A man has pleaded guilty to the rape of a young woman in Folkestone.

Abdul Khalazai, 18 from Whitstable, attacked the woman on Sunny Sands Beach in July of this year. The woman was alone and upset on the beach after having an argument with her partner.

Khalazai has been in the UK since 2006 and has previous criminal convictions.
Canterbury Crown Court has confined the Afghan teenager to a secure hospital indefinitely.

A Folkestone play area which received money from the Roger de Haan trust has officially opened.

The Canterbury Road recreation ground now has a floodlit multi-use games court and climbing frame, after receiving the £171,000 grant from the trust.

Residents and local councillor Brian Copping were present to see Trevor Minter from the trust officially open the play area.

A Folkestone company has been recognised with a National award.

CAP Enterprise is a community interest project that supports charities and community groups across Kent.

Their goal is to aid the creation of 2,000 self sustaining social enterprises in the county.

Motorists in Hythe are facing more parking fees after the Town Council’s plans to charge for parking on The Green.

According to the Herald, this decision follows Shepway District Council’s plans to introduce on-street parking fees as agreed in this year’s proposed budget.
Councillor John Schoner told the Herald that if the Hythe Green Preservation Society are “saying we’re in breach of one, please tell me which”.

However, the Hythe Green Preservation Society has warned that it could have a negative effect on the High Street due to congestion and worries for parents dropping off pupils at Hythe Bay Primary. However, they have also stressed concerns that it may also contradict covenants in the area.

Two men who threw water bombs at people in Folkestone on Friday 16th December have been fined.

The men, who are both aged 20, were stopped in their car at the Marine Parade and had two large plastic tubs with them after throwing the bombs near Wetherspoons. The incident then continued into the evening until the car was stopped outside Club Onyx.

This is all part of the police’s “Stay Safe this Winter” campaign urging clubbers to pay attention to personal safety and not get involved in fights or other disorders. The campaign is also there to prevent burglary and theft, reduce violence and anti-social behaviour.

The men admitted to throwing the bombs and have been reported for public order offences and issued with fixed penalty notices and 80 pound fines.

Two Shepway sports centres have been among the first to benefit from the Sport England grant.

Folkestone Sports Centre received £39,661 and Hythe Town council received £24,036 to improve their services as part of building on the legacy of next year’s Olympics and Paralympics.

Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins, told the Kentish Express “it is fantastic to have two grants in the district”.

Sport England are also funding two hundred and ninety nine projects around the country as part of their Inspired Facilities programme.

Local groups and organisations have the chance to get funding as Shepway’s Community Chest opens again this year.

The Community Chest, which is worth around £100,000, offers community groups grants of up to £5,000 for new equipment or even building works. This is the sixth year that the community chest has been running and it has so far helped a wide range of projects for sports, heritage, heath, the arts and even community halls.  

Last year it paid almost £73,961 to more than 25 different community groups throughout the district.

Dover Quality Bus Partnership is welcoming news that Dover District Council has now funded 23 new bus shelters across the area over the last two years.

Nineteen new shelters have already been installed and the final four shelters, which will be constructed by the end of next month, will be sited on Pencester Road, Dover with three on New Dover Road, Capel-le-Ferne.

It’s part of an ongoing programme to improve community facilities across the local area that has also seen new buses provided by Stagecoach and raised kerbs by KCC.

Kent County Council have announced they are facing budget cuts of almost £100 million for 2012.

The Conservative-run council, which has a total budget spend of £2.2bn, needs to find £97m savings next year. The cuts followed rising costs, changes to its government grant and extra social care spending.

It claims most front-line services are safe.