Weald North

Catapults.

Officers continue to work with the Rural Task Force, Neighbourhood Watch and local partners to tackle catapult-related wildlife crime in Bethersden, High Halden and Great Chart. Information from the community has helped officers identify several young people linked to these incidents, leading to home visits and engagement with both the individuals involved and their parents.

One young person in Great Chart has been issued with an Acceptable Behaviour Agreement, which is a voluntary agreement between the young person, their family and partner agencies that sets out clear expectations for future behaviour and encourages positive choices. Officers have also carried out proactive patrols in catapult hotspot locations identified by residents, resulting in 2 successful stop searches and the seizure of 3 catapults, which have since been destroyed. Through ongoing enforcement, education and partnership working, officers continue to prevent further offences, protect wildlife and improve community safety across Bethersden, High Halden and Great Chart.

Road safety issues.

Officers with the Special Constabulary have conducted speed checks and issued 7 Traffic Offence Reports for excess speed. These checks have been conducted in High Halden, Bethersden, Hothfield, Pluckley, Biddenden and Smarden. Following concerns raised by local residents and parish councils, two vehicles have been seized and recovered after having been stopped/located on the public road whilst being notified Off-Road/SORN. Following proactive patrolling within the Hothfield area, a driver stopped back in March for drug driving and reported for driving without insurance has since been charged to Court after forensic results confirmed that his blood levels were 16 times the legal limit for cocaine and has an upcoming court date.

Nuisance motorcycles.

Following a stop search of a suspicious male in Hothfield, a motorcycle with no registration plate was located nearby and linked to a fail to stop incident from the previous day, where the bike was involved in a pursuit with Firearms officers before making off. This bike was recovered by the Neighbourhood Policing Team.

We have also been engaging with the local community to develop intelligence and give crime prevention advice around nuisance motorcycles. Officers attended a recent Housing Community Day hosted by Ashford Borough Council to offer advice and engage with residents and motorcyclists in Hothfield.