Local News

Picture: Richard Palmer

Kent Police have had to closed the A2 at Newington due to a 'major' gas leak.

The road closure comes just a day after residents received a letter saying that months of roadworks along that stretch of road were finally finished and that the area would be 'getting back to normal'.

London Road is currently CLOSED between Playstool Road and Bull Lane, causing lengthy tailbacks on to Keycol Hill (coming from Sittingbourne) and back to Hartlip (coming from the Medway towns). 

Cllr Richard Palmer, who represents Harlip, Newington and Upchurch on Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: "This is really frustrating and causing chaos around the village in the country lanes. SGN Engineers had been working on this stretch of road with a contraflow for weeks and were hoping to complete on Sunday 21st June, ten weeks ahead of schedule. It is obviously an emergency and unplanned as police are manning the barriers."

SGN engineers, wearing masks, are still on the scene. The recent works were supposed to be the final part of the massive £1.8 million scheme to renew nearly 3 miles of aging gas main pipes, with contractors  even working throughout the recent coronavirus lockdown to keep the project on time.

Sittingbourne FC and Borden Village FC have announced a formal link between the two clubs going forward.

The two club committees say they have been discussing the tie up for sometime and following changes at Borden Village felt that the time was now right to join forces. The tie up has begun with Sittingbourne FC helping Borden finalise a strong management team that will now include names familiar to stalwart Brickies fans.

The Borden committee released this statement to SFM News: "We at Borden are excited to bring in our new manager Kevin Brown". Kevin, 45, brings a wealth of experience to Borden, having played for Sittingbourne, Tonbridge Angels, Gravesend, Worthing, Sheppey Utd, Greenwich Boro and Tunbridge Wells over a 25 year non league playing career. He moved in to coaching after retiring, at Ashford u23, but is now looking to make the step up In to management.

Joining him as no 2 /coach will be Simon Beard . Simon himself had a distinguished non league playing career starting at West Ham Utd as an apprentice before playing top level non league with Sittingbourne, Dover, and Hastings Utd .Simon is also a UEFA B licence coach and is academy coach at Rondos.

The Borden Commitee went on to say: "These are exciting times for the club which will include a link up with Sittingbourne FC which will benefit both clubs." There was already a link between the two clubs through committee members of both clubs, Roger Pudner (who is also the groundsman for both clubs), and Ian Jackson.

Sittingbourne manager Darren Blackburn will have an overseeing role over teams of both clubs and for Sittingbourne the interchange of players that this link up makes possible will prove invaluable. These are exciting times for Sittingbourne Football coming out of the country's COVID-19 Lockdown.

Local bus company Arriva Kent have announced that they will be running more services from next Monday (1st June) - but passengers will be advised to wear face masks when social distancing isn't possible.

Other new measures will see a sign stating 'bus full' being displayed when the vehicle has reached its capacity and when this sign is showing, the bus will not stop to pick up any new passengers - it will only stop to let people off. If the bus does stop, only one new passenger will board for every passenger that disembarks from the service. On the bus itself any seats that are within two metres of the driver will be taped off, but wheelchair spaces will remain available and passengers will NOT be allowed to stand on their journeys.

Oliver Monahan, Area Managing Director at Arriva Kent, told SFM News: “We are committed to running vital services to support workers and people needing to undertake essential journeys at this time. Passengers can rest assured that during these times of change we are continually monitoring service levels in line with demand and will, wherever we can, adapt our services to meet this. We urge all those needing to travel to only use public transport if necessary and to check our website at www.arrivabus.co.uk/coronavirus for up-to-date advice and bus times before they travel.”

Revised timetables can be viewed and downloaded here, or by using the Arriva UK Bus App - available from the Apple Apps Store and Google Play.

A robber, who stole a handbag from an elderly woman while she walked to a Sittingbourne shop, has been jailed.

Craig Creasey initially engaged in conversation with the victim, who is in her 80s, before snatching her bag with such force she fell to the ground.

The 39-year-old, from Sittingbourne, admitted robbery and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 13th May) to 16 months imprisonment.

The offence took place outside a shop in St John's Avenue at around 9:00am on Tuesday 14th April and was clearly captured on a security camera with the footage showing Creasey driving to the scene in a car before speaking to the woman outside the shop. The footage showed a short conversation taking place before the offender snatched her bag and ran towards his vehicle while she was left laying on the floor, having sustained bruising to her arm and soreness to her shoulder.

Creasey then drove away from the scene but, shortly after the offence took place, the CCTV footage was uploaded to social media and within minutes Creasey's name had been reported several times to Kent Police. Patrols acted promptly and arrested Creasey later that day and he has remanded in custody ever since. Officers were also able to reunite the victim with her bag, which contained several photographs that are of sentimental value.

The investigating officer, Detective Constable Nicola Lincoln, told SFM News: "This crime was carried out during lockdown, when most people are looking out for their vulnerable friends, family members and neighbours. Creasey saw his victim outside the shop and took advantage of the situation, pulling her to the ground, injuring her and stealing her bag. Though shaken and physically hurt, she has shown great bravery in assisting us with our case and should be commended. Though this was an awful experience for her, it brought out the best in the community, who rallied round and were keen to wish her well, send cards and flowers and even donate money to the NHS as per her wishes. A true reflection of the largely good, kind people in the community as opposed to the abhorrent actions of one person".