KentOnline
The top stories from the KentOnline news team
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Episodes
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Podcast: Ramsgate couple who ran the Wellness Foundry feared to be on Gatwick bound Air India flight which crashed shortly after take-off
Friday, 13 June 2025
Tributes are being paid to a Kent couple who are thought to have been on board a plane that crashed in India.Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek ran a wellness company in Ramsgate.The aircraft was heading for Gatwick when it came down near Ahmedabad airport.Also in today's podcast, the family of a teacher from Sheppey who was found dead in a creek have said her death with entirely preventable.The body of mum-of-three Karen Gill was discovered on South Street in Queenborough last December.Staff at a secondary school in Deal have started strike action over proposed job cuts.Five members of suppor...
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Podcast: Herne Bay residents want action over 'wannabe gangsters' terrorising the town with anti-social behaviour
Thursday, 12 June 2025
People in Herne Bay have been left living in fear as the town is increasingly plagued by violent and anti-social youths branded “wannabe gangsters”.A public meeting has been called for later this month, where police and councillors will face questions from fed-up residents and businesses desperate for action.Also in today’s podcast, the owner of an indoor adventure centre says he will ban for life the person responsible for causing thousands of pounds of damage to a SEN feature.Bosses say the area of Adventure Kidz at Aylesford’s Quarry Wood Retail Park will cost around £2,500 to fix. You c...
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Podcast: Anger as all but one local council in Kent increases the cost of collecting garden waste
Wednesday, 11 June 2025
You are going to have to pay more to have your garden waste collected in Kent.12 local authorities in the county have decided to increase the charge by an average of £3.99 - hear from reporter Joe Harbert who has been investigating.Also in today's podcast, people living in part of Medway have told us they fear their village won't be able to cope with 350 new homes.A consultation is under way into the idea of building on land at Allhallows on the Hoo Peninsula. Hear the thoughts of the local councillor and some people who already live in the area.Eurostar has been accused of shirking its "mo...
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Podcast: Sevenoaks driver led police on 130 mph chase on the M25 and M11 before crashing
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
A Sevenoaks man who led police on a 130 mile per hour chase before crashing, has avoided being sent to prison.Lee Twinley, 20 from Manor Road in Sundridge, was followed for 20 minutes on the M25 and M11 towards Cambridge back in March. Hear the moment he was tracked by a police helicopter.Also in today's podcast, a Maidstone mum has told us how her baby's initial diagnosis of bronchiolitis turned out to be a life-threatening heart condition.Leila was born in October last year but became ill less than two months later and was rushed to hospital.The boss of a youth group in Thanet has explain...
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Podcast: Figures reveal a dramatic increase in the number of pupils being excluded from schools in Kent
Monday, 9 June 2025
It has been revealed children as young as four have been suspended from Kent schools, amid a rise in the number of exclusions across the county.The numbers follow a trend across the country after Covid, with the lockdowns that started in 2020 affecting many children's formative years.Also in today's podcast, the man who oversees the police in Kent has told us he'd be interested in becoming the county's first Mayor.But Matthew Scott has urged the government to speed up any reorganisation of local authorities.Double amputee Tony Hudgell's been gifted a signed football shirt from David Beckham...
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Podcast: Police appeal for witnesses after lorry overturns on M20 slip-road at Junction 9 for Ashford closing the motorway for more than 12 hours
Friday, 6 June 2025
Crash investigators want to hear from anyone who saw a lorry that overturned on a slip-road on the M20 causing seriously delays.It happened on the coastbound exit at junction 9 yesterday afternoon closing the motorway for more than 12 hours.Also in today's podcast, a Kent landlord accused of assaulting and threatening a council worker has had his trial delayed for the 13th time.Fergus Wilson is alleged to have got in a confrontation with the employee in Maidstone four years ago but his hearing has suffered a series of set backs.The man sent in by Reform UK to head up the so-called DOGE team...
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Podcast: No-fly zone imposed over shipwreck of SS Richard Montgomery off Sheerness, Sheppey
Thursday, 5 June 2025
A new no-fly zone has been put in place over a famous shipwreck off the Kent coast.Pilots are banned from going over the remains of the SS Richard Montgomery which sunk off Sheerness during the second world war. Hear from reporter Joe Crossley who has been following the story.Also in today's podcast, a petition has been launched calling for the Gravesend to Tilbury ferry service to be reinstated.It's not run for more than 12 months, after local authorities in Essex and Kent pulled their funding.It's been revealed people affected by a fire at a block of flats in Dover could be out of their h...
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Podcast: Two men from Darenth charged with murder after boy, 4, dies in crash in Southfleet
Wednesday, 4 June 2025
Two men have been charged with murder, following a crash near Dartford that killed a four-year-old boy.Two Ford Rangers collided on New Barn Road in Southfleet on Sunday night a 24-year-old man remains in hospital in a critical condition.Reporter Davina Jethwa is on the podcast with the very latest.Also in today's episode, people living on an estate in Greenhithe fear someone will be seriously hurt following a spate of catapult attacks.A woman and child in a car were targeted at St Clements Lakes over the weekend and wildlife has also been killed.Hear from a resident and we've got a stateme...
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Podcast: Mum-of-six from Folkestone described by family as a protector and supporter following her sudden death aged 36
Tuesday, 3 June 2025
A mum-of-six from Folkestone who died suddenly at the age of just 36 has been described as 'very loved' and a 'free spirit'.Tributes have been paid to Sarah-Jane Clarke after she suffered a cardiac arrest at her home.Also in today's podcast, a Kent man who killed his wife and tried to use his son to clear his name has been sentenced to more time behind bars.Andrew Griggs from Deal murdered Debbie when she was three months pregnant in 1999.Union bosses have told us staff at Kent County Council are worried about job cuts as experts start analysing how tax-payer's money is spent.Reform UK say ...
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Podcast: Family pay tribute to young girl who died after entering the River Thames at Gravesend near Royal Terrace Pier
Monday, 2 June 2025
Tributes have been paid to a young girl who died in the River Thames near Gravesend.She's been named on social media as Bia and described as a 'beautiful angel'.Emergency crews, including the RNLI, had been called to the river near Royal Terrace Pier just before 2pm on Friday after receiving reports of two children going into the water.Also in today's podcast, Reform UK's first UK DOGE team will visit Kent County Council today.The Elon Musk inspired Department of Government Efficiency taskforce is designed to identify and cut wasteful spending.We're being urged to be aware of the dangers of...
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Podcast: Armed police called to Cornwall Gardens, Canterbury, after suspected stabbing victim staggered across the street
Friday, 30 May 2025
Armed police have been called after a man was seen staggering across a street “covered in blood”.The firearms officers remain in Cornwall Gardens in Canterbury following a suspected stabbing just this morning.Also in today’s podcast, police have managed to recover a second memorial plaque that was stolen from a Kent churchyard.It’s after two metal plaques listing the names of men who died in the First World War were taken from a churchyard in Chatham last week.A top Indian restaurant could have its licence stripped after a decade of hiring illegal workers on little to no pay.Owners of Tente...
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Podcast: Licence of The Providence Inne, Sandgate, faces review after barmaid warned customers "ditch your drugs - the police are coming!"
Thursday, 29 May 2025
A pub landlord has stepped down from his role after a barmaid was overheard warning customers to ditch drugs moments before police arrived with sniffer dogs.It happened while two undercover officers were in the bar in Sandgate, during a covert operation targeting drug use in pubs and bars. Also in today’s podcast, a court has heard a drunken clubber punched a taxi driver eight times in the face after she refused to pay for her £8 ride home.The 41-year-old, who is originally from Russia, had been on a night out in Maidstone and was said to be “aggressive from the off” when she jumped into th...
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Podcast: Residents of Springhead Parkway estate in Ebbsfleet near Gravesend set up petition to remove management firm FirstPort
Wednesday, 28 May 2025
A petition has been set up by people living on an estate near Gravesend to try and get rid of the management firm.Residents of Springhead Parkway claim their bills have gone up, but the area has gone downhill. Hear from a couple living there and the local MP who is supporting them.Also in today's podcast, life jackets have been delivered to children at a school in east Kent in memory of a little boy who died after falling into a river during a family day out.Six-year-old Lucas Dobson had tried to climb onto a boat on the River Stour at Sandwich in August 2019.A safety campaign set up in his...
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Podcast: Women's football cup final at Maidstone United's Gallagher Stadium abandoned as Palestine flags waved in the crowd
Tuesday, 27 May 2025
A women's cup final in Maidstone has been abandoned after Palestine flags were reportedly waved in the crowd.Clapton CFC were taking on Dulwich Hamlet Reserves in the London and South East Regional Women's Football League Trophy final at the Gallagher Stadium.Also in today's podcast, firefighters are expected to stay at the scene of a huge fire in Gravesend for the next couple of days.Crews were called to the London Scrap Terminal on Crete Hall Road in the early hours of Monday where around 5,000 tonnes of scrap metal is thought to have caught alight.As events to mark the 85th anniversary o...
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Podcast: Man harassed neighbours in West Malling for three years after wrongly accusing them of vandalising his car
Friday, 23 May 2025
A man who harassed his neighbours for almost three years after wrongly accusing them of vandalising his car has appeared in court. He claimed he had video footage of the couple committing the criminal offence, but when police investigated they identified a different suspect. Also in today’s podcast, a court has heard a mother and her two children were left terrified when a burglar armed with a large knife kicked down the door to their home.A 29-year-old was later arrested when he was picked out of a police line-up – he’s been sent to prison. Residents on a new-build estate who have been st...
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Podcast: Travellers win landmark court case against Medway Council to stay living at Wigmore Park and Ride site
Thursday, 22 May 2025
A group of travellers have won a landmark legal case against Medway Council to stay on a park and ride site.The families were given permission to stay on the land in Wigmore for three months from July 2023 is they paid a weekly fee, then were ordered to leave in the October.Reporter Davina Jethwa has been following the story and joins the podcast with all the details.Also in today's episode, a Maidstone drug dealer has been jailed after video was found of a manufacturing lab that was used to make tens of thousands of ecstasy pills.Video at KentOnline shows footage that was discovered on Jam...
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Podcast: Families left without homes after fire at block of flats in Nursery Grove, Gravesend
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Twelve families have been forced to leave their homes after a fire at a block of flats in Gravesend.It broke out in Nursery Grove yesterday afternoon and crews remained at the scene until this morning. Hear from our reporter Alex Langridge who has been there.Also in today's podcast, there's been a significant increase in the number of emergency food parcels being given out here in the south east.The Trussell Trust says more than 310,000 were distributed in the past year - that's up 56% compared to five years ago. We've been chatting to the charity.You can also hear from the chairman of a f...
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Podcast: Dover woman taken to court after rescue dog she thought was a Staffordshire bull terrier turned out to be an XL bully
Tuesday, 20 May 2025
A Dover woman has ended up in court after finding out the dog she rescued was an XL Bully.The 55-year-old thought she'd adopted a Staffordshire bull terrier, but called police for advice when a neighbour raised concerns.Also on today's podcast, the sea at 29 beaches in Kent is going to be tested to make sure it's safe for us to swim in.KentOnline's been told how experts will regularly monitor the water during the summer season which runs until the end of September.More than 40,000 young people in Kent have signed a Commitment Pledge to not carry a knife, and report someone they know is.It's...
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Podcast: Former cage fighter from Folkestone who attacked a stranger is locked up in Broadmoor indefinitely
Monday, 19 May 2025
A former cage fighter from Folkestone has been locked away indefinitely after he attacked a stranger in the street.Kiane Trotman, 38, from Foord Road South, was experiencing paranoid schizophrenia when he punched and kicked his victim near the Canterbury Road Recreation Ground in 2023.Also in today's podcast, the new Reform UK leader of Kent County Council has appeared to backtrack on the party's plans to stop staff working from home.Party leader Nigel Farage said he wanted to get people back in the office, after their success in the recent local elections. Hear what Linden Kemkaran has now...
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Podcast: Faversham terminal cancer patient calls for change as MPs debate assisted dying bill in parliament
Friday, 16 May 2025
A cancer patient from Faversham says it is her “dying wish” for thousands of people to benefit from the choice of ending their life.Elise Burns is terminally ill and urging MPs to “do the right thing” when voting on the assisted dying bill.Also in today’s podcast, a man who stalked his ex-partner and threatened to burn her house down has avoided being sent to prison. A court heard the 39-year-old from Ashford launched a relentless campaign of harassment that left his former partner living in constant fear.There’s a warning from firefighters as we head into the summer about making sure barbe...
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Podcast: Turkish restaurant Mems Mezze in Halfway on Sheppey could lost its licence after an investigation by immigration officials
Thursday, 15 May 2025
A Sheppey restaurant could lose its licence after an investigation by immigration officers found two workers being given food and accommodation rather than wages.Local democracy reporter Dan Esson has been covering this story about Mems Mezza in Halfway.Also in today's podcast, a report's found improvements in maternity services at East Kent Hospitals.Inspectors visited the QEQM in Margate and Ashford's William Harvey.We've been hearing from the boss of a tech company, who says their surveillance equipment could help wipe out fly-tipping in Kent.WasteWatch technology, which uses AI, has bee...
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Podcast: Hygiene inspectors find cockroaches at ABode Canterbury hotel in the High Street
Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Cockroaches have been discovered at one of Kent’s top hotels during a food hygiene inspection.The insects were found in several traps in the basement and floating in a pool of water in the kitchen of the luxury hotel in Canterbury.Also in today’s podcast, a prolific thief who stole two bottles of wine says he “went off the rails” after his cousin died in a motorbike accident.He went into a Co-op in Maidstone to steal the alcohol in March despite a court order banning him from entering certain stores in the town.You can also hear from Kent business owners who say their trade more than halved...
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Podcast: Inspector from Kent Police to face misconduct proceedings after being found guilty of assaulting a woman
Tuesday, 13 May 2025
A Kent Police Inspector is due to face a misconduct hearing after being found guilty of assaulting a woman.James Beautridge was suspended from duty after the attack in Maidstone in September 2023.Also in today's podcast, a refugee charity's calling on the Prime Minister to apologise for language he used in a speech about immigration.Sir Keir Starmer was laying out plans yesterday to reduce the number of people coming to the UK, and said without new rules we risk becoming an 'island of strangers'. We've been speaking to the CEO of Care4Calais.Businesses in Maidstone have been left clearing u...
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Podcast: Former South East Coast Ambulance Service employees accuse trust of "toxic" work environment
Monday, 12 May 2025
The KentOnline Podcast has spoken to two former workers who say they quit the ambulance service after being unable to cope in such a “toxic” environment.South East Coast Ambulance Trust, which operates across Kent, says it does not tolerate inappropriate behaviour but their leadership has been accused of being critical, strict and overbearing. Also in today’s podcast, to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, a Kent mum who has lost three friends is sharing their stories in the hopes of encouraging men to seek support and talk to one another.She’s campaigning for more awareness par...
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Podcast: Linden Kemkaran chosen as Reform UK leader of Kent County Council
Friday, 9 May 2025
We now know who has been chosen as the new leader of Kent County Council after Reform UK won last week's local election.The party has 57 seats at the authority and all of those councillors gathered last night to choose who will be in charge.They decided on Linden Kemkaran who was elected last week to represent Maidstone South East.A Kent mum who has been left with long-term mobility issues after breaking her neck has been telling the podcast how she's been denied a Blue Badge.Bev Evans from Wateringbury was badly injured after falling down her stairs in 2020 and now struggles to walk. She's...
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Podcast: Maidstone mum fears her family, including her 93-year-old nan, could be left homeless unless the council can find them a property
Thursday, 8 May 2025
A Kent mum fears she could be left homeless with her elderly, ill nan if the council can't find her a property.Nina Darbey has been privately renting her home for six years but the landlord wants to sell up. The 46-year-old has been telling the podcast how she's been unable to find another home she can afford, and is struggling to bid for a council house.In other news, police, firefighters and paramedics have been called after a blaze broke out at a former school in Chatham.Part of the old St John Fisher Catholic School in Ordnance Street was taped off last night. Hear from reporter Brad Ha...
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Podcast: Landlady of the Waggon at Hale pub in Chatham says allegations of animal neglect are not true
Wednesday, 7 May 2025
The landlady of a pub in Chatham says allegations of animal neglect against her simply aren't true.It's after pictures posted on social media of several farmyard animals being kept at the Waggon and Hale, went viral. Hear from our reporter Charlotte Phillips who has been covering the story.Also in today's podcast, the Labour leader of Medway Council has been telling us how Reform UK are in for a rude awakening as they take over control of Kent County Council.They swept to victory in last week's local election, winning 57 seats and leader Nigel Farage has already said they'll be looking to s...
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Podcast: Homeowners shocked as six-bedroom HMO in Rock Road in Sittingbourne approved without consultation
Tuesday, 6 May 2025
A homeowner has issued a stark warning after he says his life was “destroyed completely” by having an HMO next door.The resident in Sittingbourne was stunned to wake up and find scaffolding and the roof missing on the adjoining property in the terraced street.Also in today’s podcast, a mum has branded Medway council “clueless” after it wrongly refused her 17-year-old daughter a parking permit — and then asked for hers back as well.She’d applied on behalf of the learner driver for an additional pass to park outside the family’s terraced home in Gillingham but the authority insisted they aren...
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Podcast: Political parties battle it out for control of Kent County Council
Friday, 2 May 2025
Today is a big day in the battle to take over control of the Kent County Council with results coming in from the local elections. All eyes are on the rise of Reform UK who have taken significant victories nationally – we’ll hear from reporters at counts across the county. Also in today’s podcast, three beaches have received the highly unwanted title of having some of the worst bathing water quality in England.They’ve all been awarded the dreaded gongs in the 2025 'Brown Flag Awards' – these are beaches rated as 'poor' by the Environment Agency due to their potentially unsafe levels of bacte...
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Podcast: Teen who collapsed in Ashford park diagnosed with rare heart disorder after previous seizures blamed on ‘anxiety’
Thursday, 1 May 2025
A teenager who collapsed in a park in Ashford has been diagnosed with rare heart disorder after previous seizures were blamed on ‘anxiety’. The 16-year-old survived the ordeal but she has been left brain damaged – her family say her illness should have been detected much sooner. Also in today’s podcast, dogs will be kicked off many of Kent’s most popular beaches from today to make way for visitors coming to the coast this summer.The rules, in place until September 30, could see any dog walker caught breaking the rules risking a £100 fine – we’ve been on the coast to get reaction. Free rape ...
