News


Assault charge A MAN has been charged with two counts of assault following an incident inMaidstone town centre. TomasVencius (32), of Emsworth


Grove, was arrested after police were called to reports of a distur- bance onWeek Street at 6.48pmon Saturday, October 14. He was later charged with com-


mon assault and assaulting a con- stable in the execution of their duty. Vencius has been bailed to ap-


pear beforeMaidstoneMagistrates Court on November 3.


Handbag theft


A WOMAN was remanded in custody after being charged with a number of offences inMaidstone. Brenda Rossiter (29)was arrested


on Sunday, October 15 following a reported robbery in Loose Road, where a handbagwas stolen. She was charged with robbery


and also with a public order of- fence committed on the same day, aswell as two robberies at a restau- rant inHart Street on September 27 and October 6. Rossiter, of The Farrows, Maid-


stone, was to appear before Maid- stonemagistrates at a later date.


Fake firearm


A MAN was arrested in Maid- stone on suspicion of possessing an imitation firearm. Kent Police were called to Plains


Avenue, Shepway, at 10.38am on Sunday,October 15 after reports of a disturbance. A 41-year-old man was arrested


on suspicion of possessing an imi- tation firearm and possession of controlled drug, and later released pending further investigation.


downsmail.co.uk


Cosmopolitan cleric reaches out to young


JOHN Huggins is keen to make room for the young and the new moving in to the Len Benefice. Just three weeks as Priest in


Charge, he believes the Church has a fresh opportunity to growas reli- gion experiences awelcome renais- sance. “I think now, more than ever,


people are looking for something more than counting possessions and are looking increasingly to ex- plore something spiritual,” he told DownsMail. And he hopes even more can be


done to appeal to the diverse and growing communities of Lenham, Harrietsham, Ulcombe


and


Boughton Malherbe that he now serves. Describing his arrival as a


“Moulin Rouge” moment – with something different happening in every corner of the busy benefice - Rev Dr Huggins (58) said: “We have breakfast services where we talk over a slice of toast, Evensong and Communion, so I’m not look- ing for a revolution, but I will be looking to see how we can reach


Rev John Huggins has folowed his childhood call to be a priest


out to evenmore people, especially those in the controversial new es- tates that are herewith us nowand where people will benefit fromthe welcome I have been shown.” Born inAfrica and bought up on


a council estate in Tonbridge, with time spent in France, it is clear this cosmopolitan cleric is excited about his job – the first as Priest inCharge and his second since answering a childhood call that became “unable to ignore” at the age of 50. A diabetic since 13, a lover of art


and music, a father-of-three and married for the second time, his own story, which he describes as a “joyful journey of understanding”, provides a mix of life learned and the joy he has found in his faith, which he is keen to share. He said: “People see God in


many ways and in a rural commu- nity like this, it may well be in the landscapes around us, which are a miracle in themselves.We are curi- ous creatures and this suggests that there is something more to be dis- covered about life and I amkeen to help those interested explore that.” Rev Huggins shares his life with


hiswife of 14 years, LorraineApps- Huggins, who is assistant chaplain at the LivingWell religious retreat, near Dover; his dog Bailey and daughter, in Lenham.


Increase in premium Leeds is car-jammed


BEARSTED Parish Council has decided to increase its insurance cover against embezzlement to the value of £400,000. This would mean an annual increase in the Fi- delity Guarantee Insurance premiumcost of £235.


A BROKENdown car in Leeds caused serious tail- backs on October 14. The problem was made worse when a Polish lorry - defying the village’s truck ban -was stuck behind the strickenVW. The car was eventuallymoved and jams cleared.


Birdwatcher spots a naked jogger...again


A NAKED jogger has been spot- ted again in theKing’sWood, near Broomfield, by a walker. In June 2016, Downs Mail re-


ported how the nude runner was spotted one Sunday evening. When the jogger – who was


The torched vehicle left in Burberry Lane Car torched in hedgerow


THE burnt-outwreckage of a car has been discovered in a hedgerow in Burberry Lane near Langley. The vehicle, which appears to be


a small estate,was dumped around the weekend of October 14-15. It was driven off the road on to a ridge before being torched.


4 Leeds borough councillor Gill Fort


has warned that the frequency of littering and fly-tipping instances in Burberry Lane could lead to the the installation of CCTV . Another burnt-out car has still not


beenremovedfromabridlewaymore than a year after itwas dumped.


Maidstone East November 2017


wearing trainers – was spotted by a 51-year-old man out birdwatch- ing, he turned and ran in the op- posite direction. In early October, it happened


again on the same stretch of path to the same person. The local father of one, who de-


clined to be named, said: “On this occasion, he was running in the opposite direction but he saw me from about 80 yards away and high-tailed it. Itwas at 4.30pmon a Saturday afternoon. “I can’t be absolutely sure itwas


the same man but it’s hard to be- lieve that the King’sWood is full


of naked joggers! All I will say is that he had an all-over tan. “This time, I shouted ‘Oi!’ at


him and ran after him. But he’d ducked down one of themany lit- tle unofficial paths and was gone. “I’m pretty broad-minded but


children and families go walking there and teenage girls and women ride horses in the woods. I’mnot sure they’d appreciate see- ing this sight. If he’s a naturist, he should join a naturist club and run around woods with like- minded folk and not do it where peoplemight be offended.” According to Kent Police, there


is no law against being nude in public but using nudity to “ha- rass, alarmor distress” others is an offence under the Public Order Act 1986. Have you seen him? Call the Newsdesk on 01622 734735.


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