KentOnline

Three men are facing jail following a stabbing outside a snooker club in Maidstone.
Violence erupted when two groups, who’d been in Century Club on Lower Stone Street, clashed on the street outside in the early hours last July.
Hear from our reporter at Maidstone Crown Court who’s been following the trial.
Also in today’s podcast, could there be disappointment for Canterbury’s high street? It’s feared plans to transform the former Debenhams in the city may now not happen.
We’ve got more reaction to news the military are going to be drafted in to help tackle the issue of asylum seekers crossing the Channel to Kent in small boats.
Some politicians in the county have welcomed calls to reform the BBC and how it’s funded.
The licence fee is going to be frozen at £159 for the next two years.
The corporation says that will lead to ‘tougher choices’ that’ll affect viewers – but the government reckons it’ll help keep costs down for families.
We have the latest as demolition work at the old Splashes sport centre site in Rainham continues.
A park in Kent is getting a bench inspired by the Ricky Gervais series After Life.
Netflix is donating 25 of them to councils across the country, to give people a place to sit, reflect and share – find out where it’ll be going.
And, we have the latest from the Australian Open tennis where Kent’s Emma Raducanu has been in first round action.

A former teacher who groomed and sexually assaulted a pupil has been jailed for six years.Carly Dear was teaching PE at Maidstone Grammar School for Girls at the time. Hear from our court reporter Sean Axtell who’s been following the case.Also in today’s podcast, the military are going to be put in charge of preventing small boats of asylum seekers from crossing the Channel to Kent.We have reaction from Samphire refugee charity based in Dover.New rules around how long you have to isolate for if you test positive for Covid have come into force today.Dr Jack Jacobs from Hamstreet Surgery near Ashford has been telling the KentOnline Podcast what he thinks and if it’s part of living with the virus.Residents living on a new estate in Canterbury blighted by vandalism say they’re having to cover a £20,000 repair bill.Bollards, trees and swings on the Royal Parade site off Littlebourne Road have been damaged – our colleagues from KMTV have spoken to two women living there.You can also hear from wildlife charity BugLife after tens of thousands of pounds was raised to fight plans for a huge theme park in north Kent – in just 48 hours.And in sport, there was further disappointment for Gillingham at the weekend as they suffered yet another defeat in league one.We caught up with caretaker manager Steve Lovell after they lost 3-1 to Burton Albion on Saturday.

Video footage has emerged of the moment a man stripped naked in front of police after crashing his car and impersonating an officer.David Saunders had also threatened someone with a knife and shouted abuse while surrounded by police when it happened in Ashford.Hear the moment it happened in November last year. The 37-year-old from Beaver Road has now been jailed.Also in today’s podcast, there’s reaction from a Kent MP following yet more revelations about gatherings at Downing Street – this time, the day before Prince Philip’s funeral.North Thanet’s Sir Roger Gale has already called for the Prime Minister to resign.French officials are investigating the death of a person who was pulled from the water in the Channel overnight.Kent Refugee Action Network say news like this is becoming a sad inevitability.We’ve been speaking to cross-Channel ferry firm DFDS and Getlink which owns Eurotunnel as restrictions for UK travellers heading to France are lifted.In sport, hear from Steve Lovell as he prepares to take charge of Gillingham tomorrow following the departure of Steve Evans.The former boss is in caretaker charge of the side who will welcome Burton Albion to Priestfield.

A man who pretended to be a police officer after narrowly avoiding running down a family before crashing into a fence in Ashford has been jailed.The labourer brandished handcuffs and waived a knife around before stripping naked and eventually being pepper-sprayed by police.Our Canterbury Crown Court reporter Sean Axtell has been following the case.Changes to Covid rules have been made today.Hear what the health secretary has had to say about isolating if you’ve tested positive. We’ve also got reaction from DFDS, which sails from Dover, after France lifted travel restrictions for UK tourists.It’s feared there aren’t enough school places for the number of children moving with their families to live in a huge new development in north Kent.Thousands of homes are being built at Ebbsfleet Garden City but a number of parents say they’re having to travel miles out of the area to take their children to school.The chief executive of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation has updated us on the situation.A report out today has found there is a dangerous ‘chemical cocktail’ running through our rivers.The Environmental Audit Committee found only 14% of English rivers meet good ecological status. We’ve been getting reaction from Sally Burtt-Jones from campaign ground SOS Whitstable.Social media influencers in Kent have welcomed calls for a logo to be put on photos of people that have been digitally-altered.Former GP Dr Luke Evans, who’s now a Conservative MP, wants new legislation, because he’s worried about people with eating disorders being driven by ‘perfect’ bodies.And Kent’s Sam Billings is with the England cricket squad ahead of their final Ashes test.

Two paramedics who stole drugs from dying patients have been sent to prison.
The pair, from Margate, used their position to identify victims.
A man from Strood who was targeted just hours after his wife had passed away has spoken to our Canterbury Crown Court reporter Sean Axtell.
Also in today’s podcast, hear the statement from the Prime Minister as he admits going to a lockdown-breaking gathering in the garden of Number 10 Downing Street.
Boris Johnson said he went out on May 20, 2020 to thank staff and thought it was a work event.
Our political editor Paul Francis gives his analysis.
A man is in hospital following a stabbing in Dymchurch. Our reporter Alex Jee is at the scene where police have also made an arrest.
A meeting designed to rebuild trust in Southern Water following a sewage spill scandal has been called off by the company because so many people wanted to attend.
They say the venue wasn’t big enough to accommodate social distancing.
More than £10,000 has been raised in memory of a 21-year-old paramedic killed in a crash on the A21 Sevenoaks bypass.
We’ve been speaking to Alice Clark’s former lecturer.
And Steve Lovell says he didn’t think twice about coming back to Gillingham following the departure of Steve Evans.

What were you doing on May 20, 2020?According to a leaked email, around 100 Downing Street staff had been invited to a party in the garden of Number 10 – despite the fact strict Covid lockdown restrictions were still in place.
It’s claimed the Prime Minister and his wife were among around 40 people who attended.Hear from our political editor Paul Francis and a mum who went into early labour that day and couldn’t have her husband with her.Also in today’s podcast – changes to Covid testing rules have come into force.If you don’t have any symptoms you no longer need a PCR test after getting a positive result on a lateral flow kit.Strood GP Dr Julian Spinks explains why.A record label boss has admitted firing blanks from handguns from an apartment in a tower block at Chatham Dockside.Hear the moment Michael Alunomoh filmed himself firing the weapons from the balcony.Kent residents living in buildings with potentially dangerous cladding have ‘cautiously welcomed’ news the construction industry will be made to fix it.Yesterday, the housing secretary told MPs companies are being given the opportunity to ‘do the right thing’.In sport, there’s a familiar face back at Gillingham.Find out who’s taking charge of the side for this weekend’s game following the departure of Steve Evans at the weekend.

The neighbour of a Thanet pub has complained about ‘rowdy’ drinkers as the landlord applies to extend opening hours.
The owners of The Dolphin in Broadstairs want to stay open for one hour, to 2am from Sunday to Thursday, and to 2.30am on Friday and Saturday nights.
Oliver Kemp has more on the issues that have been raised ahead of a council meeting later this week.
Also in today’s podcast, figures show there’s been a dramatic rise in the number of NHS staff off with Covid in Kent.
We have reaction from the Royal College of Nursing.
There are calls for France to lift its ban on tourists from the UK going there.
The restrictions were brought in just days before Christmas as cases of the Omicron variant started to surge on this side of the Channel.
Hear from Chris Parker from DFDS.
Pupils at a Kent school say their behaviour and work has improved thanks to the introduction of a therapy dog.
We’ve been along to Northfleet School for Girls.
An historic paddle steamer which helped rescue thousands of soliders during the second world war has returned to the towns its named after.
The Medway Queen was vital in the evacuation of Dunkirk.
And the search is on for a new manager at Gillingham.
Steve Evans and his assistant Paul Rayner have left the club following a poor run of results which has left them firmly in the league one relegation zone.

Two people and a dog have been stabbed after four men burst into a house in Ashford.It happened in the Kennington part of town last night – our reporter Alex Jee reports from the scene.Tributes have been paid to a 21-year-old paramedic who died when an ambulance was involved in a crash with a cement lorry on the A21 Sevenoaks bypass.Alice Clark had only joined South East Coast Ambulance Service in November.New Covid travel rules have come into force today for anyone arriving in the UK.Chris Parker from cross-Channel ferry firm DFDS, which travels from Dover, joins us to explain the changes.We’re also joined by Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner who’s suggesting we pay more towards the police via our council tax.Matthew Scott is suggesting an increase of around £10 a month – he’s told the Podcast what that would pay for.In sport, find out which Kent player has been called up to the England squad for the final Ashes Test in Australia.And, we’ve been speaking to Gillingham manager Steve Evans ahead of their game against Ipswich Town this weekend after the original fixture on Boxing Day was postponed.

A paramedic has died and three other people are injured following a crash involving an ambulance and cement lorry on the A21 Sevenoaks bypass.The collision happened on the southbound carriageway at about 8.20pm yesterday.
Hear a tribute from the head of operations at South East Coast Ambulance Service.Also in today’s podcast, hear from our reporter who was in court as two people appeared charged with murder following the death of a man after an attack in Folkestone.A leading GP says planned changes to Covid testing will still be effective.It’s been confirmed that from next Tuesday you’ll no longer need a PCR test after receiving a positive result on a lateral flow kit if you don’t have any symptoms.We’ve also been speaking to a Kent business expert who says it’s time to live with the virus so more firms don’t go bust.The owner of a motorcycle training school has spoken about the vandalism they’ve suffered which has left their mobile classroom unfit for use.Windows of the property in Thanet were smashed over New Year.

Thousands of pounds has been raised in memory of a dad-of-two from Sheppey who died of Covid five days after Christmas.Luke Sands had been in hospital for six weeks before passing away the day after his 27th birthday.Also in today’s podcast, find out how teachers are feeling as children head back to class after the Christmas break and Covid cases remain high.There are concerns about staff shortages, hear how they’re also affecting train and coach services in the county.A campaign is under way to prevent houses from being built on an army barracks in Maidstone after it closes.The Ministry of Defence has confirmed it intends to leave Invicta Park Barracks in 2029 and the council thinks it could be used for 1,300 homes.Hear from the councillor who wants to have the site listed.And, a Kent author’s been announced as the winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award for her story about an asylum seeker who’s crossed the Channel to Dover.Manjeet Mann was one of 20 writers shortlisted for the prestigious prize for ‘The Crossing’.