News


M20 bridge work is delayed to next year


THE M20 footbridge, which was destroyedtwo years ago inAdding- ton, will not be rebuilt until next year at the earliest,DownsMailhas learned. The structure, whichwas hit by a


digger on the back of a lorry in late August of 2016, is now set to be re- instated in 2019 after a lengthy process of getting the newwalkway up to current design standard. The new bridge will have an ac-


cessibility-compliant ramp. High- ways England is in the process of buying a small parcel of land needed to accommodate the design. AHighways England spokesman


said: “TheAddington footbridge re- quires a complete replacement, which includes purchasing land so it can be built tomodern standards. “We are negotiating the purchase


of this land and agreeing to the ac- cess we will need for construction, and expect to start work soon after the M20 J3-5 smart motorway up- grade opens to traffic in 2019.” Mary McKinley, chairman of


Ryarsh Parish Council, said: “Ap- parently,Addington owns the land. “InmeetingswithMaidstoneBor-


ough Council, we pointed out that work should be done at the same time as the SmartMotorway devel- opment, to avoid people being di- verted through Ryarsh. “We had a meeting with High-


ways England six weeks ago and they said they were waiting for Addington to agree to sell the land. “The people of Addington do


want the bridge back, because it cuts their town in two.”


Goats prefer smile to a frown, says a university study


GOATS react to facial expres- sions similarly to dogs and horses, according to a new study conducted in Maidstone, writes Jade Schopman. Twenty goats at a local sanctu-


ary, Buttercups in Maidstone, were used by researchers to see if they could tell the difference be- tween happy and angry human faces. It iswell known that human fa-


cial expressions are highly in- formative for dogs and horses, but whether livestock kept mainly for the purpose of pro- viding food andwool are capable of this had remained a mystery– until now. The study involved Dr Alan


McElligott (pictured), from Roe- hampton University, and col- leagues setting up pairs of photos on the wall in their test area. Then, a goat would be let loose to explore the new set-up.


20 Maidstone October 2018 DrMcElligott’s initial research


at Buttercups dates back almost 10 years, to December 2008. His studies with the goats began a year later. Dr McElligott said: "The study has important impli- cations for how we interact with livestock and other species, be- cause the abilities of the animals to perceive human emotions might be widespread and not just limited to pets.” The results showed that the


goats favoured the happy faces over sad or angry faces. They spent a lot more time inspecting the smiling faces with their snouts. Dr McElligott said: “The pur-


pose of this studywas to see how these goats, who live in percep- tive environments, observe their surroundings. Once we under- stand this, we can help improve animal welfare, but we cannot knowthis fullywithout doing re-


search.” The reason goats were used in


the study was, he said, because: “Unlike horses and dogs, who have had a close relationship with humans for centuries, there is very little research on how livestock react to human expres- sions.Goats, in particular, are re- ally important animals in the world. I thought the goats might either ignore the images, or maybe even try to chew on them.” He added: “Our results open


new paths to understanding the emotional lives of all domestic animals.”


The bridge across the M20 at Addington collapsed in 2016, when it was hit by a lorry carrying a digger


Work is hoped to begin in 2019,


despite pleas from local MPs Tom Tugendhat andTraceyCrouch,who wanted re-building to start during the Smartmotorway project. In a letter to Highways England


written in 2017, they said: “We are concernedabout inevitablepressure both works will put on the local road network, especially through the villages of Ryarsh and Birling and along the entireA20 corridor. “If theseprojects couldbemerged,


it would reduce the timescale for these projects by fivemonths.”


downsmail.co.uk


Aack appeal WITNESSES are being sought to an attack inMaidstone lastmonth that left amanwith serious injuries. The 36-year-old, fromMaidstone,


was found on the forecourt of a car dealership in Mill Street. He had a serious injury to his stomach and was taken to a London hospital for treatment. Detective InspectorNatalie Potter


saidofficerswere nowkeen to speak to any witnesses. She said: “En- quiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of the incident and whether the assault took place in Mill Street or elsewhere.” Anyonewho sawanything suspi-


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


Fight claims TWO motorists were involved in a punch-up inMaidstone. The altercation took place on


Monday, August 27 on the A249 Bearsted Road on a roundabout close to Eclipse Park. It has been reported that between


11.15amand 11.30amthe driver of a white Seat got out of his car and as- saultedaman in a black FordFocus. Kent Police are also investigating


counter allegations that the Seat driverwas assaulted.No serious in- jurieswere reported.


RAFmemorial


THE Royal Air Force Association heldtheAnnualBattle ofBritianMe- morial Service inChart Sutton at the Memorial Garden at Parkhouse Farmon Sunday, September 2. A packed gathering took part in


the service led by Rev Philip Cox, with wreaths laid by the Mayor of Maidstone and representatives of family and other RAF organistions. ABattle ofBritainflypast followed


the service. Rescue calls


KENT Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) staff were called out 145 times in the past year to remove ob- jects frompeople. KFRS has not reported details of


the call-outs, butmany are believed to involve wedding rings or hand- cuffs. Others include bottoms being


glued to toilet seats as pranks and themore traditional cats up trees.


Festive cards


MAIDSTONE’S charity Christmas cards shop runs this year at the Methodist Church, Union Street, from Friday, October 12 to Thurs- day,December 13. It opensMonday to Saturday, from10amto 4pm.


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