News Fines for not


using seat belt MORE than 600 Kent people have been fined by police for not wear- ing a seatbelt during a two-week national road safety campaign. Specialist Kent Police officers


were out on the county’s roads be- tween June 29 and July 13. Tickets were issued to 612 peo-


ple who were seen breaking the law during the two-week period. Chief Inspector Rhiannan Pep-


per, head of Kent Police’s Roads Policing Unit, said: “Whilst we are thankful that the majority of mo- torists do everything they can to stay safe and abide by the law, it is disappointing to see such a large number of people still failing to wear seatbelts on Kent’s roads. “Driving without a seatbelt can


cause serious injury and even death, and statistically you are twice as likely to die in a collision if you haven’t buckled up. “Motorists should not be taking


these risks, because it is not just their lives they are jeopardising. All lives lost on the road due to lack of personal safety are a tragic waste.”


‘Stabbing’ at


Viking event A WOMAN has been left seriously injured after being “accidently stabbed in the neck” in Yalding. The incident reportedly hap-


pened during a Viking re-enact- ment event on July 11. Critical care paramedics and an air ambulance were called. An ambulance spokesman said:


“We were called to reports of a woman with serious injuries in a field near Benover Road, Yalding. “The medical team worked to-


gether to provide emergency treat- ment at the scene before the patient was taken to Kings College Hospi- tal by road in a life-threatening condition. “The air ambulance team joined


our crews to help treat the patient en route to hospital.” A Kent Police spokesman said: “Police were not informed of this and therefore did not attend.”


Thefts rising


THEFTS of motor vehicles in Kent has soared by 50% in the past four years, according to RAC Insurance figures. Kent Police dealt with 3,609 inci-


dents in 2018-19 compared to 2,429 in 2014-15. The rise is believed to linked to


the thefts of vehicles which are eas- ier to steal such as motorbikes.


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Call for ‘urgent start’ on hospital cycle lane


A TRANSPORT campaigner has warned NHS staff could be injured or killed if work to create a cycle lane in Barming is not urgently completed. James Willis has demanded ac-


tion from both neighbouring coun- cils to make an immediate start on a cycle lane for the sake of workers at Maidstone Hospital. Kent County Council (KCC)


claims design work is under way, but there is currently no start date for the work to begin in Hermitage Lane. Mr Willis, a former Liberal


Democrat borough councillor, said: “There are endless reports of accidents on Hermitage Lane, it is so dangerous for our NHS staff who cycle to work every day. “It seems to me that it’s the bor-


ders of a patch that get treated badly and almost neglected by the councils, because there’s always


another council to blame it on, since the responsibility of it can fall into either one. They have got the money for it. “I asked the question at the (Joint


Transportation) board meeting and I could not get a straight an- swer.” Lib Dem borough councillor


Bryan Vizard said: “Since the new development is under way, it would be good to get the cycle lane in place. The sooner the better. “The last three months have


been an absolute dream because of the lack of traffic, but now we are back to what it was like before.” KCC says funding has been se-


cured to provide a shared pedes- trian and cycle lane, from Barming


station to the existing path outside the hospital, but a date for the works to begin has not been fi- nalised. A KCC spokesman added:


“Work is currently under way to also complete the conversion of a footpath into a shared walk and cycle route. This provides the con- nection from Giddyhorn Lane to the hospital site on Hermitage Lane. “As was explained at the Maid-


stone Joint Transportation Board meeting on July 8, this measure represents one stage of the coun- cil’s more broad ambitions to de- velop a more comprehensive and attractive cycle network in that part of the town.”


Farewell to Bill, a ‘true gent’


STAFF at Downs Mail have paid a fond farewell to sales director Bill Brett, who has retired. Colleagues said goodbye to him


with an afternoon tea on the green at Bearsted, a stone's throw from the Downs Mail office. Bill (67) had worked at parent company Mail Publications Ltd for nine years. His career in the world of news-


paper and magazine publishing stretched back more than four decades. Company chairman Claire Proc-


ter said: “Bill is a true gent, a model professional with an immense wealth of experience. He had helped steer the company through some choppy waters the publish- ing industry has faced in recent years, and it is in large measure


down to him that we're still going strong.” Bill, who will remain on the board


of directors, is pictured (seated) with (from left) Ann White, Lauren


Connolly, Teresa Jeffery, Rebecca Abbott, Simon Finlay, Chris Lawson, Claire Procter, and Jade Schopman. Picture by Libby Lawson.


downsmail.co.uk


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