KentOnline

A group of travellers have won a landmark legal case against Medway Council to stay on a park and ride site.

The families were given permission to stay on the land in Wigmore for three months from July 2023 is they paid a weekly fee, then were ordered to leave in the October.

Reporter Davina Jethwa has been following the story and joins the podcast with all the details.

Also in today's episode, a Maidstone drug dealer has been jailed after video was found of a manufacturing lab that was used to make tens of thousands of ecstasy pills.

Video at KentOnline shows footage that was discovered on Jamie Stacey-Evans' phone.

Leaders in Sevenoaks have been told their days in charge are numbered after nine Conservative councillors quit the party.

They've formed a new group called West Kent Independents and the Tories no longer have overall control of the authority. Hear from the leader of the Lib Dems in the area.

Inspectors have reported significant changes at a Kent school previously criticised for the number of fights and high levels of truancy.

Ofsted have been back to Sandwich Technology School to check on safety, behaviour and attendance. Simon Sharples took over as headteacher in January and has been telling us about their success.

A petition has been launched to protect five oak trees on the Hoo peninsula from a potential road widening scheme.

It's feared developers behind plans for a new 760-home estate near High Halstow could chop down trees on Christmas Lane.

Events are taking place in France to mark the 85th anniversary of one of the most incredible rescue missions during the Second World War.

Privately owned Little Ships from England were used to collect Allied soldiers from beaches at Dunkirk in 1940. Reporter Gabriel Morris is in Dunkirk.

And in sport, Ashford United's Gary Lockyer has collected the award for scoring the most goals in this season's FA Cup.

The 32-year-old netted 10 during their campaign to the third qualifying round.

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Twelve families have been forced to leave their homes after a fire at a block of flats in Gravesend.

It broke out in Nursery Grove yesterday afternoon and crews remained at the scene until this morning. Hear from our reporter Alex Langridge who has been there.

Also in today's podcast,  there's been a significant increase in the number of emergency food parcels being given out here in the south east.

The Trussell Trust says more than 310,000 were distributed in the past year - that's up 56% compared to five years ago. We've been chatting to the charity.

You can also hear from the chairman of a foodbank charity in Canterbury on what the situation has been like for them.

Dozens of Little Ships that rescued troops from French beaches during world war two are heading from Kent to Dunkirk today.

They are recreating the journey made in 1940 to mark the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo. We've been speaking to Phil Christodolou who own Quisisana which was involved.

A Kent mum has been telling us how she is fulfilling a dream of running her own business after more than a decade of working in care.

Jo-Eleanor Matthews has refurbished the former Blind Company building on London Road in Teynham, turning it into a cafe. She's been speaking to reporter Joe Crossley.

Margate's Turner Contemporary gallery has launched creative sessions to promote play and creativity in young children.

They've teamed up with Save the Children to create the Tiny Turnips workshops for zero-to-24-month-olds.

In sport, Maidstone United have released seven players following their National League South play-off final defeat.

Vice-captain Jordan Higgs and long-serving defender Raphe Brown are among those leaving the club.

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A Dover woman has ended up in court after finding out the dog she rescued was an XL Bully.

The 55-year-old thought she'd adopted a Staffordshire bull terrier, but called police for advice when a neighbour raised concerns.

Also on today's podcast, the sea at 29 beaches in Kent is going to be tested to make sure it's safe for us to swim in.

KentOnline's been told how experts will regularly monitor the water during the summer season which runs until the end of September.

More than 40,000 young people in Kent have signed a Commitment Pledge to not carry a knife, and report someone they know is.

It's something set up by the Violence Reduction Unit in the county and police team that visits schools. Hear from crime commissioner Matthew Scott as we mark knife crime awareness week.

The owner of a new takeaway near Maidstone is urging people to give him a chance, after a backlash over the serving of halal meat.

Zam Haidari is the director at Coxheath Pizza and Chicken, but he's come under fire for using halal-certified meat which some animal welfare groups have called unnecessarily cruel. Zam has been speaking to reporter Elli Hodgson.

More than £10,000 has been donated to a Sittingbourne family so they can convert their home to accommodate their poorly son.

Six-year-old Reuben Whitehead has to be connected to a feeding tube up to 16 hours a day after being born early and developing complications. We've been chatting to the friends who set up the fundraiser.

A swimming club chairman's warned they may have to pull out of a national competition this summer following the closure of their normal training facility.

Competitors haven't been able to use Folkestone sports centre after it suddenly shut last summer.

It's been confirmed the site has been taken over - but it's unclear when it might re-open.

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A former cage fighter from Folkestone has been locked away indefinitely after he attacked a stranger in the street.

Kiane Trotman, 38, from Foord Road South, was experiencing paranoid schizophrenia when he punched and kicked his victim near the Canterbury Road Recreation Ground in 2023.

Also in today's podcast, the new Reform UK leader of Kent County Council has appeared to backtrack on the party's plans to stop staff working from home.

Party leader Nigel Farage said he wanted to get people back in the office, after their success in the recent local elections. Hear what Linden Kemkaran has now had to say.

Our campaign calling for reforms to who's eligible for a Blue Badge has been raised in the Commons by one of Medway's MPs.

We want the system changed after hearing from cancer patients who've been denied one.

The route for this year's Baton of Hope relay through Kent and Medway has been revealed,

The Olympic-torch style baton will be passed to volunteers as it makes its way through Gillingham, Rochester, Maidstone, Canterbury and Margate.

It's to raise awareness of suicide prevention by encouraging everyone to talk openly about mental health struggles. We've been speaking to one of the baton bearers.

There are fears a hike in parking charges in Sandwich and Deal could impact the number of people visiting the towns.

The council say the decision's been made following a comprehensive review - looking at supply and demand and planning for the future. Our reporter Sam Lennon has been to Sandwich to get reaction.

In sport, Maidstone United have missed out on a chance of promotion to the National League.

They were beaten 1-0 away at Boreham Wood in yesterday's play-off final.

Elsewhere, Whitstable Town's players have been on an open top bus parade through the town to celebrate their historic FA Vase win.

They were joined by staff and all important trophy as they travelled through the streets on Saturday.

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A cancer patient from Faversham says it is her “dying wish” for thousands of people to benefit from the choice of ending their life.

Elise Burns is terminally ill and urging MPs to “do the right thing” when voting on the assisted dying bill.

Also in today’s podcast, a man who stalked his ex-partner and threatened to burn her house down has avoided being sent to prison. 

A court heard the 39-year-old from Ashford launched a relentless campaign of harassment that left his former partner living in constant fear.

There’s a warning from firefighters as we head into the summer about making sure barbecues are properly cool before throwing them away. 

It follows a blaze on Ramsgate seafront which saw a public bin go up in flames.

Parents and councillors have slammed a travel company’s decision to axe a “vital” school bus route.

Arriva has announced it will be cancelling its service from Swanscombe to Dartford from the start of next month.  

And a Kent family has appeared in the top 20 of the UK rich list once again 

It’s reported the family, who live near Canterbury, are worth over £9 billion. 

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A Sheppey restaurant could lose its licence after an investigation by immigration officers found two workers being given food and accommodation rather than wages.

Local democracy reporter Dan Esson has been covering this story about Mems Mezza in Halfway.

Also in today's podcast, a report's found improvements in maternity services at East Kent Hospitals.

Inspectors visited the QEQM in Margate and Ashford's William Harvey.

We've been hearing from the boss of a tech company, who says their surveillance equipment could help wipe out fly-tipping in Kent.

WasteWatch technology, which uses AI, has been in place in Dartford hotspots since 2021.

A Faversham woman is urging people not to block footpaths with bins, after her mobility scooter tipped over into the road.

Denise Aaron suffered a broken leg in the fall in Orchard Place after being forced to reverse to manoeuvre around wheelie bins. She's been speaking to reporter Brad Harper.

Mental health campaigners are starting an 80-mile walk in Kent.

Members of the Proper Blokes Club are travelling from Deal Pier to Eastbourne as part of efforts to get more men active and talking to each other.

And, a former special forces soldier from Kent is among a group aiming to be the fastest ever to climb Mount Everest.

A typical expedition takes around two months - but the Mission: Everest team will attempt to be there and back in just seven days.

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Cockroaches have been discovered at one of Kent’s top hotels during a food hygiene inspection.

The insects were found in several traps in the basement and floating in a pool of water in the kitchen of the luxury hotel in Canterbury.

Also in today’s podcast, a prolific thief who stole two bottles of wine says he “went off the rails” after his cousin died in a motorbike accident.

He went into a Co-op in Maidstone to steal the alcohol in March despite a court order banning him from entering certain stores in the town.

You can also hear from Kent business owners who say their trade more than halved after a sinkhole appeared nearby. 

There are fears it could happen again, with water already seen leaking from the repaired carriageway. 

Disappointed parents say their children with special needs are being “failed” as funding for a “lifeline” service is slashed.

It’s after Kent County Council withdrew part of its budget for the National Autistic Society’s Kent day centre, known as SAND, last month – we spoken to families who have been affected. 

And plans for a new petrol station and shop on Sheppey have been revealed to help deal with a population boom. 

Operators are eyeing up land in Minster to meet the demands of the 17-thousand homes planned for the area. 

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A Kent Police Inspector is due to face a misconduct hearing after being found guilty of assaulting a woman.

James Beautridge was suspended from duty after the attack in Maidstone in September 2023.

Also in today's podcast, a refugee charity's calling on the Prime Minister to apologise for language he used in a speech about immigration.

Sir Keir Starmer was laying out plans yesterday to reduce the number of people coming to the UK, and said without new rules we risk becoming an 'island of strangers'. We've been speaking to the CEO of Care4Calais.

Businesses in Maidstone have been left clearing up after a number of windows were smashed with a fire extinguisher.

Footage at KentOnline shows a topless man targeting a number of buildings on King Street on Sunday night and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

We've been hearing from Southeastern about what they plan to do to improve the reliability of services across Kent.

It's as new data shows trains from Higham, Greenhithe, Northfleet and Swanscombe railway stations are the most likely to be cancelled.

They are part of the Thameslink line which is one of the most complex in the country. 

As mental health awareness week continues, the head of a Kent secondary school has been telling us about their initiative to help improve students' mental health.

The Skinners' Academy, in Tunbridge Wells, have created the EkoZona - an outdoor learning environment with an eco-toilet, fire bowl and solar panels.

And, for the first time in 800 years - a building in Dover has permanently opened to the public after a multimillion pound refurb.

The Maison Dieu now has interactive displays and audio points telling its history.

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The KentOnline Podcast has spoken to two former workers who say they quit the ambulance service after being unable to cope in such a “toxic” environment.

South East Coast Ambulance Trust, which operates across Kent, says it does not tolerate inappropriate behaviour but their leadership has been accused of being critical, strict and overbearing. 

Also in today’s podcast, to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, a Kent mum who has lost three friends is sharing their stories in the hopes of encouraging men to seek support and talk to one another.

She’s campaigning for more awareness particularly for young boys in school. 

Protestors have been spotted at multiple Kent landmarks over the weekend as part of a nationwide stunt.

Campaigners were seen in Dover, Aylesford, Folkestone, Margate and Broadstairs as the fight for more paternity leave for UK fathers, which has been described as the worst in Europe, heats up.

Plans for 400 homes on a former landfill have been submitted despite villagers claiming their home is now “as busy as central London”. 

The waste site has been left empty since the mid 1990s.

And in sport it’s been a huge weekend for Whitstable Town FC who have won the FA Vase for the first time in their history. 

We’ve got reaction from the player/manager as well as from one of the goal scorers. 

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We now know who has been chosen as the new leader of Kent County Council after Reform UK won last week's local election.

The party has 57 seats at the authority and all of those councillors gathered last night to choose who will be in charge.

They decided on Linden Kemkaran who was elected last week to represent Maidstone South East.

A Kent mum who has been left with long-term mobility issues after breaking her neck has been telling the podcast how she's been denied a Blue Badge.

Bev Evans from Wateringbury was badly injured after falling down her stairs in 2020 and now struggles to walk. She's been speaking out in support of our campaign calling for Blue Badge reform.

Next time you're at Bluewater shopping centre, have a listen out if you pop to the toilets as you may hear a thought provoking message from a child.

Young actors have voiced real life experiences of children to highlight the impact of hygiene poverty.

Kent Wildlife Trust has submitted an offer to buy 36 acres of countryside in Lamberhurst.

It's part of plans to convert Hoathly Farm into a nature haven creating a corridor linking vital habitats.

And in sport, Kent's cricketers will be looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season as they take on Glamorgan in the county championship.

It follows a two wicket loss at Middlesex last time out.

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