Chronicle, Thursday, November 4, 2010 7www.thisiskent.co.uk SCH-EO1-S2

A PET sheep has been put downfollowing a savage dog attack sixweeks ago.

Raisin contracted an infectionof the bone after being bitten bya dog while he was grazing inhis family’s paddock.

Michelle Burnham, 41, whohand reared the six-year-oldsheep from a lamb, said thatdespite her family’s hopes to thecontrary, Raisin never recoveredfrom the attack.

“We kept hoping that he’d getbetter, kept trying differentantibiotics, but nothing worked,”she said. “In the end we came tothe decision that the kindestthing to do would be to put himto sleep.”

The mother-of-two, from MainRoad in Knockholt, keeps sixother sheep at her home.

She was shocked when a smalldog entered the enclosure andattacked Raisin.

“It’s really sad; he was just inhis field, doing nothing, when hewas suddenly attacked,” she said.

“My neighbours say they sawa small black dog get through thehedge and the fence and biteRaisin.”

FuriousKate Wheeler-Booth, of

Meopham Veterinary Surgery,who was treating Raisin, wasfurious about the attack.

“It’s outrageous that thesepeople let their dog run aroundoff its leash if there’s any chanceof it attacking another animal,”she said. “It’s terrible, Raisinwas a young sheep, who couldhave lived for another ten yearsor so. This family have spent somuch time raising him, he’s oneof the family, and now they’redistraught.

“The people responsibleshould come forward.”

Mrs Burnham said that so far,no one had claimedresponsibility for the animal.“I’m so cross with the owners,”she said. “You naturally blamethe dog but it’s the owners whoare really responsible.”

IN BRIEF

Fireworks display wentoff with a bang or twoUNDERRIVER: Bonfire Night went off early andwith a bang at the White Rock Inn, in Underriver.

Despite Friday being a wet night around 250people enjoyed fireworks and a barbecue and hogroast rolls.

The evening was organised by UnderriverVillage Association in conjunction with Frank andMaria Scott at the White Rock Inn and more than£700 was raised for the annual Poppy Appeal.

Third Sevenoaks Scouts’ display is on Saturday,November 6 – not Sunday, November 7 as listed lastweek. Gates open at 6pm in Bradbourne Vale Road.

Triathlon very popularSEVENOAKS: Places for April’s SevenoaksTriathlon sold out just two days after beingexclusively announced in the Chronicle.

Organisers the 7oaks Tri Club are staging theevent just once next year, on April 10.

Race director Martin Brown said: “We are reallypleased that the Sevenoaks Triathlon is stillpopular enough to sell out in a few days.”

Remembering SharonIGHTHAM: A celebration of life will be held atIghtham Church on Tuesday for Sharon Murphy,who lost her fight against cancer on October 15.

The 47-year-old Borough Green woman, whoworked with her husband Richard at KristiesAntiques in the High Street, will be remembered atSt Peter’s at 11am, with a cremation at VintersPark, Maidstone, at 12.30pm.

The mother-of-two was diagnosed with breastcancer in 2002, but defied medical experts for eightyears. She and Mr Murphy were married byspecial licence in September last year.

Everyone is invited to attend. Flowers arewelcome, or cancer charity donations.

Draw up a will for freeSEVENOAKS: Solicitors have agreed to join WillAid’s Make a Will Month in November and willdraw up wills for free, encouraging the recipientsto make a voluntary donation to the Will Aid groupof charities instead.

The Reece-Jones Partnership, 01732 457575;Baker Macdonald, 01732 457978; Roger Dean & Co,01959 542872 are all participating in Will Aid.

Due to the high demand, people are advised tobook appointments as soon as possible.

Family petput downafter attack

TRAGIC:Raisinthesheepwho wasputdown

£6k fraudster issorry for crimeCheater falsely claimed three types of benefit

APOLOGY: Mark Taylor

GIRLGUIDING membersfrom Kemsing, Otford, Sealand Sevenoaks joinedthousands of girls andwomen across the countryas they launched the next100 years of Guiding.

Some 200 Rainbows,Brownies, Guides, leadersand Trefoil Guild membersfrom the Otford and Sealdivision celebrated the endof the Guides’ centenaryyear with a torchlitprocession from Kemsing toOak Hall, Otford, where theyenjoyed a campfire andfirework display. The partyat Oak Hall, Otford, was oneof hundreds at the sametime throughout the UK.

At Sevenoaks School,more than 260 took part in asimilar event.

By Harriet Cookereporters@sevenoaks-chronicle.co.uk

A BENEFIT cheat has apo-logised after swindling morethan £6,000.

Mark Taylor of Hale Lane,Otford, admitted to threecounts of illegally claimingincome support, housing andcouncil tax benefits betweenFebruary and December2009.

He appeared before Sev-enoaks magistrates after aninvestigation by SevenoaksDistrict Council and the De-partment for Work and Pen-sions.

Taylor, 32, told the Chron-icle he had “learnt from hismistakes” and will now payback the money.

He added: “I know what Ihave done was wrong but I’mnot the first person to do itand unfortunately I won’t bethe last.

“There are no excuses forwhat I’ve done.

“I have never been introuble before like this and Iwould never do it again.”

In December last yearTaylor signed off income sup-port stating he had startedfull-time work.

But fraud teams found hehad started work in February,but had continued to claimbenefits without informingthe authorities of his newcircumstances.

He incorrectly received£5,746.05 income support,£343.34 in housing benefitand £103.37 in council tax be-nefit, totalling £6,192.76.

SentencedMagistrates sentenced him

to 100 hours of unpaid com-munity work and orderedhim to pay £60 towards pro-secution costs.

Both the Department for

Work and Pensions and Sev-enoaks District Council areactively seeking the repay-ment of all overpaid benefit.

District councillor BrianRamsay said: “Benefit cheatsshould be aware that we havethe ways and the means ofunearthing those who at-tempt to defraud the system.

“Our dedicated fraud in-vestigation team has datamatching technology and in-telligence from residents atit’s disposal.

“This combined with reg-ular case reviews means weare closing in on thecheats.”

The council has prosec-uted five benefit cheats sinceApril, including Mr Taylor.

Spokesman Daniel Whit-marsh said: “During thisperiod we have also issuedseven formal cautions andtwo administrative penalties.In all the council has un-earthed incorrectly paid be-nefit amounting to over£130,000 since April.

“Every penny of this willhave to be paid back.”

Anyone with informationrelating to benefit fraud cancall the confidential benefitfraud hotline on 01322343245.

Party lookingforward to anew century

BRIGHT FUTURE: Brown Owl Jane Woodrow-Clark with Brownies, Rainbows andGuides TWPL20101020B-003_C