News Six charged in


d ru gs inqu iry DETECTIVES have chargedsixpeo- ple in connectionwith adrugs sup- ply network inMaidstone. KentPolicemadearrests in July in


relation to theallegeddistributionof heroinandcrack cocaine.The inves- tigation has ledtoall six people con- nected to the network being charged. Gavin Bond (3 4 ), of Mote Road,


Maidstone was charged with being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, and permitting the use of premises for the supply of those drugs. AndrewCooke (6 1 ), of Felderland


Close,Maidstone,was chargedwith modern slavery and being con- cerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine. He was also charged with breaching his Sexual Offences PreventionOrder. Peace Alaka (1 8 ), of Gravesend,


was charged with modern slavery and being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine. A 1 7 -year-old boy from Hemel


Hempsteadwas chargedwithmod- ern slavery, being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, and being in possession of abladed article. Another 1 7 -year-old boy fromBexleyheathwas chargedwith modern slavery and being con- cerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine. These suspects have all been


bailed to appear before Maidstone Magistrates’ Court onOctober 2 6 . Investigators had previously also


charged Reis Bhandal, on July 2 0 , withmodern slaveryandbeing con- cerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine. Another


1 8 -year-old from


Gravesendwas remandedtoappear before Woolwich Crown Court on October 1 9 .


Honorary title


A TITLE of “honorary alderman” is to be created to acknowledge the contribution made by long-serving borough councillors. Maidstone Borough Council has


decided to offer the title to former colleagues with at least 1 6 years service. Aldermenwill beput on the guest


list for civic dinners and have their name in gilt on aboard in themain town hall chamber. The proposalwas put forward by


MBC’s democracy committee, chaired byCllr FranWilson, and re- ceived cross-party support. New aldermen will have to get


backing of two thirds of the mem- bers to be approved. Two councillors currently qualify


–Cllr Tony Harwood and CllrWil- son, both LiberalDemocrats.


30 Maidstone November 2018


downsmail.co.uk


M20 to re-openintime for Remembrance Day


AFTER being branded as “disrespectful”,Highways England has decided to keep theM2 0 open during Remembrance Sunday.


The motorway was due to shut


betweenNovember 9 -1 2 fromjunc- tions four to six to replace the Teapot Lane footbridge. But residents complained the clo-


sure could prevent people from getting to Remembrance services across the borough. When the M2 0 was closed off in


mid-September, for the demolition of the footbridge, surrounding towns and villages became swamped with commuters who were trying to beat the diversion routes. But in the wake of concerns


raised, Highways England has de- cided to climb down. A spokesman for the govern-


ment agency said: “The Teapot Lane footbridge over theM2 0 is an important community asset and we want to reinstate it as soon as possible. “We understand that motorway


closures inevitably cause disrup- tion, and do our best to plan them to keep disruption to aminimum. “We chose the weekend of No-


vember 9 -1 2 for this vital work after speakingwith our partners in local councils and the emergency services, and on the understanding


Last year’s Remembrance Sunday parade inMaidstone


that the impact on traffic for Re- membrance Sunday would be ac- ceptable. “However, responding to local


concerns, we will ensure that we re-open the M2 0 by early Sunday morning and, if necessary, com- plete the bridge installation the fol- lowingweekend,November 1 6 -1 9 , which we have set aside as acon- tingency.” Chatham&AylesfordMP Tracey


Crouch said: “Highways England has clearly listened to concerns about the impact its closure and the road closures for Remembrance pa- rades would have in the area.” Most towns and villages have


planned to close off roads in order to hold parades in commemoration of the centenary of the end of World War One. More than 2 0 roads inMaidstone alone are being temporarily closed.


School receives career accolade


SUTTON Valence School has re- ceived public recognition for the careers advice it offers to its stu- dents. The Quality in Careers Standard


award is given to schools and edu- cation providers who demonstrate the importance they place on jobs and how they support students to make decisions about their life heading into the working environ- ment. Sutton Valence is currently the


only independent school in the country to have achieved the De- partment for Education accolade. Headmaster Bruce Grindlay


(right) said: “We are thrilled to have achieved the nationalQuality in Careers Standard. “At Sutton Valence,we recognise


the important role school plays in helping students develop their knowledge, skills and experience so they can go out into the world and achieve personal success.


“This standard has provided a


flexible framework that enabled us to audit our work on careers and ensure our students are receiving advice, practical support and expe- rience so they are prepared for the next stage of their education, em- ployment, self-employment or training.”


The school offers arange of ac-


tivities to introduce students to the different kinds of work they can look to carry out and help them make decisions about their futures, such as volunteering, mentoring and theDuke of EdinburghAward. Students have the opportunity to


participate in “mini gap” place- ments of three to four weeks to China, Nepal, India and an ex- change to Australia and New Zealand. The school also offers support in


finding work experience opportu- nities and runs alarge careers fair every two years, providing excel- lent opportunities for students and their parents to look at all path- ways. In the intervening years, alumni


return to talk about their careers and howthey chose them. Sutton Valence School lies in the


heart of the village and was estab- lished byWilliamLambe in 1 5 7 6 .


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