KentOnline

A murder investigation has been launched  following the death of a man in his 60s in Deal. Police were called to reports of an attack at a property in Pilots Avenue yesterday morning, and arrested a 59-year-old local man. Also in today's episode, figures have revealed which schools in Kent are the most oversubscribed . Dartford Grammar is top of the list, but there are also a number of n...

A Kent dad who survived a cardiac arrest after being brought back to life on a football pitch is urging people to have the confidence to use a defibrillator. Kevin Smith was playing for his local team in a match at Chatham Town's stadium when he collapsed in March, and he's speaking out now to highlight the importance of learning CPR. Also in today's episode, pressure on A&E services has led t...

It's been revealed the vast majority of councils in Kent are falling short of their housebuilding targets. Numbers are set by the government to help keep up with population growth. A driver has died after their black Volkswagen Polo left the M20 carriageway and went down an embankment It happened between Junctions 8 and 9 near Leeds Castle and Ashford early yesterday morning. A Kent man who dedica...

An Ashford builder who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a home he was working on has appeared in court. James Fuller took roof tiles off the property in Chilham and smashed windows after the owners ended his restoration contract. Also in today's episode, flowers have been left at the scene of a fatal crash on the A2 near Faversham. A motorcyclist died in a collision with a car in...

A Maidstone mum has received £50,000 compensation from her hairdresser after suffering chemical burns to her scalp. The primary school teacher was treated at The Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, requiring an emergency skin graft. Residents who were forced to leave their homes following the fire at the Grand Burstin in Folkestone have now been reunited with pets they had to leave beh...

Firefighters have been called back to the Grand Burstin hotel in Folkestone - four days after a huge blaze. Smoke was seen coming from the site on the seafront earlier this morning. A stablehand from Borough Green has avoided prison after a dog in her care launched an attack on a horse welfare officer. Rachel Stannard was handed a suspended nine-month sentence. Residents in part of Kent have criti...

The family of a former teacher has said she would not have taken her own life if seen by a psychiatrist and given medication for her psychosis. Carolyn Groom went missing from her home in Earl Road, Northfleet in April 2025. Two arrests have been made after hundreds of people were evacuated following a fire at a hotel in Folkestone. There was a huge emergency response following the blaze at  ...

Families from Kent want changes to the secondary schools admissions process , after missing out on places at their four closest secondary schools. Year six pupils living around Maidstone say they have been allocated schools much further from home despite lodging local preferences. We look at the impact of the huge hotel fire at the Grand Burstin in Folkestone over the weekend. The blaze is th...

The family of a woman found dead at a hotel near Gravesend say they still have unanswered questions. Karen West was discovered at the Inn on the Lake in Shorne last December. The 49 year-old from Essex had booked a stay with her partner to celebrate their anniversary - a coroner's concluded her death was drug-related. Also in today's podcast, more than a dozen businesses in Maidstone have bee...

The KentOnline Podcast has been hearing from the team who're off the coast of Sheppey removing the masts from a famous bomb ship. The SS Richard Montgomery sank during World War Two with 14-hundred tonnes of explosives on board. Three masts have been sticking out of the water ever since - but they're now being removed for safety reasons. Also in today's podcast, a teenage boy who admitte...

A Canterbury woman who punched a fellow dog walker before spitting in her face has been fined and ordered to pay compensation. Violence broke out after the 25-year-old's mastiff-type dog Enzo started attacking another woman's German Shepherd in a pedestrian area off Sturry Road. Also in today's podcast, the case of a Dartford man who was killed while on holiday in Cyprus has been ra...

An investigation is underway following the death of a woman who had suffered severe burns. Diane Taylor was taken to the William Harvey in Ashford in August - but died the next day from her injuries. Officers say it's not known how the 74-year-old from Brenzett on Romney Marsh was hurt. Also in today's podcast, a police operation using live facial recognition cameras in Chatham has led t...

Four people have been treated by paramedics following a fire at a house in Maidstone. Crews in six engines were called to Northumberland Road in the Shepway part of town at about 8 this morning. An adult and a child were rescued from the building - while another adult and child were helped out by members of the public including two off-duty firefighters. Hear from our reporter Davina Jethwa w...

Kent Police are going to be using live facial recognition technology in Chatham to try and catch known offenders. It's part of their Clear, Hold, Build scheme which is aiming to reduce crime by getting rid of those who regularly cause trouble. Cameras are going to be set up in the town today and tomorrow. Hear from Chief Inspector Gary Woodward. Also in today's podcast, the boss of a Thanet based...

A young Kent woman with a debilitating stomach condition says she fears she could die before Christmas. Ella Rake was diagnosed with gastroparesis which means she struggles to absorb food and medication. The 22-year-old from Herne Bay now weighs between just 6 and 7 stone as the illness causes her to vomit up to 100 times a day. She's been speaking to reporter Ma...

Head teachers at two schools in Kent have defended new rules which parents have said are 'draconian' and 'barbaric'. Mums have told us how some Year 7 pupils at Sandwich Technology School came home crying after being put in isolation on their first day and compared it to a “detention camp”. It has emerged that Kent Police were told that an anti-immigration protest could take place in Dover th...

The parents of a woman from Tonbridge who suffers from a condition that affects how she feels about her appearance have spoken out in a bid to raise awareness. Emily Pounsford is thought to have started to develop body dysmorphic disorder when she was just 14. Her mum and dad have described how it affected her and the whole family. Also in today's podcast, the leader of Kent County Council has tol...

Three people have been arrested following a crash which killed two cyclists near Gravesend. A man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s died in the collision with a white Ford Focus in Sole Street yesterday morning. It comes as figures seen by KentOnline show a rise in the number of deaths and serious injuries on Kent's roads. 73 have been recorded in the year to June. Hear from Kent's police and...

The parents of twins from Medway have told us it's heartbreaking to see one of them start school for the first time, while the other has to stay at home because of a row over SEN funding . Four-year-old Lillie Ward has been offered a place at St John's Infants in Chatham - but they say tuition for her complex needs will cost almost £30,000. The local council have calculated a figure closer to £9,0...

A Kent mum's told us how she feared for the health of her newborn baby after a sewage overspill in a hospital's maternity unit. The ward at Margate's QEQM had be evacuated after it happened following heavy rain. Hear from Melissa Hall and we've got a statement from the hospital trust. Also in today's episode, crowds have gathered for a vigil in Dartford to show support for people impacted by flash...

A drop in footfall is being blamed for the closure of two more businesses in Ashford town centre. Petals Perfections florist and The Ashford Laundrette have both announced they're shutting. The borough council say they remain 'committed to supporting businesses'. Also in today's podcast, the founder of a community shop in Chatham says there's been huge demand for their uniform bank, as children go...

A well-known hotel in Maidstone, which was forced to close following a £500,000 refurbishment, could be turned into a 42-bed HMO. Proposals which have been sent to the local council , show the recently rebranded The Apartell would be turned into 42 co-living accommodation units with communal workspaces, a gym, community living area, laundry room, communal garden and allotment spaces. But...

The family of a Faversham woman who died outside her university accommodation say her former landlords have shown no remorse. 21-year-old Eleisha Skinner was crushed when he car slid down the icy driveway in High Wycombe in January. The property owners are going to install a new vehicle stop barrier and put up a sign saying tenants are responsible for their own safety - Eleisha's family saying put...

A man involved in a so-called dine and dash at a Kent restaurant has been ordered to pay compensation and court costs. The 44-year-old,  a woman and children left Stubbs in Kennington after racking up a £250 bill last November. Also in today's podcast, a Kent nightclub's reopening later, six months after being forced to close following a huge fire next door. The derelict Odeon cinema in Cante...

A man has been charged with murder following an alleged double stabbing in Ramsgate. A 52-year-old man died in hospital after being found injured on Harbour Street on Sunday - another man was also discovered nearby with stab wounds. 21-year-old Kieran O’Rourke, from Seafield Mews in the town, is due in court. Also in today's podcast, a Kent taxi boss says he's in shock after being told t...