Dover News - January 2007

Police are investigating an attempted robbery at Lloyds Bank in Market Square, Dover on Saturday morning. At 9.15 am, a cleaner working in the bank was confronted by two men, one of whom is believed to have had a handgun.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was assaulted in Dover early on New Year's Day which left him with a blood clot on his brain, cuts and bruises.

Dover Marina recorded its best ever year in 2006 with a record number of resident berth-holders and the highest number of visitors for six years.

Details of a new marina at the Port of Dover will be announced at a customer and public consultation in the town later this month.

A new look competition is being launched this week by the Rotary Club of Dover in its quest to find the 2007 Young Musician of the Year. Building on the success of previous years, the club has expanded the competition to include anyone who is living in, or who attends a state or private school in the Dover district area.

Dover Museum has acquired a fantastic new photographic archive of 460 important images for the area. The pictures belonged to a local collector who has been collecting postcards of Dover for over 25 years, and were purchased at less-than-market price with support from the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and a generous donation from Dover Town Council.

The Port of Dover saw increases in its freight and tourist traffic in 2006 for the second year running underlining the need to expand port capacity. A record 2.3 million lorries passed through the port in 2006 whilst 2.6 million tourist cars and over 100,000 coaches used the ferry services to Calais, Dunkerque and Boulogne.

Dover Cruise Port is to host a national cruise trade fair in May in association with the Passenger Shipping Association's travel agents division. The two-day event will include the opportunity to visit up to four cruise ships as well as take part in a varied training and seminar programme with guest speakers.

A new pocket guide to the Port of Dover's ferry facilities and services is available free of charge.

Cross-Channel ferry services from Dover were suspended today as severe gales swept across the area.

Enjoy White Cliffs Country all year round - that's the message in the new tourism campaign for White Cliffs Country 2007, which was launched at a special event held today at the Pines Calyx, at the Pines Gardens in St Margaret's Bay.

A Designated Public Places Order, which will control the consumption of alcohol in public places in specified areas, will be introduced by Dover District Council with effect from 1st February 2007.

A special event is being held at Dover District Council on 19 February to provide information to anyone who may be interested in standing for election at the coming local elections, and to give a valuable insight into what life as a Councillor is really like.

Dover District Council is welcoming major news today that it has been selected to lead the way as one of the 13 Local Authorities running Government pilot schemes in the forthcoming Local Government elections.

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has agreed a grant of £7.5 million to assist Dover District Council in the comprehensive redevelopment of the St James area of Dover Town Centre.

Police are appealing for witnesses and information after a ram raid incident at the One Stop Shop in Sandwich Road, Whitfield near Dover early on Monday morning 29 January.

Police were called to Cherry Tree Avenue, Dover at 8.40pm on Monday night (29 Jan) following reports of an armed robbery at the LONDIS store.

People are being given the chance to express their views on proposals to improve the area around Dover Priory Station. From 1 to 9 February, there is an exhibition in the foyer of Dover Discovery Centre between 9am and 5pm.

SpeedFerries, which has signed a four-year lease on part of the old Hoverport at Dover's Western Docks, previously used by Hoverspeed, has commenced a programme of preparation and refurbishment of the site and hopes to start operating from the Hoverport before Easter 2007.