KentOnline

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.
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There are calls for food delivery cyclists to have number plates, after an elderly man said he was hit by one in Canterbury.The 85-year-old was apparently knocked down on the High Street, but when his daughter contacted the company they said they couldn’t identify the rider responsible.Also in today’s episode, we hear from people who saw a huge barn blaze in Maidstone, an online game is giving students the chance to get a degree in an hour, and the Gillingham boss gives us his reaction to the weekend’s game.
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The family of a teenager who died after eating a birthday meal at Byron Burger want change in the law on labelling in restaurants.
Owen Carey – who went to school in Tunbridge Wells – suffered a fatal reaction after eating grilled chicken coated in buttermilk in 2017.
A coroner ruled he was misled into thinking it was safe for him to eat.
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Questions are being asked today over whether children should be allowed to buy so-called “loot boxes” in computer games.A report by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which is chaired by Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins, has raised concerns about youngsters getting involved in betting.Also in today’s episode, we speak to a family of eight who are living in a tent after being evicted and government documents reveal the possible impact of a no-deal Brexit.
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We’ve been hearing from the mum of a boy who was murdered by someone he met online, as figures show there’s been a 15% rise in child grooming offences reported to Kent Police.According to the NSPCC there were 140 cases in the county in the year to April, and more youngsters than ever before are being targeted through Instagram.Also in today’s episode, a record 86 migrants have tried to cross the English Channel in a single day, Southeastern have extended their Delay Repay scheme, and tributes are paid to a 15-year-old boy found dead in a field.
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Our top story today in today’s KentOnline Podcast is about police who were looking for a wanted Tunbridge Wells man at a London hotel, but instead found almost £1m worth of goods bought with suspected criminal money.
Officers arrested a 55-year-old man on Valentines Day, after finding gold bars, designer watches and 500 hundred lottery tickets.
He’s now been jailed for almost four years for offences, including money laundering.
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A member of the transgender community has said more needs to be done to change attitudes towards the LGBTQ community.
Fiona Johnson, 59, represents Kent for the Beaumont Society, and helps to provide support to members of the transgender community across the county.

Our top story today is about the probation service which manages the most dangerous offenders in Kent – as a report says it requires improvement.
Inspectors have found, on average, officers were managing more than 42 cases each in the county and surrounding region – the highest in the country.
More than half of staff – who manage more than 16,000 offenders – said they felt their work-load was ‘unmanageable’.

As children in Kent return to the classroom after the summer break, it’s been revealed two thirds of parents are worried their kids are spending too much time online.Internet Matters says mums and dads are also concerned about the impact it’s having on their sleep, homework and time spent with family.Also in today’s episode, a community garden is helping to tackle anti-social behaviour and we hear why a crazy golf course at Rochester Cathedral has been such a success.
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A sculpture made out of 100,000 surrendered and confiscated knives is on display at Rochester Cathedral from today.The ‘Knife Angel’ has been described as a national monument against violence and aggression, and it’s hoped it’ll start a conversation about knife crime.Also in today’s episode, leaked government documents are warning drivers could have to wait two days at the port of Dover after a no-deal Brexit, and almost a third of doctors hired to work in Kent hospitals last year came from developing countries were recruitment is banned.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/