Latest news with #Greenhithe
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Calls for catapult ban as slingshot-wielding youths target angry mother and her children when she challenges them over attacks on animals
A campaigner is calling for a catapult ban after a group of boys turned their catapults on a mother after she challenged them for targeting animals. Holly Collins was caught up in the shocking encounter in broad daylight on Sunday at St Clements Lake in Greenhithe, Kent, where she says catapults and ball bearings have become the weapons of choice for attacking ducks, swans, and even people. She said: 'I pulled up outside their house, and there were teenagers aiming at ducks in the lake. 'I shouted at them, "You better not be hurting those ducks, because I'll call the police,' and they all started swearing at me." Ms Collins estimated the boys to be around 12 or 13 years old and what started as an animal attack quickly escalated into a direct threat. 'I got back in the car and we drove off, but my son's friend had forgotten his phone, so we came back—and that's when they were all aiming the catapults at me,' she said. 'I had the window down with the kids in the car, and they hit it. Luckily, it missed me. Then they ran off.' Ms Collins and her children were left 'shaken up' and 'out of sorts' by the encounter, just the latest in a growing pattern of catapult-related violence in the area. The incident has now led to another resident and wildlife campaigner Carly Ahlen who says the yobs come to hurt the animals every weekend and has started a petition for a ban on the sale of catapults. 'After they tried to take a shot at Holly, I ran across to check in case they had managed to kill any ducks,' the 45-year-old said. 'They had run off, but we did circulate all around the lakes. I was very worried they had gone to Bluewater, because there are waterbirds there, and I was worried they were going to target them next. 'They had disappeared, but they could have gone into the shops by then, causing trouble and mischief. 'It's a weekly occurrence with no end in sight.' Ms Ahlen, founder of the ornithology organisation Gabo Wildlife, also believes that the regularity of attacks has resulted in a decrease in the bird population at the lakes. Last year, the mum-of-one was alerted to the killing of eight geese which had been deliberately hit in nearby Dartford. And just a few months ago, a moorhen and a goose were shot and killed with ball bearings on the St Clements Lakes development. Concerned neighbours have now set up a WhatsApp group to report incidents, which has around 300 members. Locals say it's not just the ducks under attacks, it's the entire community, with frustrated residents saying it's a 'weekly occurrence' both at St Clements Lakes and the lakes at Bluewater Shopping Centre, with 'no end in sight' A spokesperson for Kent Police said they were aware of the incident and details have been passed to local officers. It's also understood that some of the boys' schools have been informed of the incident. Locals say it's not just the ducks under attacks, it's the entire community, with frustrated residents saying it's a 'weekly occurrence' both at St Clements Lakes and the lakes at Bluewater Shopping Centre, with 'no end in sight'. Anum Abid, who has lived by St Clements Lakes for seven years, says she's witnessed several attacks on wildlife in the area and has had enough. 'It's just ridiculous how bad it's getting,' she said. 'Everyone is just so fed up and frustrated. 'You'll see an average kid here wanting to throw stones at a bird for absolutely no reason whatsoever and the thing is they seem to have no fear of anything. 'They're very vile individuals, but it's not just one group of kids, though.. I feel like it's not even one age group.' Ms Abid complained that residents felt they were responsible for policing the catapult-wielding youths. 'I don't understand why we are having to do this?' she said. 'We're not a law enforcement agency. They are breaking the law. 'We feel like we are just left to our own devices and there's only so much that we can do to try and protect the environment that we live in.' The frustrated resident says despite provided lots of information, including photo and video evidence no serious action has been taken. 'I'm really sick and tired of nothing being done by anybody,' she continued. 'Law enforcement has done nothing. 'We, as local residents, are the ones who have to come in and intervene and stop these vile, horrendous kids. 'They have no fear of anything. They think this is entertainment because they tape it and put it on things like Snapchat. 'And not only do they have no repercussions, [no one is] banning these catapults.' Ms Ahlen has now set up a petition calling for a ban on the sale of catapults. 'There's absolutely no reason children should be running around with them - it's madness,' Ms Ahlen said. 'If we can't ban the sale of catapults, we should definitely put an age restriction on them, so at least we can give police the power to make arrests or confiscate them. 'It's a daily occurrence now across Kent and London now - it's out of control. 'It's very awful to live in this small community where people are afraid to come out and stand up to them [the teenagers]. 'The police don't come. Because these kids are not found or prosecuted, others think, 'We can get away with it'. 'It's an epidemic - swans all over Kent, London, are being targeted by kids posting this on social media. 'It's not going to stop until they are held accountable for these terrible things.' Ms Abid added that the fact youths are now targeting local residents makes her feel 'unsafe'. 'They are now aiming and threatening people with it,' she said. 'I feel very unsafe here, to be honest. 'We keep raising this to the police and absolutely nothing happens - I don't understand like how much more noise needs to be created. 'If they are underage that's not an excuse. You are only grooming criminals for the future. 'And for people who don't care about animals, you have to understand that this behaviour is only going to progress to humans later. 'You might think you are safe, but you are not.' A spokesperson for Kent Police said: 'Police are aware of concerns raised on June 1, concerning the behaviour of a group of people at a lake next to Castleridge Drive, Greenhithe. 'It is reported a catapult was aimed at wildlife and was also used to fire an object towards a car, which was not damaged. 'The group had left the scene when the catapult incidents were reported, and details have been passed to local officers. 'Enhanced patrols are operating in the area over the summer months and residents are encouraged to report anti-social behaviour to their local beat officer, PC Calum Andrews.'
Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Catapult-wielding children targeting wildlife terrorise Kent village
A Kent village is being terrorised by a group of catapult-wielding children who are targeting wildlife. Residents in Greenhithe said the 'vile' youngsters were attacking swans and other birds on a weekly basis. Some animals have even been found dead after being shot with ball bearings, leaving some locals to fear for their own safety. Holly Collins said she was targeted at St Clements Lake in Greenhithe on Sunday after challenging the group. The incident happened while her children were in the back of her car. Ms Collins, 37, said: 'I pulled up outside their house, and there were teenagers aiming at ducks in the lake. I shouted at them, 'You better not be hurting those ducks, because I'll call the police', and they all started swearing at me.' Ms Collins estimated that there were around a dozen boys aged between 12 and 13. She added: 'I got back in the car and we drove off, but my son's friend had forgotten his phone, so we came back and then they were all aiming at me. 'I had the window open with the kids in the car, and they hit it but luckily it missed me. Then they all ran off.' 'Very vile individuals' Residents said the attacks were happening at both St Clements Lakes and the lakes at Bluewater Shopping Centre, with 'no end in sight'. Anum Abid, who has lived by St Clements Lakes for seven years, said: 'It's just ridiculous how bad it's getting. Everyone is just so fed up and frustrated. She added: 'You'll see an average kid here wanting to throw stones at a bird for absolutely no reason whatsoever and the thing is they seem to have no fear of anything. They're very vile individuals.' Carly Ahlen, another resident and a wildlife campaigner, claimed the regularity of attacks had resulted in a decrease in the bird population at the lakes. Last year, she was alerted to the killing of eight geese which had been deliberately hit in nearby Dartford. A few months ago, a moorhen and a goose were shot and killed with ball bearings on the St Clements Lakes development.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Plans for renewable battery energy storage site in Dartford
Plans have been unveiled to house more than 100 batteries in storage containers on farmland near a Kent Renewables has applied to Dartford Borough Council for planning permission for the energy storage facility in submitted to the authority on 29 April said the renewables firm wants to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) off Bean Lane in is not yet known when the planning committee will decide on the bid although a target deadline of 29 July has been set, while the public can comment on the plans until 30 May, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service. "The site comprises a 3.7 hectare [9 acre] parcel of land that is currently in agricultural use," the company insists that as the proposal is "fully reversible", any land would not be "permanently or irreversibly lost," and only about half the farmland will be built systems are intended to store energy, largely from renewable sources, so that it can be deployed into the grid when there is demand to avoid wasting energy."The 104 megawatts of storage of the site can meet the average electricity needs of 215,000 homes for two hours," planning documents saidThe batteries themselves will be stored in metal containers "similar in appearance to a ubiquitous profiled steel shipping container."The site is set to have 24/7 CCTV coverage and fences all Renewables also say there will be a "biodiversity net gain" as part of their plans through a "broadleaved planting area" forming "an extension to Darenth Wood".They also propose that the development will only be temporary, and after 40 years the facility will be decommissioned and removed, and the land returned to agricultural use.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Greenhithe residents hit back at plans for 400 homes
Plans for 400 homes on a former Kent landfill site have been submitted despite villagers saying the area is now "as busy as central London".Developers PMG Regeneration originally mooted proposals for 376 new homes on the Biffa site south of London Road in Greenhithe in in April, the developers submitted an outline planning application to Dartford Borough Council for up to 400 objecting villager wrote: "Greenhithe used to be a lovely little village, now it's become as busy as central London, it seems every little piece of land you can possibly build on, it's built on." The waste site sits next to Knockhall Chase and Mounts Road and has been left empty since the developers said homes had been earmarked on the site for years."The site has been consistently promoted for residential development of between 300 and 500 homes since 2007," they the homes proposed, 35% – or 140 of the 400 – are set to be marketed as affordable housing, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Planning documents submitted by the developers read: "The development would utilise previously developed land to create a modest and contained extension within Greenhithe to accommodate the borough's growing housing needs."The plans have received written objections from 18 villager wrote: "Yes we need more houses, but this area is swamped already."The roads are awful, parking is terrible and the traffic is dreadful as it is." Several of the objections cited the continued closure of the A226 Galley Hill Road in Swanscombe due to a cliff collapse as a reason for is not yet known when Dartford council's planning committee will decide on the bid, but an internal target deadline of 1 August has been an outline planning application, the bid seeks approval for the principle of development on the it were approved, further planning applications would be needed to confirm the exact layout and design of the estate.
