News


Dealer is dealt hefty sentence


A DRUG dealer who travelled from his London home to run a class A drug supply network in Maidstonewas jailed for 14 years. Matthew Olujosun (30), of Slater


Close, Woolwich, would travel by train to Maid- stone to sell drugs. O l u j o s u n


(pictured) was found guilty of producing and s u p p l y i n g heroin and co- caine and pos- s e s s i n g criminal prop- erty, and was sentenced at Maid- stone Crown Court. Detective Inspector Gary Scarfe


said: ”A comprehensive investiga- tion and the key evidence obtained by my officers has led to this suc- cessful outcome. “Olujosun profited from his es-


tablished classAdrugs supply net- works that he ran into Kent’s communities utilising local dealers to deal drugs for him.” He was also served a Serious


Crime Prevention Order, which will restrict his use of mobile phones when he is released from prison.


RNLI’s dance


THE RNLI Barn Dance takes place on Friday, March 2, at 7.30 pm in Fant Community Hall. Music and calling will be done


by the popular John Sweeney. The ticket price of £10 includes


supper but you must bring your own drinks and nibbles. To book tickets andmeals please


contact John Ashbolt 01622 725435 orAlan Cocks 01622 761004.


Park proms dip


COUNCIL chiefs are expecting a dip in attendance at the 2018 Proms in the Park after agreeing to intro- duce an admission fee The Whatman Park classical


event has been free in the past but Maidstone BoroughCouncil claims it can no longer cover the running costs. Tickets will cost up to £7 with children allowed in free.


Driver arrested


A DRIVER has been arrested after a car stolen from Maidstone crashed into a police vehicle. The Ford Mondeo failed to stop


when officers tried to halt it onDe- cember 18, but it later hit a police BMWon theA228.


28 Maidstone February 2018


downsmail.co.uk


Acorn bounty ensures a healthy oak population


KENTISHoak trees enjoyed a spectacular acorn harvest in 2017 – helping to ensure its future as one of the county’s enduring symbols of strength and vitality.


Oaks enjoyed a particularly plen-


tiful ‘mast’ year – when the tree fruits excessively to ensure it cannot fail to procreate – but last autumn’s crop was bigger than many ob- servers have ever seen. Tree surgeon and naturalist Theo


McCausland, who lives near Lang- ley, said in some woodlands the acorns lay like carpets up to three inches deep. Father of two Mr McCausland,


pictured right, took four 85-litre barrow loads of seeds away froma tree in his own garden in an effort to germinate and replant seedlings elsewhere. He added: “This was a kind of


mast year many people haven’t seen before, suchwas the sheer vol- ume of acorns. “A mast year is when the tree


stores up water and nutrients and releases a huge number of acorns so that once you take into account birds such as jays, squirrels, mice and the like, there are enough to germinate and guarantee the tree will reproduce. “But this yearwas something else.


A RECORD 496 students from the Maidstone area who completed their Duke of Edinburgh Awards in 2017 have been presented with medals at the Detling showground. An impressive 397 bronze, 74 sil-


ver and 25 gold awards were re- ceived by students from 14 schools and youth groups. Presenting the gold and bronze


awards – and speaker for the evening – was Deputy Lieutenant Bill Cockcroft, with the silver awards handed out by borough and county councillor Shellina Prendergast, KCC’s deputy cabinet member for young people and education.Maid- stone’s deputymayor, DavidNaghi, also attended. Bubbles Team, fromInvictaGram-


mar in Maidstone, showed a video of their gold award expedition, ca- noeing on the RiverWye, andmusic for the evening was provided by Chris Haywood, Ethan Stubley and Charlie Edwards, from Maidstone Grammar School. Representatives from Guide Dogs for the Blind were also there to hear


I’ve heard many people talk about it.”


Mr McCaus-


land said there is no other in- d i g e n o u s species British


of tree


which sup- ports as many forms ofwildlife. He added: “The oak is an iconic


and terribly important tree and the mast years, which happen every four or five years, are an insurance


policy.” But, according to the Woodland


Trust, the bounty can come at a price – Lyme disease. A spokesman said: “It is thought


that in mast years incidences of Lyme disease across the UK could increase. “The increase in foragingmateri-


als for smallmammals such asmice causes booms in their populations. Mice carry this tick-spread disease so themore that survive thewinter themore theywill infect the follow- ing spring.”


Record number of students secure Duke of Edinburgh awards


L-r: Gold award winners HannahWarnock, Alice Hill andMollie Carrington, fromInvicta Grammar School; Luke Johnson, fromMaidstone Girls’ Gram- mar School; ChloeMalujlo and Amisha Ramdut, fromInvicta, and Kate MacMahon, fromMaidstone Girls’ Grammar School


an account by Amy Pagett, fromIn- victa Grammar School, who worked with the charity to earn her bronze award. Students receiving awards at-


tended: Cornwallis Academy; Maid- stoneGrammar School forGirls; Five Acre Wood School; Oakwood Park Grammar School; Grange Park


School; St Augustine Academy; Holmesdale Technology College; St Simon Stock Catholic School; The Maplesden Noakes School; Invicta Grammar School; The Malling School; Valley Park School; Maid- stoneGrammar School for Boys; and Wrotham School, together with the KCCMaidstone Youth Hub.


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