News Leeds villager
was a stalwart A MUCH-admired Leeds villager and community stalwart has died at the age of 78. David Costello, of Upper Street,
died of a long-standing condition at Maidstone Hospital in May. The parish newsletter noted that
Mr Costello, who recently moved to Bearsted after 30 years in the vil- lage, was a leading light in Leeds Amateur Dramatic Society and regular helper at the local church. Of his involvement in the church
book sale, the article notes: “It was typical of the man that he deter- minedly carried on with that task until he could physically manage it no longer.” An avid litter picker in Burberry
Lane, Mr Costello organised and sold ticket for the twice-yearly quiz evenings in the village hall. His death was not Covid-19 re-
lated. Tragic find
THE body of a dog has been found in a plastic bag in Marden. A member of the public called
police after the animal was report- edly found in a ditch in Plain Road at about 7pm on Friday, July 24. An RSPCA spokesman said:
“Anyone with any information about this should contact us on 0300 1234 999.”
Crime claim
KENT’S Police and Crime Com- missioner Matthew Scott claims the recruitment of 550 more offi- cers has led to a drop in crime. The Office for National Statistics
shows a 5% or 9,392 decrease in 2019-20. The biggest drop was in public
order offences, but drug crimes rocketed by 27%, with 3,890 inci- dents and weapon possession is up 25% or 1,697 offences.
Charity runs
A SUTTON Valence personal trainer has raised £2,600 for mental health charity MIND by running every day for a month. Former professional rugby
league player Richard Harris (24) ran a mile on day one, two on day two and so on, running 30 miles on the final day.
Football call
DITTON Minors football club is looking for players to join the under 13s team for the 2020-21 sea- son. Call Jim 07764 977808 or Lee 07909 511642 for more details.
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downsmail.co.uk
Drones could be used to search out potholes
THEY are the scourge of the modern road-user, and driving instructors call them “car killers”.
And every driver knows the
dreadful, crunching clunk when they hit a pothole and end up with a burst tyre or body damage. Now Kent County Council
(KCC), responsible for the up- keep of the county’s roads, has hit on a novel way to spot them – drones. The airborne gadgets have been trialled to gain a better idea of the condition of our roads. Two drones were flown over
the Kent Showground in Detling on July 21 during the latest test by the Association of Directors of En- vironment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) for KCC alongside its partner Amey plc. The experts hope they can de-
tect issues with trees and street- lights by comparing pictures carried out in two previous trials. But it may be some time before
drones are seen hovering over the highways regularly. Highways project manager,
Carol Valentine said there are many legal hurdles to clear on how they can be used in this way. Currently KCC looks after 5,400
miles of road and 4,000 miles of footpaths, as well as 122,000 street lights, 500,000 trees, 250,000 drains and 2,200 bridges.
Project manager Carol Valentine, Michael Payne, and Amey’s Ramin Akhyani Cabinet member for highways
and transport, Michael Payne, said: “Rather than us having to drive around looking for issues or arrange to clamber up bridges, we can use the drone to quickly and easily spot any problems we might face. “And rather than setting up traf-
fic management and diversions to do an inspection, we can simply put a drone in the air – meaning Kent Highways staff can be freed up for other projects. “With this new eye-in-the-sky technology, we could have a quick and clear idea of what needs to be
done and where, meaning we will have the information at our fin- gertips rather than people simply reporting problems to us online. “Ultimately, this will lead to residents having a better experi- ence on Kent’s roads. I look for- ward to the results of this trial and we will continue to work with our national partners in government and the aerospace industry to take this forward.” KCC has secured £2m of De- partment for Transport funding to explore digital innovations to help maintain roads, and this includes drone trials.
Veterans thank their heroes
RETIRED military veterans proudly saluted healthcare workers during an awards ceremony in Aylesford. More than 100 nurses and carers
were thanked by all the ex-Army officials they care for during the Royal British Legion Industries’ (RBLI) ‘Thank You’ Carers Award ceremony. The healthcare workers were pre-
sented with a Florence Nightingale award by the charity for their work on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Steve Sherry, RBLI’s chief execu-
tive said: “Nursing and care staff have faced an unprecedented chal- lenge over recent months in the form of an invisible enemy. Whilst most of us watch on the sidelines in awe, teams throughout the country have been working tire-
George Bradford (89), a for- mer Royal Marine, salutes his carers
lessly to do all they can to improve people’s wellbeing.” Registered nurse Carmen Cart-
nell, who has worked at the RBLI’s care home, Gavin Astor House, throughout the pandemic, said: “I feel honoured that I’ve got the privilege to work with our veterans
– the things that they’ve done and seen, hopefully we will never see. “We need to remember that
these people were not born old, they have a history, and have de- fended this country. I do every- thing I can to keep the dignity and the respect they deserve.”
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