KentOnline

As Boris Johnson tries to convince farmers they’ll be better off after Brexit, one from Kent has told us leaving without a deal could be devastating for the industry.The Prime Minister’s been telling farmers they’ll get a boost from scrapping the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and by the signing of new trade deals which he says will allow them to sell more around the world.Also in today’s episode: an expert says cannabis could be legalised within the next few years, a campaign’s underway to get us talking on World Friendship Day, and a community garden in Maidstone has been transformed thanks to Project Kent.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

The Kent ringleaders of a modern day slavery network have been found guilty of people trafficking offences.
Canterbury Crown Court heard the 48 and 26-year-olds preyed on vulnerable homeless people in the Czech Republic – promising them free accommodation in and around Dover and good money.
Instead, up to 18 victims were found living in a four bedroom home and were paid just £20 a week.
 
The pair will be sentenced at a later date.

The mum of a little girl from Aylesham who has a severe form of epilepsy says she’s worried about her daughter’s future, if she’s no longer able to access cannabis-based medication.
Nine-year-old Teagan Appleby used to suffer up to 300 seizures a day, but her health’s greatly improved thanks to cannabis oil.
Now, her mum Emma says the doctor who had been providing prescriptions privately has stopped.

This week we were joined by Safeer Khan, Imam of Nasir mosque in Gillingham.
Mr Khan believes it falls to the leader of the country to set an example for a more tolerant society, in an era of increased anti-Muslim views.
 

With temperatures soaring across Kent today we’ve been looking at how the county’s coping with the heatwave.
As the school holidays are in full swing for most children, thousands of families have been heading to the beach to enjoy the sunshine.
Hear from health experts, Network Rail and employment lawyers in today’s podcast.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/live-kent-braced-for-record-temperatures-209178/

More than 100 firefighters have been tackling a huge blaze at an army firing range in Lydd.
It broke out in undergrowth yesterday evening.
It comes as farmers in the county say they’re concerned the hot weather could increase the risk of a fire breaking out on their land.
www.KentOnline.co.uk

Boris Johnson is to become the new Prime Minister after winning the Conservative leadership contest.
The former foreign secretary and ex-London Mayor received nearly double the number of votes as Jeremy Hunt in a ballot of Tory members.
He’ll get the keys to Number 10 tomorrow after Theresa May goes to see the Queen to officially hand in her resignation.

With the summer break getting underway for most children this week, we’ve been looking at the issue of holiday hunger and what’s being done to tackle it.Charities are concerned those who rely on free school meals during term time will have to go without proper dinners for the next six weeks.We’ve also been finding out more about ‘gleaning’ and looking at whether that could be part of the solution.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

Doormen in Canterbury could be given stab vests following a number of fights in the city said to involve knives.The director of Akon Security says his staff have reported seeing a number of disturbances, including a brawl in the High Street involving men armed with chains, a bat and knife.Also in today’s episode, young people are being encouraged to think about a career in security, we chat to an astronomer ahead of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, and an Ebbsfleet striker has told us about playing with Olly Murs.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/news/weather/

It’s been revealed Gatwick are pushing ahead with a masterplan which could eventually lead to the building of a third runway.
The company has announced plans to increase the number of flights taking off from the current runway, and using the standby one for routine flights by the mid 2020s.
They also want to safeguard land to expand in future.
www.kentonline.co.uk