News Mystery stars


join flan fight THE cast of popular children’s TV showAll Over The Place have ad- mitted to being “flans” of the WorldCustardPieChampionship. Producers have told the event’s


organisers theywant presenters to join teams at this year’s contest. However, the celebrities’ identities are being kept underwraps. The Coxheath championship’s


Mike Fitzgerald told DownsMail: “We have yet to learn the names of the presenters, they’re still a secret, butwe are asking for six people to come forward tomake up the two teams. The event is on Saturday, June 1, and there are still a few spaces to fill.” This year will be the 52nd since


the competition was first intro- duced to raise money for Cox- heath’s village hall. Teams of four do battle by


throwing custard pies, and earn points according to which part of their opponents they hit. “Judges well versed in the arts


and tradition of custard pie throw- ing score each game,” saidMike. For details, email mikefitzger- ald2018@outlook.com.


downsmail.co.uk


Stations refused cash for step-free access


CAMPAIGNERS say they are disappointed by a government decision to reject their pleas to make four stations in the bor- ough accessible to the disabled. They say the Department for


Transport’s decision to side-line strong cases made by users of Maidstone West, Marden, Head- corn and Lenham leaves the sta- tions stuck in the 1800s. Campaigners say disabled peo-


ple and parents with pushchairs are forced to struggle or use other stations because of the lack of lifts at theirs. The government’s £300 million


grant was seen by many as a real opportunity to redress the bal- ance, with improvements that would bring the stations into the 21st century by making them ac- cessible to all. However, the six stations from


Kent vying for the money have learned their campaigns have


Transportminister Nusrat Ghani


failed and they will be unable to reapply for another five years. Parish councillor Simon Even-


den, a wheelchair user from Headcorn, has led the campaign for improvements at the village’s station.


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He has to travel to Staplehurst,


where there are lifts, to get access between platforms. He told Downs Mail: “We will


not give up the fight. The parish council has agreed that we will look for alternative ways of mak- ing these vital changes happen.” “We understand there is amid-


termapplication period for fund- ing for improvements that can be delivered with less than £1m in government aid, which we could go for, and suggestions of alter- native cash that could allow lifts to be fitted to the existing foot- bridge over the line.” Maidstone and The Weald MP


HelenGrant,who backed the bids forMaidstoneWest andMarden, has asked for ameetingwithNus- rat Ghani MP, the minister for transport. Mrs Grant said: “Iwill not sim-


ply roll over and accept this deci- sion – it is too important.”


www.gboxkent.com 01233 660 099


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