pictured) will be in the museum shop in time for Christ- mas.


Beauty boss’s


winning ticket BEAUTY expert Caroline Bridger has been elected to Kings Hill Parish Council after a two-cor- nered polling battle. She collected 937 votes for her


“Promoting a safer cleaner envi- ronment” campaign, beating Clive Henley, fighting on a “Your voice in Kings Hill” ticket, who polled 448. Ms Bridger, who runs Kings Hill


Nails Beauty Lounge, secured 68% of the vote from a turnout of 23% on the September 7 polling day.


“Councils are receiving reports of


scams every day from victims whose confidence and trust in peo- ple has been shattered, leaving them anxious and scared of being targeted and harassed again. “It’s important that victims don’t


suffer in silence or feel embar- rassed. By reporting a scam, people can help someone else avoid being a victim and help councils track down the fraudsters, bring them to justice and recover their money.” Visit kent.gov.uk/scams to find


out how you can protect yourself and your family from these crimes. People should report scams,


rogue traders or uninvited doorstep callers to Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 who will pass the details to Kent trading standards.


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