times of tunbridge wells 27th january 2016

All the news that matters Local, National and InternationalWednesday, January 27, 2016

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

INSIDE

FOODWadhurst couple maketheir dream come true

PAGES 72-73

EMERGENCIES Plea to silence the sirenssparks social media storm

PAGE 5

PROPERTY48 pages of the finesthomes on the market

SEE Property Section

EDUCATION Exam results put studentstop of the league table

PAGE 19

DAME KELLYSTRIKES GOLD

WITH HERVILLAGE CAF

Pages 70-71

MARKET WATCH:ONGOING TURMOILCAN PROVE BUYING

OPPORTUNITYPages 8-9

Town is rated top place to liveBy Adam Hignett [email protected]

ITS official. A Government report reveals that Tun-bridge Wells is the best place to live in the county when measured by the level of deprivation.

Figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government, which is headed by MP Greg Clark, show the local authority is the least deprived in Kent. Swale and Thanet are named as the most deprived.

Researchers took into account income, employment, health, education and training, crime, living environ-ment and barriers to social housing.

Deprivation is seen as the damaging lack of material

benefits considered to be basic necessities in a society.However, the rating can be a double-edged sword as

it can be used when distributing funding or targeting resources to an area.

A spokesperson for the borough council also told the Times it was not necessarily an indicator of how afflu-ent a place is.

The breakdown forms part of the departments nationwide Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 survey.

Each authority is ranked from 1 (most deprived) to 12 (least deprived); Tunbridge Wells scored 12, placing it above both Tonbridge (11) and Sevenoaks (10).

The strong performance by Tunbridge Wells could be seen as hampering those aiming to tackle pockets of deprivation as it means funding is more likely to be directed elsewhere.

Documents published alongside the report state: National and local organisations use the Index of Mul-tiple Deprivation, sometimes in conjunction with other data, to distribute funding or target resources to areas.

Locally, it is often used as evidence in the develop-ment of strategies, to target interventions, and in bids for funding.

The voluntary and community sector also uses the index, for example, to identify areas where people may benefit from the services they provide.

Dawn Stanford, project manager at the towns Nour-ish food bank, which helps those in crisis, said it was fantastic the borough scored so highly.

But she acknowledged the perception of Tunbridge Wells as a place of affluence was mainly held by those from outside.

Full story page 7

Loss of young colleagues inspires Alps charity ride A TEAM of cyclists representing The Chapel hairdressing salon in Tunbridge Wells sets out in May on a ride that will take them nearly a 1,000 miles through six coun-tries and raise 50,000 for cancer charities.

The ride comes after five of the staff were diagnosed with cancer; three of them subsequently died.

Leading the team will be salon co-owner Toby Dicker, who told the Times: The inspiration for the challenge has been very much about the fact we have had five members of staff diagnosed with cancer in the past couple of years, with three of them recently having passed away at young ages, between 26 and 34, so we wanted to set a large fundraising target.

The ride will pass through

Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Switzerland before heading back to the UK and Tun-bridge Wells, calling at its other salons in Sevenoaks and Islington

The most challenging part will be in the Alps going through to Stras-bourg, which will be a 230km, said Mr Dicker.

He started the business in Chapel Place in 2001 with his wife Amanda, who will be also be join-ing the ride.

Before she died I told one of my colleagues, Natasha Douglas, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, that we wanted to do some-thing special in terms of fundrais-ing, and I thought that doing this ride would be the least I could do.

Your FREE

Newspaper

CHALLENGEThe team facing the Alps

DAME KELLYSTRIKES GOLD

WITH HERVILLAGE CAF

Pages 70-71


OPPORTUNITY


BAKE OFF PAIR IN LINE FOR

LOADS OF EXTRA DOUGH

Page 11

Loss of young colleagues


LOADS OF EXTRA DOUGH

Page 11


EXTRA DOUGH

NESTING DOVEMEANS THECHRISTMAS

TREE STAYS PUTPage 5

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4 LOCAL NEWS

THIS is a fascinating place in which we live, work and educate our kids. Walking The Pantiles, or enjoying a coffee at the top of town, it can appear at times a pretty laid back sort of place; there are no towering factory chimneys (are there any left?) and there is no huge industrial park. But theres a beating heart to Tunbridge Wells, helping keep the local economy alive, that is not always immediately evident fi nance!

Behind the doors of numerous scattered offi ces we have an almost invisible industry providing employment for thousands. In the last couple of years the number of people working in fi nance-related jobs has

jumped from fewer than 500 to more than 5,000 and thats according to the British Bankers Association. Many are involved in the markets and investing and they can have under their infl uence or management billions of pounds.

This week we meet two of the bigger players, as part of our new Market Watch feature, and hear their views about where its all heading after one of the most turbulent starts to a fi nancial year on record. The feature (pages eight/nine) gives a fascinating insight into what goes on behind those offi ce doors and, naturally, we ask their views on the upcoming EU referendum.

This week we also meet another interesting character, Dame Kelly Holmes, and fi nd out how shes gone from winning two Olympic gold medals to serving cups of coffee at her caf in Hildenborough. But this is no ordinary caf just as Dame Kelly is no ordinary caf owner; shes quite an extraordinary person who has made her presence felt in this town and beyond with all the things she does outside of the media spotlight, such as helping out local charities and young people through her own trust. Youll enjoy the read (pages 70/71).

Richard Moore, Editorial Director

THE FINANCIAL SECTOR HAS BECOME THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR TOWN

Markerstudy Leisure is a trading name of One Media and Creative UK Limited registered in England and Wales under company number 5398960 with registered office at 45 Westerham Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2QB.

CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONSHERE at the Times of Tunbridge Wells we strive to deliver fair, accurate and balanced reports. When we dont meet our own high standards we will accept the responsibility and publish clarifications and corrections.

If you would like to make a comment on any aspect of the newspaper, please write to the editor at 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU, or email [email protected]

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16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU

You have enemies? Good. That means youve stood up for something, sometime in your life

Winston Churchill

QUOTE UNQUOTE

Neill [email protected]

LEVELS of crime in Tunbridge Wells have risen slightly over the past 12 months, according to latest figures from Kent Police.

The total number of incidents was 4,626 for the year up to September 2015 compared with 4,501 for the same period in 2014.

Police said the rise was attributed to an increased rate of reporting of violent crime and sexual offences, yet the force stressed that Tunbridge Wells still had the lowest reported crime rates in the county.

In terms of domes-tic abuse, police findings showed that between April 2014 and April 2015 there were 1,194 incidents within the area, which had increased from a total of 992 for 2010.

However, chari-ties and the police believe a new crim-inal offence of coer-cive and controlling behaviour within relationships, which carries a five-year prison sentence, would prove valuable in tackling abuse cases.

According to the Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Service (DAVSS), which has a base in Tunbridge Wells, the latest legislation could be vital in securing criminal convictions.

Jan Berry (above), co-chair of the group, revealed there had been a significant increase in referrals to its West Kent services since it set up in 2011. Between June 2014 and June 2015 it handled 638 cases (also involving a total of 750 children), representing a 40 per cent rise on the previous year. Around a third of these incidents related directly to Tunbridge Wells.

The co-chair, whose team of 28 volunteers operate from offices including one at Tun-bridge Wells Police Station, explained that many victims still find it difficult to report incidents of abuse.

She said: This legislation will draw attention to the issue a lot of people think of domestic abuse as being something that is purely about violence, so this will assist in

tackling that perception. However, I do not underestimate how

hard it is for people to prove that they have suffered from controlling and coercive behaviour, as it is something that has to be investigated, and a diary of events kept to show people have been undermined and controlled.

Causing psychological damage is something that is already an offence, but it is something that is hard to prove. Having a specific offence on coercive behaviour may have the ability to make victims come for-

ward and realise that they dont have to put up with it.

As she explained, its confidential services involve out-reach visits in places that its clients both women and men are comfortable with outside of their home environment.

She added that in many instances, vic-tims could typically endure dozens of instances of abuse before finally decid-ing to take action.

Our number one priority is that we

offer people advice on how to stay safe one of our biggest challenges remains recruiting sufficient volunteers for our work in order to help everyone who comes to us.

Tunbridge Wells District Commander Dave Pate explained that a greater number of victims are now coming forward, which helped significantly with its work on tackling the issue.

He said: Our officers are bringing more offenders to justice and we are continuing to encourage more people to report any incidents of domestic violence.

Detective Chief Inspector Susie Harper of the Kent Police public protection unit added that the new legislation would prove particu-larly valuable in the forces work.

She said: Domestic abuse takes many forms and spans all of society groupings; it is not just physical violence. Emotional and controlling behaviour can cause significant harm to a victim, and we will do everything to protect and support victims of domestic abuse.

Charities hope newlaw can stop abuse

Thursday

7CFriday

10CSaturday

8CSunday

9CMonday

10CTuesday

9C

Wednesday January 27, 2016 Tunbridge Wells

12CVisibility: Good Pollution: Low Humidity: 82%

Sunrise: 07.44am Sunset: 16.40pm Wind: 22mph

What a difference a week makes! After the snow the sun shone brightly on Speldhurst Church.W Morris

Weather

ndy with spells of rain, often heavy. Overnight dry and colder conditions arrive.

THE Deputy Mayor, David Neve, was among the guests at the launch of an exhibition at Tunbridge Wells Museum demonstrating the art of Polish papercuts.

Known as Wycinanki, it originated as an inexpen-sive means of decorating the homes of rural labourers. Pieces were often made for religious festivals and family celebrations and feature bold and colourful symbolic designs.

The exhibition shows extraordinary papercuts commissioned by the Horniman Museum in 2010 and part of a touring exhibition.

The exhibition, which is on until April 17, includes pieces by renowned artists such as Apolonia Nowak from the Kurpie region and Helena Miazek from Lowicz, together with contemporary responses from the Polish community of Tunbridge Wells.

The colourful pastof Polish community

hard it is for people to prove that they have

behaviour, as it is something that has to be investigated, and a diary of events kept to

something that is already an offence, but it is something that is hard to prove. Having a specific offence on coercive behaviour may have the ability to make victims come for-

ward and realise that they dont have to put

As she explained,

Charities hope newlaw can stop abuse

CUTTING EDGEDeputy Mayor David Neve admires the art

SUPPORTCo-chair

Jan Berry

LOCAL NEWS 5


NEWS IN BRIEF

Asylum surge means Kent children lose outTUNBRIDGE Wells and Kent County Councillor Peter Oakford has warned vulnerable children in Kent are having to be cared for outside of the county due to a surge in the number of asylum-seeking children.

Cllr Oakford, cabinet member for Specialist Childrens Services, spoke at a briefing of county councillors where he said: Due to a 30 per cent rise in looked after children in seven months, the availability of accommodation in Kent is extremely limited.

He added this was placing rising costs on the authority and called for the implementation of a compulsory scheme to see asylum children dispersed across the country.

Rail petition grows A PETITION calling for Southeastern to be stripped of its rail franchise has now been signed by more than 15,000 people.

The rising number of signatories comes as commuters were hit with fresh travelling woes on Monday, when peak morning trains on the Tunbridge Wells line were affected by serious signalling faults.

Go down to the Woods ANYONE nurturing a sickly teddy bear should not despair as a clinic will be held at Woods on The Pantiles this Saturday with the aim of restoring your favourite bear to full health.

The free event will feature demonstrations of professional bear-making techniques, with small repairs conducted on site. Complex repairs and restorations will be conducted at a specialist studio.

Car club expands THREE new vehicles have been added to the Co-wheels car club fleet in Tunbridge Wells to meet increasing demand.

Additional vehicles are located at Quarry Road, Grove Hill Road and Mount Ephraim Road. Members pay a one-off registration fee and book the vehicles online with journeys charged either by the hour or at a day rate.

Conservatives keep seat PHILIP Lunn won the Crowborough East by-election for the Conservatives with 64 per cent of the vote. Turnout was 20.5 per cent. The election followed the death of Cllr Peter Cowie from cancer. Jane Clark, Liberal Democrats, polled 24.5 per cent, while Linda Scotson of Labour achieved 11.5 per cent.

Our pop-up newsroom THE Times pop-up newsroom is at Ismail Caf in Royal Victoria Place food court Wednesdays between 11am and 2pm. Please feel free to come along for a chat or call 01892 779615.

EMERGENCY sirens are highly unsuitable for towns such as Tunbridge Wells where Smart Alec ambulance personnel race through the streets.

Thats the apparent view of one resident named as Michael P. Moore, causing an outcry on social media and leading to Mayor David Elliott branding his comments unhelpful.

The controversial views were published as a letter in the Daily Mail and have been seized upon by some on social media as evi-dence that the Disgusted of Tun-bridge Wells stereotype is alive and well.

Jack Pilcher May on Twitter said it was just so Tunbridge Wells, while Ian Robo said the fact Mr Moore comes from the town rings all the bells, adding that he probably votes UKIP too.

Twitter user Richard Albery simply said: Tun-bridge Wells I rest my case.

Mr Moore states: The sirens used by ambulances that race through our streets may be suitable for motorways, but they are highly unsuitable for

towns such as Tunbridge Wells. We have to put up with Smart Alec ambulance

personnel blueing-and-twoing their way through our town at the slightest excuse.

They see themselves as modern day heroes, out to save lives and they like to let everyone know by switching on their sirens and making a very loud noise.

Mr Moore then goes on to list the instances where he has felt the use of the sirens has been initiated entirely to cause him discomfort.

He said: Ive experienced two instances of ambu-lances coming up behind me while I am walking and

switching on their sirens just as they draw level. In both cases I jumped and no doubt the ambu-

lance crews got their laugh but Im not laughing.He ends by imploring the Government to take

action by banning sirens from the streets, adding: sirens cause me physical pain and Id like to see them banned from our streets.

Although some users were quick to point out the connection with Tunbridge Wells as a reason to believe it was a genuine letter, others have refuted its authenticity.

Ian Kenny said: Tunbridge Wells? Looks like a spoof to me, with another user, ECRJ, adding: Surely a parody. Tunbridge Wells and the con-trived idiolect gave it away.

Mayor David Elliott believes it does not matter whether or not the letter is genuine because it is the reputation of the town which suffers.

He said: This letter, which leaves the town open to ridicule, is unhelpful and not an accurate reflec-tion of the town at all.

A spokesman for the South East Coast Ambulance Service acknowledged the fact sirens could be intrusive, but added: Their use is entirely discre-tionary and they are vital to alerting the public to the presence of an ambulance.

They are often transporting people in time-sensitive instances and we hope the pub-lic understand we are using them for the right reasons.

If you know Michael P. Moore wed like to hear from you: [email protected]

RESIDENTS of Paddock Wood are eagerly awaiting the birth of some baby doves over the coming few weeks so they can take down the towns Christmas tree.

Council workers were ready to remove the 25-ft fir at the end of the festive season, only to discover that a collared dove was nesting in the branches with her eggs.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is an offence to disturb a wild bird and carries up to 5,000 in fines or a jail sentence of six months.

All of which means the council must wait until the chicks hatch before removing the tree from the spot normally reserved for the towns flagpole.

And just in case someone might be tempted to encourage the dove to move on, big brother is watching.

Town council chair Cllr Sarah Hamilton said: Residents were worried at first that all the

attention would mean that someone would try and interfere with the nest. But there are cameras watching it and people have been very supportive over the bird.

She said the council had received advice from an ornithological expert on how to handle the dove, but she added that nothing would be done until the birds chicks had hatched sometime in February.

I think its just a nice story and having the tree here with the dove has kept the festive good will in the town.

Nesting dove means the Christmas tree stays up until chicks are hatched

Plea to silence sirens sparks social media storm but is it just a spoof?

THE COLLARED DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto) Not a migratory bird but can be found throughout the world. Most nest within half a mile of inhabited buildings to take advantage of the abundant food. Distinctively smaller than a wood pigeon but slightly larger than a turtledove.

A WELCOMERESIDENTCollared dove similar to the one pictured is nesting in the tree


6 LOCAL NEWS

By Neill Barston [email protected]

BOROUGH council leader David Jukes has set out his hopes for relocating key town hall buildings as part of his ambitious five-year plan for Tunbridge Wells.

He believes that a complete redevelopment of the boroughs civic offices would represent best value through creating new facilities at Mount Pleasant Avenue, off Mount Pleasant Road, on a council-owned car park being leased by Axa.

Speaking after last months cabinet meeting, in which members voted in principle for a new 12.5 million town hall, Cllr Jukes confirmed the preferred option remained to carry out the project in tandem with a 25 million scheme replacing the Assembly Hall, located on the site of the Great Hall Car Park.

This comes in addition to separate proposals for a 12 million cultural hub incorporating library, art gallery and adult education services in a new central building within the town. This has so far received funding of 5.2 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council, and could be completed by 2018.

Cllr Jukes said: I think our five-year plan has been effective so far. We are well down the road to starting development at Mount Pleasant Avenue, which will

have 40,000 to 50,000 sq ft of office space and give us the opportunity to relocate the council.

We would let the remainder of the building that we did not require, which would give an income to the council for many years, so its a big move.

In order to refurbish our current council building, it would cost 10.5 million, or we could build a new one for 12 million, which makes more economic sense. This will leave around 30,000 to 40,000 sq ft to be used by businesses, which should bring us an annual income of 800,000 a year.

Speaking on the overall objectives of the five-year plan, borough council chief executive William Benson felt it was progressing well.

He said: There was a time when we were worried Tunbridge Wells was going to become a dormitory town, but the range of busineses that are now flourishing has been important.

Our plans are not about being a town where people go elsewhere to spend money Tunbridge Wells is actually a place where people want to stay and go out.

We aim for a good combination of a town thats doing well for itself, but also having schools and cultural facilities that make it sustainable.

The council acknowledged such sources of revenue would be required, given that it has suffered a major reduction of 3.2 million in revenue from government grants since 2010. In addition, by 2020, the borough will no longer receive any government grant funding and will be

required to be entirely self-sustaining.Cllr Jukes explained that the facilities it is

planning to create would help meet the needs of a growing town.

He added: The population of Tunbridge Wells has increased 15 per cent over the past decade. We have brilliant schools, and it is a great place to live. We are within a mile of the countryside and also have superb businesses here.

What we are doing is trying to make it more attractive for organisations to make their headquarters here. Our transport links, despite what some people say, are not bad, and we have four trains an hour to London.

The cultural scene is excellent, but we want to make it even better by opening up the cultural hub, and at some stage building a new theatre complex located opposite the station, which is currently the Great Hall Car Park.

As previously reported, the council employed consultants last autumn to consider potential options, including retaining both the existing council and Assembly Hall buildings.

According to Cllr Jukes, the proposals for the two sites were core pillars of its five-year plan, which he said aimed to make Tunbridge Wells the most prosperous town in Kent.

The plan, which was launched in 2014, has included policies to attract greater investment through supporting start-up businesses, as well as developing new sports and cultural facilities. It also aims to improve levels of housing supply.

Within its final three years, the plan is also set to target environmental improvements such as enhancing the town centres appearance, and producing a long-term management strategy for sites such as Calverley Grounds.

While Cllr Jukes acknowledged there were pressures on the councils budget, he believed the initial targets for the first two years of its five-year strategy had been exceeded.

These include the long-awaited works to upgrade to the A21 between Pembury and Tonbridge, as well as improving the infrastructure surrounding Longfield Road.

However, the five-year plan identified a number of obstacles to growth, including tackling traffic congestion and enhancing the areas broadband connections. The plan highlighted the fact some of the boroughs rural areas were in fact among the countys 20 per cent most deprived in terms of quality of internet access.

Council expands on plans forthe changing face of the town

MAKING PLANS David Jukes (left) discusses plan with William Benson


LOCAL NEWS 7

Epic charity cycle ride across Alps in memory of young colleaguesBy Neill [email protected]

STAFF from The Chapel hair salon in Tunbridge Wells are among riders setting out on a gruelling European cycling event in memory of colleagues who were diagnosed with cancer.

Co-founder Toby Dicker explained the Cycle 4 Cancer 4 Chapel Challenge aims to raise 50,000 for two causes, including Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre, which helped staff member Natasha Doug-las, who died from breast cancer last month.

The epic charity ride takes place in May and will also be in aid of Cancer Research UK. It starts from the salons branch in Verbier, Switzerland and then goes across the Alps.

In total the team will journey 1,400km over 10 days averaging 110 miles per day. This includes a series of highly-testing mountain climbs.

It will see them pass through Germany, Luxem-bourg, Belgium and France, before heading back to Tunbridge Wells, also calling at its other salons in Sevenoaks and Islington.

Mr Dicker said: The inspiration for the challenge has been very much about the fact we have had five team members diagnosed with cancer in the past couple of years, with three of them recently having passed away at young ages, between 26, and 34, so we wanted to set a large fundraising target.

The most challenging part will be in the Alps going through to Strasbourg, which will be 230km.

Mr Dicker started the business with his wife, Amanda, who will be also be joining the ride.

The couple set up in Chapel Place in 2001, and have seen the business expand considerably over the past few years.

Mr Dicker added: A couple of years ago, when Id reached the age of 41, I went on a business course and I was incredibly unfit. One of the parts of the course had asked where we saw ourselves in five years, and I answered that I wanted to feel healthy and be able to spend more time with my family. So that was a big change for me, and I got into

cycling, shed a few stone and got fitter. I told one of my colleagues, Natasha Douglas,

who had been diagnosed with cancer, that we wanted to do something special in terms of fund-raising, and I thought that doing this ride would be the least I could do.

One of the team, James Thornton, has already got the fundraising ball rolling by offering to donate the cost of his hair cutting services.

The initial group of six riders will be reinforced by a further 12 joining in Brussels with respective teams from its four branches getting fully behind their venture.

On Pickerings work, he added: What is so impressive about Pickering is the work they are doing is voluntary, and 100 per cent of donations goes directly to helping individuals. They are assisting peo-ple with can-cer who have nowhere else to turn.

With Can-cer Research, theres also a high percentage of donations that actually go directly to the causes work, which was something that was important to us.

Mr Dicker said there would be opportunities for riders to join in the latter stage of the challenge for its UK leg. This will involve travelling between Kent, and its branch in Islington, before returning back to Tunbridge Wells.

Pickering opens extra day to meet demand

EACH year the Pickering Cancer Drop in Centre helps around 2,500 people whose lives have been touched by cancer, and the numbers are growing. To meet the demand, the Tunbridge Wells charity is now opening the doors of its house in Monson Road an extra day Mondays. It is only closed

Thursdays. Guests at the launch Monday included Olympic athelete Dame Kelly Holmes, Mayor David Elliott and Mayoress June Crowhurst, all pictured with Pickering co-founder Polly Taylor. www.pickeringcancercentre.org.uk

The Cycle 4 Cancer challenge has attracted some sponsors, but further shirt sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, visit www.c4c4cc.co.uk/sponsorship-package/

The epic charity ride takes place in May and will also be in aid of Cancer Research UK. It starts from the salons branch in Verbier, Switzerland and then

In total the team will journey 1,400km over 10 days averaging 110 miles per day. This includes a

It will see them pass through Germany, Luxem-bourg, Belgium and France, before heading back to Tunbridge Wells, also calling at its other salons in

Mr Dicker said: The inspiration for the challenge has been very much about the fact we have had five team members diagnosed with cancer in the past couple of years, with three of them recently having passed away at young ages, between 26, and 34, so we wanted to set a large fundraising target.

The most challenging part will be in the Alps going through to Strasbourg, which will be

Mr Dicker started the business with his wife, Amanda, who will be also be joining the ride.

The couple set up in Chapel Place in 2001, and have seen the business expand considerably over

Mr Dicker added: A couple of years ago, when Id reached the age of 41, I went on a business course and I was incredibly unfit. One of the parts of the course had asked where we saw ourselves in five years, and I answered that I wanted to feel healthy and be able to spend more time with my family. So that was a big change for me, and I got into

On Pickerings work, he added: What is so impressive about Pickering is the work they are doing is voluntary, and 100 per cent of donations goes directly to helping individuals. They are assisting peo-ple with can-cer who have nowhere else to turn.

With Can-cer Research, theres also a high percentage of donations that actually go directly to the causes work, which was something that was important to us.

Mr Dicker said there would be opportunities for riders to join in the latter stage of the challenge for its UK leg. This will involve travelling between Kent, and its branch in Islington, before returning back to Tunbridge Wells.

Pickering opens extra day to meet demand

THE TEAM L - R: James Thornton of The

Chapel, sponsor Paul Glenister from Easistore, customer Simon

Raynor, ride organiser Toby Dicker of The Chapel and Daniel Appleton,

former Chapel team member


8 LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS

The ongoing turmoil on the markets has particular meaning in Tunbridge Wells, where the number of people in financial - related jobs has soared from less than 500 to more than 5,000. As part of our Market Watch feature, we talk to some of the key local players about life on the front line

By Adam [email protected]

AJ Bell Securities has grown since it was founded in 1995 from a small two-man operation to a finan-cial firm with 26.1bn of assets under management. The impressive growth, which founder and chief executive Andy Bell describes as a 21 year over-night success story, has been partly down to the firms decision in 2007 to buy a small Tunbridge Wells brokerage.

Mr Bell said: When the company was founded it was a small actuarial consultancy, which had been my profession prior to going it alone.

It was just myself and Nicholas Littlefair in a 149 sq ft Manchester office funded by 10,000 of personal loans.

The company quickly evolved into providing financial products such as SIPPs (self-invested personal pensions) and was the first firm to offer an execution-only version online.

But it was still relying on the infrastructure and services of other brokers to carry out share dealing for their clients.

To remedy the situation, the company scouted around for a small, but well established, stockbroker to bring into the firm and allow it to expand its range of financial services.

TransformationalWe were looking for the right sort of broker and

came across Tunbridge Wells - based Lawshare. It was small, with only about 27 staff, but we realised it already had many of the things we required.

Buying Lawshare in 2007 was a transformational experience for the company, explained Mr Bell.

He said: It was not the biggest deal we have made in terms of cost but it has made the biggest difference to our business model. It really was a transformational acquisition.

By purchasing Lawshare, and growing the broker-age to the 120 staff currently employed, the newly named AJ Bell Securities had given itself access

to an entire range of financial services and asset classes.

In this sense, AJ Bell now straddles a broad church of financial services, giving clients the option to invest in shares, funds, property and other assets, as well as publishing financial information.

But Mr Bell is always looking for the next step in the market, which he believes is a client-segment in the DIY sector of the market those who manage their own affairs described as hungry for help or nervous newcomer.

He explains: The market catering for confident self-investors is now quite mature and saturated so is not offering growth opportunities.

But a study by Deloitte has identified between two and five million people who would be disenfran-chised from financial advice but are unsure of how to become DIY investors.

However, unlike the Deloitte report published in 2013, which predicted these people would soon flock to the market after numerous government initiatives to make it easier, the influx has not been forthcoming.

It has been more of a trickle, said Mr Bell. But providing the tools for these investors is what we aim to do. It will not be advice as such but guidance. The firms which capture this market will grow.

Current events will not make this task any easier, as market turbulence means at the moment many investors are unsure which way to turn explained Mr Bell.

What we tend to find in unsteady markets is people going to ground. People are running scared of China and developing markets. There is a herd instinct.

But it doesnt take much for them to start invest-ing again. Todays bad news is tomorrows buying opportunity.

It seems gloomy at the moment but people forget very quickly.

The nature of the way people invest has also begun to change.

Todays bad news can be tomorrows buying opportunity

AJ B

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ANDY BELLSome industries may be decimated by an EU exit


LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS 9

THATCHERS Big Bang of the financial industry which swept away decades of crip-pling regulation almost overnight, brought an influx of newly empowered investors, each eager to take advantage of a market once the preserve of elites.

Jarvis Securities was founded 32 years ago by Andrew Grant, who saw the huge poten-tial this financial revolution would bring.

Over these years, the former City tax advi-sor to high-net worth individuals has steered the Tunbridge Wells - based brokers through numerous recessions, bull markets and periods of intense volatility.

And with global markets wracked with uncertainty and getting off to their worst New Year start on record the current climate is certainly challenging for investors.

ConfidenceFor Jarvis Securities, which deals in execu-

tion-only trades, the current turbulence can be a boon for the company balance sheet as all that really counts is transaction volume.

We dont care which way the market is going as we make money on transactions, said Mr Grant.

He used an example of a company such as BP having an oil spillage, causing a massive sell off as a scenario which creates volume, adding: Likewise with the Chinese econ-omy not doing very well, but then suddenly there is a day when the market goes up 100 points because everyone is buying, that is also great for us.

Although turbulence means more trans-actions, its benefits are finely balanced, as too much negativity will ultimately depress volumes in the long run.

Mr Grant explained: Not only is the market cyclical throughout the year, with summer traditionally being a quiet time, but it is also driven by sentiment, the general economy and peoples confidence in buying stocks and shares.

Although there is huge variation on a day to day basis, Mr Grant believes the firm was handling well over 2,000 transactions a day on average during the peak of the eco-nomic cycle.

The current spate of negativity, though,

has left its mark, with average transactions falling to between 1,000 and 1,500 per day.

And while the average size of each trade lies between 5,000 and 7,500, the true range varies between what Mr Grant describes as small investors having a punt with 500 to million-pound transactions.

In this sense, although choppy trading has its benefits, in the long term Mr Grant needs investors to feel confident enough to believe they can win from the market especially as his clients tend for more speculative stocks, of natural resources, oil, gold, dia-monds.

Mr Grant is not confident the market will recover any time soon.

He said: There is so much going on at the moment. One day it is good news, the next day it is bad news.

Unfortunately we need a sustained period of good news and expectation for the future. So we need confidence back.

What we need is a broader return to global confidence, otherwise it will be harder to expand our retail client base.

But I cannot see it happening in the short term, with oil, China and wars in the Middle East among other things, I think for the time being we will just bob along where we are

Another factor which affects the profitability of AIM-listed Jarvis Securities is interest rates, which have stayed at record lows since the crash and have yet to recover, with each forecast pushing the next rise further back.

But unlike many firms, Mr Grant said record low interest rates are harmful to the com-pany and he would welcome a rise.

Effectively, higher rates mean we can make money from money, like a bank. We have client deposits, we pay an interest rate but we can make a turn on it which makes us more profitable.

When the banks are not

paying anything there is no fat to share around.

We are still profitable but it would be the cherry on the cake, he said, adding: But I think lower interest rates will be around for a while. I cannot see them going up to where they were ten years ago.

One issue Mr Grant believes may cause some temporary instability is the prospect of

a Brexit Britains exit from the EU.

Less regulation would be good, although because of the nature of the products we tend to be less impacted by regulation than advisory firms, he said, adding an EU exit could have

a positive impact on the level of regula-

tion in the long run.


Mr Bell said: We have been seeing a shift away from direct equity investment and towards funds. This is because people often start with the idea of buying equities directly, but lose enthusiasm when they hit bumps in the road.

This has led to a gradual shift towards funds, particularly low-cost passive funds, such as trackers.

This is partly due to peoples time con-straints. Not everyone can be a hard-core day trader.

There are several challenges facing the indus-try said Mr Bell.

Regulation is a major headwind, especially the amount of capital we need to hold on our balance sheets to allow us to trade, which is getting bigger and bigger. We are in the envia-ble position of being very profitable and well capitalised.

NonsenseThis has grown significantly due to regula-

tion over the past three to four years and it will hurt the smaller players when the regulators start to focus on them.

Mr Bell believes some of the worst regulation comes from Europe.

He said: As a UK regulated financial service the further away we can get from the EU the better. So much of their regulation is nonsense. It does very little good and it is expensive.

However, Mr Bell admits that what may be good for his company may not be right for others.

If I was voting purely for selfish reasons tomorrow I would vote to leave, but perhaps I would need a moment of reflection as some of my friends are in industries which may well be decimated by an exit.

JARV

IS S

ECU

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IES has left its mark, with average transactions falling to between 1,000 and 1,500 per day.

And while the average size of each trade lies between 5,000 and 7,500, the true range varies between what Mr Grant describes as small investors having a punt with 500 to million-pound transactions.

In this sense, although choppy trading has its benefits, in the long term Mr Grant needs investors to feel confident enough to believe they can win from the market especially as his clients tend for more speculative stocks, of natural resources, oil, gold, dia-

Mr Grant is not confident the market will recover any time soon.

He said: There is so much going on at the moment. One day it is good news, the next day it is bad news.

Unfortunately we need a sustained period of good news and expectation for the future. So we need confidence back.

What we need is a broader return to global confidence, otherwise it will be harder to expand our retail client base.

But I cannot see it happening in the short term, with oil, China and wars in the Middle East among other things, I think for the time being we will just bob along where we are

Another factor which affects the profitability of AIM-listed Jarvis Securities is interest rates, which have stayed at record lows since the crash and have yet to recover, with each forecast pushing the next rise further back.

But unlike many firms, Mr Grant said record low interest rates are harmful to the com-pany and he would welcome

Effectively, higher rates mean we can make money from money, like a bank. We have client deposits, we pay an interest rate but we can make a turn on it which makes us more profitable.

When the banks are not

paying anything there is no fat to share around.

We are still profitable but it would be the cherry on the cake, he said, adding: But I think lower interest rates will be around for a while. I cannot see them going up to where they were ten years ago.

One issue Mr Grant believes may cause some temporary instability is the prospect of

a Brexit Britains exit from the EU.

Less regulation would be good, although because of the nature of the products we tend to be less impacted by regulation than advisory firms, he said, adding an EU exit could have

a positive impact on the level of regula-

tion in the long run.


ANDREW GRANTEU exit could have a

positive impact


10 NATIONAL NEWS

TESCO seriously breached an industry code by delaying payments to suppliers, an investigation has found.

A long-awaited report on the supermarket giants practices revealed it had intentionally delayed paying suppliers.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) said Tesco had also made unilateral deductions.

GCA Christine Tacon made a series of recommendations to stop the practices, saying the retailer should be more transparent in its dealings with suppliers.

No financial penalty was imposed because this power was only given to the Adjudicator after she launched her investigation.

Her 84-page report said Tesco had breached the legally binding code aimed at protecting groceries suppliers.

UnreasonableI found that Tesco knowingly delayed paying

money to suppliers in order to improve its own financial position, she said.

The length of delays, their widespread nature and the range of Tescos unreasonable practices and behaviours towards suppliers concerned me.

I was also troubled to see Tesco at times prioritising its own finances over treating suppliers fairly.

One supplier was owed a multimillion-pound sum because of price changes being incorrectly applied to Tesco systems.

The money was eventually paid back by Tesco more than two years after the incorrect charging had started, said the Adjudicator.

Ms Tacon launched the investigation her first last February following Tescos announcement about its profit overstatement.

ConcernShe said she found delay in payments arising

from data input errors, duplicate invoicing, deductions to maintain Tescos margins and unilateral deductions.

The sums were often significant and the length of time taken to repay them was too long, she said.

A four-week deadline has been set for Tesco to say how it plans to implement the recommendations.

The Adjudicator said she found no evidence that Tesco asked suppliers for money to secure better positioning of goods on shelves, which would have breached the code.

But she expressed concern about practices that could amount to an indirect requirement for better positioning by large suppliers.

I am concerned that, as a result of these practices, the purpose of the code may be circumvented to the detriment of smaller suppliers who cannot compete with payments for better positioning or to participate in range reviews.

Tesco delayed paying suppliers in major breach of groceries code

NEWS IN BRIEF

Head urges parents not to wear pyjamas A PRIMARY school headteacher has written to parents requesting they take time to get dressed in the morning and stop dropping their children off in their pyjamas.Kate Chisholm, headteacher at Skerne Park

Academy, Darlington, made the appeal after she had noticed an increase in the amount of parents wearing nightwear to the school gates. It also included wearing them to school assemblies and meetings.In the letter she said: I have noticed there

has been an increasing tendency for parents to escort children to and from school while still wearing their pyjamas and, on occasion, even slippers.

Judge condemns feesONE of the most senior judges in England and Wales has delivered a damning assessment of increased court fees.

Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson told MPs charges introduced in March last year risked denying access to justice to people on modest incomes and small businesses.

Gun seizures worryingTHE number of guns seized at the UK border fell by 73 per cent over three years prompting warnings of worrying variations in how many firearms are impounded.New Home Office figures show that 126 real firearms were confiscated by Border Force in 2014/15, a gradual decrease from the 463 found in 2012/13 and 283 in 2013/14.

DELAYED PAYMENTS One supplier was owed millions of pounds

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Tesco delayed paying suppliers in major breach of groceries code


NATIONAL NEWS 11

THE Great British Bake Off stars Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood are reportedly getting 100,000 pay rises.

The boost will see their salaries increase to 600,000 in 2017, according to The Sun newspaper.

Berry and Hollywood are known for running their expert eyes over the contestants creations and giving criticism after a taste test on the hit BBC baking show.

A BBC spokeswoman said: We dont comment on speculation about pay.

The Great British Bake Off, hosted by Sue Per-kins and Mel Giedroyc, with Berry and Holly-

wood judging, has become a phenomenon since its 2014 move from BBC Two to BBC One.

A record overnight average of more than 13 million viewers watched Nadiya Hussains win last October.

Meanwhile, The Great Sport Relief Bake Off begins tonight (Wednesday), with the Prime Min-isters wife Samantha Cameron, comedian Jason Manford, EastEnders actor Maddy Hill and for-mer England goalkeeper David James battling it out in the kitchen for charity.

They face three challenges making canapes using rough puff pasty, preparing a French des-sert called Paris-Brest, and creating a 3D cake in the shape of a sporting trophy.

BNP chasing comeback at the May electionsTHE beleaguered British National Party (BNP) is seeking permission to field candidates at Mays elections, after being struck off the register of recognised parties by the Electoral Commission.The far-right outfit which was removed by the watchdog for failing to submit the required annual notification and 25 fee has applied to be restored to the list of approved parties.

Inflatable doll alertLIFEBOATS searched for more than 90 minutes following a 999 call reporting a person struggling in the water only to find it was an inflatable doll.

RNLI lifeboat volunteers, a Coastguard rescue team and rescue helicopter all responded to the call.

A rock angler had dialled 999 to report a person in the water near the Huers Hut, just to the north of Newquay Harbour in Cornwall.

Air shows made saferSAFETY regulations have been tightened at UK air shows following the Shoreham disaster. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the measures include enhancing the experience, skill and health that display pilots must demonstrate before being allowed in the air.

The regulator has also toughened the safety checks that must be passed before organisers receive the go ahead.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Bake Off celebrities hope for pay rise taking them up to 600,000

LOTTERY bosses have warned they will take action against people who try to con them out of a massive 33 million jackpot.

Hundreds of people have come forward claiming to have a lost, damaged or stolen ticket with the six winning numbers, including grandmother Susanne Hinte, who said she put hers through the wash.

Camelot said it was considering each claim on a "case-by-case basis" after confirming the winning ticket was bought in Worcester.

But the lottery operator warned it would act if it believed someone had "intentionally attempted to defraud the National Lottery".

A Camelot spokeswoman said: "With prizes of this size, it's perfectly normal to receive lots of claims from people who genuinely think that they may have mislaid or thrown away what they believe was the winning ticket.

"That's what we're seeing now and we are looking into all of these claims as part of our efforts to find the rightful ticket holder.

"However, if we believe that somebody has intentionally attempted to defraud the National Lottery, then, just like any other company, we reserve the right to take whatever action we consider is appropriate."

John Plimmer, a former detective at West Midlands Police, said anyone caught making a fraudulent claim could face jail.

He told the Mirror: "If there is evidence someone deliberately tried to con Camelot to get their hands on 33 million then obviously that's a crime.

"They wouldn't have to successfully claim the money to be found guilty. Anyone convicted could be looking at a heavy custodial sentence."

Camelot warns against possible fraud bids over 33m lottery jackpot


12 NATIONAL NEWS

THE fundraising page set up by polar explorer Henry Worsley has reached more than double its target, collecting over 200,000 to help wounded servicemen and women.

The adventurer had already achieved his goal of 100,000 for the Endeavour Fund when he radioed for help and was airlifted off the ice 30 miles from his goal to complete the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic.

The 55-year-old, from Fulham, south-west London, was trying to complete the unfinished journey of his lifelong hero Sir Ernest Shackleton to mark the 100th anniversary of Shackletons expedition.

EndeavourAfter his death on Sunday, money has flooded

into his fundraising site, with the total including Gift Aid exceeding 206,000 and still climbing.

The Endeavour Fund charity helps wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women and is managed by the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Scores of tributes were left on the Virgin Money Giving page for the former lieutenant-colonel.

One donor, Philip Smith, wrote: I had the privilege of serving with Col Henry briefly with 2RGJ in Kosovo and was greatly saddened by the news of his death. What better epitaph than service and sacrifice for the benefit of so many others.

His death also inspired messages from the young, with teenager Amy Rose writing: I am 16

years old, but I think I will remember Mr Worsley and I hope I will carry his spirit with me when I face challenges.

British astronaut Tim Peake paid tribute from space to his fellow explorer, Tweeting: Thoughts are with the family & friends of Henry Worsley - a true explorer, adventurer & inspiration to many.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner Tweeted: My last memory of explorer Henry Worsley who died crossing Antarctica: our dinner together in Kandahar, full of plans for his next adventure.

The Foreign Office said its staff in Chile were supporting Worsleys wife Joanna, adding: We are in touch with his family at this difficult time.

Ms Worsley rushed to Chile where her husband was flown to undergo surgery for bacterial peritonitis an infection in the abdomen but was unable to reach him before he died from complete organ failure. Plans will be put in place to repatriate the explorer to the UK.

The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry expressed their sadness at the news.

William, who was patron of the expedition, said he and Harry had lost a friend as he paid tribute to Worsleys selfless commitment to fellow soldiers.

In a poignant last message posted online on Friday, Worsley said: My summit is just out of reach.

He resolved to gather my thoughts in a final message in the coming days and finished with the words: This is Henry Worsley, signing off, journeys end.

Henry Worsleys fundraising page is http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ShackletonSolo

Explorers fundraising page doubles original 100k target

HERO SHACKLETON Henry Worsley

Giving a talk on his hero Shackleton at Liverpool Museum

JEREMY Hunt has apologised to the parents of a baby who died, saying they were let down in the worst possible way by the NHS.In a statement to MPs, the Health Secretary offered his condolences to the family of William Mead, who died In December 2014 following a string of NHS failings.

GPs, out-of-hours services and a 111 call handler failed to spot William had sepsis caused by an underlying chest infection and pneumonia.

A report into the 12-month-olds death found opportunities were missed to save the little boys life after his parents were repeatedly told he just had a cough.

Mr Hunt told MPs: Whilst any health system will inevitably suffer some tragedies, the issues in this case have significant implications for the rest of the NHS that Im determined we should learn from.

I have met Williams mother, Melissa, who has spoken incredibly movingly about the loss of her son.

Quite simply we let her, her family and William down in the worst possible way through serious failings in the NHS care offered, and I would like to apologise to them on behalf of the Government and the NHS for what happened.

Mr Hunt described the four areas of missed opportunity by health services where a different course of action should have been taken, which would have led to Williams survival.

He said the recommendations relating to 111 should be treated as a national and not a local issue.

Call handlers on 111 are not medically trained and follow a set series of questions to identify patients who need further help.

Hunt apologises to tragic babys parents over NHS failings

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NATIONAL BUSINESS 13

AROUND one in every five home insurance claims made by consumers is turned down while just one in every 100 motor insurance claims is unsuc-cessful, new industry figures reveal.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has published payout rates for the most common insurance claims made during 2013 and 2014, in moves to help improve transparency and build customer trust.

They show that 99 per cent of private motor insurance claims were successful, with the aver-age payout being 2,160.

Around four in five (79 per cent) policyholders who made a claim under their home insurance were successful and received a payout, with the average figure being 2,520.

Meanwhile, nearly nine in 10 (87 per cent) of travel insurance claims were paid out, with the average payout put at 884.

The analysis covers 6.9 million claims handled by 19 insurers. It marks the first time the ABI has released data in this way, showing the success rates when customers have made a claim under motor, home and travel insurance the three most popular

One in five home insurance claims rejected by industry

Bank of England boss appointedCity watchdog

Dixons unveils superstore plans

THE Deputy Governor of the Bank of England has been appointed as the new chief executive of the City watchdog.

Andrew Bailey, who is currently the head of the Banks Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), which oversees banking stability in the UK, will remain in his current post until a successor is found.

His move to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will see him leave the Bank after 30 years.

Earlier this month the FCA was forced to deny it had been ordered to drop its wide-ranging review into banking culture by the Government.

Critics have accused Chancellor George Osborne of urging the FCA to drop the probe in a bid to end so-called banker bashing.

types of general insurance held by UK households.The figures were compiled to help customers

understand more about what they are covered for and why a claim might be turned down.

Common reasons for home insurance claims fail-ing include claims being made for normal wear and tear or for damage caused by a lack of main-tenance which was not insurable; the value of the claim being less than the policy excess; or that the customer had not bought the right kind of cover, the ABI said.

CoverAn example of not having the right kind of cover

would be someone not having accidental damage cover, which is often an added extra.

With travel insurance, claims were often turned down because the policyholder had a lack of evi-dence to back up claims for items which had been lost, or because they failed to tell their insurer about a pre-existing medical condition.

In other cases, the travel insurance claim came to less than the policy excess or a claim was made for a holiday cancellation which fell out of the scope of the cover.

Explaining the particularly high success rate for motor insurance claims, a spokesman for the ABI said that motor insurance products tend to be quite similar in what they cover, whereas with home insurance, for example, people could be covered for a wide variety of events.

There is also a diverse range of add ons such as legal expenses cover or emergency assistance for a boiler breaking down which can be bought with home insurance.

Huw Evans, ABIs director general, said: As insurers, we want our customers to have greater trust in us to pay claims when life gets difficult.

We cannot earn that trust without being more transparent about how many claims are paid and why a minority of claims are usually declined.

He continued: Contrary to popular belief, insur-ers want to pay honest claims. It helps nobody when customers have bought the wrong product or have not disclosed important information.

Mr Evans said the figures will be used to drive con-sumer awareness and further improve the accep-tance rates for home and travel insurance claims.

RETAIL giant Dixons Carphone is to shut more than 130 stores under plans to roll out electrical superstores that merge its three main brands across the UK and Ireland.

The group said it will overhaul all its PC World and Currys stores to relaunch as so-called three-in-one stores, combining PC World, Currys and Carphone Warehouse over the next year and a half.

It will close 134 stores as part of the revamp, but Dixons Carphone said it will relocate all staff impacted to nearby superstores.

Details of the changes came as the group hailed a strong performance over Christmas and edged its annual profit outlook higher.

It said UK and Ireland like-for-like sales lifted by five per cent in the 10 weeks to January 9, with the strongest trading day in its history on Black Friday in November and a good start to the clearance sales on Boxing Day.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS 15

THE Australian Government has come under mount-ing pressure to appoint a head of state to replace the Queen, as the country celebrated its national day.

Every Australia Day, marked on January 26, an eminent citizen is made Australian of the Year in rec-ognition of their contribution to national society.

The 2016 Australian of the Year, former army chief David Morrison, said in his acceptance speech that he intended to use his new public profi le to campaign for Australia severing its constitutional ties to Britain.

A referendum that would have replaced the Queen with an Australian head of state was soundly defeated in 1999, with then prime minister John Howard campaigning against change.

But support for the so-called Australian Republic Movement, which advocates for an Australian head of state, is growing and Mr Morrison said it was time another referendum was held.

I am a member of the republican movement, I have been a republican all my life. When I was serving in the army, these views were very private, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Now, without giving it undue resonance, I do intend to at least contribute to a national debate, if were going to have one, about where we might go in the future.

This week, all but one of the leaders of Australias eight states and territories signed a declaration of support for the quest to have a national vote on Australia becoming a republic by 2020.

Australia renews calls to replace the Queen

Prime Minister receives500m gift from royalsMALAYSIAS Prime Minister has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing after the Attorney General said nearly 700 million dollars (493m) channelled into his private accounts was a personal donation from Saudi Arabias royal family.

The announcement has ended months of uncertainty for Najib Razak, who has come under intense pressure to resign over the issue in his biggest political crisis since he took power in 2009.

Immigrant boat capsizesTHIRTEEN bodies, believed to be Indonesian illegal immigrants, have been washed ashore after their boat capsized in bad sea conditions, Malaysian police said.

District police chief Rahmat Othman said the bodies of four men and nine women were discovered on a beach in southern Johor state by members of the public early on Tuesday.

Bomb blast kills 20AT LEAST 20 people have been killed in multiple bomb blasts which targeted a Government-run security checkpoint in the central Syrian city of Homs, the official news agency said.

The attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group, came as Government forces retook a strategic town from opposition fighters and militants in the south of the country.

PARIS police have fired tear gas and taxi drivers lit bonfires on a major highway amid nationwide French strikes and protests over working conditions and competition from non-traditional services such as Uber.

One in five flights were cancelled at Paris airports and other flights faced delays as air traffic controllers staged a walkout and taxi drivers disrupted roads. I-Tele television reported that a taxi driver was injured at Orly Airport while trying to block a bus entrance.

Some teachers and other public servants are also on strike over a range of issues, including wages, education reforms and working conditions.

It is the latest challenge to Franois Hollandes Socialist government and its stop-start efforts to modernise the economy.

BonfiresHundreds of French taxis, joined by a

few from Belgium and Spain, blocked a massive intersection leading into western Paris, causing disruption throughout surrounding avenues.

Dozens of taxi drivers tried to march from the Porte Maillot intersection on to an eight-lane bypass, but police pushed them back with tear gas. Some drivers set pre-dawn bonfires put out by firefighters.

Traditional taxi drivers are protesting against what they consider unfair competition from Uber, which has faced a string of legal challenges in France. Previous protests have also turned violent.

Uber drivers vandalise professionals who are paying taxes, who respect the rules, said Rachid Boudjema, 37, president of the taxi drivers union in Marseille, where striking drivers caused traffic jams around the city and its

WORLD IN BRIEFParis police fire tear gas at Uber protest taxi drivers amid strikes

It is the latest challenge to Franois Hollandes Socialist government and its stop-start efforts to

Hundreds of French taxis, joined by a

with tear gas. Some drivers set pre-

Traditional taxi drivers are protesting against what they consider unfair competition from Uber, which has faced a string of legal challenges in France. Previous protests have also DEADLOCKFrench taxi drivers

protest over UberMarignane airport. He described American cowboys who want to destroy our system, the system we are all attached to. Uber sent a message to French customers warning of potential violence

around Tuesdays protests, saying the goal of the protest is to put pressure on the Government to... limit competition. It warned that limiting app-based car services would raise costs, put drivers out of work and send customers back to the era before apps.


16 PEOPLE

Neill [email protected]

THE return of Sylvester Stallone to our screens in Creed for a potentially Oscar-nominated perfor-mance as boxing legend Rocky has offered inspi-ration to many.

His classic tale of an underdogs triumph has struck a chord with fans around the world, as well as prompting some to even take to the ring them-selves.

Among the movies army of fans is Tunbridge Wells boxer Jamie Rocky Johnson, who is coming out of retirement for her very own title match.

In March she is set to make an unlikely re-appearance in the boxing world at the age of 52, fighting for the womens British Masters Cruiser-weight boxing crown.

As she explained, her life-long love of the Rocky movies set her on a journey to become one of the sports few licensed female boxers.

Ive always loved boxing, ever since I saw the Rocky movies. I liked the aggressiveness of them and I just wanted to do it for myself, revealed Jamie.

She added: I cant quite believe the title fight is going to hap-pen, but Ive got to do this. Im going to win it Ive been training three times a day.

As she admitted, she was surprised at just how quickly she returned to compara-tive fitness after a long spell away from com-petitive fights.

Her memorable career, which includes winning a British Light-weight title in 1994, has seen numerous highlights includ-ing gaining support from for-mer world champion Smokin Joe Frazier, during a spell of nearly a decade

fighting in Philadelphia and Florida in the US, where womens boxing is far more established than in Britain.

Describing the late US heavyweight champion as a great man, Jamie revealed that while Stateside she also sparred with both Fraziers daughter Jackie and Muhammad Alis title-holding daugh-ter, Laila.

Such experiences are quite some contrast to her present day job as a customer services advi-sor at the Shopmobility centre at Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells, which she does part-time alongside running her own cleaning firm, Rockys Palace.

Recalling her early boxing career with some amusement, Jamie, of Scotts Way, added: I can remember my first fight came after I heard an advert on Radio One in the 1980s which was

recruiting women to train as boxers. My first fight was so exciting they put

me up against a 13-stone German girl called Dianne. I was eight stone and I was beaten by her.

I kept getting battered by people, but I wasnt getting

knocked out, so I

thought Id keep going. In the end, I went to train with promoter and gym owner Tex Woodward in Bristol. From there I went back to London where I won the Womens International Boxing Federation British Light-weight title, which was unbelievable.

There have been a number of boxing personali-ties to whom she has owed a debt of gratitude over the years. Among them are national pro-moter Eugene Maloney and her trainer in Lon-don, Johnny Gleed, at Broad Street Boxing Club, who both provided plenty of inspiration.

After returning from the US in 2007 for family rea-sons, Jamie felt settled back home and had thought her sporting career was behind her. This seemed even more the case after she sustained a serious injury shortly after arriving back that made her wonder whether regaining fitness would ever be possible. Thankfully, her determined nature led to a full recovery, and she has been involved in youth sports coaching ever since.

One of her finest hours outside of gaining a box-ing title came in being nominated to carry the Olympic torch in Sevenoaks for the London Olym-pics in 2012, for services to womens sport.

From there, she was part of British Olympic boxing gold medallist Nicola Adams support staff at the Games, which offered another major highlight.

This year, having rediscovered her full fitness, she is eager to return to the ring once more for

what could be the perfect ending to her event-ful career.

I have been training with a Czech champion and it is great that Ill be

going for the title again at the venue where I started all those years ago at York Hall, in Bethnal Green in London, added Jamie of her ambitious plans, which could see her potentially claim a remarkable second title.

Jamie will be fi ghting Sarah Knight for the British Masters Cruiserweight title on March 11th, at York Hall, Bethnal Green

House prices across UK hit record highAVERAGE house prices hit a new record high of 288,000 across the UK in November after leaping by 7.7% over the previous year, according to offi cial fi gures.

Property values in England also reached a new all-time peak in November, increasing by 8.3% annually to reach 302,000 on average, according to the Offi ce for National Statistics (ONS).

Several regions within England saw house prices lift to new records, including London, the South East, the East and the East and West Midlands.

Budget wine onlineALDI has launched its online shopping store by selling wines by the case to bargain hunters.

The budget German supermarkets wine selection will be available for home delivery and pick-up from the CollectPlus parcel service. Specialbuys the brands weekly offers on everything from cycling clothes to camping gear will be added to the site between April and June.

Driverless cars probeSOME of Britains largest motor insurance firms have formed an alliance to examine the potential impact of driverless cars in the UK.

The organisation will consider who would be liable after an accident possibly drivers, manufacturers or software developers how to cope with different levels of automation and whether road traffic laws need to be changed.

Rocky films inspire Jamieto chase womens crown

appearance in the boxing world at the age of 52, fighting for the womens British Masters Cruiser-weight boxing crown.

As she explained, her life-long love of the Rocky movies set her on a journey to become one of the sports few licensed female boxers.

Ive always loved boxing, ever since I saw the Rocky movies. I liked the aggressiveness of them and I just wanted to do it for myself, revealed Jamie.

She added: I cant quite believe the title fight is going to hap-pen, but Ive got to do this. Im going to win it Ive been training three times a day.

As she admitted, she was surprised at just how quickly she returned to compara-tive fitness after a long spell away from com-petitive fights.

Her memorable career, which includes winning a British Light-weight title in 1994, has seen numerous highlights includ-ing gaining support from for-mer world champion Smokin Joe Frazier, during a spell of nearly a decade

remember my first fight came after I heard an advert on Radio One in the 1980s which was

recruiting women to train as boxers. My first fight was so exciting they put

me up against a 13-stone German girl called Dianne. I was eight stone and I was beaten by her.

I kept getting battered by people, but I wasnt getting

knocked out, so I

injury shortly after arriving back that made her wonder whether regaining fitness would ever be possible. Thankfully, her determined nature led to a full recovery, and she has been involved in youth sports coaching ever since.

One of her finest hours outside of gaining a box-ing title came in being nominated to carry the Olympic torch in Sevenoaks for the London Olym-pics in 2012, for services to womens sport.

From there, she was part of British Olympic boxing gold medallist Nicola Adams support staff at the Games, which offered another major highlight.

This year, having rediscovered her full fitness, she is eager to return to the ring once more for

what could be the perfect ending to her event-ful career.

I have been training with a Czech champion and it is great that Ill be

going for the title again at the venue where I started all those years ago at York Hall, in Bethnal Green in London, added Jamie of her ambitious plans, which could see her potentially claim a remarkable second title.

Jamie will be fi ghting Sarah Knight for the British Masters Cruiserweight title on March 11th, at York Hall, Bethnal Green

A BIG HITJamie Johnsonwith her trainer Tommy Kotrla

Pop-upNewsroomJamie visited our pop-up

newsroom on a Wednesday at Ismail caf to tell us her story.

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

thought Id keep going. In the end, I went to train with promoter and gym

7 Most frequently asked questions about how to divorceBY STEPHEN WILMOT

1. CAN I GET A DIVORCE?Anyone who has been married for 1 year or longer can start divorce proceedings against their spouse.

2. HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO BE SEPARATED BEFORE I CAN START DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS?There is no set period of time of separation required before youcan start divorce proceedings. The principle requirement is thatyou have been married for one year at least. You can even beconsidered separated if you are both still living in the familyhome under one roof, as long as you are not still behaving like amarried couple.

3. WHAT ARE THE GROUNDS FOR GETTING DIVORCED?One spouse must be able to prove to the Court that theirmarriage has irretrievably broken down. To do this they muststate one of ve facts in their Divorce Petition which include thefollowing: Unreasonable behaviour of the other spouse and give examples Adultery of the other spouse Two years separation with consent of the other spouse Five years separation Desertion

4. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A DIVORCE?On average the divorce process takes between 4-6 months.However, it is always advisable not to apply for Decree Absoluteuntil nancial matters are resolved. Once the application forDecree Absolute is made it will often be processed by the Courtwithin 7 days of receipt.

5. HOW DO I START DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS?The rst step is to prepare your Divorce Petition which yoursolicitor will do for you if you instruct one. The Petition is thensent to the Court with the court fee to be issued and the divorceproceedings are then started. A copy of it is sent formally toyour spouse and they are asked to

complete an Acknowledgmentof Service form. Once the form is complete and returned to theCourt you or your solicitor must then prepare your applicationfor Decree Nisi. If all the requirements have been compliedwith and your spouse is not defending the proceedings theCourt will certify you as entitled to Decree Nisi. Decree Nisi ispronounced around a month after you apply for it and you mustthen wait 6 weeks and a day before you or your solicitor canapply for Decree Absolute.

6. WILL I HAVE TO GO TO COURT DURING THE DIVORCE?The divorce proceedings will in most cases not require anyattendance at Court and if you have a solicitor they will bethere to represent you. If your spouse decides to defend thedivorce a number of court hearings may be required. However,the vast majority of cases will proceed undefended. You maybe required to attend if you have asked the Court to order yourspouse to pay your costs relating to the divorce and your spouseopposes. This is fairly uncommon if you have instructed asolicitor as in almost all cases your solicitor will have sought toagree this matter with your spouse or their solicitor in advance.

7. DOES GETTING A DIVORCE DEAL WITH MY FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT?Divorce and nances are separate proceedings. You should dealwith nancial matters alongside the divorce proceedings if at allpossible. Married couples have nancial claims they can bringagainst the other and these do not cease just because they getdivorced. If you do not deal with nances at the same time asdivorce the nancial claims remain open. So even if you do nothave anything worth dividing now, you may have in the futureand unless your spouse remarries they will be able to make a claim against you.

Keene Marsland is a trading name of Parfitt Cresswell. Parfitt Cresswell is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority . No 71480

If you are experiencing the anxiety and loss of a relationship ending and suffering sleepless nights worrying about the future, you are not alone.

There is no set period of time of separation required before you

can start divorce proceedings. The

principle requirement is that you have been married for one year

at least.

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For further information and to apply for a free consultation just complete the coupon and post it to the address below. Alternatively, call or email us today quoting reference TWT200116

Telephone: 01892 526442 or email [email protected] are also available in London, Windsor, Reading, Edenbridge and Haywards Heath.

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The right legal team is key to your emotional and nancial future. Family Law Solicitor Teresa Payne.



18 LETTERS

DESPITE a quarter of hospital beds being occupied by people with dementia, an Alzheimers Society investigation has found that too many people are falling while in hospital, being discharged at night or being stranded in hospital.

Good dementia care should never be a throw of the dice yet people are forced to gamble with their health every time they are admitted to hospital.

This issue is very close to my heart. My mother, Mary, who had Alzheimers disease, was hospitalised for an emergency operation and contracted MRSA. She was seriously ill for weeks and, despite fighting off the virus, because shed been in a hospital bed for so long shed forgotten how to walk and in fact never walked again.

As an Alzheimers Society Ambassador, Im supporting their Fix Dementia Care campaign which aims to improve hospital care and reduce variation. Hospital managers need to know about the care people with dementia receive and be accountable when things go wrong.

To take action and join the

campaign visit: alzheimers.org.uk/fixhospitalcare Kevin Whately, Actor and Alzheimers Society Ambassador

Being a long-term fan of David Bowie, It was a huge shock to learn of his death at just 69 recently.

I knew of his Bromley links, but it was interesting to read of his family connections to Tunbridge Wells on his mothers side.

I think it would be very fitting if theres some way of finding a means of permanently marking this association with the town especially if the site where Davids parents first met at the former Ritz cinema is ever finally redeveloped.

As far as Im aware, David never actually played in Tunbridge Wells, but the huge reaction from fans in the area, across Kent and all around the world just shows how much his music has meant to so many people. He will be sadly missed.Gary Wright, Tunbridge Wells

Many of us living on the west side of Tunbridge Wells are experiencing aircraft noise from early morning until late at night and at particular times of the day, namely 6.30am to 9.30am, 10.00 to 12 noon then again 15.30 to 19.30 and 21.00 to 23.30 planes overhead every 90 seconds. During the summer it makes spending time outside unbearable and we are all dreading the possibility

of a second runway at Gatwick although I believe this will be foisted on us by

politicians as they try to hold on to the large numbers of voters in Greater London and its close boroughs.

It seems such a shame that sense cannot prevail and knowing that the people around Manston are up for expanding there, that the powers that be cannot take up this proposal with

greater enthusiasm it is close to the

coast therefore no flying over populated areas and it has a suitable runway for larger aircraft.

With the power your paper holds in this area I do hope that you can bring the local people up to date with all that could be done to support less flights over us this will help the downgrading of this beautiful historic town and the surrounding villages.Carole FreemanVia email

Our story last week about the advantages or disadvantages of being educated at an all-girl school has provoked a strong response from readers and those who follow us online

Being a parent with a daughter studying at a girls school in Tunbridge Wells, I was really concerned to hear the frankly insulting views of Richard Cairns, the head of Brighton College.

His statement that single-sex education is in some way unrealistic is in no way based on fact. He merely offers anecdotes of what students may be like when they are in their later teens, which is hardly a basis for making such serious claims.

The most important factor for any pupil is that they get the very best education possible, whether that is in a mixed environment, or in a single-sex school. Theres so much pressure on teenagers now, it is also really vital that they are happy with the school they are in.