KentOnline
The top stories from the KentOnline news team
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Episodes
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Podcast: Off-duty police officer caught on camera 'smiling' while grabbing woman's hair at Cuban nightclub in Canterbury
Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Footage has revealed the moment an off-duty police officer pulled a woman's head towards the ground by her hair at a nightclub in Canterbury. PC Thomas Odell, 30, from Allhallows Road in Lower Stoke, lost his job following the assault outside the Cuban in February. Also in today's episode, the KentOnline Podcast has been told as many as 150 children in Swale could be without a secondary school place by September next year. Kent's assistant director of education has made the admission at a meeting of councillors and residents on Sheppey. It comes after more than 50 families on the Island wer...
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Podcast: Inquest hears from survivor of crash on Old Ferry Road in Iwade near Sittingbourne which killed two teenagers
Tuesday, 21 July 2026
A teenager's told an inquest how she was trapped for three hours after the car she was in flipped into a ditch, killing her two friends near Sittingbourne. 17-year-old Adam Dudzinski was driving the vehicle, and drowned along with his girlfriend 16-year-old Chloe-Ann Naylor when the vehicle landed upside down in a ditch full of water on Old Ferry Road in Iwade on January 3rd. Also in today's podcast, a 28-year-old man's been charged with the murder of former Maidstone MP Ann Widdecombe. She was found at her home in Devon earlier this month after suffering serious injuries. The boss of a Ken...
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Podcast: Andy Burnham takes over from Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, the UK's seventh in just over a decade
Monday, 20 July 2026
The UK has got a new Prime Minister. Andy Burnham is taking over at Number 10 from Sir Keir Starmer and will be the country's seventh PM in just over a decade. He's promising to offer ‘breathing room’ over the cost-of-living and visited Gravesend just hours after becoming Labour leader on Friday. Hear what he had to say and you can also hear the thoughts of Medway Council leader Vince Maple. Also in today's episode, Year 13 students in Kent and those starting uni for the first time this autumn can now get the first dose of a Meningitis B vaccine. It's being made available following the deat...
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Podcast: Dad, 42, from Newington near Sittingbourne given months to live after skin cancer spreads to brain
Friday, 17 July 2026
A Kent dad who's been told he has months to live after skin cancer spread to his brain is hoping to marry his long-term partner and take his family on one last holiday. Sam Street had been treated for melanoma, but collapsed shortly after moving into a new house in Newington near Sittingbourne earlier this month. A scan revealed the cancer had reached his brain and his case is terminal. Also on today's episode, plans to overhaul how councils are set up and run in Kent have taken a big step forward. It's now been confirmed that when the current 14 local authorities - including KCC and Medway...
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Podcast: Kent parents urged to make sure their children have had both doses of the MMR vaccine following a rise in cases of measles
Thursday, 16 July 2026
Experts are urging parents in Kent to double check their children have had both doses of the MMR jab following a measles outbreak. Nine cases have been reported in the county since the start of the month. Vaccination rates in Kent are currently less than 83% which is much lower than the World Health Organisation recommended level of 95%. Also in today's episode, an Albanian national who's thought to have travelled to the UK each winter to burgle homes has been locked up for crimes committed in Kent. Gledis Uka, 30, was arrested after blood was found at the scene of break ins in Edenbridge a...
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Podcast: Football fever grips Kent ahead of England's World Cup semi-final against Argentina in Atlanta
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Football fever is gripping Kent ahead of England's World Cup semi final tonight. The Three Lions are taking on Argentina in Atlanta. We've been chatting to Darryl Haden who is the chief exec of the Kent FA. Also in today's podcast, we've got an update on the investigation into the death of former Maidstone MP Ann Widdecombe. In yesterday's episode we told you how anti-terror police are now leading the inquiry. They've now said 78-year-old Miss Widdecombe - who represented part of the county in parliament for 23 years - was killed in a targeted attack. We've also got more on South East Water...
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Podcast: Masts of SS Richard Montgomery bomb ship off Sheppey to be removed in September and preserved at Chatham's Historic Dockyard
Tuesday, 14 July 2026
It's been confirmed today that work to remove the masts of a famous bomb ship that sank off Sheppey will get underway in September. The SS Richard Montgomery ran aground during the second world war and has 1,400 tonnes of explosives on board. The vessels masts can be see protruding from the water and will be taken to Chatham's historic dockyard to be preserved. Also in today's podcast, Andy Burnham says police must be given the 'space they need' to investigate the death of former Maidstone MP Ann Widdecombe. The incoming Prime Minister, who'll be confirmed as Labour leader on Friday, says t...
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Podcast: Man charged with murder after body found in suitcase at Borstal Recreation Ground in Rochester
Monday, 13 July 2026
A man's due in court later charged with murder after a body was found in a suitcase in woodland near Rochester. Police were called to Borstal Recreation Ground on Friday and it's thought the victim was initially attacked in London. Hear from reporter Joe Crossley who has been covering the story. Detectives have been given more time to question a man arrested on suspicion of murdering former Maidstone MP Ann Widdecombe. The 28 year-old was arrested in Rotherham on Saturday night, 200 miles from her home in Dartmoor. A Kent MP has warned British holidaymakers could potentially die in 12-hour ...
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Podcast: Ann Widdecombe who was the MP for Maidstone and Weald for 23 years and famously appeared on Strictly Come Dancing has died aged 78
Friday, 10 July 2026
Former Kent MP Ann Widdecombe has died at the age of 78. She was the Conservative representative for Maidstone for 23 years, and famously appeared on Strictly in 2010. In recent years she became an advisor for Reform UK. Hear the time she appeared on the Kent Politics Podcast. Also on today's podcast, a report out today has raised concerns about 27-hour waiting times for A&E patients at a Kent hospital. Inspectors visited the William Harvey in Ashford in February, and found "unacceptable" overcrowding. Urgent and emergency care has been rated as requires improvement. Hear from the watchdog....
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Podcast: Top lawyer says new evidence will clear Michael Stone of 1996 Chillenden murders
Thursday, 9 July 2026
A top human rights lawyer says she is convinced one of Kent’s most notorious killers is innocent and should have his conviction quashed. Michael Stone was jailed for murdering Lin Russell and her daughter Megan in a brutal attack in Chillenden in 1996, but has always denied being responsible. Also in today's episode, a major route has been partially shut due to a serious collision involving a lorry and a female pedestrian. Police were called to the A20 Snargate Street in Dover in the early hours of this morning. A Rochester man who physically and mentally abused a woman - then hid in a frid...
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Podcast: Kent farmers having to adapt as amber heat health alert comes into force during third heatwave of the summer
Wednesday, 8 July 2026
With an amber heat health alter coming into force for Kent today, a farmer says the warm weather could be disastrous for this year's harvest. We're into our third heatwave of the summer with temperatures again in the 30s. There's hardly been any rain either. Hear from Jos Jones who runs a farm near Meopham and has been speaking to Lucy. Also in today's podcast, the Reform UK leader of Kent County Council says she supports Nigel Farage's decision to trigger a by-election in Clacton. He's standing down and will run to re-gain his seat following scrutiny over undeclared donations. He denies an...
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Podcast: LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem singer Lauren Bennett from Meopham has died aged 36
Tuesday, 7 July 2026
A Kent singer who featured on the hit song Party Rock Anthem has died at the age of 36. Lauren Bennett was born in Meopham, and appeared on the X-Factor as a teenager. Also in today's podcast, two people have been arrested during a crackdown on organised crime across Kent. One man was detained in Dartford on suspicion of modern slavery offences, while another near Sevenoaks was wanted for theft. Police have been telling us more about the operation. As part of Alcohol Awareness Week, a Kent man has revealed how he lost everything after becoming addicted. Trevor Smith started drinking when he...
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Podcast: Kent mum who filmed stalker ex outside her home fears he won't stop after he avoided a prison sentence
Monday, 6 July 2026
A mum-of-two from Deal who was stalked by her ex-partner says she's worried he won't stop, after a judge said he was powerless to send him to prison. Hugh Kennedy subjected Vicky Mickford to four months of harassment after their five-year relationship ended. The 63-year-old from Sandown Road has been given a restraining order. Hear from reporter Millie Bowles who has been covering the story. Also in today's episode, we've been hearing more about how Pride in Place funding could be spent on Sheppey. The east end of the island is getting a £20 million cash injection as it's one of Kent's most...
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Podcast: Concern for Kent care workers ahead of next heatwave, as UNISON criticises hot working conditions
Friday, 3 July 2026
Ahead of another heat health alert coming into force tomorrow, there is a warning not enough is being done to protect care workers in Kent during the hot weather. The UNISON union is concerned about staff who are trying to care for people in the scorching temperatures. Also in today's episode, an Ashford woman who grew up in Venezuela has told us the devastation in her country following a double earthquake is hard to comprehend. Tingy Simoes Lopez is collecting emergency kit to help rescuers as tens of thousands of people are still missing. Donations can be dropped off at the Free Shop in A...
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Podcast: Owners of Kentish Lady boat trip service on River Medway in Maidstone call for action to tackle antisocial behaviour
Thursday, 2 July 2026
The owners of a boat trip service in Maidstone have called for action to tackle anti-social behaviour after they were targeted with rocks and bottles. The couple, who run Kentish Lady Cruises, have also reported being abused while out on the river in the town. Hear from Reporter Davina Jethwa who has been covering this story. Also in today's podcast, another heat health alert has been issued for Kent ahead of what's expected to be a scorching weekend. Temperatures could hit 30 degrees and the yellow health warning will be in force from Saturday until next Wednesday. We've been speaking to D...
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Podcast: Herne Bay mum calls for “empathy, support and safe spaces” for the trans community following the death of her teenage daughter
Wednesday, 1 July 2026
A mum has called for “empathy, support and safe spaces” for the trans community following the death of her teenage daughter. Sigrid Taylor was born in Ashford and went to school in Canterbury before relocating to America with her family when she was 7. The 19 year-old had moved back to Herne Bay about a year before her death and a fundraiser's been set up to pay for a headstone. Also in today's podcast, dozens of pupils are having to find a different school to go to in September after a new one near Thanet failed to get approval in time. It was hoped Turner Schools Carbon 6 Pathway would be...
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Podcast: National review finds maternity care at East Kent Hospitals remains 'fragmented' but staff morale has improved
Tuesday, 30 June 2026
A major review into NHS maternity services has found the system is not fit to consistently deliver high-quality care and requires urgent reform. It's been led by Baroness Amos in a bid to drive urgent improvements. Families who'd received treatment at East Kent Hospitals were among those who contributed to the report. They reported that maternity care is still “fragmented” - but staff say morale has improved. Hear from a mum whose baby was stillborn at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford. Also in today's podcast, a leading Kent politician has told us Andy Burnham is the right man to lead...
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Podcast: Police and paramedics part of huge emergency response on Lenham Road in Headcorn
Monday, 29 June 2026
Our top story today is developing news regarding a major emergency response in Headcorn. People living on Lenham Road have told us they heard lots of sirens at about 5pm yesterday. Police and ambulance crews had arrived at the scene and set up a cordon, with other motorists being turned away. Also in today's podcast, a man in his 30s has been seriously injured after a stabbing outside a pub in Maidstone. He was taken to a London hospital after a police were called to the the High Street near The Stag. It's hoped a new college campus in Margate with courses in animation and visual effects wi...
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Podcast: Swanley mum fundraising to get life-saving treatment in Germany after being diagnosed with cervical cancer for a second time
Friday, 26 June 2026
A Kent woman fears her son could be left without either of his parents unless she's able to travel abroad for cancer treatment. Candice Powell from Swanley was first diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2019 following a smear test. After treatment, she was given the all clear the following year, but started to feel unwell in May 2025. The 39 year-old has been sharing her story. Also in today's podcast, the ambulance service covering Kent say they've seen a 20% increase in calls this week because of the hot weather. A red warning for extreme heat is in force across the county today, with temper...
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Podcast: TikTok influencer Brooke George from Gravesend charged with murder following death of man, 26, in Dubai
Thursday, 25 June 2026
A young woman from Gravesend has been charged with murder after a man was found dead in Dubai. 23-year-old Brooke George, who's an influencer on TikTok, is being held in custody. She's accused of killing a 26 year-old but claims to have been acting in self-defence following a violent assault. Hear from senior reporter Joe Crossley who has been following the story. Also in today's podcast, firefighters in Kent say they can't rule out strike action, as they fight plans to close some on-call stations. Changes to the service are being discussed at a meeting in Maidstone today, and the Fire Brig...
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Podcast: Red warning for 'extreme heat' issued for part of Kent on what could be the hottest day of the year so far
Wednesday, 24 June 2026
A red warning for extreme heat has come into force in part of Kent on what could be the hottest day of the year so far. This is only the second time the most severe alert has been issued. Some schools in the county have decided to stay closed today, while others are shutting early as temperatures could reach around 35c. Hear from Kent's deputy director of public health. Meantime, dispersal orders have been put in place across Thanet to try and stop antisocial behaviour on the coast. Police have been given extra powers to break up groups of people in Ramsgate, Margate, Westgate and Broadstai...
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Podcast: 10 years after the Brexit referendum a KentOnline poll reveals one in four people in Kent who voted leave would now back remain
Tuesday, 23 June 2026
A new poll's found one in four people in Kent who voted for Brexit would now back Remain if the referendum was held again. More than 1,300 residents across the county have been asked for their opinion 10 years on from the vote. Back then, 59% of people in Kent chose to leave the EU, according to the survey 57% would now vote to stay. We've been speaking to people across the county and also have the thoughts of the chief executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, and a man leading a Rejoin campaign. Also on today's podcast, a day after Sir Keir Starmer announced he was quitting as Pr...
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Podcast: Sir Keir Starmer sets out plan to resign as Prime Minister
Monday, 22 June 2026
Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to resign as Prime Minister. Speaking outside Downing Street, he said he was proud of everything he had achieved since taking over as head of the Labour Party six years ago. He's confirmed a leadership contest will be held over the summer. Lucy's been getting reaction from local democracy reports Simon Finlay and Robert Boddy. Also on today's episode, with another amber heat health alert in force across Kent, a campaign is underway to keep us safe by the water. Temperatures are expected to hit the mid 30s this week, and it's feared some could head to a r...
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Podcast: Residents concerned about roadworks on the A251 Ashford Road which will see a slip road off the M2 closed for almost a month
Friday, 19 June 2026
Residents have raised concerns about a motorway slip road near Faversham being closed for several weeks as part of a house building project. Developer Redrow is currently building an estate in the town known as Preston Fields. At the moment, access to the site is via Canterbury Road along the A2, however, they're going to create a second entrance via Ashford Road. Once complete, it will be situated a few hundred metres from Junction 6 of the M2 but while the work takes place, the coastbound slip road will be shut. Also in today's podcast, a man who made £185,000 from smuggling people from t...
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Podcast: Mum's fury as private school throws hundreds of books into a skip
Thursday, 18 June 2026
A mum has criticised a private school's decision to throw hundreds of books into a skip. They were spotted by Becky outside the King's School in Rochester, and she says she was "horrified" - but bosses have defended the decision. Also in today's episode, campaigners say they are disappointed plans for homes on a former school site in Hythe have been given the go ahead. The estate will include a mix of 150 houses and flats on what used to be Foxwood School. An object found by a metal detectorist in Kent has been declared treasure. The copper-alloy die stamp dates back to Anglo-Saxon times an...
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Podcast: Kent's biggest school, Homewood in Tenterden, is closed today as teachers and support staff strike over proposed job losses
Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Kent's biggest school is closed today as teachers and support staff go on strike. They're walking out over six days between now and July 2nd in a dispute over compulsory job losses at Homewood in Tenterden. It's after plans to move the school to a new trust fell through earlier this year. Hear from the local National Education Union rep and a teacher who is on the picket line. Also in today's episode, hear from a young dad who has praised staff at Medway Maritime Hospital after his baby was born with a rare condition. Charlie Hayes and his partner Demi went for a scan when baby Luca stopped...
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Podcast: Family of Chatham man detained by ICE agents in the US are desperate to reunite him with his wife and children
Tuesday, 16 June 2026
The family of a Chatham man who's been detained by immigration agents in the US say they're desperate to reunite him with his wife and twin sons. 29-year-old Connor Read was in the process of applying for a green card when he was taken to an ICE detention centre. It's understood a removal order had been activated because he didn't have the correct visa. Reporter Joe Crossley has been speaking to his wife Jaelin. Also in today's podcast, a Chatham man who stabbed another man after a row over a 10 pound phone debt has been found guilty of murder... Mark Jesse, 51, attacked his victim at the h...
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Podcast: Social media expert reacts to news under 16s in the UK are going to be banned from having accounts on sites including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram
Monday, 15 June 2026
It's been announced under-16s are going to be banned from using social media. Sites like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram will be off limits, in a bid to protect young people from online harms. The Prime Minister says he's giving kids their childhood back - we've got reaction from Rochester-based social media consultant Zoe Cairns. Also on today's episode, the boss of a Canterbury bar that was forced to close following a huge fire next door hopes they could reopen before the end of the summer. Tokyo Tearooms had to close when a blaze broke out in the derelict Odeon cinema in St George's Place...
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Podcast: Meningitis vaccine to be offered to thousands of teenagers across England following deadly outbreak in Kent
Friday, 12 June 2026
After a deadly outbreak of meningitis in Kent earlier this year, a one-off vaccination programme's being offered to help protect Year 13 pupils across England. Two young people died after falling ill from the disease in March which was linked to a nightclub in Canterbury. Under 25s starting Uni for the first time are also being offered two doses of the MenB jab. Also in today's episode, a 91 year-old woman has been forced to leave her home of 20 years, just weeks after being targeted by thieves. Queenie Watts was a resident of the Cutbush and Corrall almshouse in Maidstone but was becoming ...
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Podcast: Mum from Paddock Wood says it's 'ridiculous' she has been denied a Blue Badge despite her 2-year-old son being diagnosed with Phelan-McDermid syndrome
Thursday, 11 June 2026
A Kent mum whose son has a rare genetic condition affecting his mobility says it's 'ridiculous' she's been denied a blue badge. Two year-old Ronnie, who lives in Paddock Wood, has been diagnosed with Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Mum Charlotte Jenner says it's dangerous trying to get him in and out of a vehicle if she can't park in a designated space. South East Water have agreed to double the amount of compensation for businesses in Tunbridge Wells affected by outages over the winter. Around 24,000 properties were impacted by a problem at the Pembury Treatment Works. Meantime, the water minist...
