Local News

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.

A machete wielding man who chased two people at two train stations in Swale has been jailed.

During the early evening of Monday 31st October 2022, Joe Tubb was seen brandishing the weapon at Sheerness Train Station while chasing the victim down the platform.

The victim was able to escape Tubb by boarding a train before the 22-year-old ran from the area.

At 11.17pm on the same evening, Tubb went to Sittingbourne Train Station where he was seen having an altercation with a second man.

Again he used the machete to threaten the victim before the man ran down the platform with Tubb chasing after him. The victim was able to get away from Tubb who then ran from the station.

Following the incident officers searched the area and Tubb, of Gillingham Road, Gillingham, was arrested a few hours later.

He was subsequently charged with two counts of affray and two counts of possession of a bladed article in a public place.

He appeared at Maidstone Crown Court last Thursday (15th June) where he was sentenced to three years in jail.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Daniel Bister of the Kent Crime Squad, told SFM News: "This was a frightening incident for Tubb’s victims. The first affray happened during rush hour when the station was busy with commuters and seeing a man with a machete would have alarmed a lot of people. The level of injury Tubb may have inflicted he if had caught up with these victims is unthinkable. His sentence is deserved, and I hope it leads to some justice for the victims."

The leader of Swale Borough Council and the chair of the council's Environment Committee have raised concerns about the potential borough-wide impact of the closure of the Faversham Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC).

Kent County Council have proposed three options for saving £1.5m from their HWRC’s and every one of those options includes the closure of Faversham HWRC. Two of the three options would also see Sheerness HWRC close for two days a week.

Cllr Tim Gibson, the Leader of Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: “I clearly understand the need for all local authorities to look at how to save money against a background of increasing costs and inadequate funding. But it is difficult, if not impossible, to make any informed judgement on the impact these proposals will have on our residents, given the lack of data available to us. At the moment there doesn’t seem to be much clarity on any options appraisals that have been carried out. This is of course a major concern to many of our residents who are looking for the rationale behind the proposals".

Cllr Gibson went on to add: “However, what is blindingly obvious is that there will be a significant impact on the air quality management areas (AQMA’s) along the A2 with increased journey rates for residents travelling from Faversham to Sittingbourne. At the other end of the borough residents from Leysdown will be travelling along the Lower Rd and A249 to deposit their waste in Sittingbourne, all against a backdrop of increasing heavy congestion on our road network.

"There are many questions that remain unanswered, what is the likely cumulative effect on the AQMAs? Will recycling tonnage rates fall? At a time when many residents are struggling with day to day living costs, are the extensive journeys to alternative HWRC going to be affordable? Will the proposed closures see the scourge that is fly tipping increase to even higher levels? And how will the potential hundreds of tons of additional carbon being emitted be offset?

“Kent is saying that 6,000 additional homes would now be more than 20 mins drive from their nearest HWRC, but this figure is based on optimum traffic conditions and round trips would likely be in excess of an hour for most users from Faversham if travelling at the weekend".

Cllr Rich Lehmann, Chair of the  Environment Committee, has conducted his own research into the proposals. He told SFM News: “The proposed Faversham closure would mean more than 11,000 households losing their nearest tip. There would be an extra 10,500 miles of traffic a week – more than half a million extra miles a year. This would be costing people in Faversham at least £150,000 a year in fuel. The proposed closures could generate around 600 additional cars in and out of Sittingbourne each week, primarily at weekends and of course tens of thousands of journeys through the AQMA’s on the A2 Ospringe and Teynham where air quality is already a concern. An estimated 123 tons of carbon will be generated assuming an average engine size of 1.6L and the road network being free from traffic. These proposals must be revisited, and transparent data provided.”

Kent County Council are due to open a Public Consultation to the proposals next month (Jult 2023) and we will bring you the latest developments here on YOUR local - 106.9 SFM.

A dispersal order is in place to tackle anti-social behaviour in Swale for the second weekend running.

It started at 6pm yesterday (Thursday 1st June) and will remain in place until 6pm on Sunday (4th June) and will again cover Sittingbourne Retail Park as well as the High Street areas. The order has been implemented again to ensure a swift response to any reports of anti-social behaviour.

Inspector Vanessa Foster, from Swale’s Community Safety Unit, told SFM News: "Residents and business owners continue to raise concerns about nuisance behaviour in the area, including the reckless use of bikes and e-scooters. We are determined to respond to these concerns and Sittingbourne will see additional patrols this weekend. The dispersal order gives our officers additional powers to move on anyone causing a nuisance and, if necessary, arrest those who return to the area once dispersed. Anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and those responsible will be held to account."

The police say if anybody wishes to report instances of anti-social behaviour they should report it online via the Kent Police website or, if a crime is in progress, they should immediately call 999.