KentOnline

A Kent man who was unable to get on a flight out of Afghanistan fears he will be killed by the Taliban.
The man – who has a wife and children – says he has contacted the British Government for help, but heard nothing since troops left the country.
He’s spoken out as Kent MP Tom Tugendhat questions foreign secretary Dominic Raab on the situation and how prepared the UK was for a mass evacuation.
Also in today’s podcast – will you make a return to commuting after the pandemic?
The people in charge of maintaining the railways and stations in Kent say they’re hoping to welcome back more commuters and have invested millions to make sure they get a good service.
The founder of a fuel campaign group says a move to a different type of petrol will hit hard up drivers.
Medway’s Dr Ranj has advice if you’re struggling with back-to-school nerves.
And, we chat to Gillingham reporter Luke Cawdell as the club welcome a new arrival just hours before the transfer window closed.

A petrol station has been damaged after being targeted by ram-raiders.
The Tesco Express in Larkfield has been taped off after it happened in the early hours of this morning.
Hear from our reporter who’s been at the scene and a local councillor.
Also in today’s podcast, a Faversham mum is calling for assessments for ADHD to be much quicker after her teenage daughter had to wait years before being diagnosed.
Business owners in part of north Kent say their livelihoods are at risk if plans for a theme park are given the go ahead.
A comedian has teamed up with the University of Kent to try and help support people who are recovering from eating disorders.
We’ll hear from the Gillingham boss following their game over the bank holiday weekend.
And we’ve got an updated from the Tokyo Paralympics where Kent’s Will Bayley has been back in action.

A motorcyclist has been killed in a crash in Ashford
 
Also today, Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat says he’s worried about people in Afghanistan still trying to flee the country.
 
A new report’s raised concerns about the quality of care being provided at a mental health hospital in Dartford
 
And hear from Steve Evans and Kyle Dempsey ahead of Gillingham’s League One game with Shrewsbury Town tomorrow.
 

A Maidstone Councillor is calling for local authorities to do more to house people trying to flee Afghanistan.
 
Also today, more needs to be done by Kent Police to keep vulnerable children safe
 
Parents in Kent are being encouraged to regularly test their children for coronavirus before they head back to school. We speak to TV’s Dr Ranj.
 
And people at Reading and Leeds festivals this weekend will be able to get their coronavirus vaccine at pop-up clinics.
Hear from the co-founder of the Black Deer festival in Tunbridge Wells, which has been pushed back to next year.

The number of coronavirus deaths in Kent has more than tripled in the space of a month, as cases continue to rise.
 
Meanwhile, police have released bodycam footage of the moment they tasered a burglar before he was arrested.
 
Also in today’s podcast, a French MP is defending how his country deals with the number of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel.
 
And, the Gillingham boss has suggested he could leave the club after more injury troubles following their league cup defeat.

A record number of asylum seekers were intercepted by the UK while crossing the English Channel on Saturday.
Meanwhile, more than £4,500 has been raised to help young Afghan refugees here in Kent. We speak to Bridget Chapman from the Kent Refugee Action Network.
 
Also in todays podcast, there are calls for urgent action to improve the sewerage network in part of Kent following leaks from a sewage treatment works.
 
And we speak to Kent’s Will Bayley ahead of the Paralympics in Tokyo.

A Sittingbourne teenager will go on trial next January accused of trying to murder a 16-year-old girl with a physical disability
 
Also on today’s podcast, the number of children being arrested by Kent Police has fallen by 76 per-cent over the last decade.
We speak to Andrew Neilson from The Howard League for Penal Reform.
 
People living near a cliff that collapsed on the Isle of Sheppey say they’ll keep trying to fix the problem themselves, despite being warned to stop.
 
And hear from Olly Murs ahead of his show at The Hop Farm next month.

We’ve been told asylum seekers in the county are terrified they’ll be returned to Afghanistan. 
We speak to Bridget Chapman from the Kent Refugee Action Network and Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield.
 
Also on today’s podcast, it’s claimed one of Kent’s oldest pubs is being “beaten and bruised” by motorists treating a village high street as a “rat run”.
 
It’s feared the A&E department at a Kent Hospital can no longer cope with growing patient numbers.
 
And Gillingham take on Morecambe in League One this weekend.

The owner of a restaurant which was gutted in a huge fire has revealed ambitious plans to reopen in just six weeks time.
We hear from Ciaran O’Quigley, owner of Mu Mu in Maidstone.
Also on today’s podcast, residents in Sittingbourne are concerned that a major new housing development could strip the ‘rural character’ of the area.
And, TV host and comedian Alan Carr has been spotted filming in a much-loved part of the Kent coast.

Kent MP Tom Tugendhat has been praised for his powerful speech during the Commons debate over the Afghanistan crisis.
It comes as bosses in Ashford are promising to support families fleeing Afghanistan under the government’s proposed resettlement scheme.
Also in the podcast, commuters could be hit by the largest rail fare rise in a decade.
And, two of Kent’s top drag queens will be on this year’s series of RuPaul’s Drag race.