KentOnline

Clean-ups have been taking place in parts of Kent following flooding overnight.Alerts and warnings have been in force along the River Medway, River Thames, The Swale and round the coast from Ramsgate to Romney Marsh.The Environment Agency sent staff out to man defences and are closely monitoring the situation.Also in today’s podcast: 10 months of roadworks start on a busy stretch of the A2, Kent’s Dina Asher-Smith claims silver at the World Athletics Championships and reaction from Gillingham’s defeat to Oxford United at the weekend.

Two men have been jailed for a total of 33 years after detonating explosives inside several cash machines, including one near Ashford.The 27 and 30 year-olds were arrested trying to flee the country with thousands of pounds after targeting the ATM outside a co-op in Kennington in February.Also in today’s episode, Nigel Farage has held a Brexit Party rally in Maidstone, a World War two bomb has been detonated in Kings Hill, the work nominated for this year’s Turner Prize has been unveiled in Ashford, a campaign’s underway to save a 1,800-year-old painting near Dartford, and we look ahead to Gillingham’s game against Oxford United this weekend.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

Figures seen by KentOnline show GP surgeries in Kent received seven written complaints every day over the past year.
Issues over communication, receptionists, doctors and the attitude of staff were among the things being complained about.
Surgeries in West Kent – including Maidstone, Malling, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells – received more complaints than any other part of the county – with 590 in 12 months.

A transgender man from Deal has lost his High Court fight to not be named as “mother” on his child’s birth certificate…
Freddy McConnell gave birth in 2018, but has been legally living as a man for four years.
The 32 year-old wants to be listed as “father” or “parent”.
www.kentonline.co.uk 

The Supreme Court has ruled Boris Johnson acted unlawfully in suspending Parliament.
The unanimous ruling was made this morning and has led to calls for the Prime Minister to resign.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says he misled the country – the Lib Dems and SNP are also demanding he step down.
And there are also questions facing the attorney general about the advice he gave the government.

Thomas Cook has collapsed after 178 years of trading.
It was confirmed in the early hours of this morning the company had failed to get the £200 million it needed to keep its lenders happy.
The travel company has 13 branches here in Kent but everyone who worked there is now out of a job.
The largest repatriation operation is now underway to bring home the 150,000 British tourists who’re currently overseas.

Climate change campaigners across Kent have joined millions all over the world for protests today.
Demonstrations have been held in more than 150 different countries to try and get governments and companies to do more to protect the environment.
Also in today’s episode, we have reaction to plans for a 5,000 home garden community near Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells paralympian Will Bailey tells us how he feels ahead of his first performance on Strictly Come Dancing, and Gillingham player Connor Ogilvie has been looking ahead to this weekend’s game.

Bailiffs have been used almost 43,000 times in just one year to recover unpaid council tax in Kent.The smallest debt they were asked to chase was for just over £14.Also in today’s episode, smoking rates across the county are at their lowest ever level, HMS Medway has been officially commissioned, and a teacher has given up his job to make a Brexit card game.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

There are calls for an investigation into a Kent grammar school amid claims it’s acting illegally.The Weald of Kent in Tonbridge opened an annexe in Sevenoaks in 2017, but now campaigners say it’s acting as a stand-alone grammar, despite laws preventing new selective schools from being built.Also in today’s episode, it’s feared a no-deal Brexit could be worse for Kent than originally thought, Liam Payne’s been telling us all about his new single and the Gillingham manager gives us his reaction to last night’s game.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

There’s been a rise in the number of children in Kent being targeted by criminals to be ‘money mules’.Figures show more than 130 under 18s were convinced by gangs to allow them to use their bank accounts to hide criminal funds last year – that’s up more than 80% on 2016.Also in today’s episode, there are concerns for rough sleepers in Sittingbourne after a shelter on a bus was forced to close, and HMS Medway arrives in the towns it was named after.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/