Wednesday January 2 | 2019
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OF TONBRIDGE
Man charged with murder of his brother near Hadlow A MAN from Langton Green will appear at Maidstone Crown Court tomorrow [Thursday] after being charged with murdering his brother near Hadlow. Kent Police were called to the Hadlow Manor Hotel on the A26 at 10.30pm on Friday [December 28] . Lee John Robert Eldred of Tonbridge, who is believed to be in his 30s, was found dead at the scene. Carl Eldred, 33, of Little Footway in Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, was charged with one count of murder by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate on Saturday [December 29]. Kent Police said: “The incident
happened inside a vehicle and the man was treated at the roadside by the South East Coast Ambulance Service before being declared deceased.” It is the second time in four months that the village has been the subject of a murder investigation. In September Jack Ralph was charged with the murder of two women and the attempted murder of a man in Carpenters Lane. The 28-year-old is accused of killing Margaret Harris, 78, and her daughter Sharon, 55, at their home. Mrs Harris’s husband David, also in his 70s, was seriously injured.
People power wins trial to replace axed school bus By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk A SCHOOL bus route from rural Hildenborough into Tonbridge could be saved after a concerted campaign by local residents. The 572 service from Watts Cross was cancelled by Arriva ‘due to insufficient usage’ just weeks before the start of the academic year last September. The decision provoked anger from parents since pupils were forced to walk down country lanes without pavements in the dark. They launched the Bring Back the 572 campaign, which has led to another company providing a 10-week trial of a new service from tomorrow [Thursday]. The project is backed by Harry Rayner, Kent County Council [KCC] member for Malling West, who put in £2,500 from his discretionary fund; Hildenborough Parish Council has contributed £1,000.
Cllr Rayner said: “I was kept in the dark and knew nothing of the decision by Arriva to cease the 572 bus service until Hildenborough parents began protesting at their loss of service.” It is hoped the new 200S bus, provided by the Sevenoaks company Go Coach, will prove that enough children use it to justify the 572’s reinstatement on a permanent basis. Go Coach, which is not directly funded by KCC but is paid for the number of passengers it picks up, runs the shuttle bus between the village and the station. The new route will replace the last commuter shuttle of the morning. The campaign was launched by Kirsty Alfredson, a mother of two girls who live on Mill Lane. She called a public meeting in Hildenborough village hall, which was attended by representatives of Arriva and more than 80 residents.
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SPEAKING OUT Rt Rev Simon Burton-Jones says listening is out of fashion
Bishop says social media leaves people ‘demonised’ By Richard Williams ONLINE platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are making people more intolerant to the views of others, according to the Bishop of Tonbridge – and the problem is being highlighted by the Brexit debate. In his New Year’s message for the Times, Rt Rev Simon Burton-Jones has called for more tolerance and understanding in public debate. The Bishop, who was inaugurated at St Paul’s Cathedral in July, was asked to describe his hopes for the new year. “It would be great if 2019 could see
an improvement in the way we debate with one another publicly about what matters,” he said.
‘Societies flourish where there is forgiveness and strangers are shown kindness’ “Listening is out of fashion and the tendency to demonise people we disagree with and let the world know online is making for a harsher climate,” he added.
“Societies flourish where there is forgiveness and strangers are shown kindness.” Rt Rev Burton-Jones, who is the seventh Bishop of Tonbridge, warns that the divisions caused by the EU referendum result, which has seen the country split in two, are symptomatic of the problems with making judgements on social media. “Slowly, without noticing in our networked world, we are surrounding ourselves with people who think the same way we do,” he said.
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