KentOnline

Podcast: Faversham mum smoked cannabis before driving with children in the car

Podcast: Swanscombe landslide causes cliff collapse and road closure

Podcast: Herne Bay dad stages sit-in protest at McDonald’s in Chestfield after issues with UberEats delivery

Podcast: First 8,500 homes at Otterpool Park on and around the former Folkestone Racecourse are approved

Podcast: Minster woman jailed after making fake allegations about a Sheppey prison officer which saw him arrested three times

A Canterbury woman who fell pregnant at just 16 has told the podcast how she was determined not to be just another teenage mum on benefits.
Louise Mansell has just qualified as a primary school teacher and has been sharing her success story with reporter Gerry Warren.
Also in today’s episode, it’s been a nightmare start to the Easter holidays for hundreds of holidaymakers after travel chaos at the Port of Dover.
Some people waiting in queues for up to 14 hours.
There are calls for a new pedestrian crossing at a busy junction near Ashford, amid concerns someone could end up seriously injured.
A dad’s set up a petition for a button to control the traffic lights where the A28 meets Bybrook Road in Kennington.
Elsewhere, it’s claimed “dangerous and unacceptable” parking near a school near Sittingbourne is putting children at risk.
Grove Park primary in Bobbing is close to a new housing development, and there are no yellow lines on one side of the road.
You have probably heard of breakfast clubs for children – now one has opened on Sheppey for parents who’re skipping meals to ensure their children are fed.
New research shows more than half of adults here in the South East are having to go without as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
And in sport, it was a disappointing trip to Barrow for Gillingham at the weekend.
They conceded a last minute goal to lose 2-1 on the road. Hear from an unhappy manager, Neil Harris.

There are calls for speed cameras to be installed on a stretch of the A2 where 10 people have lost their lives in crashes over the past two decades.It’s the stretch that runs through Teynham which has gained a reputation for being a real blackspot.
Also in today’s podcast, bosses at a college with campuses in Medway and Maidstone say they’re on target to only be using renewable energy in just two years time.Work is under way to install ground source heat pumps and wind turbines at MidKent College.Seven groups in Kent that were set up to help people fleeing the war in Ukraine have been awarded a share of £45,000.The Kent Community Foundation set up the Ukrainian Support Fund last year and are now distributing the money to support the refugees.Work is under way to clear an invasive plant that’s threatening fish populations from waterways in Kent.Floating Pennywort is actually native to north America but was found in this country in the 90s.As the Easter holidays get under way, our features writer Sam Lawrie has a round-up of everything going on in the county.And, in sport, Gillingham make the long trip north to Barrow in league two this weekend.Neil Harris’ side will be looking to make it three wins in a row and increase the gap with the relegation zone even further.

We start today’s podcast with health news after it was revealed an elderly man was left waiting for more than two days in A&E at a Kent hospital – as pressure on the NHS continues.
79-year-old Geoffrey Knell spent 55 hours in a chair at the QEQM in Margate after being diagnosed with pneumonia.
Elsewhere, an inquest has been told how a Dover man was let down by mental health services in the months before his death.
A coroner’s ruled there were missed opportunities by professionals to contact 25 year-old Ben Hart before he took his own life in October last year.
Hear from Medway GP Dr Julian Spinks who has been discussing the result of a major survey that reveal just 29% of people in England, Scotland and Wales say they’re happy with the way the health service runs.
Also in today’s podcast, owners are being warned to keep a close eye on their pets as Kent is named a dog-theft hotspot.
More than 177 cases were reported across the country last year –  American Bulldogs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and French Bulldogs were the most common breeds targeted.
A woman’s been made commander of a Kent lifeboat for the first time in the station’s 100 year history.
Heather Crittenden’s been part of the RNLI for 11 years and is now at the helm of the Atlantic 85 at Littlestone on Romney Marsh.
And, Olly Murs has told our sister radio station, kmfm, he’d love Austin Butler to play him in a movie about his life.
Hear some of his chat with Garry and Chelsea on the breakfast show.

Heartfelt tributes are being paid to Paul O’Grady following his shock death at the age of 67.
The TV and radio star, who lived near Ashford, passed away yesterday evening.
He was well known for his love of animals and was a passionate supporter of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, visiting their site in Brands Hatch with the Queen Consort last year.
In November, he was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent.
Also in today’s podcast, an investigation is under way following a suspected arson attack at a former pub near Sevenoaks.
At KentOnline you can see drone pictures showing the damage to the building on South Ash Road in Ash.
Asylum seekers who cross the Channel to Kent in small boats could be housed on barges and in former RAF bases under plans being drawn up by the government.
An announcement’s expected later as ministers say they want to reduce the number of refugees in hotels.
A couple who live off grid in converted shipping containers on land they own near Folkestone have been ordered to demolish their home.
Reporter Rhys Griffiths has been speaking to Dan and Stacey Bond who have lived on the site at Swingfield Minins since April last year.
And, a former soldier from Kent is embarking on an epic mission to climb Everest – despite the fact he doesn’t have either of his legs.
Hari Budha Magar from Canterbury was seriously injured in an IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan in 2010.

A couple who used their life-savings for a deposit on a new-build house in Herne Bay say it’s turning out to be a ‘disaster’.
Alex and Dorina Marcu moved into the £350,000 property last summer but within a week, had documented dozens of problems. Hear from Alex and we have a statement from the developers.
Also in today’s podcast, a couple have been charged with murder following the death of a child in Gravesend.
The two-year-old girl passed away in hospital in May 2020.
Orlando Bloom’s praised the strength of the Ukrainian people during a visit to the war-torn country.
The Canterbury actor is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and has met with President Zelensky.
The owner of a Medway company says he’s no longer going to pitch for business in London, because of the cost of paying the Ultra Low Emission Zone charge.
Lee Murthwaite provides sound equipment for events but has to pay every time he drives into the capital because he has an older vehicle. He’s been speaking to our colleagues from KMTV.
A Medway mum says she hopes to transform a pub into a community hub to tackle loneliness and isolation.
Jane Brownlow is transforming the Princes Park pub in Chatham after managing to raise enough money to buy the lease.
And, Tracey Emin has announced she wants to buy an old bathing house on Margate beach and turn it into a facility for swimmers and surfers.
Hear what she had to say to a crowd that had gathered for the official opening of her new studios in the town.