Ashford

The GMB union has confirmed to SFM News that is has "begun the process of asking its members who are employed by Suez in Swale and Ashford whether or not to take industrial action".

The ballot is due to a pay disparoty between staff in both Swale and Ashford over Maidstone. Loaders in Swale and Ashford receive £12 per hour and Drivers £15 whilst in Maidstone it's £13 and £17 per hour respectively,

Members are being balloted between now and Monday 19th August. 

Four people have been charged following a report of an aggravated burglary in Ashford.

Kent Police were called at 11.42pm on Friday (21st July) following the incident at a property in Laurens Van Der Post Way in the town.

Officers attended and a vehicle was stopped by an armed response unit at around 12.23am in Swanstree Avenue here in Sittingbourne in relation to the offence.

A Sittingbourne driver has been jailed after a teenage girl who was a passenger in his car died following a collision near Ashford.

Fahren Smith was behind the wheel of a Suzuki Swift which had five passengers inside when it left Mundy Bois Road, Egerton and collided with a tree on the evening of Saturday 4th July 2020.

Millie Greenway, 17, suffered serious injuries in the collision and died in an ambulance on the way to hospital. The car's four other passengers all sustained serious injuries and continue to receive ongoing treatment.

Three bowlers from MS Swale (the independent local charity, offering support to anyone in Swale with Multiple Sclerosis and those affected by someone with MS) have formed a team and entered the South East Region leg of the Disability Bowls England Inter-Club Triples competition which was held at Ashford Indoor Bowls Centre on Saturday (7th March).