News Knife threats


A TEENAGER has been arrested after supermarket staff were threatenedwith a knife. The incident happened at


around 1pmon Tuesday,April 23, at Sainsbury’s in Loose Road, Maidstone. No money was taken and the offender is believed to have fled empty-handed. Officers identified a suspect in


Boughton Lane, and stopped and searched him.A knife was recov- ered and hewas arrested. A 15-year-old Maidstone boy


has been chargedwith possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and attempted robbery.


Station raid


STAPLEHURST ticket office was forced to close while police con- ducted a forensic investigation following a night raid onApril 15. A British Transport Police


spokesman said: “Officers were called to Staplehurst station at 1.49am, following reports of a break-in. It is believed a quantity of cash was stolen. There have been no arrests.” Witnesses should text BTP on 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40.


downsmail.co.uk


Relief roadwould be ‘just the beginning’


STUDIES into the viability of a Leeds-Langley relief road have progressed to the next stage, DownsMail has learned. Surveys conducted by Kent


County Council are being exam- ined jointlywith a specialist high- ways firm to determine the way ahead. Relief road champion and


county councillor Gary Cooke hopes to invite parish councils to a meeting in July to update them on what the studies have con- cluded. Thereafter, potential relief road


routes could be determined. ButCllrCooke claims that,with


Maidstone Borough Council’s massive house-building pro- gramme beginning to bite, any so- lution must be seen as the “beginning and not the end”. Cllr Cooke said: “It is clear that


this can no longer be seen in iso- lation as a south east Maidstone


issue. The reality of this is going far further. The congestion that is impacting people’s lives is not just happening on the A274 or in Langley or in Leeds. It is every- where. “Ifwe can get this one goingwe need to look at all the other places


affected by the explosion in hous- ing in the borough.” MBC has 17,600 new homes in


its Local Plan, passed in late 2017, and will have to include an esti- mated 8,000 more when it is re- viewed in the coming years. Liberal Democrat councillor


Clive Englishwarned that a relief road might come at a huge price – evenmore homes. Cllr English said: “It depends


on the funding mechanisms out there. The relief road is a good idea but we don’t want to build a relief road and build thousands more houses to pay for it. “The fact of the matter is that


KCCdoes not have a lot ofmoney for any major road projects - the Leeds-Langley relief road or any- thing else, for thatmatter. “It has been shown in the past


and elsewhere that you can’t al- ways build yourself out of this sort of situation.”


Time on your hands? Don’t know what to do?


Why not join the Maidstone Hospital League of Friends


WE URGENTLY NEED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:


• To staff the hospital shop which is stocked with a wide variety of sandwiches,crisps, drinks, toiletries, greetings cards, sweets, chocolate, etc.


• To take trolleys (containing sweets, drinks, toiletries, etc.) round the wards. • Staff our busy tea bar. • Sell books in the book room.


The League of Friends is a registered charity and all monies raised ensures that it can respond to requests for equipment in the hospital.


If you can spare a few hours a week and would like to join a friendly team doing something rewarding for the community please contact:


Jacqui on 01622 224781 6 Maidstone Weald May 2019


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