Local News

Firefighters helped to release a man who was trapped in a van following a crash involving a car and two vans on the coast-bound carriageway of the M2 earlier today.

The collision happened just before Junction 5 for the A249 and Sittingbourne at around 9:15am.

Crews used hydraulic rescue equipment to free the man, who was then passed into the care of the South East Coast Ambulance Service.

This collision followed the incident on the A249 overnight, which was shut northbound between the A2 Key Street Roundabout and the B2005 Grovehurst Road for most of the morning. Kent  Police were carrying out investigation work on the collision between a car and van, which happanned at around 11.50pm last night.

It's believed that a man and two women were rushed to hospital with serious injuries and that a man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drink driving following the incident.

The newly realigned A2 St Michael's Road, on to Milton Road, has re-opened in the centre of Sittingbourne.

Spirit Of Sittingbourne, the regeneration consortium, told SFM News that this "should improve traffic flow throughout the town centre. The remaining works on Dover Street will continue but are due to be completed next week. We can now begin construction of the leisure quarter, which will bring a host of high-quality leisure facilities to Sittingbourne, as part of the wider regeneration of the town".

For nmore information please visit: www.spiritofsittingbourne.com.

Local MP, Gordon Henderson is joining over 500 other MPs to plant four trees as part of the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, a network of forest conservation initiatives to mark Her Majesty's lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.

He is now looking for suggestions on where to plant the trees; two in Sittingbourne and two in Sheppey.

The trees, two silver birch and two rowan, donated in partnership with the Woodland Trust, Sainsbury's and ITV, will be planted during a tree planting ceremony between 22nd October and 9th November.

Mr Henderson told SFM News "I am open to suggestions on where the trees could be planted. Locations could include within school grounds, where community groups are based or in open spaces, such as a park. I want the trees to be well looked after and enjoyed by the public".

To provide your suggestions please email: gordon.henderson.mp@parliament.uk with ‘Trees' in the subject line or write to Gordon Henderson MP at: Constituency Office, Top Floor, Unit 10 Periwinkle Court, Church Street, Milton Regis, Sittingbourne ME10 2JZ by Friday 19th October.

A robber has been jailed for four years after admitting to stealing from a man in Sittingbourne.

Rolandas Viezauskis, 42, of no fixed address, was sentenced on Friday 5th October at Maidstone Crown Court after pleading guilty to one count of robbery.

The judge heard how at around 10.00pm on Friday 27th July the victim was walking home from Sittingbourne Railway Station and had entered Dover Street where he saw three men standing together.

As he got closer to the group one of the men started to walk towards him and the victim was hit on the right hand side of his head causing him to fall over. He was punched on his head numerous times while on the floor.

The man started shouting at him and demanding his wallet however when the victim put his hand in his pocket he realised his shorts had been ripped and the wallet and his house keys were not there.

The victim told the men they already had his belongings and the three men then walked away leaving the victim alone.

After the incident the victim called Kent Police. On the following day (Saturday 28th August) his wallet was found nearby inside a bin and was handed into Sittingbourne police station.

Inside the wallet was the victim's bank cards, however cash inside the wallet was missing and the house keys were also not found.

As part of the investigation officers sent the victim's shorts off to be examined for any DNA, and Viezauskis' DNA was found on the shorts.

He was arrested on Thursday 6th September 2018 charged by police the same day.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Robert Feasey told SFM News: "This was a nasty and unprovoked attack on a man making his way home and there is no place in society for this type of crime. I'm pleased we were able to identify Viezauskis as being at the scene and I hope his four year jail sentence serves as a deterrent to others not to commit crime".