KentOnline

A three-year-old girl had to undergo surgery after being attacked by a dog opposite a primary school.

Bunnie was walking along a narrow road in Rainham with her family when the dog suddenly lunged for her. 

Also in today’s podcast, a former prison guard who sexually attacked a woman and held her at gunpoint has died in jail.

Just a day after his 50th birthday, the Dover man was found dead at HMP Isle of Wight – it’s triggered an investigation. 

An NHS trust’s decision to hike parking charges for patients and staff has been branded “absolutely disgusting”.

Those working for East Kent Hospitals will face a 10% increase from July 1.

You can hear from the bosses of Thanet’s only baby bank who lost thousands of pounds worth of donated goods in last week’s storm. 

Mama to Mama say there are families in desperate need of help who are having to go without – you can find out how you can support them. 

And the family of an elderly sick widow who is stranded in a care home in France have launched a campaign to bring her back home.

She suffers from advanced dementia, and moved into a nursing residence after her husband and full-time carer died suddenly last year.

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A hospital trust has apologised after “human failings” meant opportunities to properly diagnose a happily married beauty therapist were missed which would have saved her life.

The 36-year-old passed away after collapsing at her home in Tonbridge – just days after she was discharged from hospital.

Also in today’s podcast, a shocking wave of youth-led catapult attacks on birds, swans, ducks and foxes in Kent has been described by wildlife workers as “a new kind of pandemic”.

We’ve got figures on just how many catapult attacks have been reported to police over the last three years. 

A cash-strapped local authority will have to cough up tens of thousands of pounds for legal fees after failed attempts to evict a group of Travellers.

Medway Council tried to move Romani Gypsy families from Wigmore Coach Park resulting in a court hearing where a judge ruled in the group’s favour.

Farmyard animals have been removed from a pub garden due to licensing issues.

The landlady of the Waggon at Hale in Chatham has kept goats, pigs, rabbits, chickens, and guinea pigs at the pub for years.

And bosses of a luxury hotel adored by celebrities have unveiled exciting plans to expand by creating a “country club-style resort”.

Those behind the Cave Hotel and Golf Resort between Faversham and Canterbury have say their ambitious project is to meet “increasing demand”.

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A huge transformation of Folkestone harbour has been approved - five months after the controversial plans were snubbed.

More than 400 homes will now be built at the popular landmark after Sir Roger De Haan’s Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company revised its scheme.

Also in today’s podcast, we mark 25 years since a grim discovery at Dover docks laid bare the human cost of illegal migration. 

Fifty-eight Chinese men and women were found dead in the back of a lorry on June 18, 2000. They had suffocated in an airtight container during a desperate attempt to reach the UK.

Thousands of drivers have been slapped with £70 fines after cameras were installed to enforce bus gates in a “rat run” road.

Parts of some roads in Ashford had already been out of bounds for drivers for years before the devices were switched on in September last year.

A handyman fears the town he helped clean for more than a decade will become a mess after his job was axed.

He’s been left “in complete shock” after the Folkestone Town Sprucer team, which he has headed up since 2012, was scrapped.

And a Medway man is calling on council chiefs to return a 20ft-long fibreglass elephant removed from his driveway over safety fears.

He says he’ll pay “whatever it takes” to get the former piece of play equipment back. 

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A yoga instructor has been left “heartbroken” by a council’s decision to charge her £1,000 to use the beach for classes.

She has been hosting early morning sessions on the sand at West Bay in Westgate-on-Sea at a cost of £5 a person but says the new charges will cripple her business. 

Also in today’s podcast, two special independent schools in the county are closing at short notice in a move it’s feared will leave “a lot” of families in the lurch and potentially without places.

A letter was sent to parents from the chair of school governors explaining how the forecast for the number of pupils attending in September “has fallen such that the school is not financially viable”.

A damning report says a Kent prison has become "more unstable" with drugs being smuggled in via drones as one of the major problems.

It follows inspections of HMP Elmley in February and March this year. 

Controversial plans for a new McDonald’s drive-thru have been approved for a second time - but campaigners say they will continue fighting the scheme.

Bosses in Dover first gave the green light for the fast food-chain to open a restaurant in December – but concerns were raised and it was sent back for review. 

And a school leavers’ celebration turned into an emotional tribute as pupils gave a heartfelt standing ovation for a classmate left severely brain-damaged after a tragic accident.

15-year-old Jack Dolan was unable to attend the farewell event, but classmates and staff made sure he wasn’t forgotten.

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A man left with a devastating brain injury after his boss crashed a truck after drinking has told him in court: “I hate what you’ve turned me into.”

The 30-year-old was knocked unconscious and suffered multiple fractures when the driver ploughed into a tree in Pluckley while driving staff home from a leaving party.

Also in today’s podcast, clean operations are still underway after Friday’s storm battered part of the county. 

Some people in Dover and Thanet were left in temporary accommodation after heavy rain left homes and roads flooded. 

Nine fire engines have spent the night tackling a raging house fire, with warnings issued to the public.

Crews were sent to Douglas Road in Lenham yesterday and advised people in the area to keep windows and doors closed due to heavy smoke.

Revised proposals to station mobile homes on what was green belt land have been approved, with councillors stating their “hands are tied”.

Bosses voted in favour of changing the use of the plot in Shorne for Gypsy and Traveller occupation.

And, a Kent village has been left with no name – after a welcome sign vanished.

The metal sign in Hamstreet had been moved 300 yards further out of the village last January so a new estate could be incorporated in the boundary – residents say they’re losing their identity.

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Tributes are being paid to a Kent couple who are thought to have been on board a plane that crashed in India.

Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek ran a wellness company in Ramsgate.

The aircraft was heading for Gatwick when it came down near Ahmedabad airport.

Also in today's podcast, the family of a teacher from Sheppey who was found dead in a creek have said her death with entirely preventable.

The body of mum-of-three Karen Gill was discovered on South Street in Queenborough last December.

Staff at a secondary school in Deal have started strike action over proposed job cuts.

Five members of support staff at Goodwin Academy are set to go as their Trust say they're facing "challenging financial conditions". Hear from those who have been on the picket line.

A TV star is backing calls to save Ashford's Park Mall shopping centre from being demolished.

Council bosses want to create a car park on the site, before eventually turning it into flats, but Strike's Tom Burke has told us it's not the right decision.

A Kent dad has praised the staff at a hospital in Kent for saving his baby son's life.

Leo wasn't breathing when he was born at the QEQM in Margate in May last year. Jack Davey has been telling us how staff rushed into action, and what he's doing this weekend to pay back.

And in sport, Kent have lost to Surrey in the T20 Blast.

The result came down to the final ball in last night's match at The Oval - with the home side beating the Spitfires' score of 171.

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People in Herne Bay have been left living in fear as the town is increasingly plagued by violent and anti-social youths branded “wannabe gangsters”.

A public meeting has been called for later this month, where police and councillors will face questions from fed-up residents and businesses desperate for action.

Also in today’s podcast, the owner of an indoor adventure centre says he will ban for life the person responsible for causing thousands of pounds of damage to a SEN feature.

Bosses say the area of Adventure Kidz at Aylesford’s Quarry Wood Retail Park will cost around £2,500 to fix. 

You can hear from workers at a charity shop who have revealed their “constant battle” against thieves as clothes, shoes and even furniture handles are stolen.

Staff at Making a Difference to Maidstone describe the surge in shoplifting as a “slap in the face”, amid a 55% increase in thefts over the last four years.

Organisers of a decades-old village fete were left stunned after being asked to pay out almost £2,000 for security staff.

The parish council has stepped in to save the annual event in Hawkhurst, but has had to blow 60% of its annual community events budget on hiring the six guards to enable it to go ahead.

And eighty traders have already signed up to join Kent’s largest indoor market ahead of its opening later this month.

The former Wilko store in Folkestone town centre is being turned into the county’s second Petticoat Lane Emporium.

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You are going to have to pay more to have your garden waste collected in Kent.

12 local authorities in the county have decided to increase the charge by an average of £3.99 - hear from reporter Joe Harbert who has been investigating.

Also in today's podcast, people living in part of Medway have told us they fear their village won't be able to cope with 350 new homes.

A consultation is under way into the idea of building on land at Allhallows on the Hoo Peninsula. Hear the thoughts of the local councillor and some people who already live in the area.

Eurostar has been accused of shirking its "moral responsibility" to Kent after announcing more investment in other routes.

£1.7 billion is going to be spent on new trains from London to Frankfurt and Geneva, despite the company still not resuming services at Ashford and Ebbsfleet stations.

Reform UK have suspended one of their Kent County Councillors, sparking calls for a by-election.

Daniel Taylor, who represents the Cliftonville ward in Thanet, is now sitting as an independent.

And, we're featuring a story by our reporter Alex Langridge who has noticed a trend on socials for local businesses to adopt honesty boxes.

The idea certainly isn't new, but seems to have evolved in recent times.

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A Sevenoaks man who led police on a 130 mile per hour chase before crashing, has avoided being sent to prison.

Lee Twinley, 20 from Manor Road in Sundridge, was followed for 20 minutes on the M25 and M11 towards Cambridge back in March. Hear the moment he was tracked by a police helicopter.

Also in today's podcast, a Maidstone mum has told us how her baby's initial diagnosis of bronchiolitis turned out to be a life-threatening heart condition.

Leila was born in October last year but became ill less than two months later and was rushed to hospital.

The boss of a youth group in Thanet has explained how the loss of their current home would be devastating.

Pie Factory Music host activities, events and workshops for under-25s at Ramsgate Youth Centre which is at risk of being sold. Three youth workers have been on a fundraising cycle as they look to buy it.

One of Kent's oldest company directors has told us he has no intention of retiring.

Derek Ward is 92 and still works six days a week at Envirograf in Barfrestone, near Dover. He's been chatting to our reporter Sam Lennon.

And in sport, the Gillingham manager says he can't wait to have Bradley Dack in his squad next season.

The 31-year-old's agreed a new year-long contract at Priestfield.

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It has been revealed children as young as four have been suspended from Kent schools, amid a rise in the number of exclusions across the county.

The numbers follow a trend across the country after Covid, with the lockdowns that started in 2020 affecting many children's formative years.

Also in today's podcast, the man who oversees the police in Kent has told us he'd be interested in becoming the county's first Mayor.

But Matthew Scott has urged the government to speed up any reorganisation of local authorities.

Double amputee Tony Hudgell's been gifted a signed football shirt from David Beckham.

The 10-year-old from West Malling was just weeks old when he suffered appalling abuse at the hands of his birth parents.

A protest walk has been held on Romney Marsh as campaigners push back over plans for solar and energy storage schemes.

Possible projects include the 1,500 acre South Kent Energy Park and the 1,000 acre Shepway Energy Park.

Rebecca Adlington's been in Kent to take part in an endurance swim to raise awareness of protecting our oceans.

The former Olympian was joined by Happy Valley star James Norton at Joss Bay - and admitted it was pretty tough.

And in sport, Bradley Dack has revealed he's got unfinished business ahead of a new season at Gillingham  

The 31-year-old has signed on for another year - after only making 20 appearances during the last campaign.

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