KentOnline

Firefighters have been tackling a large fire in a building at Whitstable Harbour.Crews were called at around 1.30pm – hear from our reporter Lydia Chantler-Hicks at the scene.
Meantime, there’s been disruption in Gravesend following a blaze at a former pub.Aerial footage shows the roof of the building on Queen Street has collapsed.Also in today’s podcast, ahead of schools breaking up for half term tomorrow, we’re being warned there could be major disruption on Kent’s roads as people look to get away.Highways bosses are predicting lorries will need to queue within Operation Brock on the M20.Hear from Toby Howe who is part of the Kent Resilience Forum.Eight million low-income households are getting a one-off payment of £650 to help with the rise in the cost of living.The Chancellor’s been detailing measures in the House of Commons, to support the most vulnerable.Friends of a Kent teenager who was murdered while walking to meet a friend have paid tribute at the opening of a new centre named in her memory.16-year-old Claire Tiltman was attacked in an alleyway in Greenhithe back in 1993.A new 145-mile cycling route is being launched in Kent.It starts and ends in the village of Wye near Ashford with the people behind it saying it’s the perfect introduction to cycling tourism – we’ve been speaking to Cycling UK.And, ahead of next week’s long weekend, the first of many Jubilee street parties has been held in Kent.Hundreds of school children gathered in Gravesend along with people from the town celebrating their 70th birthdays.

A Canterbury dad has spoken out after his picture was posted online in a bid to track down suspected fly-tippers.
Liam Blackwell says his children are being picked on in school after the image was circulated by Canterbury City Council.
Hear what he’s had to say at the reaction from the authority.
Also in today’s podcast, research has found you can book a flight to some European cities for less than the price of train ticket from Kent to London.
Commuters have to pay as much as £65 a day if they’re travelling from somewhere like Ashford to get to work.
That’s twice as expensive as a seat on a plane to Barcelona – which we found online for just £30.
We’ve got reaction from campaign group We Own It.
A report’s revealed what life’s like inside a prison housing some of Kent’s most notorious killers.
Wayne Couzens, David Fuller and Michael Stone among those being held at HMP Frankland – a Category A jail in County Durham.
The KentOnline Podcast has been told how a new programme in Kent will hopefully stop young people from ending up in county lines drug gangs.
It’s called Catch22 and is all about preventing vulnerable youngsters from being targeted – hear from one of the people in charge.
And, Kent get their T20 blast campaign under way tonight.
The defending champions welcome Somerset to Canterbury – hear from captain Sam Billings and coach Matt Walker.

If you thought Partygate had all been dealt with, it seems you would be wrong.Hear from the Kent MP who is calling on the Prime Minister to resign after a picture emerged of Boris Johnson raising a glass with colleagues during a lockdown party.Also in today’s podcast, police insist action is being taken to tackle violence and late-night disorder in Ramsgate.Bosses have called for an urgent meeting amid claims the town is becoming more dangerous – find out what officers are planning to do.A leading pub boss in Kent has admitted he’s concerned about how the cost of living crisis will affect hospitality.The industry is only just getting back on its feet after being closed for longer than most other sectors during the pandemic. Hear from Phil Thorley from Thorley Taverns in Thanet.A Kent mum has spoken candidly to the KentOnline Podcast about the maternity treatment she received – and she fears it was so bad, because of the colour of her skin.Tinu Alikor is from Tunbridge Wells and her story is nothing short of shocking.It comes after a damning report by charity Birthrights found ‘systemic racism’ in UK maternity care.We’ve been along to the opening of the Gaia exhibition at Rochester Cathedral.A giant sculpture of the earth will be on display there until next month.And, we’ve been catching up with sprinter Adam Gemili who’s been back to his former school in Dartford.He’s hoping to inspire children to get more active after missing out on PE during the pandemic.

A man has been arrested following a stabbing in a children’s play area in Maidstone.The victim – who’s in his 20s – was flown to hospital after it happened in the Park Wood area of the town late last night. Hear from our reporter who’s been to the scene.A mum, who’s been described as a hero, has spoken about the moment her young son fell into a manhole.18-month-old Theo disappeared down the hole when the cover gave-way as they walked in Ashford.A new domestic abuse hub has been set up by Kent Police, which includes a video chat service for victims.It’s the first of it’s kind by a police force in the country and evidence recorded in the videos could be used in any future prosecution.Lucy Hickmott has been speaking to Deborah Cartwright from the Oasis charity and Detective Chief Superintendent Samantha Price.The owner of an eco business in Dartford fears rising prices in shops will force people to be less environmentally friendly.Last week we told you how inflation had reached a 40 year high of 9% – hear from Louise Potter on how it could affect her company.And, the work of teachers and support staff in the county has been recognised.The Kent Teacher of the Year Awards were held in Ashford on Friday night marking the contributions that staff make to our children’s education.

In todays podcast, Council tenants have been told to remove bamboo screens used to shield gardens, or face court action.
We speak to residents living in the area.
A Gravesend dad has been telling the KentOnline podcast how his three-year-old daughter was diagnosed with hepatitis. 
Alan Raine has been speaking out to raise awareness of the signs other parents should look out for.
Also in today’s podcast, a new pilot project in Kent is helping people fast-track into the fresh produce industry. We speak to those who’ve recently been joined the programme.
Hear from Jack Hines from Tonbridge, who’s set out on an incredible challenge to draw every single building in Greater London.
Plus, it’s the Kent Teacher Awards tonight!

Despite international travel resuming after the pandemic, one part of Kent that used to be a bustling transport hub, remains deserted.
Our reporter Rhys Griffiths has visited Ashford International Station.
Thousands of passengers used to pass through there ever year as they travelled to and from the Continent via Eurostar trains.
But, services haven’t stopped in the town since March 2020 when the first national lockdown came into force.
Find out what it’s like and if trains will ever return.
Also in today’s podcast, a Medway mum fears there could be civil unrest if more isn’t done to combat the rising cost of living.
Rita has been speaking after inflation reached a 40 year high.
Charities say more funding is needed to prevent homelessness in Kent.
Almost £1.5million has been spent on helping those struggling to pay their rent or mortgage because of the pandemic.
Hear what Catching Lives in Canterbury have to say.
The podcast has been told plans to bring in ‘street votes’ to decide whether a house can have an extension could lead to trouble between neighbours.
The government says it wants to find ways of engaging the public more in planning. Hear from the leader of Swale Borough Council.
And, find out which Kent star is going to be performing at the Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace next month.

The man who took the photo which led to the killer of a Kent PCSO being caught says he just had a feeling he needed to turn his dash cam on.
Gavin Tucker had spotted Callum Wheeler while driving the day after Julia James had been attacked in woodland near Snowdown last April.
He’s been speaking to our reporter Lydia Chantler-Hicks.
Also in today’s podcast, hear from our reporter at the scene of a double stabbing in Folkestone.
Two teenagers have been arrested while another two are in hospital.
A vulnerable child in council care in Kent went missing for more than three-and-a-half years, according to shocking data seen by the KentOnline Podcast.
It comes from a freedom of information request – we’ve got reaction from charity, Missing People.
As inflation reaches a 40 year high, there’s a rather gloomy prediction from a business expert in Kent.
Hear from the Rainham family who’ve raised an incredible amount of money for the hospital that saved their son’s life.
And in sport, find out which Kent player is in the England squad and who won football’s Kent Senior Cup last night.

The children of Kent PCSO Julia James have paid tribute to their mum after a 22-year-old man was convicted of murdering her.
In yesterday’s podcast we told you how a jury took just over an hour to find Callum Wheeler from Sunshine Corner Avenue in Aylesham, guilty.
Patrick Davies and Bethan Coles have revealed how they’d like her to be remembered.
Also in today’s episode, one of Kent’s leading headteachers is urging students not to panic if GCSEs and A level exams don’t go to plan.
Teenagers are doing in-person tests for the first time since before the pandemic. We’ve been speaking to the chair of the Kent Association of Headteachers.
A former Kent footballer has praised Blackpool’s Jake Daniels for coming out as gay.
The 17-year-old striker is the only current men’s player in professional British football to be open about his sexuality.
Former Sheppey United player Jahmal Howlett-Mundle came out as bi-sexual last year and has been speaking to our reporter Laoise Gallagher.
And, the mansion in Kent where the man who owned the original chitty chitty bang bang car used to live is up for sale.
Find out where it is and how much it’s going for.

A 22-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering Kent PCSO Julia James.He attacked the 53-year-old while she walked her dog not far from her home in Snowdown last April. Hear the moment Callum Wheeler was arrested at his home on Sunshine Corner Avenue in Aylesham.
We also have reaction from Kent Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.Also on today’s podcast, campaigners from Greenpeace have blocked a tanker carrying 33,000 tonnes of Russian diesel in the River Thames near Gravesend.The Andromeda was due to offload at Grays in Essex overnight – but activists forced it to turn around. Hear the moment they called to report their protest.We’ve been told how everything possible is being done to make sure children from Ukraine who’ve moved to Kent, settle into local schools.Hundreds of people have come to the county since the start of the conflict under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and we’ve been speaking to the leader of the county council.We have reaction from campaign group SOS Whitstable as the government promises to tackle the scale of untreated sewage being discharged into the sea off Kent.Water companies are going to face strict limits on how often they can use storm overflows.Hear from the twin brothers who are opening a cafe and wine bar in Ashford, and have described the town as “the new Canterbury of Kent”.Itaca’s will be a Georgian-style bistro with tea and cakes during the day and cocktails in the evening.In sport, tributes are continuing to be paid to former Kent cricketer Andrew Symonds who died in a car crash over the weekend.The Austrialian allrounder, who was 46, was involved in a collision in Queensland.

In today’s podcast, jurors at the trial of a man accused of murdering Kent PCSO Julia James have been sent home, as the trial was adjourned.
53-year-old Julia was attacked while out walking her dog not far from her home in Snowdown in April last year.
 
Also today, a Kent charity says demand for its hygiene products far outstrips supply because of the rising cost of living.
Two friends from Kent have created a podcast to talk about the stigma surrounding men’s mental health.
And, 23 beaches in Kent have been given Blue Flag and Seaside Awards. We speak to the Chief Exec of Keep Britain Tidy.