Local News

Detectives investigating drug supply in Swale have arrested and charged five people following the search of the disused Merlins nightclub on the Isle Of Sheppey.

Officers attended the building on Leysdown Road in Leysdown on Friday (10th September) afternoon, where they found four separate rooms containing a total of more than 3,000 cannabis plants.

Five men were arrested at the scene and have all been remanded in custody ahead of their appearance at Medway Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Monday 13th September).

They are Thomas Dunne, aged 69, and his son Tommy Dunne, 22, of Leysdown Road, both of whom have been charged with cultivating cannabis and abstraction of electricity, and Indrit Gaxhenji, 34, Oligert Alija, 19, and Arditi Hoxha, 18, all of no fixed address and who have also been charged with cultivating cannabis.

It is understood that parts of Leydown were without electricity for a large part of Friday evening whilst UK Power Networks dealt with disconnecting supply to the cultivation.

An assault, which happened in front of terrified families at a caravan park in Eastchurch last summer, has led to four men being handed jail terms.

Jason Taylor Snr, Oliver Taylor, Carl Allam and Jason Taylor Jnr were all jailed for the violent incident which resulted in the victim being punched and knocked unconscious before the group fled.

The victim was attacked during the day at a caravan park in Warden Road on Wednesday 16th June 2020 by Jason Taylor Jnr, aged 26 and of Mountview in Borden.

The incident happened after an argument broke out outside one of the caravans. Following this the group attended the front counter at the caravan park where Taylor Jnr started to attack a man in his 60s while holding a machete.

During the disturbance Allam, 31, of Coldharbour Lane, Kemsley, used a large Katana bladed knife to scare off the victim’s family and members of the public by waving the knife at them.

Oliver Taylor, 25, of Canterbury Road, Sittingbourne, then used a baseball bat where he inflicted further head injuries to the victim.

The three Taylors (pictured) then surrounded the victim where he was punched in the face knocking him unconscious. They then fled the scene leaving the victim on the floor and continued to shout at other people in the park on their way out.

After the incident, the man was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries and has since recovered.

Following an investigation all four men were arrested and later charged with one count each of violent disorder. They each admitted the charges and were jailed on Tuesday (31st August) at Maidstone Crown Court.

Jason Taylor Jnr was jailed for two years and seven months while his father, 50, of Mountview, Borden, was handed a two year and six-month sentence. Carl Allam and Oliver Taylor were both sentenced to two years and five months in jail. 

Detective Sergeant Shaun Vidgeon of Swale’s Criminal Investigation Department told SFM News: "This was a frightening incident which happened in broad daylight in front of many terrified people including children. The victim was subjected to a prolonged and vicious assault, which resulted in a complex and time-consuming investigation in order identify those responsible, and I’m pleased that a jail term has been imposed on all of those involved."

The Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) were at the scene of a haystack fire on Quinton Road earlier today (Thursday 26th August).

They were called to the scene just after 11:00am and one fire engine was in attendance, with crews using drag rakes and a hose reel jet to prevent further fire spread.

No casualties were reported. 
 
Firefighters asked those living or working in the Quinton Road and Sonora Way areas to keep all windows and doors closed as a precaution due to the smoke but this was lifted at 2.20pm when the fire was finally extinguished.

The supervisor of two PCSOs who came to the rescue of a man who had suffered a medical incident in Upchurch has commended the officers for their quick thinking.

PCSOs Lee Fennell and John Cork were on patrol in Upchurch on the evening of Monday 2nd August when a member of the public flagged them down to report a man had fallen from his bike.

On arrival, they located the cyclist lying on the pavement and drifting in and out of consciousness. The pair established he was a diabetic and did not have any insulin on him.

Concerned he may be slipping into a diabetic coma, PCSO Fennell rushed to a nearby store and got a chocolate bar and orange juice while PCSO Cork stayed with him. As they were assisting the man a member of the public stopped at the scene and told the officers he was a doctor and began triage.

With the assistance of the sugary snacks, the man’s condition improved and attending medical crews confirmed the cyclists blood sugar was very low but the chocolate and orange juice had helped with his recovery.

Sergeant Ryan Chase told SFM News: "This is a good example of members of the community working with our officers to assist someone in need. I would like to commend PCSOs Fennell and Cork for their actions, as well as the member of the public who flagged them down and the doctor who stopped the moment he saw someone who needed help. Their actions potentially saved a life. Thankfully the man concerned was returned home by the ambulance crew and made a full recovery."