KentOnline

Stats out today have revealed the number of people claiming jobless benefits in Kent rose 116% in 2020.
In December there were more than 68,800 people claiming in the county – up from just under 32,000 in January.
We get reaction from Jo James, the chief executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, who says the furlough scheme needs to be extended.
Also in the podcast, fears schools could be left out of pocket with more children likely to qualify for free school meals when they return after lockdown.
Local democracy reporter Ciaran Duggan has an update on plans for a railway line from Kent to Cambridge.
And, we look ahead to Gillingham’s game in league one tonight.

The chief executive of an academy trust in Kent says the government needs to listen to scientists before deciding when all children should return to school.
There are calls for ministers to set out a route map of how and when children will go back to class.
Hear from David Whitehead who is the CEO of the Potential in Everyone Academy Trust.
Also in today’s podcast, asylum seekers being held at a former army barracks in Kent are to be moved to hotels if they receive a negative Covid test.
We get reaction from the Kent Refugee Action Network.
There are calls for people from minority ethnic groups in Kent not to turn down the chance of having the Covid vaccine.
And, the organisers of the Black Deer Festival update us on their plans for the summer after it was confirmed Glastonbury has been cancelled.

The owner of a shop in a village near Canterbury has spoken out about the abuse he’s suffered after refusing to serve customers who don’t wear a face mask.
Ranjit Dhaliwal says he’s been threatened and even had groceries thrown at him by people who wouldn’t wear a face covering.
Hear from the shopkeeper and CCTV from the store which captured the moment a man demanded to be served despite not wearing a mask.
Also in today’s podcast, an open letter from asylum seekers living in a former military barracks in Folkestone has been posted on social media.
Hear from Anne Marie who’s been chatting to sister radio station kmfm.
And we catch up with Gillingham midfielder Ollie Lee ahead of their game against Rochdale this weekend.

Three men have been jailed for their part in a plot to produce fake £20 notes.
Some of the counterfeit cash was found by a dog walker with more scattered by a railway line in Dartford.
We’ve been speaking to an expert in forensic science from the University of Kent.
Some of Kent’s MPs have been quizzing the health minister in the commons about the supply of the Covid vaccine – hear what they had to say and the response from Matt Hancock.
A young Maidstone boy has started a campaign to get us to dispose of face masks properly after seeing more and more littering local streets.
Isaac Reed is worried they’ll harm wildlife.
And World Cup winning rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson has sent a video message to a Kent school.

A Kent MP has been in contact with the health secretary because he’s so concerned about the supply of the Covid vaccine to Kent.
Hear from Thanet’s Sir Roger Gale who also wants to know if a mass vaccination is going to be set up in the county.
We’ve also been speaking to the man in charge of Kent’s biggest hospital, Medway Maritime in Gillingham, to find out how they’re coping during the second wave of the pandemic.
Also in today’s podcast, Storm Christoph has been battering Kent and there are concerns for homes on part of Sheppey where there was a massive landslip last year.
Find out about the desk that links Kent to America on Inauguration Day as Joe Biden is sworn in as the new president.
And plans have been put forward for a new water park in Kent – we’ve got the details.

A woman has been escorted from a Sainsbury’s store in Dartford after refusing to wear a face mask.
Hear what happened when she was confronted by police in the supermarket and comment on the story to let us know what you think.
The over 80s are being told not to panic if they haven’t been invited for a Covid vaccine yet – we’ve been speaking to a leading Kent doctor.
Remember trading Pokemon cards back in the day? Well the phenomenon is still going strong and one trader in Canterbury has been telling us how some are worth hundreds.
Plus we’ll be joined by editor Chris Britcher who’s been reminiscing about some of Kent’s former tourist attractions.

Dr Ranj has been speaking to the KentOnline podcast about the importance of sticking to the Lockdown 3 rules and protecting our hospitals.
The TV medic, who grew up in Medway, is seeing firsthand the impact the virus is having on the NHS.
Also in today’s podcast, there are calls for the government not to end the £20 per week increase to Universal Credit payments that came into effect at the start of the pandemic.
It’s sugar awareness week and a Kent nutritionist is urging parents to be even more careful with what their children are eating while home schooling.
We hear from singer Rudie Edwards who’s returned to Kent to film her new video.
And it was a good weekend for Gillingham as they got back to winnings ways – manager Steve Evans spoke after their 1-0 win at Accrington Stanley.

KentOnline Podcast: Teenagers sentenced for Canterbury attack which left German student brain-damagedTwo teenagers have been sentenced for their part in an attack in Canterbury which left a German student brain-damaged.Daniel Ezzedine was set upon in the city centre in 2019.Hear from our reporter Sean Axtell who’s been following the case at Canterbury Crown Court.
Also in today’s podcast, a former Kent headteacher is urging Ofsted to allow schools to ‘rebuild’ following the pandemic.A family who went viral in the first lockdown with a rendition of a song from Les Miserables are back.In sport, we catch up with Connor Ogilvie ahead of Gillingham’s game this weekend and hear from Kent cricketer Nathan Gilchrist on his training head of the new season

The owners of a Medway pub have spoken of the devastation caused by flooding.
The Fenn Bell Inn at Hoo is also home to an animal conservation project.
They were alerted to rising water in the early hours of this morning and say even firefighters couldn’t stop it.
Also in today’s podcast, nursery school staff have been overlooked during the pandemic according to one academy head.
There are calls for the government to extend a ban on landlords being able to evict tenants to avoid a spike in homelessness after the pandemic.
And, why squirrels, lions and bats are all making the headlines in Kent.

Food hampers sent to low income families to help feed children while they learn from home have been criticised after pictures of the contents were shared on social media.The government has responded today saying it ‘will not be tolerated’ and catering companies have been ordered to improve.My Kent Family editor Lauren Abbott did a £30 shop to feed her two children – find out how she got on.
Also in today’s podcast – the minister in charge of the Covid vaccine roll-out has been quizzed by Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark.A former Kent police officer is calling for current members of the force to have more powers during lockdown 3.And, there’s a rather unusual job up for grabs in Kent – we’ve got the details.