This morning Rescue Crew discovered that the newly refurbished Inshore Rescue Boat engine had been stolen. The Mariner engine was purchased second hand last year and completely refurbed by our engineer at some considerable cost. it was off the boat for a maintenance job before the new season started.

Steve Thompson - Folkestone Rescue Boat spokesman said

“Folkstone rescue struggles to raise enough money for its training and day to day operational costs and this will be an additional expense we can just not afford, we have some great people who have put a large amount of time effort and money into getting this service afloat and for somebody to steal from us is very hard to take.”

Rescue Boat supporters were shocked when the news broke - one friend said:

“Some people will stop at nothing. Surely they must know that they would be putting peoples lives at risk by stealing something like that? I hope they get caught.”

As soon as the theft was discovered the Police were called to the scene and investigations have already started.

Resurface Driveway Cold Calling: A resident in the Otford Area was cold called yesterday by a man in a white transit van looking for the (previous) elderly resident who had moved out. He gave out a flyer anyway, with “Special Offers for a limited time”. He offered to resurface the driveway. The resident found his behaviour suspicious.

The resident said no, and later tried the phone number on the card which wasn’t answered. He contacted the KCC Community Warden who alerted Trading Standards.

Spike Booster: Kent Trading Standards have received a complaint from a Kent resident who received a telephone call from a man trying to sell her a ’spike booster’ for a one off payment of £99. The spike booster was said to reduce electricity bills by 40%. The resident was asked for her bank details which she refused to give, although she felt intimidated by the ‘hard sell’ tactics of the person on the phone. She asked where they had got her details from and she was told it was from her electricity supplier, but she does not believe this to be true.

Kent Trading Standards recommends that family members and neighbours check with elderly or vulnerable members of the community to ensure they do not provide their bank details over the telephone to businesses calling them. If you are unsure about a business contacting you obtain their details and contact them back at a later date, when you have had a chance to research them and check them out.

Businesses are permitted to make sales telephone calls to consumers in their home, though the number of calls from companies offering to sell goods and services can be reduced by registering your telephone number with the Telephone Preference Service, which is free. Registration may be completed online at www.tpsonline.org.uk or by telephoning the Telephone Preference Service on 0845 070 0707.

If you would like shopping advice, or if you have had a caller at your door or on your telephone who you are concerned about please contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06. Further consumer guidance notes on scams, unwanted telephone calls and consumer rights are available online at www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/kent/consumer.

Kent Trading Standards operate an approved good trader scheme called Buy With Confidence. To find an approved trader please call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or look online at www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk

Kent Trading Standards advise consumers to be wary when dealing with people turning up at their door offering to do work. We advise you to use tradesmen that have been recommended to you by friends, family and neighbours. You can also find traders via the Buy With Confidence good trader scheme, run by Trading Standards. Our Officers vet businesses on the scheme for trustworthiness and to make sure they comply with consumer protection laws.

If you have a caller at your door who you are concerned about please notify Trading Standards via Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or the police. To find out more about Buy With Confidence please also contact Consumer Direct.

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A painting depicting David Beckham being crucified was at the centre of a police investigation today. Officers visited the Johnny Cotter Gallery in Folkestone, Kent, to interview the artist behind the image entitled Listen to me and not to them. In it, Beckham, wearing a red long-sleeve England football shirt and a loin cloth, appears bleeding and nailed to the Cross by his hands and feet.

The footballer is seen wearing a crown of thorns and has the current Fifa World Cup trophy at his feet, next to what appears to be the old Jules Rimet trophy. Artist Mr Cotter who created the work said two police officers visited him and told him there had been a complaint that it was causing offence. He agreed to take it down but was last night contacting police again to see under what law they acted. He said: ‘This is not an anti-Christian painting. The point of it is to question who we worship in the 21st century. Is it God or is it people like David Beckham or reality TV stars who get paid millions and are looked up to. I chose Beckham because he is a modern day icon and known the world over. I am commenting on the cult of modern day celebrity. Who do we really worship in the 21st Century? In fact the local vicar told me I have done more to open up debate in Folkestone on religion than anyone else for 30 years.

I have had complaints but they are outnumbered by the people who have admired it.’ The painting has been on show since November. He said Boy George had been in touch to see if he could acquire the work. The artist said: ‘The painting appeared in my window the day I opened and I had a small doorstep protest, bibles pushed through my letterbox and various notes and letters condemning me and telling me to turn away from the devil. I have tried to explain its not a religious piece but a thought provoking piece of modern day art.’

A Kent Police spokesman said: ‘Two officers visited the art gallery and explained there had been a complaint. When the owner said the work in question was due to be taken down at the end of the week it was decided no further action would be taken.’

Yes, the subject matter of this painting is sure to be controversial to some and deeply offensive to others but art is meant to spark visceral reactions from the viewer. I’m not sure I understand what reason the police have to order that a painting be taken down from an art gallery but it seems wrong to me. Art is meant to inspire, question and sometimes offend. Is this a painting that I would hang up in my own home? No it is not. Is it a painting that I think needs to be censored or removed from sight? Absolutely not. What do y’all think? In light of the painting’s explained meaning, do you think it should be removed from gallery display? Are you offended by the sight of David Beckham being crucified in this way?

http://www.johnnycotter.com/

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The police watchdog – Kent Police Authority - has asked shoppers where they would save money in the policing service. Kent Police Authority visited the ASDA store in Folkestone, last week, to ask for views from the police council taxpayers on what they would do if they were the budget holder.

A total of 75 people took part in the Folkestone road show and results were as follows:

• Back office - police officers (28 per cent)
• Declined to vote (24 per cent)
• Back office - police civilian staff (21 per cent)
• Neighbourhood policing e.g. local police constables and police community support officers (11 per cent)
• 999 call handlers (four per cent)
• Investigations (four per cent)
• Emergency response teams e.g. the patrol cars that respond to an emergency call (3 per cent)
• Specialist tactical policing units e.g. firearms, dogs unit, marine unit (five per cent)

Back office posts were considered the main categories where savings could potentially be made. This was broken down into two categories. Police Officers that are in office based functions at Police Headquarters, e.g. crime prevention roles, and civilian staff that provide support, and help to run the organisation e.g. through departments such as Finance, Human Resources, Research, Corporate Communications.

Some 24 per cent of the public declined to vote as they felt it was too difficult to make a decision.

The summer road shows follows the announcement that the Police Authority will have to find over £20million in the next three years.

South Kent Police Authority member, Graham Hodkinson, took part in the event with Police Community Support Officer, James Chadwick, and Police Community Support Officer, Mark Ball.

Ann Barnes, Chair of the Kent Police Authority said: ‘One of the roles of the Police Authority is to consult with the public. Our countywide road shows allow us to speak face-to-face with the public on saving money. It’s not just the police, but all public sector services are going to have to make financial cuts of some kind. There are some really hard choices to make and we are looking at all the categories we chose for the survey. It’s interesting to note that some people did not cast a vote. It really is hard to cut back on any one area of policing, as they are all so important. The Authority and Force will have to make a tough decision in the autumn, we are expecting to lose 20 – 40 per cent of our Government police budget.’

All the information from the road shows will be fed back to the Chief Constable, and will be considered at a Police Authority budget meeting in early 2011.

And there’s still time to vote. As the Authority is not visiting every town the public can cast a vote online. There is a dedicated Facebook page called ‘Where would you make savings in Kent Police.’ You can access this site on our homepage.

Source: http://www.kentpoliceauthority.gov.uk/news/folkestone-shoppers-would-cut-the-back-office

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The Sandgate Society hold monthly talks on the 2nd Wednesday of the month (although these dates may change). The talks are held in The Chichester Memorial Hall, Sandgate High Street (next to car show room).

Talks are Free to members or £2 to visitors who are most welcome. Refreshments are also available.

• 10th March - Annual General Meeting - Committee Elections
• 17th March - An account of how Apollo 13 was crippled by an explosion on the way to the Moon in 1970 - Speaker: Reg Turnill
• 14th April - Frontline Folkestone – The Step Short Project - Speaker: Charles Fair
• 19th May - (instead of 12th) The Greenwall Lecture -  Global Warming – What it means to Sandgate - Speaker: Ian Currie
• 9th June - Sandgate in People, Prose and Poems - speaker David Cowell
• 1st Aug - Garden Party
• August - Sea Festival
• 15th - (instead of 8th) September Sandgate Sea Cadets - Speakers: John Barber and Sea Cadets
• 13th October - Remembering Joyce Grenfell (1) to include songs and monologues - Speaker: Avril Woolf
• 10th November - Building Schools in Nepal The Pahar Trust - Speakers: Derek and Diana Clayton-Brown
• December - Christmas Party - Chichester Memorial Hall
• 12th January 2011 - Remembering Joyce Grenfall (2) - speaker Avril Woolf
• 9th February - Westenhanger Castle Restoration - speaker Terry Whitling
• 9th March - AGM

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