KentOnline

Tributes have been paid to a boy found dead at the bottom of cliffs in Dover.
Details of what happened have emerged at the opening of an inquest into the 12-year-old’s death.
Also in today’s podcast, the Prime Minister has been in Kent to announce a plan to try and prevent asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats.
Hear what Boris Johnson has had to say and the reaction from charities.
A man who violently attacked a young woman as she walked home in Maidstone, then fled the country, has been jailed.
You can hear the moment he was arrested.
People living near Dover say the noise from queueing lorries is like the soundtrack to a horror movie.
Residents in Aycliffe have told us drivers are constantly beeping their horns as they sit in traffic on the A20 on their way to the port.
A Kent teenager who suffered sexual harassment when she was just 13 is backing calls for it to be made a criminal offence.
It’s as a new study shows more than a quarter of people in the county have experienced it or know someone who has.
And we’ve been catching up with the Gillingham manager ahead of a massive Easter weekend.
They travel to take on Cheltenham Town tomorrow before welcoming Fleetwood to Priestfield on Monday.

Kent Police has referred itself to the police watchdog after it emerged a man suspected of killing his wife at a tattoo studio was on bail and facing allegations he had raped her.Catalin Micu was found dead at GothInk in Canterbury on Monday evening alongside Ramona Stoia.Hear some of the tributes paid to 35-year-old Ramona by friends and clients.Also in today’s podcast, a group representing lorry drivers is calling for an urgent review of Operation Brock on the M20.It’s been used for almost two weeks now to queue freight waiting to cross the Channel – hear from Heidi Skinner from Logistics UK who are concerned truckers haven’t had access to toilets.A number of Kent’s MPs have spoken out to defend Boris Johnson after he was fined for breaking lockdown rules.The PM’s apologised – along with the chancellor – after they went to a birthday gathering at Downing Street in June 2020.We’ve got reaction from councillors in Kent, including the leader of the Labour group in Medway.A Chatham dad says he fears losing his driving licence and being able to take his son to school because of delays at the DVLA.The licencing authority has been experiencing a backlog of paper work since the pandemic – Paul D’urso has been speaking to reporter Alex Langridge.You can also hear from drag queen Janet District Council who reckons Margate is becoming the ‘unofficial queer capital of Kent’.In football, Gillingham have reduced ticket prices to try and get more fans in for their match on Easter Monday.

A man and woman have died following an incident at a tattoo studio in Canterbury.Armed police were called to GothInk on Lower Bridge Street yesterday evening. Hear from our reporter who’s spent the day at the scene and also the owner of a business nearby who saw emergency services arrive.
Also in today’s podcast, the man leading the inquiry into the crimes of David Fuller in Kent, has told the KentOnline Podcast the first phase should be completed by the end of the year.Fuller was jailed for life last December after being found guilty of murdering two women in Tunbridge Wells in the 1980s.It was also discovered he’d abused around 100 bodies in mortuaries at hospitals in the county.We’ve got details on the latest unemployment figures for Kent which have been published today.The new man in charge of public health in Kent has revealed his number one priority is tackling inequality.Anjan Ghosh, who was previously head of public health in Bexley, says it’s been his passion since first training in India. And find out which former Strictly winner is going to be starring in this year’s panto at Kent’s biggest theatre.

A woman who stole £260 of condoms and lube from a shop in Maidstone has avoided being sent to prison.Jodie Young admitted taking 28 items from the pharmacy on King Street. Hear from our reporter Sean McPolin who was in court.Also in today’s podcast, people living in part of Maidstone have spoken about being evacuated from their homes following a bomb scare.P&O ferry services from Dover remain suspended three-and-a-half weeks after the company suddenly sacked all of their staff.People trying to cross the Channel for an Easter getaway are still affected by delays on the M20.Meantime, we’ve been hearing from one of Kent’s biggest tourist attractions on how it’s impacting them.Hear from the CEO of Leeds Castle near Maidstone. We’ve also been chatting to Tudor Price from the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce.Figures seen by the KentOnline Podcast show almost 250 people in Kent fell victim to romance fraud last year.Victims were conned out of 2.9 million pounds – with most of them women between their 40s and 70s.Ed McConnell has spoken to a private investigator.And in football, it’s set to be a crucial Easter weekend for Gillingham with just four games of the season left.They’re back in the league one relegation zone on goal difference – hear from Jack Tucker who scored the equaliser on Saturday.

In today’s podcast, we speak to the owners of a Kent animal sanctuary, who’ve been refused planning permission to stay open.
 
Also, it’s feared delays on Kent roads could get even worse as more people try to go away for the Easter holidays. We speak to a woman who was caught up in delays on the M20 for hours.
The man who murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa has been jailed for life, with a minimum of 36 years. We hear from her sister and the detective in charge of the investigation.
A transgender woman from Gravesend has told the KentOnline Podcast all about her journey into team sport, which has always been a struggle for her.
Plus, in football, Gillingham take on Wycombe Wanderers tomorrow – we speak with Gills boss Neil Harris.

In today’s podcast, travel disruption is continuing at the Port of Dover and the surrounding areas.We speak to DFDS Seaways about how they’re coping with increased demand. We also discuss the long queues with a lorry driver stuck on the A20.Also, we hear from a former P&O ferries worker who is suing the company.
New research shows Kent has the third longest driving test backlog in the UK.
Plus, it’s been revealed nearly 80 vehicles have been impaled on anti-terror bollards in Canterbury, since they were installed in the city centre.

In todays podcast, we speak to the leader of Dover Council who says travel disruption at the port is unacceptable. Trevor Bartlett told the KentOnline podcast he feels sorry for business owners in the town.
Also today, a young man from Gravesend says delays to getting his provisional licence has meant he’s missed out on job opportunities and has been unable to drive his car for a year.
Residents living near the Bluewater A2 turn-off have described long-running roadworks there as “hell” – with no clear end in sight.
And, a man who’s walking round the entire coast of mainland Britain for charity has arrived in Medway.

In todays podcast, a child has died after being found near Cliffs close to Dover. 
Also today, an experienced Captain has spoken about the terrifying moment his boat went up in flames off the coast of Sheerness.
We hear from a lorry driver, who got stuck for hours in Operation Brock on the M20.
A Gravesend couple say the process of housing refugees from Ukraine needs to be urgently simplified.
And, a former car showroom in Medway has been converted into a wedding and events venue. We speak to the events manager.

Today we’ve been talking about electric cars, and the struggle one Medway man’s had charging his.
Also in this episode, an investigation is underway following a fatal stabbing in Dartford, and we hear from Kent County Council’s Senior Highways Manager about disruption on the roads cause by issues at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel in Folkestone.
There’s a sad update on a search for a missing man from Sandwich, and a Dartford woman has been telling us about her experience with multiple sclerosis in the workplace.
Elsewhere a charity’s launching bystander training workshops to tackle street harassment, and a Maidstone councillor’s made a formal complaint after police with riot shields forced their way into her home by mistake.
Plus we ‘ve spoken to the architect behind a brand new skate park in Folkestone, which has opened just in time for the Easter holidays.
And in football, the Gillingham manager has been giving us his honest reaction to Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland.

Household bills have risen for most of us today.
The amount companies can charged for gas and electricity has gone up 54% to almost £2,000.
It’s led to fears more families could be pushed into poverty. Hear from Lauren Abbott the editor of My Kent Family and someone who works at the Swale Food and Fuel bank.
Also in today’s podcast, a Kent MP’s meeting with officials in Poland to look at the support being offered to the people of Ukraine.
Tonbridge and Malling’s Tom Tugendhat has travelled to eastern Europe, and visited a volunteer camp on the border.
A former domestic abuse victim says she was left in tears, as a thief rode off on her electric bike.
Jennifer Salter from Gillingham said the bike had helped her regain her freedom – after enduring physical and mental abuse at the hands of her former partner.
We’ve been speaking to the new man in charge of public health in Kent as free Covid testing ends.
Anjan Ghosh says it is a concern but has advice on what we can all do to reduce the spread of the virus.
A Kent teenager who built a climbing wall in her back garden during lockdown has been chosen to represent Team GB.
Hear from 17-year-old Erin McNeice who could be heading to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
And, we’ve been catching up with Gillingham’s Vadaine Oliver ahead of their trip to Sunderland this weekend.