News Barber shop in
‘knife attack’ THREE people have been ar- rested following an assault at a Maidstone barbers. Police were called to the shop in
Week Street at around 9.45am on June 30. A man in the shop is said to have suffered a cut to his hand after he was attacked by a man and two teenage boys.
It is alleged one of the suspects had a knife and that they left the scene on hire bicycles. Three bikes and a knife were later recovered near Brenchley Gardens. Police have appealed for help.
Church date BROOMFIELD'S St Margaret's
Church will hold a Patronal Festi- val and Well Blessing on July 11 at 3.30pm. The service will be fol- lowed by a cream tea.
Hall meeting THE annual general meeting of
the Leeds and Broomfield Memo- rial Hall will be held on July 20 at 8pm. All are welcome but may be subject to COVID-19 restrictions.
downsmail.co.uk
Food crisis fears in shortage of drivers
MIRRORING the national trend of a shortage of HGV drivers, local hauliers say they are experi- encing severe difficulties deliver- ing to customers.
This shortage of truckers is now critical, according to the Federation of Wholesale Distribution (FWD), threatening food supplies. The shortage of drivers is blamed partly on Brexit and partly on the pandemic. Since January 1, EU citizens are included in an immigration system for the UK which gives priority to high-skilled roles. HGV drivers are not eligible for the scheme. Ashford-based food delivery ser- vice Brakes said: “We’re facing an unprecedented lack of driving ca- pacity resulting from EU citizens who left the UK during the pan- demic, coupled with the huge surge in demand since hospitality re-opened. This has placed im-
other haulage contractor. There just aren’t enough drivers.” The Road Haulage Association
(RHA) said there were 60,000 drivers from the EU working in the UK pre-Brexit. RHA added 30,000 HGV driving tests were lost last year because of COVID-19, adding to the skills’ shortage.
mense pressure on all parts of the food supply chain.”
Maz Michaelas, manager of The Square Fish restaurant, Lenham, said: “It’s my biggest worry right now. I’ve been using Brakes cater- ing suppliers for 26 years, but they can’t guarantee delivery now.” A spokesman from Lenham
Storage, with a 260-truck fleet, said: “We are no different from any
Logistics UK, formerly the Freight Transport Association, has said almost 30% of its member firms were looking for drivers. The retail and fast food sectors
have not issued such dire warnings yet, but some have reported gaps in supplies.
The Department for Environ- ment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is considering relaxing re- strictions on drivers’ working hours and increasing capacity for HGV driving tests and training to help bring in new drivers.
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