KentOnline
The top stories from the KentOnline news team
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Episodes
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Podcast: Grandmother told by Ashford Borough Council she can't return to her home of 25 years after devastating fire
Wednesday, 25 February 2026
A grandmother of 12 has been left heartbroken after a council confirmed she cannot return to her home of more than 25 years following a devastating fire. The blaze ripped through her three-bedroom house in South Ashford last month and she was initially told she would be able to return once repairs to the council-owned property had been completed. Also in today’s podcast, the KentOnline Podcast has been told the Port of Dover will be ready for the full rollout of new border checks for passengers heading to the EU. From the 10th of April, everyone travelling through to mainland Europe will ha...
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Podcast: Swimmers concerned about increase in sewage discharges at Hythe following heavy rainfall this winter
Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Swimmers say they are anxious about going in the sea at Hythe because of the amount of sewage being discharged into the water. The group regularly travel from Ashford to swim at sunrise, but say they've seen an increasing number of floating objects. Hear from one of the group, and we've had a response from Southern Water. Also in today's podcast, a Kent campaigner's told us she has some concerns over the government's plans to reform the special educational needs system. Yesterday, they announced a £4 billion package and say more youngsters with SEN will be taught in mainstream schools by of...
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Podcast: New big name store could join the like of M&S, Dunelm and The Range at Sittingbourne Retail Park
Monday, 23 February 2026
Plans have been put in to add another shop to the retail park in Sittingbourne. The owners want to convert an area of land that's currently used for parking between Carpet Right and Dunelm at the site in Mill Way. Hear from reporter Alex Langridge who has been covering the story. Also on today's episode, a Sheppey woman who lost her dad to cancer is calling on peers not to stand in the way of the assisted dying bill. MPs voted it through last June with a narrow majority. It's now being debated in the House of Lords, but faces more than 1,000 amendments. Claire Blythe's dad Thomas passed awa...
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Podcast: Wayfield Primary School in Chatham placed in special measures following 'shocking' Ofsted report
Friday, 20 February 2026
A school in Chatham has been placed in special measures by inspectors who found staff physically intervened with pupils. Ofsted found safeguarding measures at Wayfield Primary were not being met, and demanded urgent improvements be implemented. School bosses and the trust running it, say they take the report very seriously and have already been implementing a robust programme of improvement. Also in today's podcast, a father and son accused of murdering a four-year-old boy in a hit-and-run in Southfleet have been found not guilty. Peter Maughan was in a Ford Ranger which was "clipped at spe...
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Podcast: Dartford man jailed after violent assault on Whitstable mum with boiling sugar water and hammer
Thursday, 19 February 2026
A good Samaritan has told of the terrifying moment boiling sugar water was poured over her as she lay in bed. What started as a decent deed from the Whitstable mum ended with a horror attack, which also saw her hit around the head with a hammer. Also in today’s podcast, the Folkestone son of a woman who was arrested with her partner in Iran on charges of espionage has confirmed they’ve been jailed for 10 years. Lindsay and Craig Foreman were detained in January 2025 while travelling through the country on a motorcycle journey. Frustrated residents have joined forces to demand the return of ...
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Podcast: Leeds Castle announces shock end to its annual open-air classical concert after more than 40 years
Wednesday, 18 February 2026
One of the county’s biggest classical concerts is ending after more than 40 years.It’s been announced the annual Leeds Castle Classical Concert, which has been running since 1978, will no longer continue after this year. Also in today’s podcast, youths on e-bikes and e-scooters gathering in the car park of a leisure centre at night have been accused of intimidating residents.Community leaders now want to reassure people that the police and council are cracking down on the anti-social behaviour reported at Cozenton Park Sports Centre in Rainham. Reform UK councillors who were booted out of t...
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Podcast: Misconduct panel finds former Tonbridge School, Skinners’ School and Maidstone Grammar School teacher acted inappropriately with pupils.
Tuesday, 17 February 2026
A misconduct panel has heard a teacher touched pupils’ legs and encouraged them to recite sexually suggestive song lyrics. He was investigated for serious professional misconduct following complaints about his behaviour during one-to-one sessions and small group training exercises.Also in today’s podcast, a detective leading an investigation into the death of a man killed near a Kent beach says the “sad” case has ruined multiple lives.A 16-year-old girl and two boys, aged 16 and 15, were cleared by a jury after being accused of murdering Alexander Cashford in Leysdown last year.Bosses in Ma...
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Podcast: Folkestone man warns ‘black oil scam’ has come to Kent as conmen posing as buyers sabotage his Mercedes
Monday, 16 February 2026
A driver has issued an urgent warning to Kent residents selling vehicles online after ruthless “black oil” scammers sabotaged his car.The Folkestone man says conmen posing as buyers distracted him while secretly pouring oil on the engine of his Mercedes in a calculated bid to convince him it was worthless.Also in today’s podcast, an inquest has heard a much-loved dad died after being crushed by a concrete drain at the construction site he was working on. Joe Heath was helping build a new logistics centre for COOK Classic in the Eurolink Industrial Estate in Sittingbourne when his death occu...
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Podcast: Rochester man detained in psychiatric hospital after stabbing Lt Col Mark Teeton near Brompton Barracks
Friday, 13 February 2026
A schizophrenic man who repeatedly stabbed a soldier in a “vicious, deliberate attack” has been handed a life sentence.The Rochester man tried to kill Lt Col Mark Teeton near Brompton Barracks in July 2024, after his mental health deteriorated and he started to have “murderous fantasies.”Also in today’s podcast, the Reform UK Kent County Council budget passed amid warnings from the opposition and a senior officer about its risks.It went through by 48 votes to 26, with one abstention, to applause, whistles and a standing ovation after a meeting lasting eight hours.There'll be no road access ...
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Podcast: Vespa rider left unconscious in road after hit-and-run at Whitfield roundabout near Dover
Thursday, 12 February 2026
A Dover man involved in a hit-and-run while driving without a licence has avoided being sent to prison .24 year-old Tyler Keyes from St Radiguns Road was driving his girlfriend's BMW when he collided with a moped at the Whitfield roundabout last June, leaving the rider unconscious.Also in today's podcast, a meeting is taking place at County Hall to discuss KCC's budget for the next financial year.It's Reform UK's first in charge of the authority and leader Linden Kemkaran has previously said the council is focused on delivering savings for residents. Hear from our local democracy reporter S...
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Podcast: The underpass near Asda in Ashford that’s flooded so often it’s even got its own Facebook page
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
A Kent underpass leading to an Asda store is flooded so often it now has its own Facebook page - and council bosses admit there is no fix.The subway in Ashford regularly becomes impassable after heavy rain, leaving pedestrians stranded – you can hear from a KentOnline reporter who went down to take a look for himself. Also in today's podcast, a young couple have been banned from keeping animals after they effectively left their dog to starve to death.The failed to properly feed their greyhound cross, Rocky, despite being given vouchers by an animal charity to buy dog food.A court has heard ...
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Podcast: Driver reportedly attacked by motorist after suffering seizure at the wheel and crashing his car in Gravesend
Tuesday, 10 February 2026
A driver has been treated in hospital after suffering a seizure at the wheel and crashing into a tree, before reportedly being dragged from his vehicle and attacked.Pictures at KentOnline show injuries suffered by Louie Watkins after it happened when he drove along New Barn Road towards Gravesend. Hear from reporter Brad Harper who has been covering the story.Also on today's podcast, a Kent MP's among those supporting the Prime Minister, as he insists he's not going anywhere.Sir Keir Starmer survived a difficult day yesterday after the Lord Mandelson scandal led to calls for his resignation...
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Podcast: Residents left frustrated as three roads in Faversham won't get full-fibre broadband from Openreach
Monday, 9 February 2026
A Faversham dad is demanding answers after his street was one of the only ones not to be upgraded to full-fibre broadband.Harry Mustoe-Playfair lives on Beech Close and says he's limited to Fibre to the Cabinet, which is an increasingly outdated technology.The fabric printing business owner and his wife both work from home, making fast and reliable internet essential. Harry's been telling the podcast how he feels left in the dark-ages.Also in today's podcast, people living in shared ownership flats in Tunbridge Wells have been told they'll have to pay thousands of pounds for safety work on ...
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Podcast: Drivers forced to ‘swerve’ to avoid ‘dangerous’ potholes amid calls for council to re-tarmac Matts Hill Lane in Hartlip
Friday, 6 February 2026
A busy country lane plagued by potholes is damaging cars every day and one woman fears it will affect her business.She’s been documenting the downfall of the stretch in Hartlip, which has left her out of pocket due to damaged tyres.Also in today's podcast, a final report into the deaths of at least 27 asylum seekers in the Channel has found the coastguard at Dover had been placed in an "intolerable position". Systemic failings have been identified in search and rescue efforts when a small boat overturned in 2021.One of Kent’s historic waterways has 10 times more bacteria than the River Sein...
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Podcast: Dad, 32, from Broadstairs left paralysed from the neck down following a crash in Hersden near Canterbury
Thursday, 5 February 2026
A new study's revealed the scale of anti-social behaviour in Kent.Just over half of people say they've experienced it, in a survey of nearly 5,500 residents.The most common complaints were about rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour, littering and nuisance driving, hear from Kent's police and crime commissioner Matthew Scott.A young dad from Broadstairs has been left paralysed after his car flipped during a crash near Canterbury.Steven Gibbons was driving on the A28 in Hersden when he clipped the kerb last May - it was later discovered he'd severed his spinal cord. Our reporter Millie Bowles ha...
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Podcast: Ashford abuser jailed for six years after violently beating pregnant partner in Sheppey home
Wednesday, 4 February 2026
An Ashford man who left his pregnant girlfriend in what a judge described as the worst example of domestic assault in his 25-year legal career has been jailed.The jealous and paranoid man repeatedly attacked his victim in her Sheppey home after falsely accusing her of cheating on him and carrying another man's child.Also in today’s podcast, two higher education institutions have merged to form a ‘super university’ in a one-of-its-kind move.The University of Greenwich and the University of Kent have announced that they have legally committed to the merger between their two institutions – we’...
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Podcast: Former bartender at Thomas Becket pub in Canterbury to receive thousands in compensation after wage dispute
Tuesday, 3 February 2026
A bartender wrongly accused of stealing is to receive thousands in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled she was unfairly dismissed following a wage dispute.The 22-year-old is being awarded more than £4,000 after a judge found those running the Thomas Becket pub in Canterbury withheld her pay packet.Also in today’s podcast, the leader of Kent County Council has written to the Home Office to ask for more funding for young asylum-seeking adults who have left care.KCC currently receives no government support for people the authority continues to look after for four years once they ha...
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Podcast: Young security guard assaulted by "wild" patient at Maidstone Hospital fears she may never work in industry again
Monday, 2 February 2026
A young security guard who was seriously injured by a “wild” patient in a hospital ward fears she may never return to her job.Lou Wicks was attacked by an intoxicated man as she and her colleagues tried to restrain him in the emergency department of Maidstone Hospital.Also in today’s podcast, a young man allegedly murdered on his 25th birthday has been described as a “beloved son” whose “memory will live on in the hearts of those who loved him”.Robert Else was discovered with injuries consistent with stab wounds at a house in Eythorne last Thursday – one man has been arrested and charged. A...
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Podcast: Murder investigation underway following death of 25-year-old man in suspected stabbing at home in Eythorne near Dover
Friday, 30 January 2026
A murder investigation is continuing following the death of a 25-year-old man near Dover.Police were called to reports of a stabbing in Rose Gardens in Eythorne yesterday morning and a man in his 60s who knew the victim has been arrested. Hear from our reporter who has been at the scene.Also in today's podcast, business owners in Dover say the town's reputation is still suffering, 10 years after an immigration protest turned into a riot.Stones, bottles and bricks were thrown when far-right activists clashed with counter-demonstrators on this day in 2016.Our reporter Sam Lennon has been in t...
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Podcast: Frustration as South East Water bills to rise by 7% just weeks after thousands of home in Tunbridge Wells were left without supplies
Thursday, 29 January 2026
Just weeks after thousands of homes in Tunbridge Wells were left without water, it's been revealed how much bills will be going up by.From April, customers of under-fire South East Water will have to pay £21 more following a 7% hike.The town's MP says residents are 'paying the price for years of underinvestment', while the company say it'll fund improvements including a new reservoir. We've got reaction from the chief executive of the business improvement district in Tunbridge Wells.Also in today's podcast, a Sheppey family fear their son won't have a suitable school place in September, aft...
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Podcast: Fury in Margate as Dreamland’s The Scenic Railway, the UK’s oldest rollercoaster, to shut permanently
Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Dreamland bosses are facing a storm of outrage after announcing the permanent closure of the Scenic Railway.Britain’s oldest rollercoaster at the Margate attraction will no longer operate as a ride, with park bosses confirming they are looking for new ways it can be used.Also in today’s podcast, thousands of pounds have been raised for the family of a much-loved dad-of-four who died on a construction site.Tributes have been paid to popular footballer and coach Joe Heath, from Folkestone, described by his wife as a “caring, bubbly and absolute gem of a person”.A heartbroken mum is backing ca...
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Podcast: Heartbreak at death of former Park Mall shopping centre manager, 41, who ‘loved Ashford’
Tuesday, 27 January 2026
The devastated family of a former shopping centre manager say life will never be the same following his death - aged just 41.Gareth Tyrrell, a familiar and popular face across Ashford, ran the Park Mall complex for 15 years, where he was known for stopping to chat with traders and shoppers.Also in today’s podcast, a campaign group in Tunbridge Wells say they're determined to make sure the town's recent water issues stay on the agenda. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses were without water in major outages in recent months – last night bosses from South East Water declined to attend a ...
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Podcast: Residents call for crackdown on campervans parked outside their homes in Deal
Monday, 26 January 2026
Bosses in Deal are being urged to crack down on campervans parking outside homes.People living near Sandown Castle Community Garden say it's led to rubbish, including gas canisters, being dumped near their properties.Hear from our reporter Louis Walker who has been covering the story.Also in today's podcast, a Kent woman says she's 'lost all faith in the NHS' after being diagnosed with an incurable cancer.Victoria Rodwell from East Malling first went to her GP with throat issues 16 months ago. She's been speaking to reporter Davina Jethwa.A Dartford man is starting a campaign to have defibr...
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Podcast: Residents plead to housebuilder Bovis to complete their five-year-old estate at The Meadows in Staplehurst
Friday, 23 January 2026
Residents have made a desperate plea to their housebuilder: Please finish our estate.It is well over five years since the first families moved into The Meadows development in Staplehurst but they are still living with unfinished roads, crumbling pavements and a children’s play area that has never opened.Also in today’s podcast, officers searching a property in Maidstone have found a drug dealer hiding in his garden shed. Police were called to reports of a disturbance but found cocaine, cannabis and cash – we’re got audio of the moment he was arrested. There’s community anger over a crucial ...
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Podcast: A La Turka restaurant boss hit with hefty court bill after ‘gaslighting’ Kent County Council over illegal enclosure in Herne Bay
Thursday, 22 January 2026
A restaurant boss who built an illegal outdoor dining area before “gaslighting” authorities for years with promises to pull it down has been fined and ordered to pay court costs totalling more than £40,000.The glass-fronted enclosure outside A La Turka in Herne Bay was put up in 2019, despite there only being planning permission for awnings.Also in today’s podcast, a public meeting's been held in Tunbridge Wells to discuss the recent water crisis.Around 100 people showed up last night to express their frustrations following a number of outages before and after Christmas.Controversial plans ...
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Podcast: Shock as man smashes up Happy Friar Chinese takeaway in Tunbridge Wells causing thousands of pounds worth of damage
Wednesday, 21 January 2026
A Chinese takeaway was forced to close after thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to the shop.Police were called to the restaurant in Tunbridge Wells after a man went inside and lay down on the floor, before smashing up screens and equipment. Also in today’s podcast, a group of doctors are calling for better resilience within NHS IT systems after a major outage affected GP surgeries across Kent.Medics were unable to access patient details, appointment lists or process prescriptions on Monday and health bosses say it’s led to a huge backlog. A councillor who struggles to speak afte...
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Podcast: Police investigation underway amid fears a 21-year-old woman was spiked while celebrating her birthday at Bierkeller in Maidstone
Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Investigations are underway following reports a woman had her drink spiked while out celebrating her 21st birthday in Maidstone.Tia Jennings was at Bierkeller on Gabriel's Hill on January 10th when she started acting out of character - she then collapsed outside a short time later. We've asked the venue a number of times for a comment.Also in today's podcast, the mother of a teenager killed in a crash in Thanet says the number of people caught over the limit during a crackdown last month is 'shocking'.18-year-old Ethan Entwhistle was a passenger in a car that hit a tree in Broadstairs in Oc...
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Podcast: Sheerness man charged with murder after man in his 50s fatally stabbed
Monday, 19 January 2026
A man in his 20s has been charged with murder after a fatal stabbing on Sheppey. Police were called to Noreen Avenue in Minster on Saturday night, close to a children’s play park, but the victim died at the scene. Also in today’s podcast, the number of so-called 'trolley waits' in Kent continues to rise.That’s when there’s a delay of 12 hours or more from a patient being admitted to being given a bed – new figures show there were over 28,000 last year. Parents across Kent are being urged to act as the debate on raising the social media age to 16 is set to continue this week A proposed amend...
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Podcast: Friends and family have paid tribute to a mum from Medway who was killed in a motorbike crash on the A228 Pembury Northern Bypass near Tunbridge Wells
Friday, 16 January 2026
A woman who died in a motorbike crash in Kent just days before Christmas has been remembered as 'loving and free spirited'.Syntia Franczak is thought to have been the pillion passenger on the bike that was involved in a collision on the A228 Pembury Northern Bypass on December 20th. Hear from reporter Joe Crossley who has been covering the story.Also in today's podcast, we've got an update on the water supply issues that have been affecting Kent over the past week.The taps are flowing again in Tunbridge Wells but not before a calf died of suspected dehydration at a farm.The Sittingbourne an...
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Podcast: ‘Handsy’ Folkestone police officer who groped colleagues barred from all forces
Thursday, 15 January 2026
A “handsy” Kent police officer once praised for bravery has been barred from all forces for life after groping two colleagues.The Folkestone-based PC would have faced dismissal this week had he not already resigned after his lurid actions.Also in today’s podcast, Ofwat has announced it has opened an investigation into South East Water following the major water outage in Kent.It comes as thousands of homes and businesses across the county continue to be left without supplies – we’ve spoken to a farmer who’s criticised a lack of provision for livestock. Utility companies who flout the rules w...
