News


downsmail.co.uk Wests’ son inquest delayed


MYSTERY surrounds why an inquest into the death of Fred and Rose West’s son Barry has not been held more than two months after his death.


Barry West (40) died at a hostel in Maidstone in August, but news of his death did not emerge until a Sunday newspaper revealed it on November 1. The youngest West son was found dead at The Beeches in St Andrew’s Road, Barming, on August 28. An inquest into his death is re- portedly due to be held in the new year, but there is no listing by the coroner for the hearing. Mr West, who lived at the now notorious


25 Cromwell Street,


Gloucester, as a child, had fought a lengthy battle with drug addiction, psychiatric problems and suffered damage as a result of his childhood. Local news reports he may have committed suicide by a heroin over- dose have not been substantiated and will be for the inquest to deter- mine. Author Howard Sounes, who


wrote the definitive account of the Wests’ murders, knew Barry well, describing him as “tormented”. Mr Sounes (55), a former Daily


Lockdown hits


Park & Ride MAIDSTONE Park & Ride services have been temporarily suspended until further notice.


The national lockdown restric-


tions meant services were forced to stop from Monday, November 9. An Arriva Kent and Medway spokesman said: “Following the announcement to introduce new national lockdown restrictions, Maidstone Park & Ride will be temporarily suspended from Mon- day, November 9 until further no- tice.


“The London Road and Willing-


ton Street car parks will be closed during this time.” Customers with valid Park &


Ride tickets can use them on Arriva bus services into and out of Maid- stone town centre.


Tory hopeful


CONSERVATIVE Shellina Pren- dergast will be the candidate to fight the Maidstone rural east seat on Kent County Council in May. The sitting member beat chal- lenger, borough councillor Patrik Garten, at a virtual meeting of local members on November 11.


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and has lived under a new identity all his adult life.


Mr Sounes, whose late father


lived in Bearsted, wrote Fred & Rose, the gold-standard book of the nightmarish world that Cromwell Street became for the Wests’ victims. It has sold hundreds of thousands of copies.


He achieved unprecedented ac- cess to key players in the Wests’ story, including meetings with Barry over the years.


Author Howard Sounes, and right, his book about Fred and Rose West


and Sunday Mirror reporter, said: “I am curious to know why there has- n’t been an inquest to ascertain the cause of Barry’s tragic demise. “I got to know him quite well over


the years - he was a troubled, dam- aged and complicated man. “The whole horrific saga of what


the Wests did is scattered with tragic stories, and poor old Barry had a very difficult life. It’s a tragedy that was not entirely unexpected. He had so many issues and he was very unhappy – tormented, even.” Barry was taken into care before the murder investigation started,


£12.5m price on Hilton


A HOTEL in Maidstone has been put up for sale with a £12.5 million asking price. The Hilton hotel, based in


Bearsted Road, is being marketed by property adviser Knight Frank. The 146-bed hotel currently


has eight meeting rooms, a bar, restaurant, health club, swimming pool and 200 parking spaces. It is described as a “purpose-


built hotel in a prominent loca- tion just off a major motorway in close proximity to a significant county town centre”. The popular wedding venue


provided a turnover of approxi- mately £5,410,000 in 2019. Hotels is allowed to stay open


during the second national lock- down, but only for guests who have to travel for work purposes. Henry Jackson, Head of Hotel


Agency at Knight Frank, said: “There is an exciting opportunity next year to reposition and re- brand the property upon the ex- piry of the lease with Hilton. “A number of brands have ex-


pressed an interest in the brand- ing opportunity upon the expiry of the occupational lease, cur- rently in place to Hilton Group PLC which is set to expire on 31st December 2021. “Given that there is a large site


area and surplus parking there are also asset management op- portunities to better utilise this space for income generation pur- poses. “Year end 2019 saw the hotel


provide a turnover of approxi- mately £5,410,000 and payment of rent is guaranteed by Hilton Group PLC for the remainder of the lease.”


Crews tackle shed blaze


FIREFIGHTERS tackled an accidental shed fire in Aylesford. Two fire engines were sent to the incident in Robson Drive at around 12.30pm on November 12 .


Kent Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the garden shed was


well alight on arrival. Fire crews used a main jet and a hose reel jet to extinguish the flames. No casualties were reported.


Mr Sounes recently produced a documentary about the Wests, pre- sented by Trevor McDonald. Fred West committed suicide in


1995, awaiting trial for the killings, while wife Rose was convicted of 10 of the 12 killings. The Beeches is run by Choice Sup- port, which owns hostels for people with drug and psychiatric issues. Contrary to reports which described it as a “local charity”, it is, in fact, a large organisation with an annual budget of £66m.


Theft charges A WOMAN has been charged


with 15 counts of theft after a sus- pected crime spree across Kent. Lucretia Stanescu (29) allegedly


stole a phone from a kitchen show- room in Maidstone on Wednesday, October 14.


Ms Stanescu appeared before


Medway Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, November 4, and was remanded in custody to appear at Canterbury Crown Court on Mon- day, December 7. A 26-year-old man and a 21-


year-old woman, both from the Dagenham area, who were also ar- rested as part of the investigation have been bailed until Tuesday, November 24.


Planning focus


REGENERATION is planned for Maidstone’s most deprived areas – Park Wood, High Street, Shepway North and Shepway South. All fall in the country’s top 20%


disadvantaged areas. The council says development in or adjoining these locations will look to close the gap between them and other parts of Maidstone by fo- cusing on improving accessibility to health, education and training opportunities and job creation.


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