downsmail.co.uk
News LorryWatchrestarts invillage
THE LorryWatch scheme in Leeds, aimed at stoppingHGVs driving illegally through the vil- lage, has restarted.
Led by Leeds Parish Council member Lesley Martin and sup- ported byKent Police, the scheme hopes to form part of a concerted effort to deter lorry drivers from using the B2163 as a cut-through between theA274 and theA20. There is currently a 17T weight restriction on the route, effectively banning lorries fromusing it. But many of the drivers take their chances of not being re- ported.
Since a meeting in July, con- vened by Downs Mail on behalf on residents and local councillors, a more concerted effort has re- sulted in a fresh push.
Cllr Martin said: “I have got quite a fewpeople signed up since the summer and if anyone has a spare hour anytime during the week to help with Lorry Watch, giveme a call.
“All you have to do is jot down
we’ll do the rest.” Kent
Police have already the problem. Inspector Mark pledged more resources to tackle
the number plate and the name of Hedges hopes that local publicity, the firm or take a photo of it and workingwith the haulage compa- nies, reporting of offenders and increased resources provided by the force will help to reduce ille-
numbers of drivers brazenly defy- ing the ban seems to have re- duced.
publicity in DownsMail to report offenders directly to a team at KentCountyCouncilwhowill act on emails received frommembers of the public.
County councillor Gary Cooke has vowed to investigate improv- ing signs on the A20 – possibly using electronic number recogni- tion technology – to record the movements on HGVs willing to break the lawas they enter the vil- lage.
Leeds Parish Council chairman John Govett told July’s meeting that if the “current number is 100 and we can reduce that to four, thenwe’ll take that”.
To report a lorry, send the regis- tration number, company name or
photo by email
gal lorries using the B2163. Anec- will acknowledge your dotally, local people say that the
Local people have responded to Martin on 07765 438843. Gough is newTory leader Help to re-home a horse
ROGERGough has been namedas Tory-controlled
Council’s newleader. The member
Kent for
County Sevenoaks
North and Darent Valley replaces Carter, who held the office since 2005. Mr Gough, cabinet member for education, was instrumental in creating the country’s first “new” grammar school in decades.
He was elected to the post of leader at theConservativeAGMin CountyHall onOctober
4.News of his appointment prompted imme- diate praise from Tory grandee, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lan- caster and former education secre-
tary, Michael Gove, who tweeted his congratulations.
Mr Gough has been a member for Darent Valley for nearly 20 years following a career in the fi- nancial sector.
He has also held the post of re- search director of Policy Exchange and was a rapporteur
to Ken
Clarke’sDemocracy Task Force. Hehaspublishedtwo books: one on Hungarian communist leader JánosKádár andoneonthe transfer of terror suspects for theAmerican government. Cllr Gough saw off three Tory colleagues to land the top job.
PRIVATE stables and foster owners are being used to copewith a grow- ing number of horses abandoned across the area “like rubbish”.
The RSPCA says it rehomed 328 horses last year,butanother886re- main in its care. The charity has three equine centres, including one at Leybourne, but even these are
to use private
boardingstablesandfoster carers to cope. The RSPCA’s equine welfare specialist Dr Mark Kennedy says: “We are seeing horses being neg- lected or dumped like rubbish.”
The RSPCA says with no end to the horse crisis in sight it is strug- gling to copewith the large number of horses continually coming into care.
full.Thehorse crisis, says the charity, middleweight Tilly; is now forcing it
The RSPCA’s equine centre at Leybourne is among those with a number of horses in need of a home, includingyearlingTerry;black two-year-old
Vincent and others lodging at pri- vate boarding stables in Kent in- cluding a 13hh Skewbald Nelly, who is three.
Go to
www.rspca.org.uk/find- apet/rehomeahorse
Fine for a flytipper caught on CCTV cameras
ALANGLEYman has been con- victed after CCTV cameras cap- tured him flytipping in one of the borough'sworst blackspots. SteveCrowley, ofGrasslands, dumped rubbish on an early hours visit
the back of a white van under clocked to Burberry Lane,
near Kingswood, onMay 7. He hauled a two-seater sofa,
But Crowley (61) had been by
covert cameras
planted at the notorious dump- ing site byMaidstone Borough Council’sWaste Crime Team. Later that morning, officers
divan bed, toys, outdoor furni- were on his trail, and seized his ture and a large bird cage from vehicle at 3.30pm.
cover of darkness, and left them stoneMagistrates Court, Crow- close to the roadside.
ley
On September 6, at Maid- pleaded
guilty to the
offence of flytipping, and was fined £400.Hewas also ordered to pay £205 costs, £150 clean up
surcharge. Jamie Duffy, MBC’s waste
tipping in the borough andwill prosecute anyone found to be dumpingwaste illegally.”
Theprosecutionwaswelcomed by local borough councillor Gill Fort, who has long fought for
compensation and a £40 victim CCTV cameras to be installed in Burberry Lane.
crimemanager, said: “We take a
www.maidstone.gov.uk,byclick- zero tolerance approach to fly-
Maidstone November 2019
Flytipping can be reported at ing the “report it” button.
17 to
freight@kent.gov.uk where the team at Kent County Council report
and will inform you of action taken.
To join Lorry Watch, call Lesley
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