Sittingbourne

The new academic year hasn't got off to a great start for five Sittingbourne Schools in regards to the current COVID-19 Coronavurus pandemic.

Firstly, yesterday (Monday 7th September) a group of pupils and teachers were told to self-isolate after a Year 6 child tested positive for COVID-19 at St Peter's Catholic Primary School in West Ridge, after staff were informed of the case by PHE (Public Health England). Also on Monday two children at South Avenue Primary School's in Year 1 and 5 bubbles tested positive for COVID-19.

Swale Community Leisure (SCL) has received a funding boost from Swale Borough Council to help it continue to deliver essential health and fitness services for residents.

SCL is the charitable trust that operates Swallows Leisure Centre in Sittingbourne and Sheppey Leisure Complex in Sheerness on behalf of the council and the £50,000 of funding from the council is in addition to the council’s significant investment of up to £800,000 to pay for repairs to the roof at Swallows, which was damaged in Storm Ciara earlier in the year.

An abusive boyfriend from Sittingbourne who lied that he had terminal cancer in order to control and manipulate his partner has been sentenced to prison.

Kevin Bevis subjected a woman to a three-year campaign of abuse, intimidation and violence which also included him choking his victim. Bevis was in a relationship with the woman between October 2016 and December 2019, during which time he imposed a number of rules within her own home, including restrictions over when she could see her own daughter.

A dangerous driver, who severely injured another motorist, has been jailed.

Hughie Coyle, 22, of Springhouse Road, Stanford-le-Hope in Essex, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday (31st July) to three years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one count of driving while disqualified.

He was charged after being arrested on Saturday 18th May 2019 following a collision near a service station on the London-bound carriageway of the M2 between junction 5 and junction 4.

Stock Picture

Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called earlier today (Monday 3rd August) to field of corn stubble and straw alight off of Bottom Pond Road, Wormshill, just outside Sittingbourne.

Three fire engines were sent to the scene and crews used hose reel jets, beaters and water from portable tanks (called flexi packs) to put the fire out.

There were no reported casualties and the cause is not yet known. 

Information is being sought following a fatal collision on the M2 near Sittingbourne overnight.

The incident, which involved two cars, took place on the Londonbound carriageway, close to the junction 5 exit, at around 12.50am in the earky hours of this morning (Monday 3rd August) and involved a blue Toyota Yaris and a black BMW 320D. The sole occupant of the Toyota, a 34-year-old man from Rochester, died at the scene.

A 26-year-old man, from Chatham, was also arrested for causing death by dangerous driving and he remains in custody as enquiries continue.

Four men have been charged following a disturbance in Sittingbourne over the weekend.

Kent Police were called to a report a large group of men had become involved in an altercation in West Street at around 11.35pm on Friday (17th July) evening.

A motorcyclist who fatally injured a teenager has been jailed for five years and three months.

Robert Varrier, 29, of Limehouse Court, Sittingbourne, dangerously drove an off-road motorcycle on a residential street on Thursday 16th April before he colliding with a 17-year-old boy.

The teenager was attending a funeral and walking along Tonge Road, Sittingbourne, when he was hit by the vehicle at around 10.42am. He sustained serious head injuries and was flown to a London hospital where he died 3 days later on 19th April.

Two people have been arrested and more than £30,000 in cash has been seized following the search of a number of properties in Spade Lane in Hartlip.

Kent Police detectives, investigating the theft of vehicles across the county, carried out the pre-planned searched warrants on Tuesday (7th July) morning at around 7:00am.

Officers seized the cash and arrested two men aged 42 and 46 on suspicion of conspiracy to steal. They both remain in police custody whilst enquiries continue.

A suspected stolen motorhome and van were also seized by police.