Local News

New CCTV images have been released by local officers investigating an assault in Sittingbourne.

The incident happened at around 1.25am on Saturday 24th June inside Lang’s Bar and Cocktail Lounge in St Michael’s Road.

While inside the bar, the victim was reported to have been assaulted after a man, not known to him, hit him over the head with a glass.

The offender then continued to assault the victim by pushing him to the floor where he was punched and kicked. The incident resulted in the victim sustaining deep lacerations to his face. 

During the incident a woman also assaulted the victim by kicking him while he was on the floor.

Officers have previously issued CCTV images of a man they would like to talk to, and are now in a position to issue further images of the same person.

A CCTV image of a woman is also being released.

Anyone who recognises the man or woman in the CCTV should call 01795 419 119 quoting reference 46/111751/23 or, alternatively they can call Kent Crimestoppers, FREE and anonimously, on 0800 555 111.

Swale Borough Council is making grants of up to £5,000 available to support activities to improve local town centres.

The council has set up the Town Centre Action Grant (TAG) scheme to help boost the borough’s principal towns of Faversham, Sittingbourne and Sheerness, as well as the smaller historic centres of Milton Regis and Queenborough.

The council wants interested groups to come together to develop co-ordinated action plans and projects for the towns, with grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to schemes that focus on:

• local arts, cultural, heritage and creative events and activities in and around the town centres that create interest and promote footfall and usage
• promotional campaigns to encourage visits and people to explore the town centres, increasing interest and footfall
• projects that enhance the existing cultural, historic & heritage offer, helping re-enforce a sense of place and encourage visitors.

The deadline for applications to the first round of funding will be Wednesday 26 July 2023.

Cllr Monique Bonney, chair of the council’s regeneration and property committee, told SFM News: “We want to help support our town centres by providing groups with financial support for new plans for projects. The grant has been set up to help kickstart new projects that will improve footfall and increase visitor numbers. We’re hoping to receive applications from a range of different stakeholders in town centres who have new ideas that will directly benefit the area for local people, businesses and visitors.”

To find out more about the scheme, and to apply for a grant, visit www.swale.gov.uk/tag.

The Town Centre Action Grants scheme has received funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Swale Borough Council and the LTA have today (Monday 3rd July) announced a partnership to invest in and refurbish public park tennis courts in Swale.

In total, park tennis courts at Milton Recreation Ground and Kind George’s Playing Fields in Sittingbourne, will be renovated, with additional investment of £124,578.54 helping provide quality facilities for the local community. 

The project is part of a nationwide investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain and open the sport up to many more people.

The LTA say: "park tennis courts are vital in giving children and adults the opportunity to get active and benefit their physical and mental health. Accessible facilities in parks are particularly important to opening the sport up to a wider range of people. This investment will see thousands of existing park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of communities across the country through renovation works, and improved court accessibility with new gate-access technology and booking systems".

In addition to investment of £124,578.54 from the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, £32,413 will also be invested by Swale Borough Council.

Swale Borough Council and local tennis providers will also work with the LTA to deliver a range of activity across the park sites.

This will include weekly organised free park tennis sessions for all ages, playing levels and experience where equipment is provided, meaning that people will not need someone to play with or their own racket. Local Tennis Leagues will also provide friendly, sociable, opportunities to get active through local competition. 

All courts and sessions at all sites will be available to book online via the LTA website making it far easier to find and book a court or activity. 

Work on sites is expected to start this summer and be completed by early autumn 2023.

Cllr Richard Palmer, chair of the community committee at Swale Council, told SFM News: “The refurbishment of Milton Rec and King George’s tennis courts offers a great opportunity for local people of all ages to get out to have some healthy fun. The weekly free sessions will give more people the chance to try the sport and meet new people without having to worry about the cost of equipment. This investment in local sports facilities is very much welcomed, and I’m looking forward to seeing the courts being enjoyed for years to come.”

Julie Porter, chief operating officer at the LTA, told SFM News: “We are delighted to be working with Swale Borough Council to improve their park tennis facilities and provide more opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and get active. This investment is part of the UK Government and LTA’s Parks Tennis Project and will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come. We will also be working closely with Swale Borough Council to ensure that the local community have a range of accessible opportunities to get on court and open up our sport to many more people.”

Dog owners are being reminded of their responsibilities by Kent Police following recent dog-related incidents in the county and a predicted rise with the summer months upon us.

It is against the law to allow your dog to be dangerously out of control. This includes the dog injuring someone, or just making someone worried that they might be injured and where the handler has no control of the dog. The owner is also liable for the same offence even if not present.

Historically, Kent Police see the highest number of reported incidents between May and August. In 2022 there were 98 reported in July, with just 44 in February the same year.

May 2023 saw 124 reported incidents including dog bites and dog-on-dog attacks, with 44 so far in June (up until 12 June).

Inspector Ian Warner told SFM News: "Whilst the majority of people are responsible there is still a small minority who are not. Preventing anti-social behaviour and ensuring everyone remains safe is part of the force’s Safer Summer initiative. Earlier this month officers received a report that a dog had injured a child while in the owner’s garden in Charing. And another report was received that a dog was attacking other dogs in Margate. The dog was seized, two dogs were injured with one found deceased. Two people were also injured during the incident. Both of these incidents are being investigated and we will carry out a full and thorough investigation. They also serve as a timely reminder that dogs can be unpredictable when confronted with unexpected situations and incidents can lead to the harming of livestock too".

‘Under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act a person in charge of a dog, and/or the owner, commits an offence if the victim fears that the dog’s actions will lead to them being injured, whether or not they actually are injured.Insp Warner went on to add: "This can be from a dog running up to a person, jumping up at them and causing fear or doing the same thing but then also causing an injury. It’s also important to ensure children in the home are safeguarded. As we have seen dogs can be unpredictable so should be closely supervised around children. We want everyone to ensure they take responsibility for their actions.’

You can find more information about dogs, and what constitutes a dangerous dog by visiting Controlling your dog in public: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

More information about how to keep children safe around dogs can be found here Dogs and Children | Top tips to keep them safe and happy together (capt.org.uk)

Here's some further advice from Kent Police:

·       Owning a dog is a big responsibility and people have a duty to both their dog and the public to keep their pet under control at all times.
·       Ensure your gardens are safe and your dog cannot easily escape, and manage your dog when someone calls at your home.
·       If you know your dog reacts to the doorbell then ensure steps are taken to keep your dog away from the front door, particularly when deliveries are being made to avoid injury.
·       If you know your dog is particularly jumpy, anxious or has a tendency to bite, keep it on a lead when you take it out and consider using a muzzle.