News Drivers fined


for speeding POLICE issued 365 speeding tick- ets in Kent during a national awareness campaign. Motorists were targeted be-


tween Monday, May 25 and Sun- day, June 7, with speed cameras catching an additional 4,443 drivers committing offences. Other drivers were prosecuted


for crimes such as driving while using a mobile phone or without a seatbelt. Chief Inspector Rhiannan Pep-


per, Head of Kent Police’s Roads Policing Unit, said: “With lock- down measures being eased and traffic volumes starting to grow as a result, this national operation was an important way to remind people of the dangers of speeding – especially as many have not been out on the roads for quite some time.”


Kenward sets


up day help YALDING-based addiction cen- tre, Kenward Trust, which has re- mained open through the Coronavirus crisis, has an- nounced a new day treatment ser- vice.


The trust has a variety of ser-


vices, lasting from four to 24 weeks, to help those affected by alcohol, drug addiction, home- lessness and crime. The day treatment service will


be available to those who cannot afford the fees or time off work, and can be run remotely while so- cial distancing rules remain in place. Go to kenwardtrust.org.uk or


give the team a ring on 01622 814187.


Test concern


EDUCATION chiefs in Kent are locked in discussions with the government over whether the 11- plus exams should be postponed because of the Covid-19 pan- demic. The Kent test is set for Septem-


ber 10, but by then, most year five pupils will have been out of the classroom for up to six months. Now options, including a post- ponement, are being examined. Another potential route would


be to carry out selection by as- sessment. The education secretary Gavin


Williamson abandoned plans for a full return to primary schools before the summer holidays.


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downsmail.co.uk


Barrier plan at village rec to deter travellers


ULCOMBE recreation ground is to have metal barriers fitted at the entrance as a deterrent to members of the travelling community. The move comes after caravans


were recently parked on the site for several days. Following the trespass, boul-


ders were put in place blocking the entrance to the parish council- owned grounds, to prevent a sim- ilar incident occurring again. Local resident and borough councillor for the area, Karen Chappell-Tay (pictured), said: “The visitors were well behaved and cleared all their rubbish away when they left. “The boulders will be removed


when the metal barrier is fitted, and hopefully it will look as lovely and peaceful as it did before”. The travellers moved to the cor-


ner of the playing field furthest from the hall at the end of June. Five caravans, seven cars and


vans were spotted at the site and the visitors did their best to use the rubbish bins at the site. They had uprooted two large wooden posts in order to gain access to the field. Witnesses said they used goal


posts for stringing up their wash- ing lines.


One said: “They were no trouble,


really, and they moved on after a few days. They tried their best to be tidy, although the bin in the car park did become a bit over-full. “But you can’t allow this to keep happening. At the end of the day, it’s a sports field and village green, not a caravan park. “Unless you do something about it, they’ll just keep coming back,


perhaps causing more damage to the place than they did the last time.” Travellers’ incursions normally


last no longer than it takes to insti- tute the legal proceedings to re- move them, depending on whether they are on private or, as in this case, public land. Police do not get involved in evictions.


Jag driver walks from crash


THE driver of a Jaguar had to be cut from the wreckage of car after a serious smash with a van. It is understood the man


walked away with minor injuries after the incident in Leeds village on Friday, July 31, at around 7.30am. The sound of the crash, which


badly damaged sections of walls on both sides of the road, could be heard hundreds of yards away. A lamp post had to be removed due to damage. Nearby resident Kevin Steele,


who took this picture of the scene outside his home, said that emer- gency crews from the fire, ambu- lance and police services attended. The driver of the Iveco van was


a Polish national. Villagers were convinced that the Jaguar driver had sustained serious injuries after hearing he had to be cut free from the wreckage of his car.


One said: “Thank goodness he


is okay. We were convinced that someone had been killed in the crash.


“Like everywhere else in this borough, we are very concerned about not just the traffic volumes in the village but the speed at


which people drive their cars and the manner in which they drive. “They are so aggressive some-


times. One can understand their frustrations because at peak times, they race between one traf- fic jam and the next. Leeds is just another along the way.”


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