KentOnline

A KentOnline investigation has uncovered serious flaws with the anti-terror system designed to protect the centre of Canterbury.

We found bollards that were installed to stop vehicles getting into the pedestrianised zone either weren't working, or could be easily by passed.

Hear from reporter Brad Harper and Chris Phillips who's the former head of the National Counter Terrorism Security Office.

Also in today's podcast, a couple have revealed how they were blindfolded and held for more than two days in Iran after travelling from Kent back to New Zealand.

Pete and Janelle O'Keeffe decided to go on a world tour back to their homeland after spending 10 years living in Faversham.

They were accused of entering a forbidden zone, and eventually released after setting off a locator beacon which alerted their daughter.

An imaginative play café set up by two friends is officially opening at Chatham Dockside today.

Georgie Bleek and Steph Richard came up with the idea after struggling to find someone to go themselves.

The business partners both have two children under the age of three.

Football, and Gillingham have recorded back-to-back home wins for the first time since September...

They beat promotion chasing Bradford City 1-0 at Priestfield on Saturday.

Kent's Ben Earl scored a try for England in their Six Nations victory over Italy.

They won 47-24 at Twickenham - giving themselves a chance of winning the tournament.

A business owner who spent £300,000 renovating his town centre shop is calling for compensation after being ordered to leave.

He says he used his life savings to the store in Park Mall, but council say the whole mall will be demolished early next year to make way for a car park - and has given all traders six months to leave.

Also in today’s podcast, you can hear about a drunk partygoer who stole a woman’s Mercedes before crashing it into a tree, fence and wall - causing thousands of pounds of damage.

The smash left a trail of destruction in Broadstairs but by the time the officers arrived on the scene he’d already fled.

The mutilated body of a bull breed type dog with a metal chain around its neck has been discovered in a popular dog walking spot.

The RSPCA is appealing for information after the canine was found dead near Sevenoaks by a member of the public.

Proposals to install double yellow lines in a residential street have been branded “a terrible mistake” and “completely unfair”.

Residents in Northfleet have objected to the plans to implement a No Waiting at Any Time restriction on both sides of the road.

And in sport you can hear from on-loan defender Andy Smith ahead of Gillingham’s game against Bradford City this weekend. 

They know they’ve got work to do if they’re to bounce back from their midweek loss. 

It's been revealed more than £4 million worth of taxpayers' money was spent on plans for a new development near Folkestone which never materialised.

Bosses in the previous administration wanted to build 150 homes and a leisure centre at Princes Parade in Hythe, but the proposals were later scrapped. Hear from Jim Martin who is the current leader of the council.

A Kent homelessness charity's revealed a 21% increase in demand for their services in the space of a year.

Footfall at Catching Lives in Canterbury has gone up from around 11,000 in 2023, to more than 13,300 last year. We've been chatting to chief executive Tasmin Maitland.

A Kent woman who lost her baby at 22 and a half weeks pregnant is welcoming a change in the law which will see bereaved parents get paid leave from work.

Keeley Lengthorne has been campaigning since George was born in March 2022. She's told us how the announcement came on a very poignant day.

For the first time in a generation, NHS patients have begun receiving blood plasma from donors from Kent.

Donations had been paused in 1998 due to fears about the spread of mad cow disease - but a ban has now been lifted. 

We've been speaking to Denise Dowsing from Maidstone who has Common Variable Immune Deficiency and relies on medication made from plasma.

In sport, Kent's Emma Raducanu's due in action at Indian Wells later.

It's her first tournament back since spotting a stalker in the crown at the Dubai Championships last month.

Two men who kidnapped a drunk woman from a bar with the intention of sexually assaulting her are facing lengthy spells behind bars.

They were caught on camera as they dragged and carried their limp victim away from Clique in Ramsgate's Harbour Parade to a property in nearby Kent Terrace.

Also in today’s podcast, a car enthusiast has been laid to rest on what would have been his 21st birthday after he died in a tragic accident.

The young man from Tonbridge was killed when the car he was working on slipped off the jack and crushed him.

There are fears three months of closures at a crossroads at Hawkhurst are set to bring lorry traffic chaos neighbouring communities. 

The intersection, where two A roads meet, is being upgraded but locals say it’ll cause dangerous conditions. 

The national health watchdog has finally released its long-awaited findings following an inspection at one of Kent’s busiest hospitals.

And more than a year after the emergency department at Medway Maritime Hospital came under scrutiny, its rating has dropped from “good” to “requires improvement”.

And in sport, you can hear from Gillingham manager John Coleman who admits his team were too open in defence in last night’s defeat at Newport.

They were beaten 3 – 1 and conceded all three goals in the first 30 minutes. 

A Kent campsite has been given permission to extend its opening hours - despite concern from people living nearby over noise.

Lilyroos Glamping near Deal will be able to welcome visitors for 11 months of the year, instead of just seven. Hear from reporter Louis Walker who has been following the story.

Also in today's podcast, an inquiry into the deaths of at least 27 people who died when their small boat capsized in the Channel has begun. 

Evidence is being heard to find out what lessons can be learned from the tragedy as the vessel made its way to Kent in November 2021.

Bosses at a dental surgery in Margate say they could be treating thousands of patients a year, but can't get an NHS contract.

Nightingale opened last month, and although it's a private practice they want to provide NHS appointments to help meet demand.

Gabriel Morris from the Local Democracy Reporting Service has been speaking to assistant manager Teresa Kelsall.

A Kent doctor who's featured in a new Netflix drama has told the podcast it's important the story is re-told and lessons are learnt.

Toxic Town is about families in Corby whose children were born with limb defects.

Investigations found that waste driven through the town after a steelworks was demolished caused babies to have upper limb deformities. 

A woman says she was humiliated after being told to leave a Morrisons Daily in Canterbury because she has a guide dog.

Caroline Kennelly has just 3% of vision and relies on Dougie to be able to do everyday tasks. She's described what the experience was like and what the supermarket has said since.

And in football, Gillingham are on the road in league two tonight.

They're travelling to take on Newport County after a victory at the weekend ended their 13 game winless run.

Star of The Apprentice, Johnny Heaver, has taken to TikTok to explain his facial scars..

The 23-year-old from Deal is still in the process and is hoping to become Lord Sugar's next business partner, but his appearance has prompted speculation online.  He now says he wants to set the record straight.

Also in today's podcast, the sister of an artist who was murdered by a man she didn't know in Thanet has called for more action to tackle violence against women.

Claire Knights was attacked as she walked her dog in Birchington in August 2023 and her body was found two days later.

Killer Harrison Lawrence Van-Poos, who's 21 and from Craven Close in Margate, has been jailed for life and will spend a minimum of 25 years behind bars.

An investigation by KentOnline has found drivers are paying thousands of pounds in parking fines at Kent country parks because of what's known as a 'keying error'.

It's claimed some machines are issuing tickets before people can enter their full number plate - resulting in a penalty notice despite the fee being paid.

A cancer patient from Larkfield says she was left "sickened" after being told she didn't meet the criteria for a blue badge.

Sandy Burr was diagnosed with melanoma last October, and also had blood clots in her lungs following surgery.

And in sport, Gillingham's run of 13 games without a win has come to an end following a home victory over Morecambe.

Robbie McKenzie scored the winner in the 79th minute at Priestfield on Saturday.

A “caring and loving” young man who was “always there for anyone” died after suffering hypothermia and drowning in a river.

An inquest has heard 25-year-old Regan Phillips disappeared after enjoying a night out with work colleagues in Rochester. 

Also in today’s podcast, sickening footage shows the moment a cruel teen holds up a dead seagull by its wings “like a trophy” after it was reportedly killed with a catapult.

The youth posed with the bird outside a church in Ashford while another boy captures the moment on his mobile phone.

A salon boss says her plans for a new development will breathe life into part of a Kent high street she believes “doesn’t really offer anything”.

The 22-year-old has put forward proposals for a two-storey building on land at the side and rear of the business.

A shop has been banned from selling alcohol after a 14-year-old boy was left unresponsive following a binge on vodka sold to underage friends.

Girls as young as 13 bought the drinks before heading to a park for a gathering.

And in sport you can hear from full back Remeao Hutton as Gillingham prepare to take on fellow league two strugglers Morcambe. 

The Gills are in poor form, on a winless run that even experienced boss John Coleman hasn’t seen before. 

Traders in a shopping centre in Ashford say a decision to demolish the site is "brutal"...

The council have announced the closure-hit Park Mall centre will be temporarily replaced with a car park, while plans are considered for its redevelopment.

Also in today's podcast, campaigners against a new road tunnel linking Kent and Essex have suggested a rail route instead.

They have been setting out alternatives to the Lower Thames Crossing which they say will be smarter and cheaper.

A coroner's ruled the death of a 22 year-old Ashford man who was hit by a train in Australia was a tragic accident.

Luke Beaufils had been partying with friends before falling onto the tracks at a railway station on the outskirts of Sydney last March.

Volunteers at a soup kitchen in Maidstone are asking the council for help, after being told they'll have to start paying for parking.

Hungry Hearts for the Homeless have been serving rough sleepers in the College Road car park for the last seven years.

A Kent MP is urging Sir Keir Starmer to make sure the government's tackling health inequalities in deprived areas.

Polly Billington's spoken during PMQs in the Commons.

Elsewhere, the MP for the Weald of Kent has spoken on the cost of granting asylum seekers indefinite leave to remain.

The family of a sub-postmistress “shunned in the street” after being convicted of stealing thousands from the branch she ran hope to finally prove her innocence 27 years on.

Pat Owen was found guilty of theft from the post office near Canterbury in 1998 despite denying she had anything to do with a £6,000 shortfall in its accounts.

Also in today’s podcast, council bosses have confirmed a closure-hit shopping centre and neighbouring multi-storey car park are to be knocked down.

Traders at the site in Ashford have been told they need to vacate the site by August 31 ahead of demolition work.

A man has been banned from keeping animals after two horses he owned were found almost emaciated and riddled with lice.

The owner from Maidstone said he only took them from a member of the Travelling community because they were not being cared for properly.

You can also hear from a young woman  who is “allergic to herself” who says a cruel and undiagnosed disease has robbed her of her life.

The 21-year-old’s skin and body react violently to everything from laughing too much to the tears when she cries, which she says “feels like acid” is being poured over her face.

And in football, a loss for Gillingham at Priestfield last night extends their winless run to 13 matches.

You can hear from manager John Coleman who says his team looked scared to win.

The Queen is in Kent today to unveil a statue of a heroine of English literature, credited with being the first full-time professional woman writer. 

Her Majesty arrived in Canterbury high street to reveal the bronze figure Aphra Behn – who was born to a Kent barber in the 17th Century, and then went on to lead an extraordinary life.

Also in today’s podcast, a high-flying university graduate is facing a lengthy spell behind bars for causing a man’s death in a horror crash in Dover. 

He was speeding and on the wrong side of the road when he collided almost head-on with a taxi, killing the rear-seat passenger.

Plans to demolish a row of town centre shops to make way for a new hotel have been refused - amid fears it would create a “terrible eyesore”.

The 92-room project set for Ashford was approved three years ago but now a bid to flatten the units has been snubbed by councillors.

The most targeted areas for dog thefts across Kent have been revealed.

Last year a total of 154 dogs were stolen across the county and now campaigners are urging owners to beware. 

And in football you can hear from the Gillingham manager ahead of their league two clashing with Fleetwood Town. 

John Coleman says he’s sure their hard work will pay off soon.