KentOnline

On today’s podcast, we look ahead as Storm Eunice makes it’s way towards the county.
A Kent farmer has spoken out, as part of a campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues within the industry.
A Kent teacher’s warning the situation with coronavirus in schools is still extremely difficult and complicated.
A driver in Herne Bay claims she was abused by motorists, after rushing to help a woman who tripped over.
And… A Kent pub has been awarded its first Michelin star .

A Herne Bay mum is urging women to get their smear test, after cervical cancer left her unable to have any more children. We speak to her on today’s KentOnline podcast.
Also, a former Kent Police officer says the force is ‘in a crisis’ when it comes to public trust.
A former Kent Post Office manager has been giving evidence to a public inquiry looking into the wrongful convictions of hundreds of staff.
Gym users near Dartford have been hit with £100 fines after changes to the use of its car park.
And… a weather warning for strong winds in Kent has been upgraded.
 
 

A Kent shop owner says she’s outraged after her store was targeted for a fifth time and police didn’t send anyone, despite staff being attacked.
We speak to Emma Pinfold about the string of robberies.
 
Also in today’s podcast, we speak to a Swanscombe mum as hundreds of children with special needs are left in the dark over how they’ll get to school next week.
 
Dozens of swans and geese have been left covered in oil after a serious spill on the River Medway.
 
There are calls for more conversations about mental wellbeing within Kent Police. New figures show around a third of hours lost to illness in the force are because of mental health reasons.
 
And, a wedding concierge service has been set up… for dogs!

A man, who fractured his victims ribs in an attack with golf clubs, before stabbing him in the face, has been convicted. Hear all the details, from our reporter.
Also in today’s podcast, a volunteer police cadet has been praised for his quick thinking which helped save a young girl’s life in Medway.
Hear from a Kent charity, who say they can’t see ‘any positives’ in cutting homelessness funding.
Staff at 44 universities – including Kent – are beginning up to ten days of strike action, in a row over pension cuts.
And, young and deaf people in Kent are being encouraged to get involved in a theatre project looking at how they’ve been affected by the pandemic.
 

There are concerns about yet another spate of catapult attacks in Ashford.This time, a Sainsbury’s driver and a boy sat in his bedroom playing computers games have been targeted. Hear from our reporter Alex Jee.
Also in today’s podcast, there’s more reaction to news our council tax bills will be going up.From April, the average band D home will be paying £1,461 a year – that’s an increase of £43.Hear from the man in charge of finance at the county council along with the council leader and Labour leader.The partner of a Gravesend man killed by serial killer Stephen Port has spoken out following the resignation of Dame Cressida Dick as Met Police commissioner.Find out what some of Kent’s MPs have also posted on their socials.A ship which rescued thousand of soldiers from Dunkirk during the Second World War is set to welcome visitors in Gillingham this weekend after a huge restoration.The Medway Queen underwent a five-month revamp at the Royal Harbour in Ramsgate last year.Historic buildings and parts of Rochester are going to be transformed over the next two nights, as part of a new festival.Medway Light Nights is aiming to inspire hope and bring people together.And in sport, Gillingham make the long journey north to take on Morecambe this weekend.Neil Harris’ side are still five points from safety in league one but have picked up two wins from their three games since he took over as manager.

The owner of two wild animal parks has been speaking to the KentOnline Podcast about their future.
Damian Aspinall would like nothing better than for all zoos to close and animals live in their natural habitat.
To try and achieve that, he’s hoping to re-wild a herd of elephants currently living at Howletts near Canterbury.
That plan has been criticised though with some saying the animals wouldn’t survive.
Hear what Mr Aspinall has to say in response.
Also in today’s podcast, it’s feared queues of lorries at the Port of Dover will only get worse.
It’s all to do with post-Brexit lorry checks that need to take place – hear from a hauler and local councillor.
There’s reaction to Boris Johnson’s announcement all Covid restrictions could be lifted this month – four weeks earlier than planned.
It’s feared more people could be tempted to turn to loan sharks as the cost of living continues to rise.
We’ve been speaking to the chief exec of the Kent Savers Credit Union.
It’s also the day we’ll find out how much more we’ll have to pay in council tax.
And, we have the latest on how one of Kent’s athletes is getting on at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Grieving families have been told they can’t put mementoes like teddy bears or items including candles and balloons on graves at a Kent church.
The decision has been made following a five year dispute involving St Peter’s Church in Bredhurst.
While some think it’s the right decision, not everyone is happy. Also find out the results of our poll.
In other news today, a man’s been left with knee injuries after a thief drove into him while taking his Range Rover from outside his home in Cliffe.
Hear from the chair of the Public Accounts Committee that’s warning delays at the Port of Dover could increase if issues with post-Brexit checks on goods and vehicles aren’t solved.
The government’s being urged to put more funding into cleaning up Kent’s rivers.
It’s feared visible litter, as well as pollutants we can’t see, are becoming increasingly worse in our water ways. We’ve been getting reaction from a councillor and green campaigner.
An app designed to reduce the amount of food that gets thrown away is going to be trialled in Kent.
FoodLoop will match food producers with organisations and charities that give surplace stock to families that need it.
A Dartford schoolgirl who raised money for the NHS during lockdown – is now hoping to get enough cash together so she can head to America for a world championships.
Bonnielou Furzer has been selected to compete for England in Karate in Florida later this year.
And, hear from the Gillingham manager following their 1-0 win over Cambridge United at Priestfield.
It’s a second win for Neil Harris after taking over as manager just over a week ago.
 

Street traders in Canterbury say their futures could be uncertain after the end of the year.
The city council say they’re going to be carrying out a review so won’t be issuing licences beyond December.
Hear from the owner of the popular Gourmet Sausage and Burger unit.
Also on today’s podcast, hear from one of Kent’s MPs as Boris Johnson remains under pressure to apologise for comments made about Jimmy Savile.
There’s a warning from a Kent GP about the effects of energy drinks on children.
It’s as a study finds one in three children in Britain are drinking them – some are having them five or more times a week.
As National Apprenticeship Week continues, we’ve been hearing from Connor Robinson who’s completing his qualifications while working at NuSteel in Hythe.
And our sports reporter Luke Cawdell looks ahead to Gillingham’s game against Cambridge United in league one this evening.

The sister of the man serving life for the murders of a mother and daughter in Kent is hoping a confession by a convicted serial killer will see him go free.Lin and Megan Russell were attacked while walking along a lane in Chillenden in 1996.
Michael Stone from Gillingham is in jail for the killings but has always maintained his innocence.Yesterday it was revealed Levi Bellfield – who’s in prison for the murders of two young women and schoolgirl Milly Dowler – has given a letter to Stone’s lawyers.The 61-year-old’s sister Barbara has spoken to the KentOnline Podcast and says she believes the confession is genuine.Also today, the Prime Minister has been in Kent and spoken about clearing the current NHS backlog.Boris Johnson visited the Kent Oncology Centre at Maidstone hospital – hear what he had to say.People living in part of Ashford are calling for better signage as cars keep being damaged by lorries getting lost.A number of vehicles on Fairview Drive in the South Willesborough part of town have had wing-mirrors knocked off or lights broken as HGVs attempt to get down the residential road.It’s Charles Dickens day and there are calls to save the Swiss Chalet in Rochester where he wrote his last words.The two-story building – originally set up near Gads Hill in Higham – was used by the author from 1865 until his death but has fallen into a state of disrepair.We’ve been chatting to historian Geoff Ettridge.In sport, there was disappointment for Gillingham at the weekend as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at Ipswich Town.But manager Neil Harris was pleased with their performance – hear what he had to say after the final whistle.

A man accused of murdering a missing mum-of-two from Sissinghurst has been charged with another murder.
Alexandra Morgan was last seen on Remembrance Sunday last year.
Mark Brown, 40, from Squirrel Close in St Leonards on Sea in East Sussex has appeared in court today via video link.
Also in today’s podcast, startling new figures show Kent and Medway has the lowest ratio of GPs to patients in the country.
There are just 39 GPs per 100-thousand patients in the county, that’s compared to an average of 60 across England.
Hear from an Ashford GP and a patient from Gravesend who went to extreme measures to make sure she was seen.
A councillor from Sevenoaks is the new MP for Southend West.
Anna Firth was the Conservative candidate in the by-election which was triggered following the death of Sir David Amess who was stabbed while meeting constituents last October.
The KentOnline Podcast has been told climate change is having a ‘noticeable and real’ impact on nature in the county – with spring bulbs blooming much earlier than normal.
Hear from the boss of Hopes Grove Nurseries in Tenterden.
Find out which luxury hotel in the county is going to be hosting a food a music festival this summer.
And in sport, we catch up with the Gillingham captain ahead of their trip to Ipswich Town this weekend.