Episodes
Podcast: Man arrested following reports a woman was raped in the Marlborough Road area of Gillingham
A man's been arrested following reports of a sex attack in Gillingham.An area was cordoned off by police earlier - hear from our reporter Sean McPolin who was there earlier.Also in today's podcast, The mum of a boy who died in a hit and run in Folkestone is calling for reforms to the justice system.Seven-year-old William Brown Jr was trying to collect a football from Sandgate Esplanade when he was struck last December.Almost 40 fines have been issued to food delivery riders in Canterbury after new rules came into force.The public spaces protection order bans riders from aggressive driving, ...
Parents are worried about the safety of their children as they're set to be banned from parking in a nearby village hall during the school run.They currently use the space in Wingham before taking pupils to the primary school - but from September, that won't be allowed to happen.Also on today's podcast, planning reforms, a new border security bill and re-nationalising rail firms are expected to be among the announcements in today's King's Speech.The Prime Minister's using the State Opening of Parliament to set out Labour's aims for Britain. We've been speaking to the new Tunbridge Wells MP,...
There are calls for a review of Dreamland's licence as it's emerged more than 20 teenagers ended up in hospital after a gig at the venue in Margate.A 17 year-old girl had died after attending a drum and bass event at Dreamland.Emily Stoke suffered from a suspected MDMA overdose - and it's now emerged 21 other teenagers also ended up in hospital.Also in today's podcast, Figures seen by KentOnline show a 70% rise in fines issued to parents in Kent for taking their children out of school.More than 13,000 penalty notices were handed out for unauthorised absences last year - up from around 7,700...
Video footage showing people risking their lives at level crossings has been released as part of a major safety campaign.It's after near misses in Gillingham, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Gravesend and East Farleigh.Plans to scale back the number of children eligible for special needs places in Kent have been described as 'terrifying' by worried families.Kent County Council say there's an over-reliance on special school placements and want to change the admissions guidance so they're only for those with the most complex needs.A Medway man says he's been hounded by a gas company for seven month...
A teenager's been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two people were injured at a temple in Gravesend...Emergency crews were called to the Gurdwara just after 8pm last night - the air ambulance was also seen to land within the grounds off Saddington Street.Four people have died after their boat capsized in the English Channel as they attempted to cross to Kent.The French Coast Guard says 63 people were rescued off the coast of Boulogne. We've been getting reaction from Samphire Project the works with refugees in Dover.A couple have told the podcast their damp, cold and mouldy f...
A mum has praised her son for saving her from a fire at their home near Dartford.The blaze broke out in a bedroom of the property on Capel Place in Wilmington, setting off the smoke alarms.Loren Ringshall has lived there for 16 years and initially attempted to fight the flames, before being dragged to safety. She's been speaking to reporter Ben Austin.More than a thousand days after major work started on the redesign of the Stockbury roundabout drivers can now use the new flyover.One lane, heading Maidstone bound, opens today - then a lane in the Sittingbourne direction opens tomorrow.A for...
Frustrated neighbours say “rude and lazy” school-run parents are making their lives hell by parking and driving recklessly.Residents in Ashford say vehicles are regularly left on double-yellow lines, across dropped kerbs and even on driveways by people dropping children at the nearby schools. Also on today’s podcast, a cleaner at a school in Sandwich who was signed off work has told of her shock at being sacked by text message.She’d been on sick leave with anxiety and Tourette’s syndrome - but was told via WhatsApp that her P45 was in the post. The long wait to use a £92 million flyover for...
The son of a Gravesend man who was attacked by an XL Bully says he was one bite from death. The 69-year-old suffered injuries to his arms, legs, shoulder and upper thigh after being mauled by the animal while on his evening walk. Also in today’s podcast, police have had to cordon off a town centre street after a man and a woman were found dead.Emergency services were called to The Butchery in Sandwich after concerns were raised for two pensioners.Furious residents say housebuilding has spiralled out of control as 1,500 homes are planned across just 1.5 square miles of Ashford.An application...
Kent’s first homeless pods are set to launch later this year with 23 currently being stacked on an industrial estate in Ashford. They’re designed to be an energy-efficient alternative to building new homes and will offer temporary accommodation to rough sleepers. Also in today’s podcast, plans to drastically scale back the number of children eligible for special needs school places in Kent have been described as ‘terrifying’ by worried families.Kent County Council has revealed proposals to address what it says is an over-reliance on special school placements.A lollipop lady has told the Ken...
Labour have swept to victory in the general election.Sir Keir Starmer is the country's new Prime Minister after going to meet the King following the official resignation of Rishi Sunak.Labour claimed more than 400 seats across the country with the Tories suffering their worst results in history.In Kent, the political picture is very different with Labour and the Lib Dems taking seats previously held by the Conservatives.There are now 11 Labour MPs in the county. The Tories have six representatives while the Liberal Democrats won Tunbridge Wells.Hear from our reporters at counts across the c...
A primary school teacher from Gravesend has been banned from the profession after she was caught drinking wine during her lunch break.She was in her car at the time and was later called into the office for questioning.Also in today's podcast, a former soldier from Canterbury has been telling KentOnline how medicinal cannabis "changed his life" after years struggling with PTSD.Christopher Monteiro-Sharratt served in Bosnia, and found it difficult to adjust to normal life when he came home.Thousands of people across Kent will be heading out to vote today in the general election.There are 18 c...
It’s been confirmed four Kent restaurants owned by the same company will be closing.They’re all owned by Whitbread, which is also the owner of Premier Inn, which earlier this year confirmed plans to convert 112 of its low-performing restaurants into hotel facilities and to sell 126 of its branded restaurants.Also in today’s podcast, a woman has now been charged with murder after a 25-year-old man was stabbed.Police were called to Harrietsham yesterday afternoon but the victim later died in hospital. School children have been stuck on a bus home for hours during traffic “madness” that brough...
The family of a teenage boy who suffered severe brain damage after jumping off a pier into the sea at Margate have described him as 'amazing but as wild as they come'.Jack Dolan was knocked unconscious after performing a flip off Stone Pier last month. The 15-year-old was flown to a London hospital but a scan revealed no brain activity.Also in today's podcast, with less than 48 hours until polls open for the general election, it's feared some people in Kent might not get the chance to vote.There have been concerns about delays with sending out postal ballots for those who are on holiday or ...
People living in a village between Folkestone and Dover say plans to build 90 more homes is "concreting over countryside and will spoil views".Developers have lodged plans to transform farmland in Capel-le-Ferne - and it's already raised more than 100 letters of objection.Also in today's podcast, a woman's described the moment a car crashed into her house in a village near Ashford.Jenny Garrad was upstairs in the property when it happened on Chequer Tree Farm Road in Mersham - she's now calling for improvements to the junction with Colliers Hill.With just three days until the general electi...
A dad has told of his heartbreak following the death of his kind, loving and talented daughter - aged just 16.Sasha Ghosh, from Smeeth, near Ashford, had been competing internationally in gymnastics before being diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer two years ago.Also in today’s podcast, you can hear from election experts on which was the county is expected to vote in next week’s general election. According to Electoral Calculus, constituencies on the south coast are the ones to watch. Picnic goers were left in shock after witnessing a “lost” lorry reverse into a fence after managing to...
The company behind a £30 million regeneration project in Canterbury has been put into administration.It means the development of the former Nasons department store in the city is now in doubt.As the fall out from the election betting scandal continues, the KentOnline Podcast has been hearing your thoughts about those involved.Earlier this week the Conservatives withdrew support for two candidates under investigation for betting on the timing of the election - Labour has also made one suspension.Meantime, With the general election just a week away, we've been speaking to a local pub boss abo...
A frustrated patient waiting in a busy A&E has been involved in a stand-off with staff after his friend brought in a mattress for him to lie down on. The make shift bed was dragged onto the floor of the emergency unit at Ashford's William Harvey hospital.Also in today's podcast, we've got an extended chat with a Chatham woman who was taken into care when she was just four.Natasha Morgan is now 33 and is using her experience as a child to help those who're now going into the care system.A group representing care providers in Kent is urging the next government to increase funding for the soc...
The head of a Kent grammar school is calling for a non-selective secondary nearby to re-open.David Clark is in charge at Cranbrook school and says a replacement for the High Weald Academy, which closed nearly two years ago, is desperately needed.It's because a lot of homes are being built in the area and many parents face sending their children miles from home.An NHS worker from Kent has been telling the podcast about life in Ukraine, more than two years after the war there started.Brian Grove from Sittingbourne delivered a convoy of ambulances to the country just weeks after the invasion.W...
A Chatham woman who hid a sawn-off shotgun in her garden has avoided being sent to prison - after waiting eight years for the case to come to court.Police were called to 47-year-old Wendy Allen's home on Weeds Wood Road in April 2016 after an anonymous tip-off.Also in today's podcast, figures seen by the KentOnline podcast show a 45% rise in drug offences in Kent over the last four years.Around 3,600 were were recorded in the county in 2019 - that went up to more than 5,200 in 2022. Reporter Louis Walker speaks to a former addict who says cocaine is a particular problem in the county.With l...
A man has been left needing six stiches following an unprovoked attack while visiting Canterbury.Sergio Pagliarini was walking back to his car after dinner when a man punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.Also in today's episode, a horse rider has spoken out about the moment her pony was attacked while she was riding with her family in Medway.Shannon Edwards had taken her seven-year-old son Alfie for his first ride at Riverside Country Park on Tuesday when a dog rushed at them.After a hustings in Canterbury earlier this week, we have been chatting to a first-time voter to see ...
Dog walkers have been wrongly accused of flouting new restrictions and threatened with fines near Whitstable.Officials have been approaching pet owners along Tankerton slopes and insisting the area is covered by a new Public Spaces Protection Order, which bans owners from letting dogs off their leads.Aldo in today’s episode, election candidates have been taking part in a hustings in Canterbury as they try to build support from voters.Representatives from most of the major parties took part, but Labour's Rosie Duffield was not there.A bird of prey centre has launched an urgent fundraiser for...
An inquest has heard a popular workman described by loved ones as “the greatest partner and father” died after falling down a manhole in a tragic accident.The specialist labourer from Deal fell into the opening after being distracted by a passing road-sweeping vehicle while working at a new housing estate.Also in today’s podcast, we bring you an update after arsonists decimated a Forest School created for children in Sevenoaks. The vandals destroyed hours of work by dedicated volunteers from the Kent Wildlife Trust at Sevenoaks Nature Reserve, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. Yo...
An Ashford dad who hit rock bottom after divorce and redundancy says he was drinking two bottles of vodka a day before he was saved by a Kent charity. He’s turned his life around and is preparing to open his own gym in Dover to help others through their struggles. Also in today’s podcast, residents in Gravesend are furious after they were “kept in the dark” over plans to house unaccompanied asylum seeking children in their street.Dozens of protestors gathered outside the building yesterday – they say they fear for their safety. A father with multiple sclerosis says he is missing his daughte...
Seven people have been arrested after protestors stormed a Kent factory that's used to make equipment for the Israeli military.Video at KentOnline shows people from Palestine Action breaking into the Instro Precision site in Sandwich and smashing computers and machinery.Also in today's podcast, as we mark Refugee Week, a woman who came to Kent from Eritrea is urging politicians not to treat asylum seekers as criminals.Rishan Tsegay was just 17 when she made the dangerous journey through Sudan, Libya and mainland Europe.KentOnline's been told a service designed to ease pressure on GPs is lea...
Upset residents say they were horrified after watching a group of boys “torture” and kill birds with catapults.The teenagers also allegedly kicked and threw a duck against a wall by the River Medway near Fremlin Walk in Maidstone. Also in today's podcast, you can hear from a first-time voter who says politicians should be consulting young people more about their election policies.The 18-year-old from Canterbury says it's been a tough few years for people his age, but is encouraging more people his age to have their say. Angry residents are planning to boycott a garden waste collection servi...
A carer is being investigated after she was caught on camera apparently spitting on her patient’s doorstep following a row over a damaged wall.The patient, who lives in Strood, says the incident has left her feeling “disrespected” and as if she was “disgusting”.Also in today’s podcast, a desperate appeal has been issued to pregnant women in Kent and Medway urging them to come forward for a whooping cough jab following the deaths of eight babies.You can hear from the Deputy Director of Public Health at Kent County Council who says infants who are too young to get their own vaccinations are a...
Neighbours have spoken of their shock after a woman died in a house fire in Chatham.Crews were called to Sharon Crescent in Walderslade on Monday evening - a cat also died in the blaze.Also in the podcast, a Fawkham man is locked in a battle with his local church over the headstone he's chosen for his wife's grave.Dave Clarke wants a pink-tinted marble headstone for the site in St Mary's Church in Small Grains, which he says matches his wife Janet's personality. Find out what the diocese has said in response.A Canterbury café boss has published CCTV of an alleged dine and dash which she say...
The Kent candidates for the general election have been confirmed.Nominations had be in by Friday and they've now been checked and verified and published for each constituency.This time around there are 18 seats up for grabs in the county - hear from our local democracy reporter Dan Esson.Also in today's podcast, the head teacher of a Kent grammar school has branded Ofsted inspections "tick-box exercises" after it was stripped of its 'outstanding' status.Folkestone School for Girls has held the top rating for the last 12 years - but has now been downgraded to 'good' by the education watchdog...
People living in a new-build block of flats in Ashford say its “inefficient” green energy system is making their bills much higher than they should be.Residents say the building is always boiling hot and they would never have moved in had they known how much they would have been forking out for heating - including covering payments missed by their neighbours.Also in today’s podcast, residents fear their village between Ashford and Canterbury could be turned into a “concrete jungle” after swathes of land were put forward for new homes in the area.They’ve launched a campaign to save the site ...
A Medway mum says she'll fight to keep her swimming pool after being ordered to remove it from a communal yard outside flats in Chatham.Chelsea Davidson was contacted by management company MHS Homes last week, and told to get rid of the 12-foot paddling pool in Silverweed Road.Also in today's podcast, a Gravesend man who set up a funding group after his step-son took his own life says young people don't have enough access to counselling.Figures from Childline show more than 500 sessions were delivered across the country every day last year.The Elliott Holmes Memorial Fund has offered free c...