KentOnline

An inquest jury has found that police mistakes ‘probably’ contributed to the deaths of serial killer Stephen Port’s victims.Daniel Whitworth, 21, from Gravesend was among four men who were drugged and killed by Port between 2014 and 2015.Hear from the solicitor representing the victim’s families, the barrister of Daniel Whitworth’s partner at the time of his death, and also a response from the Met Police.Also in today’s podcast, The son of a former Vice Lord Lieutenant of Kent is at the centre of the Downing Street Christmas party scandal.Ed Oldfield, who went to King’s School in Rochester, is the man who can be heard joking with Boris Johnson’s former press secretary in the video obtained by ITV News earlier this week.It’s as Plan B restrictions start to come into force from today. Hear from a University of Kent virologist.Residents in part of Medway say they’ll have to reconsider their futures if an industrial vineyard gets built.The plans for private land off Upper Bush in Cuxton include a wine production facility, café, visitors’ centre, and a car park – her from residents and local parish councillors.Former footballer Chris Kamara has been in Medway for the opening of a new activity centre based on the Ninja Warrior UK TV show.It’s in the old Dickens World building at Chatham Dockside.And, hear from midfielder Danny Lloyd ahead of Gillingham’s crunch game at Fleetwood Town this weekend.

People living near a planned new Aldi store in Ashford says it is ‘abysmally positioned’ and will cause a traffic nightmare.
The budget chain want to build in the Kennington Park part of town – hear from Dan Wright who’s been looking into the plans and explains why it’s so controversial.
Also in today’s podcast, a Maidstone man whose wife died last December says revelations of Christmas parties at Westminster have left him angry.
Clive Lever wasn’t able to say a final farewell to his wife due to Covid restrictions and has spoken out after the Prime Minister announced an investigation into alleged gatherings.
We have reaction to Plan B coming into force to try and curb the spread of the Omicron variant.
The deputy chief exec of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce says businesses will need support over the festive season.
The Kent County Council leader has told the KentOnline Podcast that rules meaning other authorities have to take in asylum seeking children should be a permanent solution not a temporary fix.
And a star of this year’s pantomime at the Central Theatre in Chatham says it’s great to be back on stage – despite fears over the new Covid variant.

Two of Kent’s Conservative MPs have demanded answers over the Downing Street Christmas party scandal.
It’s after video emerged of staff at Number 10 joking about a ‘cheese and wine’ event during a mock news conference last December when Covid restrictions were in place.
Hear from North Thanet’s Sir Roger Gales, our political editor Paul Francis and what some of you have had to say about it.
Also in today’s podcast, two teenagers have been charged with murder after a man was found dead at a property in Tunbridge Wells.
A mum has welcomed calls for all children to be screened for dyslexia before they leave primary school.
The founder of an animal sanctuary says she’s a nervous wreck ahead of a meeting which is set to decide its future.
Happy Pants Ranch moved onto land near Sittingbourne back in January but requires a change of use application to be approved if it’s to stay there.
And the Gillingham manager has been reacting to their 5-1 defeat to Rotherham in league one.

A pre-Christmas sleigh ride around Sittingbourne could be cancelled after someone threatened to punch Santa.Organisers of the popular event in the town say they were stalked by ‘very unpleasant drunks’ while out last night.Oliver Kemp has been following this story for us and has the latest.Also in today’s podcast, a video has emerged of a car being driven into a cyclist following an argument in Tunbridge Wells.Police say they are investigating.Hear from the Kent mum of two murdered sisters after two former officers were jailed for taking photos of their bodies.PCs Deniz Jaffer and Jamie Lewis shared images of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman on WhatsApp, while guarding the scene of the crime in Wembley last year.A Kent woman, who’s only just been reunited with her daughter after not being able to see each other for two years, is now stuck in South Africa.Because of the discovery of the Omicron Covid variant, Wendy Pfeiffer will have to quarantine when she gets back to the UK – she’s spoken to the podcast about how she’s feeling.We’re being urged to take extra care today as Storm Barra brings wet and windy conditions to Kent.Hear from our business editor Chris Britcher on why so many families from Hong Kong are moving to Tunbridge Wells.And, the Gillingham boss chats ahead of their clash with top of the table Rotherham in league one tonight.

Customers have been asked to leave a supermarket in Medway after what police have described as a medical emergency.
Officers and ambulance crews were called to Aldi in Gillingham at the weekend.
Also in today’s podcast, six people have been arrested as part of a murder inquiry in Tunbridge Wells.
A man’s body was found on Caley Road in the early hours of Saturday.
Winds of up to 80 miles-per-hour are due to hit Kent tomorrow as Storm Barra arrives.
We have the latest from the Met Office.
A new women only bus is going to be running in Dover to make sure they get home safety at night.
Hear about the Angel Express which will be operating in the weeks before Christmas.
We’ve been getting your views as a crackdown on drugs announced by the government will aim to get 300,000 heroin and crack addicts in England and Wales into rehab – and break up 2,000 County Lines gangs. 
The KentOnline Podcast has been told around one in five under 30s in the UK will rely on charities over Christmas.
We’ve been speaking to The Salvation Army.
We’ve been to have a look inside shipping containers that are being used as work space in Medway.
Box City has opened its second site, with 52 rentable units equipped with electricity, heating, air-con and wi-fi.
And, a Faversham family who found fame with their songs during lockdown – are back. Hear some of their version of Mack the Knife.

A case of the Omicron variant of coronavirus has been confirmed at a school in Kent – believed to be the first case in the county.
Someone at Northfleet Technology College near Gravesend tested positive early last week and has now been told they have the new strain – hear a statement released by the school.
Meantime, another school in Kent is coming in for criticism after students were removed from lessons and given detentions for wearing face masks in class.
Also in today’s podcast, there are calls for the park and ride service in Canterbury to be scrapped.
The council’s been making a loss from it as passenger numbers continue to fall short of pre-pandemic levels – hear from Joseph Wright who’s written the story.
The Conservatives have held onto their seat in the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election.
There was a low voter turnout and a 10 percent swing to Labour, who came second.
The KentOnline Podcast has been told there’s been a huge increase in the number of child abuse image offences recorded by police in Kent over the past five years.
New data shows they’ve dealt with 5-thousand-187 cases in the county since 2016 – with the biggest rise during the pandemic. The NSPCC have spoken out.
And, Europe’s largest truck stop has opened in Ashford today.
The site on the Henwood Industrial Estate in Sevington has space for 650 lorries, as well as a state of the art facilities including a gym and restaurant.

Downing Street is insisting we don’t need to cancel Christmas parties, despite rising cases of the Omicron Covid variant.
Some firms have already called off celebrations even though large gatherings are still allowed under current restrictions.
We’ve spoken to the boss of a pub chain in Thanet who says it’s vital they have a good festive season.
Also in today’s podcast, a German teenager who suffered catastrophic brain injuries after being attacked in Canterbury is learning to walk again.
Daniel Ezzedine was initially given just a small chance of survival after it happened in the city centre in June 2019 when he was 17.
A week on from the deaths of 27 people in the Channel a candle lit vigil has been held in Dover.
The men, women and children drowned as they tried to travel from France to the UK in a small boat.
Hear from the charity that organised the gathering on the seafront last night.
A goat has been killed and another’s suffered serious burns after a firework was thrown into their stable causing a fire in Maidstone.
Twinkle and Belle were treated for injuries at Buttercups Goat sanctuary in Boughton Monchelsea following the blaze a week ago.
And, Kent sprinter Dina Asher-Smith has helped voice a new short film highlighting the impact of homelessness at Christmas.

A week on from the tragedy in the Channel which saw 27 men, women and children lose their lives, we decided to confront those on social media who reacted to it with a laughing emoji.
The people died when the small boat they were in sank as it tried to reach the UK from France.
While many reacted with anger and heartbreak, a number posted the cartoon laughing face on Facebook while reacting to a story we had shared.
Hear from KentOnline editor Ed McConnell who decided to message some of them to find out why.
Also in today’s podcast, detectives investigating the disappearance of a mum-of-two from Kent say they have found her car.
Forensic teams have also been spotted at a property not far from where Alexandra Morgan was last seen – our reporter Sean McPolin has the latest.
Find out why lecturers at the University of Kent have gone on strike today.
An Insulate Britain protester from Kent says the idea of going to prison ‘frightens the life’ out of him.
Biff Whipster has been arrested 17 times in two months for blocking roads as part of the group’s climate campaign.
As Childline reveals last December was the loneliest month for children contacting their helpline, a young woman from Dartford has spoken about how the charity saved her life.
Hear Hollie’s story – the number for Childline if you need it is 0800 1111.
And in sport, a Maidstone footballer was among four to score a hattrick for England last night in Women’s World Cup qualifying against Latvia.

A little boy from Herne Bay who has an incredibly rare condition is fighting for his life in hospital after getting Covid.
Rupert Moore is the only child in England known to have Vici Syndrome. Ollie joins the podcast to explain what it is and update us on the five-year-old’s condition.
Also in today’s podcast, sentences for child abusers are set to increase following a campaign led by a Kent mum.
Paula Hudgell has been leading calls for longer prison terms after adopting her son Tony who was so badly abused by his birth parents he needed his legs amputated.
From today we’re being told to wear face masks in shops and on public transport again after a new Covid variant was discovered.
Hear from two experts from the University of Kent. We’ve also been asking shoppers in Rochester if they’re worried about Omicron affecting Christmas.
One of the survivors of last week’s tragedy in the Channel has spoken about their desperate attempt to get help as the dinghy they were in capsized.
27 people died as they attempted to cross from Calais to the UK.
And, the Gillingham manager says their break from games this week may still not give them enough time to get all of their injured players back fit again.

A man has appeared in court charged with murder following the disappearance of a mum-of-two from Sissinghurst.
Alexandra Morgan was last seen on Remembrance Sunday as she filled her car with petrol.
A 40-year-old man from East Sussex was charged late last night – hear from our reporter who was in court when he appeared earlier.
Also in today’s podcast, police are continuing to question three people after a man died when he was hit by a van in Chatham…
The victim, who’s in his 40s, was fatally injured while walking along Luton Road in the early hours of Saturday.
We’ve been asking if you’re worried about the new Covid variant ruining Christmas this year.
Cases of omicron have been identified in England and Scotland – find out the result of our twitter poll so far and hear what some of you have had to say.
A new report’s found vulnerable people are frequently going to Kent’s A&E departments because they feel they have nowhere else to turn.
We’ve been speaking to the British Red Cross which estimates the issue costs the NHS at least £2.5 billion a year.
Protests have been held to try and stop building on areas of countryside in Kent – hear from one of the campaigners.
And, the Gillingham boss has been reacting to their heartbreaking defeat to Portsmouth at the weekend.