KentOnline

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 raised in the Commons - 10 years on.

George Low was stabbed outside a pub in Ayia Napa in 2016. Two suspects were identified, but they fled to Turkey and have never faced prosecution.

The head teacher of a primary school in Kent has banned pupils from bringing in smartphones - over concerns about the impact of social media.

Children who go to Wouldham All Saints Church of England school can no longer take a device that can access the internet into class.

Medway Council is facing an £82 million budget gap, as costs for adult and children’s social care soar.

The authority was due to be abolished as part of plans for local government reorganisation - but that's now been put on hold.

Bosses have previously had to ask for extra cash from central government.

The family of a teenager from Hythe who's battling cancer fear they could lose their home due to how much it's costing them to travel for treatment.

Maya Nash was first diagnosed with neuroblastoma when she was just three.

Despite spending five years in remission, the disease returned in 2023.

And in sport, Gillingham have been beaten by Birmingham City Academy in the group stage of the Premier League Under-21 Cup.

The Gills were allowed to field up to three over-age players - but hopes of Bradley Dack making a return were dashed as he's suffered “a minor setback” in his recovery from a pre-season injury.

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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 to 18 arrests.

We told you in last Friday's episode how CCTV vans were being deployed to scan members of the public and match them with pictures on the police database.

Officers say they detained people wanted for violence and theft - as well as seizing a knuckle duster.

A young man from Sheppey who lost his mum to sepsis is helping to organise a charity football match in her honour.

Dawson McFarland, 20, plays for FC Bourne Knights near Sittingbourne and been using football as an outlet for his grief.

Campaigners have won a three-year battle to improve a pedestrian crossing in Ashford.

Buttons to request traffic to stop have now been installed at the junction between Bybrook Road and the A28.

And, a bridge over the River Medway that transformed journeys for people living on either side is 10 years old today.

Peters Bridge at Wouldham was opened by the Lord Lieutenant at the time, and was built as part of planning permission for an additional 1,000 homes in the area.

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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 who has been at the scene.

Also in today's podcast, a man in his 30s is in a critical condition in hospital following an attack in Ashford.

He suffered serious head injuries after being assaulted in the Lower High Street early yesterday morning.

A Kent theatre has been shortlisted for a new national award.

The Granville in Ramsgate re-opened in 2023 after work to remove damp and asbestos and breathe new life into the venue.

It originally welcomed audiences in 1914 and is up for the 'Great Renovation' prize at the inaugural Great British Theatres Awards. We've been speaking to the CEO of the Theatres Trust.

The 2026 grape harvest in Kent is set to get underway today - the earliest date ever for one of the county's wine producers.

Nyetimber don't normally start picking until early October. They say the change of date is due to the long, hot summer. Hear from senior wine maker Brad Greatrix.

And in sport, Gillingham made it back-to-back wins in league two at the weekend.

They beat previously undefeated Tranmere Rovers 2-nil at Priestfield.

We've got reaction from manager Gareth Ainsworth and defender Logan Dobbs who scored his first ever league goal.

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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 pub chain has hit out at plans for a new so-called tourist tax.

The idea is to give regional mayors the power to introduce a charge to stay in accommodation in their area. They could then decide what the cash is invested in.

We've been getting reaction from Phil Thorley who runs Thorley Taverns in Thanet.

A Sheppey woman's been telling us how health anxiety has impacted her life, and made her worry about developing a serious illness.

Kersty Lorton started suffering from panic attacks five years ago, and believes the condition was triggered when her auntie died from cancer.

She's now started a walking group to get other women active, and has even designed her own sportswear brand.

Dozens of buildings in Kent that are normally off-limits are going to be opened up over the next nine days..

Heritage Open Days is all about letting us discover some of the history on our doorstep, for free.

Charles Dickens' writing chalet in Rochester and the Brook Theatre which is being renovated in Chatham are among those welcoming visitors.

And it's a return to Priestfield for Gillingham in league two this weekend.

They're welcoming Tranmere Rovers after securing their first win of the season last time out.

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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 Max Chesson.

Also in today's podcast, it's emerged passengers impacted by this week's air traffic control outage have been warned they are 'unlikely' to be entitled to compensation.

More than 330,000 people are thought to have been affected and an investigation into what caused the issue is continuing. Hear from two people from Kent who are among those affected.

The Gravesham MP has asked for Andy Burnham to back her campaign for the Gravesend to Tilbury ferry service to be restored.

The ferry, linking Kent and Essex, hasn't run since 2024 after funding was pulled.

For the first time in almost a thousand years - the Bayeux Tapestry has gone on show in England.

The embroidery famously tells the story of events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest in 1066. But, it's also thought to have significant links to Kent.

Hear from Dr Charlie Rozier who is a lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Kent.

It's been revealed how AI has helped to identify a second world war bomb discovered 10 years ago by a metal detectorist in Kent.

Stanley Green placed the object on a shelf in the conservatory of his home in Kemsley - and it's sat there for a decade.

Earlier this week, he uploaded a picture of it to Google Lens and received a critical warning to call emergency services.

And, organisers say this year's Hop Festival in Faversham provided a £3 million boost to the local economy.

Tens of thousands of people attended the two-day event last weekend.

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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 the night before masked men blocked roads to the port.

Bosses have admitted that the information was not fully assessed.

Work to bring the historic Leas Lift in Folkestone back into use reaches a significant milestone as the carriages are being returned and put back on the tracks.

We hear from the interim chief executive of the Folkestone Leas Lift company charity.

And a worker has revealed that aggressive shoplifters were part of the reason behind her decision to retire after 21 years at the same store in Dover

We speak to Karen Christian was the longest-serving member of staff at the supermarket in Cherry Tree Avenue.

And in Cricket, former Kent player Jordan Cox has kept his place in the England side for the third Test against Pakistan.

The 25 year-old - who was born in Margate - has impressed in the previous games with England leading the series 2-nil.

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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 told us pausing local government reorganisation is incredibly frustrating and unsettling.

A shock announcement from government yesterday revealed it was putting the process on hold following new legal advice.

It comes just weeks after we'd been told Kent's 14 authorities would be replaced with four bigger unitary ones.

An organiser of anti-migration protests in Kent and Hampshire has defended the wearing of masks by male demonstrators.

Around 200 people dressed in black and with face coverings disrupted traffic near the Port of Dover on Saturday.

Flowers have been left at the scene of a crash which killed two cyclists.

A man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s died at the scene in Sole Street on Sunday morning, while another person was taken to hospital.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving while a 19 year-old woman's been held on suspicion of assisting an offender.

A building in Dover that forms part of a multi-million pound regeneration project in the town centre is officially opening today.

The Bench will include a campus for students at East Kent College, a co-working space, bakery and screen south media company.

And in sport, with just three games of the season left - Kent's cricketers travel to Derbyshire in the county championship.

Adam Hollioake's side are currently second in the division two table following a win over Worcestershire last time out.

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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 crime commissioner Matthew Scott.

Also in today's episode, ministers have condemned hundreds of masked protesters who blocked access to the Port of Dover for several hours on Saturday.

Demonstrators dressed in black were heard shouting "stop the boats" as they held-up traffic.

The new boss of South East Water is due to answer questions later at a public meeting in a Kent village affected by outages over the summer.

Residents in Benenden suffered days of disruption during one of the heatwaves in August.

They hit the headlines by spelling out 'help us' on a village green using plastic bottles from emergency handouts.

And in sport, Gillingham have got their first win of the season.

They beat Rochdale 4-1 away from home on Saturday. Hear from manager Gareth Ainsworth and player James Brophy who scored two of the goals.

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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 £9,000.

Also in today's podcast, a Kent woman who was born and grew up in the county fears she's on borrowed time because she's not legally a British citizen.

Megan Jones was born in 1994, but her mum, who'd arrived in the country from America, didn't have indefinite leave to remain.

A baby boy from Sittingbourne who was born with a rare condition which sees some organs develop outside the body, has died just days after being allowed home from hospital.

Luca Hayes had several operations after arriving seven weeks early in May and was discharged last month - but deteriorated five days later.

And in sport, the Gillingham boss has praised the team behind the scenes at Priestfield for their summer recruitment.

After releasing 16 players at the end of last season - and selling another 3 - they've brought in 15 and signed three academy youngsters.

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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 floods in Nepal.

Flags and candles were laid at the Civic Centre yesterday evening.

Meantime, a Kent restaurant is hoping to raise funds to help those caught up in the disaster.

Thousands of people are still missing more than a week after the tragedy happened.

The MP for Dartford is urging the government to crack down on dangerous driving, which he says is putting the public at risk.

It follows a crash in Teesside last month which left seven people dead - including two police officers.

Jim Dickson has spoken in the Commons about issues he's noticed in his constituency.

And, bosses in Folkestone have been accused of driving people away from the town after brining in parking charges at a popular coastal beauty spot.

You can no longer leave a car for free on The Leas between April and the end of September from 10am to 5pm - or in neighbouring Metropole Road East and West.

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