News


whoare keen to progress matters on that site. “Waitrose management has indi-


Village lads triumph in first round of cup heats


A VILLAGE football team is celebrating a “re- markable achievement” after winning the re- gional heats of the FA People’s Cup. Coxheath&FarleighU14s (pictured) overcame


sides fromacross Kent and East Sussex towin the area title in Gillinghamlastmonth. After a narrow 4-3 defeat in their first game,


cated that it is part of a strategy for the changing face of retail.” Ian Chittenden, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Maidstone north east , said: “This is a great pity. The proposal to build aWaitrose on EclipsePark led indirectly to the clo- sure of the Sittingbourne Road Park


the young guns – who are also doing well in their regular league and cup fixtures – won the rest of their seven games, culminating in an 8-4win over Wigmore in the final of the five-a-side competi- tion. Club chairmanNeil Hadley said: “It’s a remark-


Animals saved THE RSPCA says it received a flood of calls during recent heavy snowfalls. The animal charitywas involved


incidents such as horses collapsed in the snow, a cygnet trapped in the ice and a cat stranded on a snow-covered roof. The charity says the coldweather


put pressure on its care centres where plans to release animals back into the wild following treat- ment were having to be delayed until conditions improved.


Man flees fire AMANwas unhurt after escaping from a first-floor flat fire in Brish- ing Lane,Maidstone. Crews, wearing breathing appa-


ratus, extinguished the fire using a hose reel jet. They then used a fan to clear the flat of smoke. The cause of the blaze, on Febru- ary 26, is as yet unknown.


Woman on run THE public is asked to look out for a 23-year-old woman, who has ab- sconded from East Sutton Park prison in Sutton Valence. V i c t o r i a


Hayes-Sparkes (pictured) went missing fromthe jail on Wednes- day, February 21. She is thought


Hesaid:"We made a very positive decision not to build new stores and invest in our existing estate. “That will start to play at the end


downsmail.co.uk


able achievement for a village football club. “I am so proud of the boys, every one of the


Charity’s call for clothes


the experience, but they all rose to the occasion.” The youngsters now go on to a wider regional


‘Earn as you learn’ is a welcome path to work


A CHARITY in Yalding is urging people to use their unwanted clothes to help others battling with alcohol and drug addiction. The Kenward Trust and South- eastern have set up Clothes Drop points at stations in Bearsted, at Maidstone East andWest, Charing, Lenham, Harrietsham, Snodland, Barming andWest Malling through- out September. The Kenward Trust use the items


to raise £500 per tonne for those overcoming addiction. Shane Irons, who works at Maid-


REPRESENTATIVES from busi- nesses, including Amazon, Bar- clays and Rolls-Royce, gave students a flavour of the huge range of career paths available to thematMaidstone’s firstAppren- ticeship Fair. Firms and organisations fromthe


local area, including Gallaghers and Kent County Council, backed the initiative with stands at the leisure centre inMaidstone, which attracted the interest of more than 600 students. The fair was co-hosted by MPs


Helen Grant and Tracey Crouch, bringing together 50 apprentice employers fromsectors such as en- gineering, accountancy, hospitality and the armed forces. Anne Milton, Minister of State


forApprenticeships and Skills,was also there and spokewith students and businesses about the benefits of apprenticeships. Speaking after the event, Helen


Grant said she was delighted that the overwhelming support from business and schools hadmade the ambitions of the event a reality. Tracey Crouch added: “Wewere


stone East, came up with the idea. He was a friend of John Chadwick, an ex-Kenward resident, who took


A45-YEAR-OLD Maidstoneman has been charged with arson and threats to kill following a car fire. Kent Policewere called at 1.30am


MPs Helen Grant (left) and Tracey Crouch (right) with theMinis- ter of State for Apprentice- ships and Skills, Anne Milton


on September 3, to reports of an in- cident in Allen Street. Crews from Kent Fire and Rescue Service had brought the fire under control by 2am. Enquiries led to the arrest of


competition on theweekend ofMarch 23-25. The venue was yet to be confirmed at the time of going to press. The winners of those events will then go on to


play at St George’s Park, which is where Eng- land’s 28 national teams train ahead of their fix- tures.


his own life when his local council made him move to accommodation that would not accept his beloved dogs. Shane said: “I hope the project highlights the importance of suit- able housing for vulnerable individ- uals when they re-integrate back into communities.” Lynn Hyder, from the trust, said: “While we receive some statutory funding for our residential recovery projects, this only covers a propor- tion of the cost of the services we provide.We are thrilled that South- eastern is helping us with this activ- ity and we thank them and the public who kindly donate for sup- porting our work.”


Car fire leads to arson charge


Richard Parkin, of Allen Street, who has been charged with arson, making threats to kill and two in- cidents of criminal damage. On September 4, Parkin was brought before Maidstone Magis- trates’ Court, where he was re- manded in custody until his next court appearance.


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Maidstone East October 2017 11 Returning for 2018


a discussion with sixth-formers frustrated at the lack of informa- tion available to young people who did not wish to go to univer- sity. “The benefits of apprenticeships


are enormous, not only offering a chance for our young people to earn whilst they learn, but allow- ing employers to provide bespoke training for their workforce.” Schools taking part included


inspired to host this fair following Oakwood Park, Maidstone, and


tions inAshford, aswell as areas of London and Hastings. Anyone with information is


asked to contactKent Police on 101, quoting Most Wanted and the ref- erence number YY/006368/18, or call Kent Crimestoppers, anony- mously, on 0800 555111.


Store sold on A NEWSAGENT and general store inMangravet has been sold. Southerns News and General


Store has been bought by an inde- pendent multiple retailer, accord- ing to the agents, for £425,000.


16


PUPILS are takingmatters in their own hands by issuing parking re- minders to parents who park in- considerately near to their school. Loose Primary School is also


‘naming and shaming’ parents via the school’s regular newsletters as it looks to fix the problem, which blights the area at drop-off and pick-up times. One of the school’s three en-


trances sits on the A229, and par- ents dropping off their children is an increasing concern. But the school is working closely with the parish council,


Maidstone Weald March 2018


local PCSOs and South Maid- stoneAction forRoads and Trans- port (SMART) to find a solution. “A lot of schools have problems


with parking issues in the morn- ings,” joint head of school Gia- como Mazza said. “We have parents parking poorly and incon- siderately and we want it to stop. “We take pictures and put them


in the newsletter, while our eco- councillors within the school are putting notes on cars, to try and make themaware of the issues. “We’ve set up a working party and are working hard to educate


Invicta grammar schools, Future Schools Trust, St Simon Stock and Valley Park School. Aspokesman forOakwood Park-


said: “Some of my students will achieve high A level grades but want to begin work while study- ing. “The degree apprenticeships of-


fered by organisations like Rolls- Royce, BAE and the civil service give students the ability to get a de- greewhile studying.”


to have connec- School ‘names and shames’ thoughtless drivers


parents to help solve the issues.” The other joint head, Anita


Makey, added: “Our priority is the safety of our children and the need to be considerate to our neighbours.” The school has held meetings


with the other parties involved, and their reaction to the issue has been praised. “The school is doing a lot of


hard work to fix the problems,” Kim Owen, the clerk of Loose Parish Council said. “Everyone is involved in it. We’re all working to find a solution.”


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