KentOnline
The top stories from the KentOnline news team
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Episodes
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Podcast: Owner of Boathouse Fisheries claims video about 'dodgy shops' by MP Tony Vaughan contributed to closure of Hythe branch
Wednesday, 3 June 2026
The owners of a seafood business in Hythe have told KentOnline that a video posted on social media by the local MP about so called 'dodgy shops' has contributed to their decision to close. Boathouse Fisheries opened a fishmongers and bistro on the High Street in February last year, but after 16 months in the town, they're shutting because of rising business rates, higher wages, increasing energy bills and reduced footfall. However, they've also criticised a video posted online by MP Tony Vaughan. Also in today's podcast, after more than a dozen people lost their lives in water during the re...
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Podcast: Anger as NHS Kent and Medway makes cuts to IVF treatment and lowers eligibility age limit for women
Tuesday, 2 June 2026
It's claimed significant changes to IVF provision in Kent have been brought in 'under the radar'. From the start of April, the number of cycles on the NHS has been cut from two to one, while the upper age limit for women to start treatment has been lowered from 40 to 38. Health papers due to be discussed by councillors this week suggests the change brings Kent in-line with most other areas. Hear from a county councillor who is also a former NHS director. Also in today's podcast, a dad who lives near Maidstone has been telling us about the impact of ongoing water supply disruption. South Eas...
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Podcast: Pembury mum starts petition calling for extra funding to save children's services run by Hospice in the Weald
Monday, 1 June 2026
A mum's told the podcast how she burst into tears after finding out a hospice in Kent that supports her son, will be withdrawing its service for children. Six year-old Kit Slessor-Pavely has life-limiting complex needs and is regularly visited by staff from the Hospice in the Weald in Pembury. But the charity say fundraising hasn't kept up with rising costs and 10 jobs are at risk. Hear from Kit's mum Kaz who has set up a petition. Also in today's episode, around 4,000 homes in Kent are still experiencing problems with their water supply. Low pressure and intermittent supply has been impact...
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Podcast: Residents complain about mountains of rubbish left outside Samuels Tower in Chatham
Friday, 29 May 2026
A huge pile of rubbish has been left outside a block of flats in Medway for weeks, with residents complaining about the smell during the hot weather. Council-contracted bin men have refused to clear up the mountain of bin bags and cardboard in the car park of Samuels Tower in Chatham and landlords who took over the block last year say it's an ongoing problem. Also in today's podcast, people in Whitstable are being warned their water supply could stay patchy over the weekend, after taps ran dry. South East Water says supply should be back today, but it's still under strain, after 8,000 homes...
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Podcast: Teenage boy dies after getting into difficulty while swimming in a pond in Swanscombe near Dartford
Thursday, 28 May 2026
The body of a teenage boy has been found in Swanscombe following concerns about a swimmer in a pond. Police, paramedics and fire crews were called to water near Galley Hill Road at around 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Scuba divers were also spotted heading to the scene. Also in today's podcast, TikTok influencers have denied fuelling trouble on a Kent beach over the bank holiday which led to a number of arrests and people being moved on by police. Videos shared on the social media site described a gathering at Viking Bay as 'Broadstairs' Biggest Beach Link-up' - with a comment suggesting a...
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Podcast: Six people arrested as police use extra powers to break-up antisocial groups on Thanet's beaches
Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Antisocial behaviour during the hot weather in Thanet over the weekend has led to six people being arrested. Dispersal orders were put in place in Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate with officers also called to reports of underage drinking. One teenager was detained for assaulting an emergency worker and possession of cannabis - while another was held for criminal damage and assault. Also on today's podcast, disruption to water supplies is continuing for residents in various parts of Kent. South East Water have apologised to customers in Whitstable, Herne Bay and Maidstone. Hear from the dad...
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Podcast: Veolia bin lorry driver from Rainham avoids prison and keeps licence despite seriously injuring woman in crash near Maidstone
Tuesday, 26 May 2026
A bin lorry driver, who injured a woman after crashing into her car at a crossroads near Maidstone, has been spared jail and allowed to keep his licence. Dino Farrell, 52, from Bedson Walk in Rainham, failed to stop at a four-way junction in Langley in February 2024 - having not seen a ‘Stop’ sign and an unbroken white line marking. Also in today's podcast, lifeboat crews in Kent have issued a warning after being called out to several emergencies involving jet skis during the hot weather. One was found abandoned near a shipping lane off Sheppey over the Bank Holiday weekend - while another ...
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Podcast: Victim speaks out as cowboy builders are jailed over £1.3 million scam
Friday, 22 May 2026
A Kent widow who was conned out of almost £150,000 said her late husband was driven out of his home by a cowboy builder. Two men have been convicted of fraud following an eight-week trial, after scamming victims out of a total of £1.3 million. Also in today's episode, there are concerns children in Kent could go hungry during half term as a voucher scheme has been scrapped. The county council previously provided £10 a week for pupils on free school meals to use during the holidays, but it has been withdrawn due to 'funding constraints'. Roads are expected to be busy ahead of the bank holida...
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Podcast: Driver jailed over fatal crash after brake-checking BMW on A249 near Sittingbourne
Thursday, 21 May 2026
A grandmother who brake-checked a driver on a dual carriageway leading to a crash which killed a motorcyclist has been sentenced to five years in prison. 55-year-old Collette Gibson from Lime Close in South Ockendon, Essex was convicted of causing Paul Wright’s death on the A249 near Sittingbourne in 2022. Also in today's episode, a registered sex offender who was caught talking to a 13-year-old girl online has been locked up for two years. Police have released footage of his interview, where he claimed he only started the conversation to get her banned from a website. A zombie knife has be...
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Podcast: East Kent Hospitals Trust staff offered chance to resign as part of cuts
Wednesday, 20 May 2026
East Kent Hospitals is offering employees one-off payments to leave their jobs as part of plans to reduce their workforce. Health campaigners have raised concerns about the loss of clinical staff, which bosses insist won't happen. We are being warned to expect a busy weekend on the roads as Operation Brock comes into force on the M20. The Bank Holiday and half term getaway will see thousands of people heading through Dover and Folkestone. The MP for Folkestone and Hythe is calling for better support and action to stop ex-offenders committing more crimes. Tony Vaughan says the re-offending r...
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Podcast: Investigation after man and woman killed in crash on A228 near Pembury, Tunbridge Wells
Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Detectives are investigating a crash near Tunbridge Wells which has killed a man and woman in their 60s. The car they were in came off the carriageway of the A228 near Pembury and collided with trees in woodland yesterday. A lorry driver who was on a video call with his wife when he caused a fatal crash on the M20 has been jailed. The 58-year-old ploughed into a stationary car near Lenham last November, killing dad-of-two Arran McManus. A man has been sent to prison after police found a large number of cannabis plants above a takeaway in Maidstone. Bodycam footage shows the moment officers ...
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Podcast: One-year-old girl among hundreds of Kent children recorded as crime suspects
Monday, 18 May 2026
Hundreds of Kent children under the age of 10 have been recorded as suspects in crimes, ranging from violence and arson to weapon possession A Freedom of Information Request has revealed the youngest person to be reported was a one-year-old girl. Also in today's episode, residents in Maidstone say water is still pouring from a manhole cover - six months after the leak was reported. They have raised concerns about bills going up while supplies are being wasted. A man who works for the air ambulance charity that covers Kent has been telling us how he wants to give back, after they saved his l...
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Podcast: Homes Under the Hammer star Clive Emson from Kent dies aged 79
Friday, 15 May 2026
A Kent auctioneer who starred on episodes of Homes Under the Hammer, has died. Clive Emson started his career as an estate agent before setting up his own company. Also in today's podcast, the Canterbury MP has revealed she would consider re-joining the Labour Party, if Andy Burnham became leader. The Mayor of Greater Manchester is going to ask to stand in a by-election in a bid to make a return to Westminster. It's thought he could then make a leadership bid against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who's been under pressure since last week's local election results. There's going to be a pro...
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Podcast: Chatham man banned from JD Gyms at Horsted Retail Park after threatening to stay ex partner
Thursday, 14 May 2026
A Medway man has been banned from a gym after threatening to kill his former partner. A court's been told Kyal Ferguson also said he would harm himself - and damaged his ex's property after turning up at her home. The 39 year-old from Frost Crescent in Chatham admitted harassment and criminal damage. Also in today's podcast, major repairs could be carried out on a property in Dover that's home to a number of businesses, after rain started leaking through balconies. Dolphin House in Market Square was built in the 1950s and people who own companies below flats above say the situation is parti...
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Podcast: Major incident declared at Miller Heights on Lower Stone Street, Maidstone after basement flood affected electrics
Wednesday, 13 May 2026
A major incident was declared at a block of flats in Maidstone, following a flood which caused an electrical fault. Miller Heights on Lower Stone Street has been issued with a prohibition notice after a burst pipe in the basement wiped out the power supply. Around 200 people have been forced to leave their homes and are being supported by the local authority. Also in today's podcast, there's serious division within the Labour party as the Prime Minister continues to face pressure to resign. Yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer told his top team he won't be quitting, despite taking responsibility for...
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Podcast: Lorry drivers jailed for attacking man in row over parking space at Moto Medway service station on M2 near Gillingham
Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Three lorry drivers who attacked a man at a service station on the M2 have been jailed. A court's been told the victim suffered multiple fractures, a bleed on the brain and seizure after it happened at the site in Gillingham in February. Also in today's podcast, a Kent MP has joined calls for Sir Keir Starmer to resign after stepping down from her government role. Naushabah Khan, who represents Gillingham and Rainham, says the Prime Minister has "lost the confidence of the public". Folkestone and Hythe's Tony Vaughan is also calling for an orderly transition of leadership. For the first tim...
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Podcast: Cash payments at council-run car parks in Dover could be scrapped as the council looks to replace all existing pay-and-display machines
Monday, 11 May 2026
Cash payments at council-run car parks in part of Kent could become a thing of the past. Bosses in Dover are looking at ditching all existing pay-and-display machines and replacing them with cashless units. It would force drivers to use contactless cards or mobile phone app payments instead. We've been finding out what some motorists in the town think. Also in today's podcast, there's pressure on the Prime Minister following local election results. Labour lost more than 1,400 councillors and 40 local authorities in England - while Reform made significant gains. There were also good results ...
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Podcast: Grandad living off-grid on Swanscombe Peninsula describes the scene after his home was demolished
Friday, 8 May 2026
A man who had been living off-grid in north Kent for more than 30 years, says he feels 'absolutely dead' after his property was demolished. Bob Thwaites had called a caravan on Swanscombe Peninsula home since 1991, but the structure - and everything inside - has been levelled to the ground by the landowners of the site. Also on today's podcast, a dangerous driver who led police on a 20 minute chase after refusing to stop in Edenbridge has been jailed. The 23-year-old was spotted acting suspiciously on Mont St Aignan Way last month and followed into south London. The chief executive of South...
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Podcast: Teenage biker, 17, killed in crash on Lower Road in Tonge has been described as the 'kindest of souls'
Thursday, 7 May 2026
A teenage motorcyclist who died in a crash near Sittingbourne has been described as the 'kindest of souls'. Oliver Tarvit collided with a VW transporter while riding along Lower Road in Tonge last month. The 17 year-old's parents have now vowed to improve the safety of the 60 mile per hour road. Also in today's podcast, a union's warning staff at Darent Valley Hospital are struggling to maintain safe hygiene standards because of a water supply issue. A fault in the heating system means taps in a large part of the building in Dartford have been deemed contaminated since last week. UNISON cla...
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Podcast: Residents in Lordswood near Chatham say building work on the Capstone Oaks development is causing dust and vibrations
Wednesday, 6 May 2026
People living next to a building site in Medway say their lives have been made a misery by dust. The first phase of the Capstone Oaks development off North Dane Way in Lordswood will have 91 homes, but neighbours in Hampshire Close and Barleymow Close have complained. Hear from one of them who says construction noise is also an issue. We've also got a response from developers. Also in today's podcast, the Dartford MP has told us that lessons need to be learnt - after a major water supply issue at a Kent hospital. Patients and staff have been told not to drink or wash in water from taps in a...
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Podcast: Hythe man secretly cremated dad and stole £5,700 from his bank account days after his death
Tuesday, 5 May 2026
A Hythe man who stole thousands of pounds from his dad and secretly arranged his cremation without telling his family has appeared in court. Richard Avery had been estranged from dad George for 20 years, and took cash from his bank account within days of his death in 2022. The 56 year-old from Battery Point admitted fraud by false representation. Also on today's podcast, hear the moment a man was kicked out of a Canterbury City Council meeting just days after being convicted of harassing a councillor. Kenneth Little narrowly avoided being issued with a restraining order after appearing in c...
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Podcast: Three teenagers who killed Alexander Cashford on a Sheppey beach have been locked up for a total of 19 years
Friday, 1 May 2026
Three teenagers who killed a man on a Sheppey beach are starting a total of 19 years in custody. The group attacked Alexander Cashford two days after he'd met one of them by chance in an arcade in Leysdown last August. They accused the 49-year-old from Rainham of being a paedophile, he was then hit with a bottle and pelted with rocks. Also in today's podcast, the chair of South East Water has resigned as a group of MPs say they have no confidence in the company's leaders. Chris Train has stepped down following a report by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee. We've got reaction...
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Podcast: Woman ordered to repaint blue home in Deal after Dover District Council issued an enforcement notice
Thursday, 30 April 2026
A woman has been ordered to repaint her home after being told the current bright blue shade is 'unsympathetic' with a conservation area in Deal. Mary Kenny had spent more than £3,000 having the property in West Street decorated but has now received a letter from the council. She has been speaking to our reporter Louis Walker. Also on today's podcast, an investigation has found a knife attack might have been prevented if a man had received better mental health care in Kent. A 31-year-old stabbed another man just a month after being discharged from the care of the Kent and Medway NHS Social C...
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Podcast: People living in Nautilus Drive and Nautilus Close in Minster on Sheppey say their homes and cars have been targeted by someone with a catapult
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
People living in part of Sheppey think a person armed with a catapult is responsible for a campaign of attacks on property and vehicles. Neighbours in Nautilus Drive and Nautilus Close say they've suffered smashed windows and broken windscreens over the past three weeks. Ball bearings and marbles have been discovered in the rubble. Also in today's podcast, you can hear from two mum's from Whitstable who've developed a new program to help children whose parents are separated or divorced. Tara Flynn and Kim Rojas-Powell say many youngsters don't meet the threshold for support and are falling ...
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Podcast: Former manager of The Clipper pub in Dartford jailed for fraud after taking more than £100k from the business
Tuesday, 28 April 2026
The former manager of a pub in Dartford has been jailed for fraud after taking more than £100,000 from the business. A court heard how the 33-year-old repeatedly failed to deposit all the weekend earnings from The Clipper at the bank. Hear from our reporter who covered the case in court. Also in today's podcast, a court's heard how masked raiders stole £140,000 worth of motorbikes from a warehouse in Medway, after a loading bay was left open by an employee. The gang of 12 targeted Noatum Logistics on the Isle of Grain in July last year. A water company's admitted releasing untreated sewage ...
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Podcast: Strood woman is banned from Bluewater Shopping Centre after stealing from stores including Boots, Next, H&M and New Look
Monday, 27 April 2026
A Strood woman has been banned from Bluewater after being found with £5,000 worth of stolen goods. Sonia Virdi, 36, of Cooling Road was caught on CCTV stealing from stores including New Look, Pull and Bear and River Island in November and December last year. Also in today's podcast, a man suspected of stealing a phone from a child has been caught, after jumping out of a window in Maidstone as he tried to avoid police. Sean McFetridge - who's 43 and from Yalding Hill - was escaping as officers entered a property in Hope Street on April 17th. A man who started taking ketamine when he was just...
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Podcast: Thug who knocked celebrity DJ unconscious at Margate nightclub spared jail
Friday, 24 April 2026
A thug has avoided jail after knocking a celebrity DJ unconscious in a shocking attack caught on camera at a Kent gig. Mobile phone footage shows the moment Zack Bradley punched fellow disc-jockey Fat Tony to the floor at The Lido in Cliftonville drawing gasps from the crowd as the music cuts out. Also in today’s podcast, a couple with three young children, including a 10-week-old baby, have told of their heartbreak after they “lost everything” in a house fire. Jodie Pashley and Craig Harker’s home in Margate, went up in flames earlier this month, and have been living in a hotel ever since....
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Podcast: Traders in Queenborough on Sheppey say new parking chargers are impacting their businesses
Thursday, 23 April 2026
There are calls for parking charges introduced in part of Sheppey to be scrapped, because of the impact it's having on local businesses. Traders in Queenborough say they've noticed a drop in footfall since the start of the month when motorists were made to pay. Also in today's pocdast, the Government's due to sign a new multimillion pound deal with France in an attempt to stop small boat Channel crossings to Kent. It'll see hundreds more police and military personnel deployed to French beaches. More than 41,000 people made the journey last year - beating previous records. We've got reaction...
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Podcast: Inquest told 'inspirational' headteacher of Barham Primary School near Canterbury took her own life amid fears she was developing dementia
Wednesday, 22 April 2026
A hearing has been told the headteacher of a school near Canterbury took her own life amid fears she was developing dementia. Alison Higgins had worked at Barham Primary for 10 years before her death, and was described as thoughtful, supporting and caring. Also in today's podcast, the head of a special needs school in Kent has warned they may be forced to make redundancies following a lower than expected funding increase. Five Acre Wood School, in Maidstone, supports nearly 900 students with severe and complex needs. They have received a 1% per-pupil uplift in cash from Kent County Council,...
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Podcast: Former Odeon cinema in Canterbury will need to be completely demolished as losses mount for Tokyo Tea Rooms owner
Tuesday, 21 April 2026
It's been confirmed a former cinema in Canterbury will need to be completely demolished following a devastating fire. The blaze broke out at the Odeon in St George's Place on Valentine's Day. Hear from Louise Jones-Roberts who is the owner of Tokyo Tea Rooms which is based next door and has been closed since the fire started. Also in today's podcast, a Kent woman who was misdiagnosed with a birth injury, has been praised in parliament for the work she's done to train midwives. Joanne Page suffered a fourth degree tear while having her baby at the William Harvey Hospital. A petition to save ...
