From the Dover Mercury, 24 January 2018, by Sam Lennon.

‘48 minutes to report drunk driver.’

A woman says she took over three quarters of an hour to reach police when a motorist drove “drunk as a lord” the wrong way up a one-way street Augusta Pearson told a meeting that she waited 48 minutes to get through to police by phone.

She told a residents’ group: “I dialled 101 and had to wait 48 minutes. Someone went the wrong way up the High Street drunk as a lord.”

Watch co-ordinator revealed this at the Tower Hamlets Forum annual meeting.

She explained afterwards to the Mercury that the incident had happened last December.

She had seen the silver Opel Astra turn right from Tower Hamlets Road and go along Dover High Street “waltzing, swaying all over the place”.

The car continued for hundreds of yards, going into the pedestrianised Biggin Street.

She dialled 101, still holding the mobile phone to her ear as she ran in pursuit of the car.

Her phone kept cutting off and she rang three times, making the whole wait 48 minutes.

She never got through and a passer-by took over making the call.

Mrs Pearson, 68, told the Mercury: “The car stopped outside Boots in Biggin Street and the driver was slumped at the wheel, appearing to be asleep.

“A member of the public opened the door and he got out stumbling. He was speaking loudly and took off up the street.

“I can’t blame the police, they are incredibly busy and I suppose I could have got a different result if I had just dialled 999 but I didn’t think.”

Mrs Pearson is convinced that the driver had been drinking because of his demeanour and physical movement. Mrs Pearson, who was at the meeting as a committee member, had with other residents been discussing the 101 police non-emergency service.

They had spoken to Insp Stuart Norris, of Dover’s Community Support Unit who said he had no influence on the 101 system but said there was a high demand for it.

He said the public should dial 999 when a crime is in progress and the police call handler would still prioritise and triage calls.

From the Dover Mercury, 7 February 2018.

Alcoholic fined for drink ‘lapse.’

A recovering alcoholic has been ordered to pay hundreds of pounds after he was caught urinating in the street in broad daylight.

Adam Woolnough, of Folkestone Road in Dover, appeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court charged with being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

Prosecutor Neil Sweeney said a 14-year-old girl had seen the 33-year-old carpenter in Black-bull Road in Folkestone and was scared by how drunk he was.

Mr Sweeney said: “She saw he had a can of beer in one hand and his mobile phone in the other, and could see he was urinating in the street. It made her feel scared.

“She walked quickly and he was still urinating. After the police arrived they could see he was extremely intoxicated.” District judge Justin Barron speculated that a previous alcohol order must not have been going well for Woolnough.

But his defence solicitor Jason Neumas said the incident on January 8 was a blip in his recovery, and said Woolnough had not had a drop of alcohol since. He said: “He is remorseful, and he does struggle as an alcoholic. He found Christmas particularly difficult, and he lost his job and was struggling to pay his bills.

“But he is engaging with Alcoholics Anonymous and has been in contact with his GP.”

Judge Barron ordered Woolnough to pay a £120 fine, £85 for court costs, and a £30 victim surcharge.