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Shepway is now the one andonly


JUST where is Shepway? For decades it has confused and con- founded strangers and local folk alike. ToMaidstonians, it is a large area


of housing off the A274 which is home to several thousand people. But now the “other” Shepway –


the one down on the coast – is ditch- ing its claimon the title, leaving the Maidstone district to nab it for itself. Arguably, the county town can


claim ownership as building work started on the estate 80-odd years ago,while the local authority Shep- way District Council – which takes in Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh – only came to be in 1975. It took its name froman area near


Lympne in the 13th century. Many people in the Folkestone


area were implacably opposed to the change at the time, claiming that none of its constituent parts were identifiable. Local businesses and organisa- tionswith Shep- way in their title take mistaken calls from both areas. Now the au- has


thority


Teen risks life to conceal drugs Johnny Cotter


opted for Folke- stone andHythe DistrictCouncil. Ukip council- lor for Shepway


A TEENAGER who swallowed almost 100 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine to hide the drugs in- side his body has been jailed. The boy, age 17,was arrested in


Maidstone last year, after plain- clothed patrols spotted himacting suspiciously in the town centre. The alert had been raised dur-


ing the morning of July 26, when officers reported a number of known drug users congregating in the BrenchleyGardens area. The suspect, originally from


London,was seen to approach one of them, who then handed over cash before they headed in differ- ent directions. They met up again, before po-


lice intercepted what appeared to be a drug deal. The teenager was arrested and officers seized amo- bile phone he had thrown into bushes. At the time of arrest no drugs


were recovered but analysis of the phone later provided evidence of


Cllr Eddie Powell


south, Eddie Powell, pictured below, said: “It has always been a bit confusing to have the same name as a place 25 miles down the motorway fromMaidstone, but our Shepway folk feel a great affinity to the area and I’ve been proud to serve this area for the past couple of years. “As I understand it, the name


comes fromShepwayCourt, a large country house in the area.” Before it was


developedin the 1930s, the large housing estate was farmland given over to or- chards with Senacre Woods situated across the road.


Cllr Powell added: “Although it is


a relatively modern housing estate, generations of local people have grownuphere andthat iswhy there is a close community feel about it.” Folkestone artist andbusinessman


JohnnyCotter (57), left, said: “Idon’t come from round here originally and I’ve never understood why the name Folkestone is not in the title of the council. I don’t even think local people know what or where Shep- way is, or evencare! So it isnot a bad thing from our point of view. Let Maidstone have it, I say.”


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dealing. A search of the teenager in custody led to suspicions he has was concealing drugs inside his body. He refused to accept any food


and amid concerns for hiswelfare he was taken to a hospital, where a package containing 96 wraps was retrieved. At Maidstone Crown Court the


teenager pleaded guilty to counts of possessing heroin with intent to supply and possessing crack co- caine with intent to supply. Hewas sentenced on February 8


to one year at a young offenders’ institution, afterwhich hewill be subject to a supervision order last- ing a further year. Chief Inspector Mick Gardner


said: "My officers are continuing to robustly target anyone involved in the supply of drugs in our town and we are constantly gathering intelligence on thosewhose activ- ities cause the associated misery within our communities.


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