KentOnline

An abandoned nightclub has been destroyed after a fire ripped through the building last night. 

The Grade II listed site of the former Portlands Factory club in Northfleet went up in flames just before midnight. 

Also in today’s podcast, a couple say they have lost £18,000 worth of stock after after a blaze tore through an historic building on a regenerated quayside. 

In the early hours of yesterday, fire crews were called to Standard Quay to a fire that seemed to be coming from inside The Pottery Room.

A Kent man who came to the UK as an asylum seeker says he's taking part in an immigration debate to speak up for those who don't have a voice.

He was 17 when he arrived in the back of a lorry from Iraq in 1999 – he’s urging people not to feel threatened by those who come here from a better life. 

A frustrated dad says he was put through “years of hell” after being hounded for child support arrears he did not owe – despite his ex-wife confirming he never missed a payment.

He’s now hit out at the Child Maintenance Service, claiming it gave him “sleepless nights” by wrongly chasing him for thousands of pounds and even taking money directly from his wages.

And in football, you can hear from Gillingham’s assistant manager following a disappointing defeat over the weekend. 

They Gills lost 2 – 1 to Salford City at Priestfield but Richard Dobson is urging fans to look at the stats. 

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A woman who won tens of thousands on Premium Bonds, sold her home and spent a year abroad before falsely claiming thousands in benefits on her return to Kent has avoided prison. 

Between 2021 and 2024, she received more than £23,000 after making false statements to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Also in today’s podcast, you can hear from the Ashford MP who’s weighed in on the troubles being faced by Reform UK at County Hall. 

Sojan Joseph has been telling us why KCC leader Linden Kemkaran should lose her job. 

Residents say it’s “total rubbish” their town is well served by pharmacies while their only closed branch “sits there like a ghost” - and prevents new ones from opening.

Jhoots, in the Rainham Shopping Precinct, closed in August after months of troubles meaning 40,000 people in the town have been without direct easy access.

A prototype of the game Medway Fighter, based on the classic arcade game Street Fighter will debut at Electric Medway Festival this weekend. 

You can hear from the creative director who says it’s a new way for people to engage with Medway’s heritage. 

And in football, Gillingham assistant boss Richard Dobson says he doesn’t want his players to be affected by their winless run when they face Salford City this weekend. 

The Gills have gone four League 2 matches without a win after a blistering start to the season.

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Residents are calling for action to solve traffic “chaos” caused by lorries struggling to make it up a slippery hill.

They say they are kept up at night by screeching tyres and reversing alarms as stranded HGVs retreat back down for another run-up, and fear there will be a serious accident.

Also in today’s podcast, Kent has been battered with strong winds and heavy rain as Storm Benjamin hits. 

It’s caused travel disruption with trees down and local flooding reported across the county. 

Reform UK councillors have lodged official complaints about the leadership style of the top table at Kent County Council. 

You can hear from Simon Finlay from the Local Democracy Reporting Service as it’s understood at least five members have sent grievances to the party’s head office.

Bosses at Kent Fire and Rescue say they'll have to make tough decisions if they don't get more funding.

A survey's been launched to see if residents would be willing to pay 9p a week more in council tax contributions.

And, a bitter funding dispute between school leaders and council bosses is threatening the future of a specialist school supporting vulnerable children and young people.

Kent County Council and FAR Academy in Whitstable have so far failed to agree on how much the authority should pay the school per student.

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An alleged abuser has been called a “coward” after he took his own life the day before he was due to stand trial.

The 69-year-old was found at HMP Elmley earlier this month – the family of one of the accusers have shared their anger at not getting their day in court.

Also in today’s podcast, you can hear audio from the moment a prolific thief was arrested by police as he hid under a bed.

Billy Bird carried out a two-week spree of thefts across Faversham and Ashford, targeting multiple stores and stealing hundreds of pounds worth of alcohol and food.

The under-pressure Reform UK leader of Kent County Council has called on her 49 remaining members to back her.

Cllr Linden Kemkaran, on advice from the party's headquarters, sent out a message calling on all fellow councillors to sign a statement of support.

New figures show Swale Borough Council has received more complaints about wood burning than any other in England. 

Residents lodged more than 12-hundred complaints in the last 12 months - prompting campaigners to call for government to tighten regulations. 

And a Kent woman who went through menopause in her early 40s says there's still too much stigma around the issue.

You can hear from Grace Lawson who started experiencing symptoms when she was just 42.

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A court has heard a man “saw red” on the night his town centre bar was closing down and thrust a broken bottle into another man’s head.

Steven Harwood-Brown threw one of his employees to the floor at Folkestone venue Picklebacks, before stabbing the victim, who had intervened to stop the fight.

Also in today’s podcast, pressure is growing on the leader of Kent County Council after seven MPs demanded she quit and an eighth labelled her behaviour ‘unacceptable.’

In a letter to Reform leader Nigel Farage, the Labour MPs said Cllr Linden Kemkaran was ‘clearly not up to the job. 

Two Kent women who survived domestic abuse are starting a community project to provide clothing and toiletries for other victims.

The DV Closet, in Sevenoaks, is a safe space where those who've fled abuse can get the support they need.

Long-harboured plans to build a new reservoir in the Kent countryside are finally moving forward as contractors carry out the first phase of ground investigation works.

South East Water is planning to build a 200-acre facility on farmland near Canterbury - you can hear from the project manager. 

And a Kent farmer's told us he's pleased to be able to give apples he grows to charity - to avoid them going to waste.

The crop at Hazel Street Farm is no longer financially viable, so the orchard has been handed over to a food project.

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Reform UK has suspended four county councillors after the leaking of a video showing a private Zoom meeting of senior party members.

The four have had the whip removed “pending investigation, following evidence they brought the party into disrepute”.

Also in today’s podcast, fed-up residents say they’re paying hundreds of pounds in service fees for a children’s play park which, in reality, amounts to little more than a wooden log.

Over the past four years, garden city residents have been paying property management agency, FirstPort, thousands of pounds to maintain play equipment that residents say doesn’t exist.

The MP for Canterbury has spoken in the commons about some of the challenges being faced by Canterbury Cathedral.

Independent Rosie Duffield says the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the first female to hold the role should be seen as a new start for the church.

One of Kent’s poorest areas is set to receive £20 million to upgrade it to make it a “better place to live”.

Ahead of a meeting on the Pride in Place funding, business owners and residents of the Sheppey East ward told the KentOnline Podcast what they think the money should be spent on.

And in sport, Gillingham had two players sent off and conceded a debatable-looking penalty as they were beaten at Grimsby Town.

The Gills have now gone four games without a win in League 2 after the 1-0 loss and visiting fans were left chanting “1-0 to the referee” after a series of controversial decisions against their team.

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A hugely respected taxi company boss has died just a week before giving his daughter away at a dream wedding in southern Spain attended by more than 160 guests.

Lance Ridden suddenly passed away after suffering a suspected heart attack in the luxury resort of Marbella.

Also in today’s podcast, University of Kent bosses have reignited fury by pushing ahead with plans for a huge 2,000-home estate on nearby countryside – despite the land being ruled out of Canterbury’s housing blueprint.

The acting vice-chancellor has written to campaigners confirming the institution is pressing on with the controversial scheme on fields north of its city campus.

Protestors are gathering in Kent today to demand an end to the use of Operation Brock on the M20. 

It’s being led by Faversham MP Helen Whately – you can hear from her about why motorists are so fed up with the contraflow system. 

The winter season has officially started for Kent's gritters, with teams out for the annual parade today. 

It's an opportunity for teams across the county to familiarise themselves with the routes they'll be covering – we’ve spoken to highways bosses about how they’re getting ready for the icy weather. 

And in football, it’s an away game for Gillingham this weekend. 

They’re travelling to take on Grimsby Town in a clash the assistant manager Richard Dobson says will be “good for the neutrals”. 

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The sister of a much-loved young man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning wants to warn others about the “silent killer”.

“Popular and kind” Elliot Bourne fell asleep on a sofa in front of a coal fire in Hythe and was found unresponsive the next day.

Also in today’s podcast, a jury has heard a violent axe and cricket bat attack on two men as they drove along the A2 ​had its background in human trafficking.

Those involved in what is alleged to have been a bid to kill the driver of a Seat Leon and seriously injure one of his passengers had all come to the UK from Afghanistan.

The MP for Dartford has spoken in PMQs about the urgent funds needed to repair Galley Hill Road.

The route through Swanscombe has been closed for two-and-a-half years after a major landslide – you can hear the Prime Minister’s response. 

It’s Restart a Heart Day and we’ve been speaking to a paramedic about a new smartphone app that could save a life. 

SECAmb say the GoodSAM app could make all the difference to a patient who’s gone in cardiac arrest – listen in to see whether you can download it. 

And a Kent hockey club that was forced to leave its base is hoping to raise more than a million pounds to build a new permanent home.

K Sports had been at Cobdown Sports Ground in Ditton but needed to move out when it was sold to London City Lionesses.

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A former Dartford council worker who swindled her employer out of almost half a million pounds while in charge of housing benefit payments has been spared jail.

A court's been told how the 44-year-old set up fake claims in the names of people she knew, and fraudulently received £493,000 over a nine-year period.

Also in today's podcast, a man who stabbed a stranger in Chatham while on day release from a psychiatric hospital has been convicted of attempted murder.

Ray Chirisa, 34, had been reported missing from the Trevor Gibbens Unit in Maidstone just 30 minutes before the attack happened on The Brook in October last year.

The Chancellor's been at the Dartford Crossing to announce plans to limit the number of court challenges that can be brought against major infrastructure projects.

Rachel Reeves also wants to speed up the time judicial reviews take by six months so builders can get spades in the ground more quickly.

Rochester Cathedral will be lit up blue and pink tonight as baby loss awareness week comes to an end.

A 'wave of light' event will be happening so bereaved parents and wider family can light candles. Hear from Keeley Lengthorn who is an ambassador for Kent baby loss charity Abigail's Footsteps.

A community farm on Sheppey visited by children with special educational needs has been given permission to open as an independent school.

Curly's Farm covers 10 acres of land in Leysdown and can now be an alternative provision for young people with an EHCP - we've been speaking to founder Kyle Ratcliffe.

The Kent man who came up with Morph and designed the Blue Peter Badge would have been 100 today.

Artist Tony Hart grew up in Maidstone and studied in the town before presenting children's TV programmes Take Hart and Hart Beat.

Now an exhibition of his work has gone on show at the Creative Maidstone Community Arts Hub.

And in sport, a rugby player from Kent has been telling us how she overcame illness and injury to help England's Women win the World Cup.

West Malling's Rosie Galligan was part of the Red Roses squad that beat Canada 33-13 at Twickenham last month.

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The owner of a dog that seriously injured a young girl in Rainham has been ordered to pay compensation to the child.

A cockapoo called Reggie bit the three-year-old's arm on Mierscourt Road in June.

Also in today's podcast, residents of a street in Snodland are calling on the council to officially change the address to resolve mail delivery problems.

People living in Rayfield Court say their road is independent from neighbouring Willowside, but when their postcode is put into most search engines it defaults to an address in Willowside. 

A Kent expert has told today's episode how the next few weeks and months will be crucial if peace is to remain in the Middle East.

It's after US President Donald Trump was given a standing ovation in the Israeli parliament yesterday, as he talked of a "new dawn" in the region.

A debate is being held in Parliament about the benefits of returning international rail services to Ashford.

Eurostar trains haven't stopped in Kent since the pandemic, but there are now plans for other operators to use the route.

The landlords of a village pub near Faversham fear their trade will be hit at the busiest time of the year because the road it's on is due to shut for gas works.

Head Hill Road links Graveney and Goodnestone to Faversham and the Thanet Way and is expected to close later this month. Hear from Chris and Katrina Goater who run the Four Horseshoes.

There's going to be a meeting in Medway tonight to discuss the flags being flown from lampposts right now.

St George crosses and union flags have been displayed as part of the Raise the Colours campaign which started in the summer.

And in sport, find out who three Kent clubs have been drawn against in the first round of the FA Cup.

The games are due to be played at the start of November.

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