News
Three held on suspicion of
slave offences THREE people have been arrested in theMaidstone area on suspicion of forcing three men into modern slavery. Assessment is ongoing on the
three Lithuanian males, who were sent toworkinchickenfactories, to determine if they are potential vic- tims of trafficking ormodern slav- ery. The arrests were carried out by
the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), assisted by Kent Police. Fivewarrantswere executed on November 2 and two men, aged 55 and 54, and a 55-year- oldwomanwere arrested. They remain in custody and are
being questioned in connection with alleged modern slavery and unlicensed gangmaster offences. Other agencies assisting on the op- eration included the Salvation Army, Maidstone Borough Coun- cil, theWomen’s Institute and the NationalHealth Service. TheGLAAwas formedin2005 to
protect vulnerable workers in the wake of theMorecambe Bay disas- terwhen 23Chinese cockle pickers drowned on the sands.
downsmail.co.uk
Commuter blow as new line is delayed
COMMUTERS hoping for more frequent train services fromMaid- stone and Malling to the capital fromMay next year have been told theywill have towait untilDecem- ber 2019. Govia Thameslink Railway had
proposed a newservice fromMaid- stone East to Cambridge, via Lon- don Bridge and Blackfriars, inMay. Instead, it says the introduction of
this phase of the service has now been postponed by more than 18 months. The decision has been met with a
hail of criticism, led byMallingMP Tom Tugendhat, pictured, who is seeking an urgent meeting with Govia andintends to raise thematter with the government. He told Downs Mail: “This is a
major blowfor all commuters on the Maidstone East line. “Many people have planned their
working lives around having this service fromMay next year. “I will be raising this at the high-
est level of government and am seeking an urgent meeting with Govia’s managing director, Charles Horton, to ask for answers after this
incredibly disappointing news.” Transport campaigner andMaid-
stone Borough Councillor James Willis said: “This is a huge disap- pointment. This rail-link is a really importantpart of the regeneration of the town.” Thameslink claims theMaidstone
East routewas selectedto bedelayed because it is a newThameslink serv- ice, meaning the delay will not dis- rupt an existing Thameslink route. A Kent County Council
spokesman saidthe authority is “ex- tremely disappointed” by the deci-
Mickey’s
sion and fears the delaymay extend beyondDecember 2019. He added: “KCCwill bewriting to
the railminister to express our frus- tration at these further delays.” A spokesman for the influential
Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Associa- tion, said the decision is a “bias againstKent” as fournewdirect Sus- sex routes are being implemented fromMay 2018 betweenCambridge and Brighton, Horsham and Peter- borough, Littlehampton and Bed- ford and East Grinstead and Bedford.
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Wishing all our Customers a Merry Christmas from Mickey and all the staff
24 Malling December 2017
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