Latest news with #Gillingham
CTV News
a day ago
- Health
- CTV News
Winnipeg mayor disappointed in Manitoba's decision to deny ground squirrel control plan
Winnipeg's mayor said he's disappointed in the Manitoba government's decision to deny the city's plan to use a sulfur gas pesticide to control ground squirrel populations. 'I think this delays our efforts and the need to control the population so we can fix our fields,' he said on Monday. The city has been planning to eradicate ground squirrels from athletic fields using a pesticide method known as the 'Giant Destroyer.' The program was supposed to begin last month. However, it was put on pause while the province made a decision on Winnipeg's pesticide-use permit, which it has since rejected. Following this decision, Gillingham said the city is continuing to look at options to solve the issue of ground squirrels damaging athletic fields. 'We have to make sure that our soccer, baseball, football fields and diamonds are in good shape for public use,' he said. 'These are city assets for the public.' Gillingham added that ground squirrels are making it dangerous for people to use these facilities, and he doesn't want the condition of the city's fields to cause any injuries. In a statement, Environment Minister Mike Moyes said the province's decision was informed by consultations with health, environment and wildlife experts. He added the Department of Environment and Climate Change received nearly 6,300 submissions expressing concern about the plan. 'The province is open to considering alternative control methods that demonstrate a balanced approach—addressing both operational needs and the environmental values expressed by the public,' the statement said. 'Approval will be based on proposals that reflect this balance and show a commitment to responsible pest management.' Animal advocates pleased with decision Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of legal advocacy with Animal Justice, said the province's decision is a big win for animals. 'Not only did they do the right thing here and they've prevented really unnecessary suffering, but they also looked at the law and they looked at the science and saw that there actually are more humane alternatives that can be used here,' she said. Mitchell described the Giant Destroyer as 'gas bombs,' explaining it causes animals to suffer slow deaths that can take up to an hour. She suggests that instead of the Giant Destroyer, Winnipeg should look at habitat measures or live trapping and removing the animals. 'Ultimately what it comes down to is the city should be consulting with experts on this topic and making a science-based plan,' she said. 'The plan that they had put forward was not science-based at all.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
UK's only riverside tidal lido is reopening with new £250k splash zone
The UK's only riverside tidal lido has officially reopened, and with a brand new splash zone worth £250,000. Located in Kent, Strand Lido and Leisure Park in Gillingham had been closed for months for the extensive refurbishment works. Originally opened in 1896, the attraction has been a firm favourite among local families and visitors. The waterpark's new splash pad has 30 sensor-activated water jets, which are situated in a beach-themed area. Aimed for children aged between three and 11, it's complete with new safety railings as well as bins. As well as its new edition, the leisure park's existing outdoor pool has also reopened, alongside the toddler pool and the central swimming zone which has 25 metre lengths. Its 300-metre lazy river is also back in action, just in time for the summer. Onsite facilities include a pool inflatable shop, a poolside cafe, changing areas and toilets, which management say are limited. There's also a miniature train ride, four tennis courts, an outdoor gym, a picnic area and two children's play areas available. Strand Lido and Leisure Park reopened on May 24 and will be open daily throughout the summer months. Admission to the park, which is cashless and accepts card payments only, costs £7.80, while children and seniors are £5.15. Last year, the Strand gained membership to Historic Pools of Britain after being recognised as 'historically significant'. Clare Short, from Historic Pools of Britain, said the Strand is a 'pool that epitomises the spirit of lidos as a place for fun and wellbeing, which it has been providing to its community and visitors for over 120 years, and that is historically significant as the only remaining riverside tidal saltwater pool in the country.' Speaking previously about the riverside tidal lido, local Councillor Nina Gurun, who handles the council's portfolio for for heritage, culture and leisure, said: 'We are proud to have invested in this exciting project to improve the already great offering and add a brand new fun feature for our children and families to enjoy both this summer and for years to come.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Unique Victorian lido with outdoor lazy river to reopen with new £250k splash zone
THE only remaining riverside tidal lido in the UK is reopening soon with a new 'splash' feature following a £250,000 refurbishment. The Strand Lido and Leisure Park in Gillingham, in Kent, has reopened with a new splash pad. 5 5 5 The lido's new splash pad is designed for children between three and 11-years-old. The new water feature has 30 sensor-activated waterjets in a beach-themed play area, as well as new bins and railings. The existing paddling pool has reopened, too. Overall, the leisure complex includes an outdoor leisure pool, six 25-metre lanes for swimming, a 300-metre lazy river, a café and play areas. There is also a pool inflatable shop on site, a poolside cafe, changing areas and toilets. The Strand Park, more widely, is home to a miniature train ride, four newly refurbished tennis courts, an outdoor gym, riverside walks, a picnic area and access to the pebbled beach area. The Strand originally opened in 1896 and is now the only remaining riverside tidal saltwater pool in the country. Last year it was officially recognised as being 'historically significant' after gaining membership to Historic Pools of Britain. Speaking previously, Councillor Nina Gurung, Medway Council's portfolio holder for heritage, culture and leisure, said: "We are proud to have invested in this exciting project to improve the already great offering and add a brand-new fun feature for our children and families to enjoy both this summer and for years to come." To access the pools, sessions need to be booked online. Historic 'on-of-a-kind' lido has three heated swimming pools Adult admission costs £7.20, whilst it costs £4.75 for juniors and seniors. According to Clare Short, from Historic Pools of Britain, The Strand Lido is a "pool that epitomises the spirit of lidos as a place for fun and wellbeing, which it has been providing to its community and visitors for over 120 years, and that is historically significant as the only remaining riverside tidal saltwater pool in the country." In addition, the pool is Medway's only open air swimming pool or lido. After heading to the lido last year, one visitor said: "[Strand Lido] felt a bit like being on holiday and the kids loved it. "We played in the lovely park after and done the little train ride - kids enjoyed that. 5 "The fair was on too. [It] was as a nice little day out and local too." Another added: "Just loved this place so much to entertain our two-year-old. [A] sand pit, train, swings, slides, paddling pool, pebbles, water … everything a little person could want." A seafront English lido named one of the best in Europe has also reopened with £4.5million revamp to be unveiled in weeks. Plus, the European 'pleasure island' with lido, flumes and wave pool gets new TUI flights from the UK. 5
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Retired policeman wrongly arrested over 'thought crime' X post wins £20,000 payout
A retired policeman who was wrongly arrested over a social media post warning of a rise in anti-Semitism has won £20,000 in compensation. Julian Foulkes, from Gillingham, was detained at his home by six officers from Kent Police - the very same force he had given ten years of his life to - after he questioned a supporter of pro-Palestine demonstrations on X in November 2023. In the context of a rise in protests at the start of the Israel-Hamas war - and reports of an anti-Semitic mob storming a Russian airport - Mr Foulkes tweeted an activist: 'One step away from storming Heathrow looking for Jewish arrivals…' Mr Foulkes was later handcuffed on his own doorstep by uniformed officers equipped with batons and pepper spray. Officers searched his home and made comments on his 'very Brexity' book collection, before detaining the 71-year-old for eight hours. This month, Kent Police confirmed the caution was a mistake and had been removed from Mr Foulkes's record. In a letter sent to Mr Foulkes' solicitors, the force has now repeated an apology from the chief constable Tim Smith for the 'distress caused by the actions of his officers'. It also confirmed Kent Police would agree to an out-of-court settlement after Mr Foulkes launched a legal challenge for wrongful arrest and detention. The letter, sent by a lawyer for the force, read: 'I am instructed to accept the offer of early resolution without recourse to litigation by payment of compensation in the sum of £20,000 plus your client's reasonable legal fees in full and final settlement of all prospective claims arising from his arrest on Nov 2, 2023.' Mr Foulkes told The Telegraph that although he was 'naturally pleased' that Kent Police had apologised, it was 'never about money'. 'For me, it was a simple matter of right and wrong and I now need to see that the full investigation I have been promised takes place and necessary actions are taken to prevent any recurrence,' he said. Previously, Mr Foulkes spoke to MailOnline to reveal he had accepted an offer from the Free Speech Union to fund a lawsuit against Kent Police for wrongful arrest and detention. He said: 'This is absolutely an Orwellian-style thought crime. It's absolutely ridiculous because I sent a tweet which was reasonable in the circumstances and it was a tweet based on events I'd read about just the previous day and in the previous week. 'It was taken out of context and I really can't go through all the failings of Kent police - as much as I'd like to - but it's been quite astonishing to me especially as I served with them for 10 years.' Kent Police misinterpreted his tweet as being anti-Jewish but has since removed the caution from Mr Foulkes' record as well as his biometric data that was stored in police files. Mr Foulkes said previously: 'I sat on it for nine months or so wondering what to do - whether to go public but decided it was best to speak out. 'Career-wise it's not going to hurt me. At my age, I've got no plans to work again so that's not something that affects me. 'In practical terms the worst thing was the injustice and that's the thing I wanted to tackle because there's right and wrong - and I knew they were wrong. 'I got the right result in getting the caution overturned and it's not something Kent Police - indeed any police force do very often.'
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Pensioner receives police payout over ‘thought crime' tweet
A retired special constable has been given compensation of £20,000 after being wrongly arrested over a social media post warning about rising anti-Semitism. Julian Foulkes, from Gillingham, Kent, was handcuffed at his home by six officers after replying to a pro-Palestinian activist on X. Kent Police officers searched his home and commented on his 'very Brexity' book collection. The force detained the 71-year-old for eight hours, interrogated and issued him with a caution after officers visited his home on Nov 2 2023. Earlier this month, Kent Police confirmed that the caution was a mistake and had been deleted from Mr Foulkes's record. Tim Smith, the force's chief constable, later phoned Mr Foulkes personally to offer an apology for the 'ordeal he endured'. Now, in a letter sent to Mr Foulkes' solicitors, the force reiterated Mr Smith's apology for the 'distress caused by the actions of his officers' . It also confirmed Kent Police would agree to an out-of-court settlement after Mr Foulkes launched a legal challenge, supported by the Free Speech Union (FSU), against the force for wrongful arrest and detention. The letter, sent by a lawyer for the force, read: 'I am instructed to accept the offer of early resolution without recourse to litigation by payment of compensation in the sum of £20,000 plus your client's reasonable legal fees in full and final settlement of all prospective claims arising from his arrest on Nov 2 2023.' Mr Foulkes told The Telegraph he was 'naturally pleased that Kent Police had been swift to follow their apology with compensation'. 'However, this was never about money,' he said. 'For me, it was a simple matter of right and wrong and I now need to see that the full investigation I have been promised takes place and necessary actions are taken to prevent any recurrence.' On Friday, Kent Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over the incident. Mr Foulkes added: 'I have been very fortunate in receiving superb assistance from the FSU and I would like to thank them once again for their help and support.' Police body-worn camera footage captured officers scrutinising Mr Foulkes's collection of books by authors such as Douglas Murray, a Telegraph contributor, and issues of The Spectator, pointing to what they described as 'very Brexity things'. Mr Foulkes's X post replied to an activist threatening to sue Suella Braverman, the home secretary at the time, for calling pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London ' hate marches '. In the post, sent two days before police visited his home, Mr Foulkes wrote: 'One step away from storming Heathrow looking for Jewish arrivals…' Mr Foulkes's X post was referring to news reports of an anti-Semitic mob that stormed an airport in Dagestan, Russia, looking for Jewish passengers. On Nov 2, six officers arrived at Mr Foulkes's home, armed with batons and pepper spray. He was arrested, fingerprinted, photographed and swabbed for DNA. After his home was searched, the retired special constable was locked in a police cell for eight hours and interrogated on suspicion of malicious communications. Fearing that further escalation could impact his ability to visit his daughter, who lives in Australia, he accepted a caution despite having committed no offence. Matt Elkins, director of Legisia Legal Services, who helped get Mr Foulkes's police record deleted, said while the compensation was welcome as this had 'never been about money but about correcting an injustice '. He said: 'The police don't always admit they're in the wrong, so I think Kent Police should be acknowledged for their prompt mea culpa. 'The compensation is, of course, a good starting point, but I hope this is just a first step towards some deep introspection from the police, and some constructive changes.' 'End of the beginning' Dr Bryn Harris, chief legal counsel for the FSU, said: 'The [FSU] is pleased to see that Kent Police has done the right thing and apologised to Julian, with due compensation. 'This is, however, merely the end of the beginning – we now need to see a full and credible investigation into the outrageous violations of Julian's basic freedoms. 'Kent Police must ensure that the distress to Julian, and the cost to the taxpayer, result in lessons learnt and a realisation that policing by consent requires a police service worthy of the consent of free citizens.' Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said it was 'disgraceful' that Mr Foulkes had been 'investigated and harassed in the first place'. He added: 'Police should be catching real criminals, not wasting time on non-criminal social media posts. 'This has happened again and again and the officers responsible for this shocking incident need to be held responsible. ' Police chiefs need to get a grip and end this nonsense.' Mr Philp also called on the Government to support his proposed amendment to Labour's Crime and Policing Bill, and 'abolish non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) '. The amendment will seek to block police forces keeping records on individuals who have not broken the law but are accused of expressing views or behaviour deemed offensive. The Conservatives previously said they were putting forward the amendment because it was 'clear the use of NCHIs has spiralled out of control'.
