Dover News - March 2011

A 69 year old man who concealed almost £60,000 of cash in an attempt to smuggle it out of the country through Dover, has been ordered to pay back £380,000 or face a further four years in jail.

UK Border Agency officers are investigating after approximately ten kilos of heroin worth £750,000 was seized at Dover.

Dover District Council has confirmed that its part of the Council Tax bill has been frozen at the same level as 2010/11 for the next financial year.

Plans that will see a new organisation take over the management of council housing in Dover District, with the aim of improving the service to tenants and leaseholders, have been given the final go-ahead.

A VIP delegation from Indonesia visited the Port of Dover last week in order to discover how the port plans for the future.

Dover Big Screen is inviting residents and visitors to text in thoughts and pictures for a special presentation to be shown on the screen in Dover Market Square.

Operation Cubit targeted Dover District from 7-11 March and removed 30 abandoned and untaxed vehicles from the streets of the district.

As part of the Dover Quality Bus Partnership, Dover District Council has funded 17 new bus shelters across Dover District for the 2010/11 financial year - with 10 already installed and 7 on order for the near future.

Police in Dover have arrested a man on suspicion of kidnap following an extensive search.

With only around 500 days until the start of the 2012 Olympic Games, people are being reminded that if they are thinking about renting out a spare room or their entire house, they need to check whether there's tax to pay.

Key partners have presented a major report to Ministers in Westminster today following news last month that Pfizer will exit its research and development facility in Sandwich by the end of 2012.

Families and friends gathered last week to recognise the dedication and outstanding service shown in 2010 from Port of Dover police officers and civilian colleagues in an awards ceremony at The Ark in Dover.

Five tonnes of hand rolling tobacco has today (Wednesday, 16 March 2011) been seized by UK Border Agency officers at Dover's Eastern Docks.

A Dutch lorry driver, living in London, pleaded guilty yesterday to attempting to import approximately five kilos of opium into the UK. The drugs had an estimated street value of £75,000.

The Port of Dover welcomes the Spring arrival of the first cruise ship of the year - the AIDACara. Launching the 2011 cruise season, the ship will call on Monday 28th March en-route from Le Havre and bound for Hamburg, Amsterdam and Antwerp on its German Bight Cruise.

Welcome to White Cliffs Country - that's the message in an exciting new multi-media tourism campaign for White Cliffs Country 2011, which was launched at Dover Town Hall yesterday.

A 49 year old lorry driver from Cardiff has been jailed for attempting to smuggle over 8 million cigarettes into the UK through Dover.

Tenants and leaseholders in Dover District can look forward to a better service in the future, with the creation of an innovative new organisation to manage council housing.

Dover Grammar School for Girls has triumphed for the second year running at the Dover District final of the 2010/11 Young Enterprise Company Programme, and will now go on to represent the Dover District Area at the Kent Final