News


Justice hopes for Prince


FORMER Tovil sub-postmaster


Prince Kanagasundaram, forced from his position after he was found guilty in court of false ac- counting, says he now has hopes of justice.


Forty-four postmasters across


the UK have been told the Court of Appeal is set to overturn convic- tions following evidence of a faulty Post Office computer program. Prince told the Downs Mail the


Post Office was challenging three proposed pardons, but he was hoping his own conviction would be overturned.


He feels the Post Office should compensate postmasters fully for their financial losses. He says he has lost almost £500,000 in wages alone since 2011.


Suspect bailed


A SUSPECTED car thief has been bailed after a police chase in Snod- land. A man (28) is accused of crash- ing a stolen Vauxhall Asta and fail- ing to stop for officers on the Snodland bypass at around 10.35am on Saturday, October 3. After a car chase, the vehicle was


later found abandoned in a car park off Snodland Road. A Kent Police spokesman said: “Prior to being found, the car is reported to have been in collision with a vehi- cle in Malling Road, with no in- juries sustained. A 28-year-old man from Orpington was later arrested on suspicion of driving offences. He was also arrested on suspicion of stealing a different car from St Peter’s Road, Ditton, at around 2.40pm on Friday, October 2.” He was bailed until October 27.


downsmail.co.uk


Land Rover owners warned after thefts


MAIDSTONE motorists are being reminded to be vigilant following a spate of Land Rover thefts across west Kent.


Since the beginning of July 2020, at least 11 of the sought- after vehicles have been reported stolen from areas including Maid- stone, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks. In some instances, vehicles fit- ted with keyless entry systems have been targeted.


A Kent Police spokesman said: “Criminals using specialist tools are sometimes able to clone a fob’s signal and relay it to another device, allowing them to enter and start the vehicle. “Detectives are treating the of- fences as linked and an investiga- tion has currently led to the arrests of four suspects. Four of the stolen vehicles have also been recovered.”


Detective Constable Mark Beeching, of West Kent CID, said: “Thieves are sometimes also able to fool security systems for key- less entry vehicles. “To prevent this, we would rec- ommend owners check if their entry fobs can be turned off overnight and to also store them away from any household entry points. “Drivers can also store their fobs in special bags, which can be bought from retailers, to prevent any unwanted communication between the vehicle and its keys. If you are unsure contact your ve- hicle manufacturer or local dealer for advice.” They also issued the following general advice to drivers:


Suspect had axes in car


POLICE seized axes and a crowbar from a suspected burglar. Officers spotted a suspicious ve-


hicle driving through West Malling on the evening of Monday, September 28 and followed it out of Kent. The vehicle was stopped in Croy-


don with the assistance of a Metropolitan Police patrol. After speaking to the driver, of Thornton Heath, London, officers


A SHED was broken into in Malling Road, Snodland, and tools were stolen. Two people pushed a man into a bush at a public park in St Leonard’s Street, West Malling. They stole his bag and ran away. The bag contained a wallet, Oyster card, hoodie, and a power bank worth about £150 altogether.


Copper pipes and fittings were stolen from a garage in Mallings Drive, Bearsted. Somebody broke into a workshop in the grounds of a religious premises and stole various tools in Swan Street, West Malling. A vehicle in Essex Road, Shepway, was broken into.


A man stole cooking oil from the court-


yard area behind a restaurant in Castle Way, Leybourne. He arrived in a white Transit van and transferred the oil to drums inside the van. There was an attempt to break into a


40


identified he was wanted in con- nection with a burglary in Bedford- shire. A search of his vehicle found two axes, a crowbar, and gloves. He was arrested on suspicion of


burglary, possessing offensive weapons in a public place, going equipped to steal, driving under the influence of drugs, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and driving without insurance.


He was taken into custody and


the following day was bailed to re- turn to a police station on October 31.


Neighbourhood Watch


Working to reduce crime. Call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or local police were damaged with paint.


house in London Road, Allington. A Ford Transit in Burston Road, Cox-


heath, was broken into and some power tools were stolen. Thieves broke into a shed at a house in


South Street, Allington, by breaking the lock.


A pair of hanging lanterns were knocked down outside a house in Hazen Road, Kings Hill. A toolbox and various tools were stolen from a shed in Barn Hill, Hunton. Somebody stole 120m of copper tele- phone cable from between two telephone poles in Stockett Lane, Coxheath. A petrol strimmer was stolen from a Ford Transit parked in Wheeler Street. Two vehicles parked in Blendon Road-


Somebody stole a security camera from outside the front door of a property in Brewer Street. The driver's side window of a Volkswa- gen Golf parked in Hartnup Street, Fant, was smashed.


Three parcels left by a courier on the doorstep of a house in Grove Road, Shep- way, were stolen . A bag and £460 in cash were stolen in Beech Hurst Close.


A black Carrera mountain bike was stolen from a bike store at the back of a block of flats in Sandow Place, Kings Hill. A fence trellis and a shed window were damaged at a house in Fartherwell Av- enue, West Malling.


• Consider investing in CCTV and sensors which alert you when someone walks near your vehicle or enters the driveway; • Use a steering wheel lock; • Lock all doors and close the windows whenever you leave the vehicle;


• Make sure you do not leave your car keys visible from the out- side of your home; • Park in a garage, secure car park or well-lit area if possible; • Consider having windows etched with the vehicle registra- tion number or use an invisible ink marker pen to mark these de- tails and your postcode on the un- derside frame of the vehicle; • Make a note of the chassis num- ber.


Crime reports


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