KentOnline

Tougher measures are coming into force across Kent to crack down on illegal raves.
From today, anyone who organises one could be fined up to £10,000, and £100 fine for those attending.
We hear from Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Faulconbridge from Kent Police.
Also in the podcast: small breweries could be under threat as the government changes tax rules, and a Kent bus operator tells us they’re confident they can get children to school safely next week. 

A Kent professor is warning employers to make sure offices are Covid secure, despite the health secretary saying the risk of transmission is low.
Matt Hancock said NHS track and trace data shows there’s ‘little evidence’ of coronavirus spreading in workplaces.
We hear from Martin Michaelis from the University of Kent’s school of biosciences, who is warning that we can’t be sure that’s the case, as most people have been working from home.
Also in the podcast: there are calls for a clamp down on fly-tipping in Kent – and it’s feared organised crime is causing more of it. 

Face coverings will become ‘part of the uniform’ for some secondary school pupils in Kent.
The government says only those under local lockdowns have to use masks in corridors and communal areas – but headteachers elsewhere can make their own decisions.
We hear from Steve Chalke, founder of Oasis Community Learning, which runs two schools in Medway and Sheppey.
Also in the podcast: a man is calling for heavy lorries to be banned from his village after his home has been hit eight times in a year, and we hear from England’s Zak Crawley following his recent cricket success.

With just a week to go before schools reopen, its feared some parents won’t send their children back for fear they could catch coronavirus.
We hear from Ruth Powell, headteacher at St Katherine’s Primary in Snodland, who is confident her school will be Covid-secure.
Also on the podcast: a mum from Chatham claims her son hasn’t had a fair assessment for autism because of the pandemic.

A teenager has been given a life sentence after being found guilty of murdering Anthony Eastwood.
Nathan Kitenge-Mpiana will serve a minimum term of 14 years and 141 days before he can be considered for parole.
 
We hear from the victim’s partner Stephanie Hall, who has slammed the killer for his remorselessness.
 
Also on the podcast: charity Protection Against Stalking says the number of victims has doubled since the start of lockdown.

Landlords will not be able to evict renters from their homes for another month.
The government announced the decision this afternoon, following pressure from councils and charities who warned almost half a million vulnerable families could be at risk of losing their homes.
We hear from Peter Fleming, leader of Sevenoaks council, who says the change is a good idea but there are also wider pressures to resolve. 
Also in the podcast: Kent’s first environmental boss tell us the county can become ‘green’ by 2050 – despite plans for major infrastructure developments.

Hear from students as they collect their results, amid continued frustration from teachers about this year’s grading fiasco.
 
We speak to pupils from Hillview School in Tonbridge and the headteacher of Maidstone Grammar School.
 
Also in the podcast: concern grows for the care of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children left in the hands of Border Force, after past failures. 

The body of a 16-year-old boy from Sudan was found washed up on Sangatte beach by French authorities this morning.
 
It is thought he was trying to reach the UK by boat.
 
We have reaction from Clare Moseley from Care4Calais, who is calling for safe and legal ways for people to apply for asylum in the UK.
 
Also in the podcast: First-time buyers in Kent scramble for mortgages as the housing market soars post-lockdown.

Any more unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving on Kent’s shores will be now looked after by Border Force, after Kent County Council admitted they can no longer safely accommodate more children. 
 
It follows years of warnings to the government that it was close to capacity, but now demand has tipped over due to the increase in boats crossing the Channel.
We’ll hear from Bridget Chapman from the Kent Refugee Action Network. 
Also in the podcast: more reaction from teachers, students and universities after the government’s U-turn in A-Level exam gradings.
 
 

The government announced a U-turn in A-Level and GCSE grading, following fierce criticism from pupils who lost university places due to downgrading. 
 
We’ve been speaking to an education law expert on what could happen to those university places now, after one Medway MP predicted admissions ‘chaos’ following the announcement.
 
Also in the podcast: we hear from a couple who have been offering a home to people seeking asylum in the UK for the past four years.