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downsmail.co.uk Police defend rural crime record


A STUDY carried out by the Country Land and BusinessAssociation (CLA) reveals police forces do not recognise the detrimental effects of rural crime. Flytipping, thefts of machinery


or livestock, illegal cruel blood sports such as hare-coursing and farmvandalismcosts the economy £44.5ma year. Kent has an issue with rural


crime, especially flytipping,which critics say is not properly enforced. TheCLAscrutinised 38 rural po-


lice forces across England and Wales, and shows thatmore than a third (37%) lack a dedicated rural crime strategy, nearly two-fifths (39%) do not have a rural crime team, and only 10 forces (28%) de- liver rural crime training for new recruits. It also revealed that more than


one in four (27%) do not have a po- lice officer of inspector rank or above leading rural crime. Furthermore, only around half


(53%) of rural police forces across EnglandandWaleshavededicated rural crime prevention tools, such as 4x4s, trail bikes, night vision equipment or drones.


Soaring heat


on the trains RAIL operator Southeastern slashed the number of trains running onThursday, July 24, asKent baked in soaring tem- peratures. Commuters through Head-


corn, Staplehurst, and Mar- den, as well as Yalding, Wateringbury and East Far- leigh not only endured fewer services,but alsohadto suffer more crowded carriages as a result. Southeasternsaidthe reduc-


tionhadbeendrivenby speed restrictions onthe lines topre- vent rails buckling in the ex- treme heat, which reached 50 degrees on the tracks. Those trains still running


took longer to complete their journeys. Thedaybefore the cancella-


tions, the company urged pas- sengers to avoid travelling where possible, carry a bottle ofwaterwith them, and not to board a train if they felt un- well. Normal services started to


resume on the Friday, as the blistering heat subsided.


4 Members of Hunton Bowls Club remember Basil Seaward and BrianMaytumwith their families Bowls club’s tribute tomembers


MEMBERS of Hunton Bowls Club have held a tributematch for long- standing members Basil Seaward and BrianMaytum, who both died in February.


Basil was actively bowling last


season, andwould have celebrated his 100th birthday in September. Brian was 85. Both had been members of the


bowls club formore than 30 years. The afternoon was attended by


50 members, including Basil and Brian’s families, and was followed by a creamtea.


Elderlywarned of fake fines


SUTTON Valence Parish Council has reiteratedwarnings to elderly drivers to bewary of fake fines. It endorsedAction Fraud’s con-


cerns after victims were targeted by criminals impersonating police officers and trafficwardens. The scam involves drivers


being told they have parked ille- gally or broken a speed limit and that, if they pay a small fee imme-


Maidstone Weald August 2019


diately, theywill avoid a substan- tial penalty charge. They are then directed to a


parking payment machine that has been tamperedwith. Action Fraud said: “The crimi-


nal shoulder surfs the victim as they enter their pin and the ma- chine retains the victim’s card.” Readers suspicious of fines, should not pay until they have


verified themwith the local coun- cil or the car park’s owner. They should shield their PIN


from view and, if their bank card is retained by the machine, con- tact their bank immediately Victims should call Kent Police


on 101. To report issues to KCC Trading Standards, call 03454 04 05 06 from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.


a dedicated rural crime strategy in place before then.” The analysis pulls together in-


PCCMatthew Scott and, right, flytipping is a common sight Half of rural business owners


state that crimehas a “moderate” to “great” impact on their lives and 60%are “fairly” or “very”worried about becoming a victimof crime. CLASouthEast regionaldirector


Robin Edwards said: “Kent Police is already doing a lot of goodwork fighting rural crime, with a dedi- cated team in place across the county. It needs a clear strategy to


make sure tackling rural crime is at the forefront of itswork, consulting with residents and businesses to build links and sharedworking.” CLA President Tim Breitmeyer


said the issue of rural crimemight climb the agenda with the police and crime commissioner elections in2020.He added: “There isno rea- sonwhy – as a bareminimum– all rural police forces should not have


sight from CLA’s regional teams who regularly engage with rural police forces on behalf of its 30,000 rural landowner and business members. Police and Crime Com- missioner Matthew Scott said: “I regularly visit rural areas to talk to local people about their concerns and, partly in response to their feedback, Iusedmoneyraisedfrom council tax to double the size of Kent’s Rural Task Force last year. “I have seen the excellent work


those specialist officers do in tack- ling organised crime and keeping our rural communities safe.”


KENT Police issued a £300 fixed penalty notice to the owner of a van caught in Burberry Lane near Langley - a notorious flytipping hotspot - on July 24 after a “chan- nce encounter” on patrol.


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