KentOnline

Kent Police have told the KentOnline Podcast how they'll be using targeted operations this summer to tackle antisocial behaviour. It's been a problem during the warm weather - particularly at the coast. Officers are now stepping up patrols and using dispersal orders to move on anyone causing trouble. Also in today's episode, a search is underway for a hit and run driver who left a pet dog with ser...

Bosses at a Kent solar farm have apologised after using water from a roadside standpipe to clean panels , when taps in nearby homes were running dry. A bowser was seen arriving at Cleve Hill Park in Graveney near Faversham during the outages in the recent hot weather. Also in today's episode, a mother and daughter from Maidstone have been jailed after going on a shopping spree with a credit card s...

The owners of a seafood business in Hythe have told KentOnline that a video posted on social media by the local MP about so called 'dodgy shops' has contributed to their decision to close. Boathouse Fisheries opened a fishmongers and bistro on the High Street in February last year, but after 16 months in the town, they're shutting because of rising business rates, higher wages, increasing energy b...

It's claimed significant changes to IVF provision in Kent have been brought in 'under the radar'. From the start of April, the number of cycles on the NHS has been cut from two to one, while the upper age limit for women to start treatment has been lowered from 40 to 38. Health papers due to be discussed by councillors this week suggests the change brings Kent in-line with most other areas. Hear f...

A mum's told the podcast how she burst into tears after finding out a hospice in Kent that supports her son, will be withdrawing its service for children . Six year-old Kit Slessor-Pavely has life-limiting complex needs and is regularly visited by staff from the Hospice in the Weald in Pembury. But the charity say fundraising hasn't kept up with rising costs and 10 jobs are at risk. Hear from Kit'...

A huge pile of rubbish has been left outside a block of flats in Medway for weeks, with residents complaining about the smell during the hot weather. Council-contracted bin men have refused to clear up the mountain of bin bags and cardboard in the car park of Samuels Tower in Chatham and landlords who took over the block last year say it's an ongoing problem. Also in today's podcast, people in Whi...

The body of a teenage boy has been found in Swanscombe following concerns about a swimmer in a pond. Police, paramedics and fire crews were called to water near Galley Hill Road at around 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Scuba divers were also spotted heading to the scene. Also in today's podcast, TikTok influencers have denied fuelling trouble on a Kent beach over the bank holiday which led to a nu...

Antisocial behaviour during the hot weather in Thanet over the weekend has led to six people being arrested. Dispersal orders were put in place in Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate with officers also called to reports of underage drinking. One teenager was detained for assaulting an emergency worker and possession of cannabis - while another was held for criminal damage and assault. Also on today'...

A bin lorry driver, who injured a woman after crashing into her car at a crossroads near Maidstone, has been spared jail and allowed to keep his licence. Dino Farrell, 52, from Bedson Walk in Rainham, failed to stop at a four-way junction in Langley in February 2024 - having not seen a ‘Stop’ sign and an unbroken white line marking. Also in today's podcast, lifeboat crews in Kent have issued a war...

A Kent widow who was conned out of almost £150,000 said her late husband was driven out of his home by a cowboy builder. Two men have been convicted of fraud following an eight-week trial, after scamming victims out of a total of £1.3 million. Also in today's episode, there are concerns children in Kent could go hungry during half term as a voucher scheme has been scrapped. The county council prev...

A grandmother who brake-checked a driver on a dual carriageway leading to a crash which killed a motorcyclist has been sentenced to five years in prison. 55-year-old Collette Gibson from Lime Close in South Ockendon, Essex was convicted of causing Paul Wright’s death on the A249 near Sittingbourne in 2022. Also in today's episode, a registered sex offender who was caught talking to a 13-year-old g...

East Kent Hospitals is offering employees one-off payments to leave their jobs as part of plans to reduce their workforce. Health campaigners have raised concerns about the loss of clinical staff, which bosses insist won't happen. We are being warned to expect a busy weekend on the roads as Operation Brock comes into force on the M20. The Bank Holiday and half term getaway will see thousands of pe...

Detectives are investigating a crash near Tunbridge Wells which has killed a man and woman in their 60s . The car they were in came off the carriageway of the A228 near Pembury and collided with trees in woodland yesterday. A lorry driver who was on a video call with his wife when he caused a fatal crash on the M20 has been jailed. The 58-year-old ploughed into a stationary car near Lenham last No...

Hundreds of Kent children under the age of 10 have been recorded as suspects in crimes, ranging from violence and arson to weapon possession A Freedom of Information Request has revealed the youngest person to be reported was a one-year-old girl. Also in today's episode, residents in Maidstone say water is still pouring from a manhole cover - six months after the leak was reported. They have raise...

A Kent auctioneer who starred on episodes of Homes Under the Hammer, has died. Clive Emson started his career as an estate agent before setting up his own company. Also in today's podcast, the Canterbury MP has revealed she would consider re-joining the Labour Party , if Andy Burnham became leader. The Mayor of Greater Manchester is going to ask to stand in a by-election in a bid to make a return...

A Medway man has been banned from a gym after threatening to kill his former partner . A court's been told Kyal Ferguson also said he would harm himself - and damaged his ex's property after turning up at her home. The 39 year-old from Frost Crescent in Chatham admitted harassment and criminal damage. Also in today's podcast, major repairs could be carried out on a property in Dover that's home to...

A major incident was declared at a block of flats in Maidstone, following a flood which caused an electrical fault. Miller Heights on Lower Stone Street has been issued with a prohibition notice after a burst pipe in the basement wiped out the power supply. Around 200 people have been forced to leave their homes and are being supported by the local authority. Also in today's podcast, there's serio...

Three lorry drivers who attacked a man at a service station on the M2 have been jailed. A court's been told the victim suffered multiple fractures, a bleed on the brain and seizure after it happened at the site in Gillingham in February. Also in today's podcast, a Kent MP has joined calls for Sir Keir Starmer to resign after stepping down from her government role. Naushabah Khan, who represents Gi...

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...