KentOnline

Cash payments at council-run car parks in part of Kent could become a thing of the past. Bosses in Dover are looking at ditching all existing pay-and-display machines and replacing them with cashless units. It would force drivers to use contactless cards or mobile phone app payments instead. We've been finding out what some motorists in the town think. Also in today's podcast, there's pressure on...

A man who had been living off-grid in north Kent for more than 30 years , says he feels 'absolutely dead' after his property was demolished. Bob Thwaites had called a caravan on Swanscombe Peninsula home since 1991, but the structure - and everything inside - has been levelled to the ground by the landowners of the site. Also on today's podcast, a dangerous driver who led police on a 20 minute cha...

A teenage motorcyclist who died in a crash near Sittingbourne has been described as the 'kindest of souls'. Oliver Tarvit collided with a VW transporter while riding along Lower Road in Tonge last month. The 17 year-old's parents have now vowed to improve the safety of the 60 mile per hour road. Also in today's podcast, a union's warning staff at Darent Valley Hospital are struggling to maintain s...

People living next to a building site in Medway say their lives have been made a misery by dust . The first phase of the Capstone Oaks development off North Dane Way in Lordswood will have 91 homes, but neighbours in Hampshire Close and Barleymow Close have complained. Hear from one of them who says construction noise is also an issue. We've also got a response from developers. Also in today's pod...

A Hythe man who stole thousands of pounds from his dad and secretly arranged his cremation without telling his family has appeared in court. Richard Avery had been estranged from dad George for 20 years, and took cash from his bank account within days of his death in 2022. The 56 year-old from Battery Point admitted fraud by false representation. Also on today's podcast, hear the moment a man was...

Three teenagers who killed a man on a Sheppey beach are starting a total of 19 years in custody. The group attacked Alexander Cashford two days after he'd met one of them by chance in an arcade in Leysdown last August. They accused the 49-year-old from Rainham of being a paedophile, he was then hit with a bottle and pelted with rocks. Also in today's podcast, the chair of South East Water has resi...

A woman has been ordered to repaint her home after being told the current bright blue shade is 'unsympathetic' with a conservation area in Deal. Mary Kenny had spent more than £3,000 having the property in West Street decorated but has now received a letter from the council. She has been speaking to our reporter Louis Walker. Also on today's podcast, an investigation has found a knife attack might...

People living in part of Sheppey think a person armed with a catapult is responsible for a campaign of attacks on property and vehicles. Neighbours in Nautilus Drive and Nautilus Close say they've suffered smashed windows and broken windscreens over the past three weeks. Ball bearings and marbles have been discovered in the rubble. Also in today's podcast, you can hear from two mum's from Whitstab...

The former manager of a pub in Dartford has been jailed for fraud after taking more than £100,000 from the business. A court heard how the 33-year-old repeatedly failed to deposit all the weekend earnings from The Clipper at the bank . Hear from our reporter who covered the case in court. Also in today's podcast, a court's heard how masked raiders stole £140,000 worth of motorbikes from a warehous...

A Strood woman has been banned from Bluewater after being found with £5,000 worth of stolen goods . Sonia Virdi, 36, of Cooling Road was caught on CCTV stealing from stores including New Look, Pull and Bear and River Island in November and December last year. Also in today's podcast, a man suspected of stealing a phone from a child has been caught, after jumping out of a window in Maidstone as he...

A thug has avoided jail after knocking a celebrity DJ unconscious in a shocking attack caught on camera at a Kent gig. Mobile phone footage shows the moment Zack Bradley punched fellow disc-jockey Fat Tony to the floor at The Lido in Cliftonville drawing gasps from the crowd as the music cuts out. Also in today’s podcast, a couple with three young children, including a 10-week-old baby, have told...

There are calls for parking charges introduced in part of Sheppey to be scrapped , because of the impact it's having on local businesses. Traders in Queenborough say they've noticed a drop in footfall since the start of the month when motorists were made to pay. Also in today's pocdast, the Government's due to sign a new multimillion pound deal with France in an attempt to stop small boat Channel...

A hearing has been told the headteacher of a school near Canterbury took her own life amid fears she was developing dementia. Alison Higgins had worked at Barham Primary for 10 years before her death, and was described as thoughtful, supporting and caring. Also in today's podcast, the head of a special needs school in Kent has warned they may be forced to make redundancies following a lower than e...

It's been confirmed a former cinema in Canterbury will need to be completely demolished following a devastating fire. The blaze broke out at the Odeon in St George's Place on Valentine's Day. Hear from Louise Jones-Roberts who is the owner of Tokyo Tea Rooms which is based next door and has been closed since the fire started. Also in today's podcast, a Kent woman who was misdiagnosed with a birth...

A Dover family have told the KentOnline Podcast they want to return to their old life, after a devastating fire forced them out of their home. It's exactly a year since a blaze broke out in Conqueror House on Crabble Hill. 37 households were forced to move into temporary accommodation and 21 are still there as repair work continues. Also in today's episode, a teenager from Swanscombe who needs a m...

A Herne Bay woman has spoken of the moment she was left covered in black paint just minutes before walking down the aisle to get married. Gemma Monk's £1,300 dress was ruined as she prepared to tie the knot at Oakwood House in Maidstone. She'd been targeted by her 49-year-old sister-in-law who'd turned up unannounced to the ceremony and has now been sentenced after appearing in court. Also in toda...

Tributes have been paid to a 'beautiful and loving mum' from Maidstone who died from natural causes after travelling to Turkey for a cosmetic surgery procedure . The hearing at Oakwood House was told Cally Oswell went into cardiac arrest while having breast augmentation in Istanbul. The 37-year-old from Livingston Walk in Park Wood suffered a blood clot while having the surgery. Also in today's ep...

Police investigating the death of a 19-year-old in Whitstable have charged two men with murder . Officers had been called to reports of an assault in Belmont Road in the early hours of Good Friday, Ashton Harrington had suffered stab wounds and died at the scene. As part of the investigation, officers arrested two people at a property in Sittingbourne on Monday afternoon. Also in today's podcast,...

The boss of South East Water has been back at parliament to be questioned by MPs following recent outages in Tunbridge Wells. Dave Hinton has been accused of giving incomplete and inaccurate evidence at a previous hearing. It comes as the company say they will look at increasing the amount of compensation on offer for some of the businesses impacted. We've got reaction from Tunbridge Wells MP Mike...

A mother has spoken of her horror after a freak fall at school left her son with a fractured skull and bleed on the brain. The five year-old spent a week in two different hospitals following the accident before half-term – his mum has now pulled him out of the school because she’s so unhappy with how staff dealt with the incident. Also in today’s podcast, a drunk bus passenger who verbally abused...

Former partners of a carer from Sittingbourne whose lies sent an innocent man to prison , have spoken of their own ordeals after she was jailed. Lauren Kinrade made false allegations against a 71-year-old cancer patient who she was meant to be looking after. Her victim was arrested and spent three months behind bars as a result of her claims. Last month 35-year-old Kinrade from Pembury Court admit...

The mum of a young man who was stabbed to death in Whitstable has told us she won't rest until she gets justice for her son. Ashton Harrington was found in Belmont Road in the town in the early hours of Good Friday. The 19-year-old's mum Camille has been speaking to our reporter Gerry Warren who joins us on the podcast. Also in today's episode, a drug dealer from Tunbridge Wells has been jailed af...

A family with a newborn baby have been left homeless after a blaze broke out on a housing estate near Dartford.  Seven fire engines and a height vehicle were called to the scene in Greenhithe yesterday – it’s as fires have also broken out in Ashford and Medway – we’ll bring you all the details.  Also in today’s podcast, you can hear an eyewitness account of the death of a skydiver at a Kent airfie...

An investigation is underway after a skydiver died at at an airfield in Kent . Emergency crews were called to Headcorn Aerodrome yesterday morning after eyewitnesses reported seeing 'an object' falling from the sky. Operators, Go Skydive, say a British Skydiving Board of Inquiry will investigate the accident. Also in today's podcast, police have released pictures of two men they want to speak to f...

A domestic abuser who threatened to kill the mother of three of his children and burn her family’s house down has been jailed. But the father of Martin Creed’s victim says “justice has not been served”, after he admitted abusing his partner of eight years in a caravan on Sheppey.  Also in today’s podcast, a man has appeared in court after being accused of murdering his mother at their home near Do...