News POtax changes


hit small firms SMALL businesses in the Malling area have hit a stum- bling block as they are now no longer able to pay tax at the Post Office. SinceDecember, a change has


meant that allUKtaxpayers are nowunable to pay their taxes in person at the Post Office. HMRevenues and Customs


withdrew the use of the Tran- scash service, meaning that tax bills have to be paid either on- line, by phone or at banks or building societies. Mike Cherry, national chair-


man of The Federation for Small Businesses, said: “More than 90 per cent of members use online banking and many of thosewill choose to pay their taxes online. “However, there are likely to


be business owners still wish- ing to have the option to settle their bills with HMRC at the Post Office.” The Post Office said: “We’re


sorry to our customers that we are no longer able to offer this service, and customers should contact HMRC directly.”


downsmail.co.uk


Tributes to PaulAlcock who has died aged 64


TRIBUTES have poured in for the former Premier League referee and Maidstone shopping centre manager, Paul Alcock, who has died aged 64. Mr Alcock, who refereed top-


flight matches from 1995 to 2000, died after a battle against cancer. The father,who livedinBoughton


Monchelsea, was as well known lo- cally as the manager of The Mall shopping centre in the town.Unlike the professional referees of today, MrAlcock helddown a full-time job away fromfootball. Suzie Brindle, the Mall’s market-


ing manager, worked with him at the centre, and said: “We are all deeply saddened by his passing.He will be greatlymissedby us all here. “A number of us worked closely


with Paul and still remained good friends through his battle with can- cer, oftenmeeting for coffee to laugh about the old times.” The referee’s most famous mo-


ment came in 1998 when he was pushed over by Sheffield Wednes-


day’s Paolo Di Canio after sending the Italian off during a game with Arsenal. After hewas forced to retire from


refereeing at the age of 47, he kept his hand in by becoming a referee’s assessor, and also became an athlet- ics official. Stuart Butler, a football league as- sistant referee who lives in Cox-


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heath, said Mr Alcock was a “gen- uinely nice bloke”. “Heusedto assessme quite a lot,”


he added. “And he was always really


friendly.He always gave such good advice and even when it was nega- tive, everything he said was re- spected. “When I was starting out, it was


always good to see him around be- cause we don’t have a lot of high- level referees in our area. “He came to theMaidstoneRefer-


ees’ Association in August and he was so honest and open about both refereeing and his illness. The can- cer changed how he looked, but he was still sharp and was happy to talk about anything.” Hewasmanager at theMall for 17


years and was also involved in a number ofprojectswhichhelpedthe town centre as awhole. Ilsa Butler, the town centre co-or-


dinator atOneMaidstone, said: “He was a force of nature and will be sorelymissed.”


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