Sittingbourne

Kent County Council (KCC) have confirmed that they are planning to allocate £3 million to "temporarily" enlarge three secondary schools in Sittingbourne, to accomodate extra pupils, from next September (2022) and the following year.

KCC say they have identified the need for extra secondary places schools at Westlands, The Sittingbourne School and Fulston Manor because new housing developments are boosting the borough of Swale's population, saying there is a need for "swift action" as they forsee" a shortfall" of 176 spaces for Year 7 starters in September 2023.

Charges have been authorised against a man by officers investigating an incident involving a child in Sittingbourne.

Harry Morris, aged 24 and of Peregrine Drive, has been charged with child abduction and sexually assaulting a child under 13 years old.

Mr Morris was charged following an allegation that a man approached a girl in an alleyway off Rectory Road at around 8.15am on Wednesday 8th December.

After a short verbal exchange, the suspect is said to have briefly grabbed her before running from the area. The girl was uninjured.

Officers are appealing for information after a man was charged over a robbery and collision in Sittingbourne.

At around 4.50pm last Saturday (11th December), a man was reportedly robbed of his car in London Road before it was involved in a two-vehicle collision.

No serious injuries were reported in the first collision, following which another attempted robbery was reported of another car nearby.

John Brazil has since been charged with robbery, attempted robbery, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and dangerous driving in relation to the incident.

Councillors have approved plans to revitalise Sittingbourne town centre.

A supplementary planning document was discussed at last night’s virtual Local Plan Panel meeting on Wednesday (15th December) evening and was approved to move to the next step which is public consultation.

Following consultation, the document will then become part of the current local plan and will shape how the council considers new development proposals.

Images of a man who may have important information on an incident in Sittingbourne have been released by Kent Police.

Detectives are investigating an allegation a man approached a girl in an alleyway off Rectory Road at around 8.15am on Wednesday (8th December) evening.

Following a short verbal exchange, he is said to have briefly grabbed her before running from the area when he was challenged. The girl was uninjured.

A suspect has been arrested in connection with a reported a rape in Sittingbourne.

It is alleged that during the early hours of yesterday (Saturday 11th December), a woman was raped by a man she had earlier encountered on a night out. The offence is said to have happened in a woodland location between Harrier Drive and Osprey Court in the Fallowfield area.

At around 7:00pm last night (11th December) detectives arrested a 21-year-old man from Sittingbourne on suspicion of rape and he was taken into custody.

Families have been left in shock and anger after being told that the residential care home, where their vulnerable adult children lived in Sittingbourne, was being closed down.

Witnesses are being sought following a serious collision on the A249 Sheppey Way near Bobbing last night.

The incident, involving a white Ford Transit tipper truck and a black and red motorcycle, took place at 5.10pm (Tuesday 30th November).

Both vehicles were travelling towards Iwade at the time of the collision and the motorcyclist, who is in his late teens, sustained serious injuries. He was taken to a London hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

The police helicopter, drone and dog unit successfully assisted officers from the Rural Task Force to locate a man who reportedly made off from police in Sittingbourne.

Officers were patrolling Chestnut Street, Borden shortly before 5pm on Saturday (20th November) when they noticed a suspicious vehicle. As it came to a stop the officers got out and approached the van at which point it is said the suspect vehicle rammed the police car four times. The driver then made off on foot into a nearby woods.

CCTV images have been released as part of an investigation into an assault on a woman in Sittingbourne.

It is reported the victim was headbutted and shaken violently after she had met up with a previously unknown man, during the evening of Friday 1st October.

The assault is alleged to have taken place in Station Street after the pair had been to a cinema and went for a walk together.