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Wednesday June 7 | 2023
REVOLTING CHILDREN: The cast from Matilda Jnr, by the Trinity Youth Theatre, performed at the Hever Theatre Festival last week. Forty events are planned for the festival throughout the summer. For more information on summer events throughout Tunbridge Wells, see page 3.
Fire crews tackle Kingstanding Way blaze as local businesses lose power By Lilly Croucher FIRE services were called to a blaze on an industrial estate in Tunbridge Wells last week after flames had engulfed a car and an electrical substation, leaving at least 40 nearby businesses without power. Four fire engines from Kent Fire & Rescue Service attended a fire at 12.21pm on Thursday June 1, involving premises inside the Decimus Park industrial estate in Kingstanding Way. Neighbouring businesses were evacuated, and the power was shut off by UK Power Networks for safety reasons. Nobody was injured during the incident. Videos online showed fire crews
battling flames that had burned out a car and spread rapidly to the outside of the building and electrical substation. Plumes of black smoke were seen from
‘I was moving round the building looking out of the windows and saw the car go up.’ North Farm Road and Longfield Road. A Kent Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said: “It’s believed the fire started accidentally in an outdoor smoking area, which spread to a car, a
nearby substation and a large commercial unit. The cause is being linked to discarded smoking materials.” By 2.40pm, the fire had been put out by crews, who remained on the scene to cool the remaining hotspots and assist electrical engineers, while officers from Kent Police closed the road. Katie, an employee from a nearby business, told the Times: “I was one of the first people to call the fire brigade. “The fire looked like it was in the bins next to the building and it spread really quickly to the car in front and then to the substation.
Continued on page 2
INSIDE: Mass bike ride for new cycle path on A26 – page 3