KentOnline
The top stories from the KentOnline news team
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Episodes
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Podcast: Families criticise cost of "unaffordable" swimming sessions at new leisure centre
Friday, 25 October 2024
It is feared a new sports centre in Medway will not be financially viable because of the cost of swimming sessions.It is £45 for a family ticket to Cozenton Park in Rainham, which opened in July after a £22 million rebuild of the former Splashes centre.A man has been charged with murder following the death of a man who went missing from Tunbridge Wells.54-year-old Wayne Woodgate disappeared from the Goods Station Road area last Thursday, and his family have now paid tribute.A Kent MP is supporting a bid by a youth group to buy the building they are based in, after the council confirmed it'l...
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Podcast: Heartbreak for boat owners at marina in Queenborough Creek on Sheppey as they're told to find somewhere else to dock
Thursday, 24 October 2024
People with boats at a marina on Sheppey have been told they need to find somewhere else to dock, as the site is set to become a new housing development.Land at Queenborough Creek has been leased out for years - but that lease will come to an end next March. We've been speaking to the marina manager and a man who runs his business from the site.Also in today's podcast, a murder investigation's been launched following the disappearance of a man from Tunbridge Wells.54-year-old Wayne Woodgate was reported missing a week ago.Charities are again calling for safe and legal routes for asylum seek...
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Podcast: People living at Portland House in Sheerness High Street told to pay £14k each for fire safety work
Wednesday, 23 October 2024
Residents in a block of flats in Sheerness have been told to pay £14,000 within 30 days for new fire regulations - or they could be evicted.An external staircase needs to be built at Portland House on the High Street to comply with rules introduced after the Grenfell Tower fire. We've been speaking to one resident who says she hasn't slept since receiving a letter about it.Also in today's podcast, French authorities say two people have died after a boat carrying asylum seekers sank in the Channel.Around 50 people are thought to have fallen into the water just after 8am today.The government'...
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Podcast: Anger as Orbit Housing tells Broadstairs residents to remove garden furniture used as 'wellbeing hub'
Tuesday, 22 October 2024
A group of neighbours have criticised a housing association after being told to remove garden furniture used as a 'wellbeing hub'.Orbit Housing owns properties in Hopeville Avenue, Broadstairs and says the seating is a trip hazard and a misuse of a communal area. Hear from one of the residents who says gathering with friends is good for their mental health.Also in today's podcast, staff at a Kent prison have revealed the impact of overcrowding as 1,100 more inmates are released early across England and Wales.The government has launched a review to look at tougher punishments outside of jail...
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Podcast: Landlady of The Staggered Inn micropub in Dover left customer needing surgery after attack
Monday, 21 October 2024
A Dover landlady who attacked a customer she found sleeping behind the bar has avoided being sent to prison.Maidstone Crown Court was told how a row had broken out a The Staggered Inn micropub in the High Street in December last year.Also on today's podcast, it's been a nightmare on the M25 in Kent after a huge lorry fire overnight.The vehicle caught alight on the clockwise carriageway between Sevenoaks and Godstone.We're being asked what we think about planned changes to firefighter response time targets in Kent.At the moment crews aim to get to an emergency within 10 minutes - no matter w...
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Podcast: Residents concerned about nuisance bikes on Barnfield Rec in Chatham as figures show no fines have been issued
Friday, 18 October 2024
It's emerged police have been called to a Medway park more than 60 times in four months to reports of nuisance vehicles - but no bikes have been seized.New rules have been put in place across the Towns to try and tackle the problem.Also on the podcast, a former Kent sub-postmaster who was wrongly convicted of stealing during the Horizon IT scandal has had his conviction overturned.Sunil Patel from Romney Marsh spent nine months in prison and was ordered to pay £48,000 pounds due to faulty accounting software. He's been speaking of his relief and what he wants to happen next.A documentary sh...
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Podcast: Passengers sue Arriva bus company after being left stranded at a Maidstone bus stop
Thursday, 17 October 2024
A fed-up pensioner has sued Arriva after he and his wife were left stranded at a freezing cold bus stop in Maidstone. The bus they needed turned up on time but sailed right past them – they’re now chasing the company for the cost of their taxi home. Also in today’s podcast, the family of a dad-of-five who passed away suddenly just before his 40th birthday say they’re struggling with heartache. Lewis Leggatt was found in his Maidstone home earlier this month but his cause of death still hasn’t been determined. Kmfm has led the tributes to Liam Payne in Kent after the news of his shock death ...
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Podcast: Driver in his 20's killed after colliding with two cars on the M20
Wednesday, 16 October 2024
A man in his 20's has been killed after his Smart car collided with two other vehicles on the M20. Ambulance crews were called to the scene of the crash near junction one this morning but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Also in today’s podcast, a dad has pulled his autistic son out of a secondary school in Canterbury which he claims is “obsessed” with dishing out detentions.He says his child has ADHD and his mental health has declined rapidly since starting this September.As assisted dying is put back before parliament, the KentOnline Podcast has been speaking to a man who’s te...
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Podcast: Calls for funeral sector reform after inquiry into the crimes of Kent killer David Fuller
Tuesday, 15 October 2024
An independent inquiry set up to examine the crimes of Kent killer David Fuller has made a urgent calls for regulation of the funeral sector.Fuller was able to abuse bodies in hospital mortuaries while he was employed as a maintenance worker – you can hear from the mother of one of his victims.Also in today’s podcast, bosses of a Chinese restaurant in Folkestone have been told to clean up their act – after inspectors found mouldy chopping boards and flies in egg fried rice.They’ve been handed a one-star hygiene rating after council officers also discovered evidence of people smoking and car...
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Podcast: Two charged with murder after man stabbed to death in Canterbury high street
Monday, 14 October 2024
Two men have been charged with murder after a man was stabbed to death in Canterbury city centre. Emergency services were called to the high street but the victim died at the scene – the two suspects are due in court today. Also in today’s podcast, there are fears some people living in a Kent village are missing out on medical services after a GP surgery closed more than two years ago. It means more than 7,000 residents are already having to travel to neighbouring areas for an appointment with hundreds more homes planned for the area in the coming years. A community say they’re “living in f...
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Podcast: Canterbury High Street cordoned off by police after man in his 20s stabbed to death
Friday, 11 October 2024
Four people have been arrested and a murder investigation is under way after the death of a man in Canterbury.Police taped off part of the high street after being called late last night where a man in his 20s is understood to have suffered stab wounds. Hear from reporter Liane Castle who's been at the scene.Also in today's podcast, the owner of a Dartford cafe's told the podcast that nearby roadworks are the reason he's decided to close.Jason Astell will shut Allison's Pantry for the final time today.A Dover mum's told the KentOnline Podcast she'd rather go to prison than pay a parking fine...
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Podcast: Aamad Trading furniture store in former Canterbury Wilko building closes with customers owed thousands
Thursday, 10 October 2024
A furniture store in Canterbury has closed suddenly with some customers claiming they've been left thousands of pounds out of pocket.Aamad Trading took over the former Wilko building in St George's Street in the city in March.Also in today's podcast, a Canterbury man living in America has described how they've prepared for Hurricane Milton.Despite being downgraded to a category 1 storm, it's causing devastation in Florida.Tents are going to be put up across Kent from today to draw attention to the dead reality of sleeping on the streets.Porchlight will be bringing the installation to places...
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Podcast: Dover residents slam "insane" plans to shut four town centre streets in the next five months
Wednesday, 9 October 2024
Furious residents are calling on council bosses to scrap “insane” roadworks that are set to shut four town centre streets over the next five months.More than 800 people have signed a petition describing plans for a bus contraflow system in Dover as "madness".Also in today’s podcast, an inquest has heard a teenager who died after taking too many painkillers had been prescribed the pills despite two recent overdoses on the same medication. She was given a month’s supply to manage back pain by a GP who later admitted he “should have given her less”.As we mark Baby Loss Awareness Week you can a...
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Podcast: Tributes paid to beauty salon owner Emily Hubble, nee Flood following her death from ovarian cancer
Tuesday, 8 October 2024
A Deal woman who bravely battled ovarian cancer, has died at the age of just 33. Emily Hubble is being remembered throughout the town as "the ultimate girl’s girl, everyone’s bestie, an amazing wife and daughter".Also in today's podcast, the government has once again delayed a decision on a new £9 billion road tunnel between Kent and Essex.We'll have to wait until next May to find out whether the Lower Thames Crossing will go ahead. We've got reaction the chief executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce.As fighting continues in the Middle East, we've been speaking to a Kent expert ab...
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Podcast: Thousands appeal car parking fines issued at country parks in Kent
Monday, 7 October 2024
More than 10,000 parking fines have been issued at country parks in Kent in the last year, according to figures seen by KentOnline.The data also reals how thousands of people have appealed the penalty, claiming to have legitimately paid for a ticket.Reporter Elli Hodgson joins the podcast to explain more.Also in today's episode, we're still expecting to hear a decision on whether or not the new road tunnel linking Kent and Essex will finally be built.The future of the Lower Thames Crossing is being considered by the Labour government and an announcement that was due on Friday was delayed.I...
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Podcast: Strood Academy bosses defend "ridiculous" haircut policy that saw student removed for skin fade
Friday, 4 October 2024
A head teacher has defended his school’s haircut policy after a pupil was pulled out of class for having a style deemed “extreme”.Strood Academy boss Jon Richardson says the ban on skin fades is part of dress code guidelines that bring “equality and focus” to the school.Also in today’s podcast, you can hear from a Deal man who’s been embroiled in a row with Virgin Media after returning home to find workers digging a huge trench for a broadband cabinet outside his property.He says he will not give up challenging the communications giant after discovering contractors breaking down the pavemen...
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Podcast: Fatal bungalow explosion which killed mum-of-five near Ashford believed to be triggered by gas in the kitchen
Thursday, 3 October 2024
A fatal explosion that tragically claimed the life of a mum-of-five is believed to have been triggered by gas in her kitchenAn inquest has opened into the death of Charlane Burvill after she suffered burns to 95% of her body in the blast near Ashford last month. Also in today’s podcast, a dad has been jailed after telling police he was only living at a cannabis farm in Medway to “water the plants”.He was found at the five bedroom property along with more than 1,000 plants. In more drug news, a criminal gang responsible for importing class A drugs in shipments of bananas to Sheerness has bee...
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Podcast: Claims contaminated fuel from Strood petrol station led to multiple breakdowns
Wednesday, 2 October 2024
Angry drivers say they are hundreds of pounds out of pocket after filling up their cars with what is thought to have been contaminated fuel from the same supermarket petrol station.Some customers have had to pay to have their tanks drained after after buying unleaded at station in Strood last week. Also in today’s podcast, a thug who broke a woman's nose and knocked out a tooth after she refused to hand him a can of beer greeted the length of his jail sentence by saying: “Cushty! I’ll take that!”The 36-year-old Dover man also gave a thumbs-up to his dad and sister, who were sitting in the p...
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Podcast: Woman gets maggot infested foot during stay at Medway Maritime Hospital
Tuesday, 1 October 2024
An 80-year-old widow has received an apology from a Kent hospital after her foot became infested with maggots during her stay.She’d made the discovery while being treated for kidney failure and ulcerated feet – but it was left untreated until the following day. Also in today’s podcast, a man on trial for the murder of a dad of three outside a village pub has told a jury he had only wanted to "scare off" his alleged victim.The 34-year-old is accused of grabbing a large knife from the pub kitchen before trying to diffuse the situation. There are calls for charges at a newly revamped car park ...
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Podcast: A Thanet man who stabbed a bouncer and another man at Ramsgate's Clique Bar has been jailed
Monday, 30 September 2024
A Thanet man who stabbed a bouncer and another man at a bar in Ramsgate pleaded with a judge not to send him to prison.A court was told the attack happened at Clique Bar in Ramsgate in January this year - leaving one man with multiple wounds.Also in today's podcast, Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield has quit the Labour party.She's been a critic of Sir Keir Starmer for some time, but it seems the final straw was his acceptance of tens of thousands of pounds worth of free gifts from donors.Police have been given £15,000 so more officers can patrol Herne Bay as stats show it's the most dangerous pa...
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Podcast: Motorcyclist dies in three vehicle crash on the M25 near Sevenoaks
Friday, 27 September 2024
There’s been another fatality on Kent’s roads – a motorcyclist has died following a crash involving three vehicles on the M25 near Sevenoaks.Emergency crews were called to the clockwise carriageway just before 12.30pm yesterday where a man in his 40's was pronounced dead at the scene. Also in today’s podcast, a coroner has found a Tunbridge Wells man who was in financial difficulty murdered his wife before killing himself. Their bodies were found at their home in February – it’s thought he’d strangled, stabbed and hit his victim with a hammer before taking his own life. You can also hear fr...
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Podcast: Driver killed in serious crash on the A2 after his vehicle collided with the central barrier and part of a bridge
Thursday, 26 September 2024
Investigations are now underway after a driver was killed in a serious crash which closed a busy route in both directions.The black vehicle was travelling on the coastbound carriageway of the A2 in the early ours of this morning when it collided with a central barrier and a bridge parapet. Also in today’s podcast, a police sergeant who stripped naked and masturbated near a play park in Chatham has been sacked.The 51-year-old admitted taking pictures of himself performing the indecent act after he “crawled” into a wooded area.A violent thug who punched his mum and ex-girlfriend has admitted ...
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Podcast: Victory for parents in Ebbsfleet who say they were sold a dream they just haven't got
Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Angry parents living close by to a new school in Ebbsfleet have slammed the admissions policy – and say they were sold a dream they just haven’t got. They launched a petition which forced the school to change its criteria and increase its intake after it was revealed that if it was oversubscribed, other pupils would get priority over those who live nearby.Also in today’s podcast, a Herne Bay mum says she’s horrified after a child found a small blade in chips bought on a Kent pier. He’d bought the portion to share with his friends and was lucky it was spotted before someone bit into it. Ther...
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Podcast: Woman who ran over and killed Canterbury clergyman spared jail
Tuesday, 24 September 2024
A courier who ran over and killed a pensioner after failing to stop at a Give Way junction in Canterbury has been spared jail.The Middlesex woman struck Reverend Iain Taylor with her van as he crossed Station Road West while on his way to a retreat for respite from caring for his dementia-stricken wife.Also today, you can hear from a former gang member who has told the KentOnline Podcast a ban on zombie knives has come in too late. The weapons have been outlawed in a bid to reduce knife crime but there are fears it’s not enough to stop young people carrying them. A mum is urging other paren...
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Podcast: Empty buses on the Sturry Road Park and Ride near Canterbury costing taxpayers £30,000 a month
Monday, 23 September 2024
It’s been revealed a controversial Park & Ride scheme which reopened under opposition this year is causing more pollution than it prevents and losing almost £30,000 a month.Council leaders have been accused of throwing money “in the bin” by continuing to run the service on the outskirts of Canterbury.Also in today’s podcast, a former businessman has appeared in court after preyed on women and children by concealing a secret camera in toilets in Rochester.He was caught red-handed by one of his victims, he said: “I’ve made a silly mistake. It was just fun."Figure seen by the KentOnline Podcas...
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Podcast: Tunbridge Wells mum can never forgive brother for killing their nan in stabbing attack
Friday, 20 September 2024
A young woman has spoken of her heartbreak after her brother stabbed their grandmother and her dog to death - before turning the knife on himself.The mum-of-three, who lives in Tunbridge Wells, says she “can never forgive” her brother but is adamant she will give her nan the send-off she deserves.Also in today’s podcast, investigations are ongoing after an explosion at a home near Ashford. The bungalow in Charing has been completely destroyed and one woman has been taken to hospital – it’s not yet known what caused it. One of Bluewater’s three original anchor stores is set to close before C...
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Podcast: Anger over demolition of historic buildings in Ashford ahead of Netflix-linked film studios scheme
Thursday, 19 September 2024
Furious residents say the demolition of historic buildings as part of a multimillion-pound film studios project should never have been allowed to happen. Contractors have already knocked down a series of lean-to structures connected to abandoned engine sheds in Ashford. Also in today’s podcast, new public artwork showing the lifelike figure of a woman submerged in a river has been branded “offensive, creepy and disturbing” – with some calling for it to be removed. It follows the installation of the controversial statue in the River Stour in Canterbury by a world-renowned underwater sculptor...
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Podcast: Anger as vandals steal generator and damage boat moored on the River Medway in Maidstone
Wednesday, 18 September 2024
A boat owner's told the podcast how he was left stranded after vandals stole his generator and damaged the vessel.Philip Tucker had moored the boat on the River Medway in Maidstone to visit a nearby beer festival.He's calling for more patrols in the area to improve safety and has been speaking to reporter Elli Hodgson.Also on today's podcast, figures seen by KentOnline show more than 3,500 children in Kent are living temporary accommodation.Dartford has the highest rate as one in every 58 youngsters doesn't have a permanent home according to data compiled by Shelter. Hear from Deborah Garvi...
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Podcast: Medway pub could lose licence after fan injured during Euro final bar fight
Tuesday, 17 September 2024
A pub landlord could be stripped of his licence after a fight broke out in the wake of England’s Euro 2024 final defeat which left one punter with potentially life-changing injuries.The incident happened in the pub garden in Wainscott, but police say it wasn’t properly reported to them until the next day.Also in today’s podcast, a former Sturry pig farmer embroiled in a planning war after switching up his business without permission says he will defy council if it tries to shut him down.His retrospective application has been rejected, but he’s vowed to continue trading even if enforcement a...
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Podcast: Maidstone mum refused to pay hefty Wagamama bill because "hair was in her food"
Monday, 16 September 2024
A mum-of-two has refused to pay a large restaurant bill because she claimed there was a hair in her meal.The Maidstone woman has appeared in court for walking out of the Wagamama and leaving the £227 tab behind. Also in today’s podcast, you can hear from a Dover refugee charity after the deaths of another eight people who were trying to cross the Channel to Kent. More than 1000 people made it to the UK over the weekend – taking the total for the year so far to more than 23,000. There’s been an outpouring of sadness in Walmer after a family run, independent garage closed after almost 100 yea...
