News Aack appeal


WITNESSES are being sought to an attack in Maidstone which left a manwith serious injuries. The 36-year-old, fromMaidstone,


was found on the forecourt of a car dealership in Mill Street at 3.12am on Sunday,August 19.He had a se- rious injury to his abdomen andwas taken to a London hospital. Detective InspectorNatalie Potter


said: “Enquiries are ongoing to es- tablish the circumstances of the inci- dent and whether the assault took place inMill Street or elsewhere.” Anyonewho sawanything suspi-


cious should call Kent Police on 01622 604100,withreference 19-0208.


Firework fun


HEADCORN Primary School will hold its fireworks and bonfire “ex- travaganza” at the school on Sun- day,November 4. Further details will be posted on Facebook nearer the time.


Bingo night


SCOUTS are holding a bingo night in Headcorn village hall at 7.45pm on Saturday, September 22. Tickets are £6 andthere is a bar but


contestants should bring their own snacks.Details from01622 891945.


downsmail.co.uk


Mink spoed at lock ‘looking for a home’


A MINK seen at East Farleigh Lock, could have been on the look- out for a newhome, according to a wildlife expert. Jackie King, of East Farleigh, was


sitting by the riverside when she was startledby the creature. She sent this picture in toDownsMail. She said: “Iwas sitting by the lock


and the mink came out of bushes and sat on the decking. Then it slipped into the river! “Iwish the picturewas better but


Iwas so taken abackwhen I sawit.” Water wildlife officer for Kent


Wildlife Trust, Chloe Sadler, said: “Minks are in every river inKent.At this time of year, youngerminkswill spread out and try to set up new breeding areas. Maybe this one at the lock is scouting out the area. “They are voracious predators.


Their success is due to the ability to exploit a huge range of prey, most notably, fromthe conservationpoint of view, they impact our ground- nesting birds andwater voles. “Forwater voles, the femalemink


is small enough to enter underwater burrow systems that would other- wise be off limits to their native predators. “There is no risk to humans ordo-


mestic animals like cats or small dogs. Most animals would try and avoid any conflict, and the minks wouldn’twant to risk injury so they would scurry away.” Wildlife expert and Langley resi-


dent, TheoMcCausland (pictured), saidthemink inBritishrivers tendto be the non-native American species which escaped fromfur farms. He added: “There is amisconcep-


tion that the ani- mals’


spread


was a result of deliberate acts of sabotage by ani- mal rights ac- tivists by mass releases in the 1990s, when, in fact, large wild populations had al- ready been established for decades. “They can be destructive to our


native birds and animals and have beenas invasive to ourwaterways as grey squirrels have been to the for- est-dwelling native reds.”


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Maidstone Weald September 2018


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