There will be Christmas lights in Medway this year - despite the council saying they can not afford to fund them.

The authority announced last week it was having to cut back on festive decorations in the Towns which would have cost £75,000.

A crowdfunding campaign set up over the weekend for lights in Rochester has raised almost £24,000 and three companies have announced they will make sure Strood, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham are lit up.

We've got reaction from Rochester's conservative MP and a local Labour councillor.

Also in today's podcast, a coach company has announced it's closing a depot in Kent after 55 years.

National Express Transport Solutions have started a consultation to shut the Kings Ferry site in Gillingham.

We're being urged to learn how to save a life as part of Restart a Heart Day.

The charity that runs the air ambulance in Kent is holding free sessions for schools, businesses and community groups to learn how to do CPR.

Traders in Gravesend have welcomed news the council is bringing in an external company to manage Gravesham Borough Market.

It is hoped outside expertise will help to increase footfall to the market, which is one of the oldest surviving in the country.

Congratulations to a tattoo parlour in Tunbridge Wells that's been named the best in Kent.

Black and Even opened eight years ago and has even inked celebs including Kerry Katona and Tamara Ecclestone. We hear from the owner.

And, it wasn't a good weekend for Gillingham as they suffered a 4-1 defeat on the road at Walsall.

Macauley Bonne got the only goal for the Gills who've dropped to seventh in league two.

More than 80 families from London are set to be moved into an 11-storey former office block in Chatham.

A private housing association has confirmed tenants could arrive at Anchorage House on the High Street at the start of next week. We've got reaction from Neil Charlick who founded Gillingham Street Angels and works with people facing poverty in Medway.

Also in today's podcast, we've got an update now on a story we brought you earlier in the week about the Orchard theatre in Dartford.

It's going to have to close for about a year so £7 million of repairs can be carried out after potentially dangerous concrete was found in the roof. However, it's now been revealed the Christmas pantomime will go ahead. 

We also hear today from the dad of a little girl from Tonbridge who was born with a rare genetic condition - and even doctors don't know how she'll develop as she grows up.

April Ells was diagnosed with a chromosomal disorder when she was just a few days old. Her dad Chris tells us more.

Cheryl Baker has revealed how an experience when she gave birth inspired her to support a Medway baby loss Charity.

The singer was contacted by David and Jo Ward after they set up Abigail's Footsteps in memory of their daughter who was stillborn in 2009. She's been speaking in the final episode of a podcast launched to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week.

And in sport, hear from striker Tom Nichols and caretaker manager Keith Millen ahead of Gillingham's game this weekend.

The side are travelling to take on Walsall in League Two.

Bus passengers have been left angry and frustrated after an operator cancelled 4,000 journeys in a month.

Stagecoach say a shortage of drivers is to blame and they have promised improvements will be made. Hear from reporter and regular bus user Rhys Griffiths and we have a full statement from the company.

Also in the podcast, it is being reported convicted criminals could avoid jail from next week because prisons are full.

Crown Court judges have apparently been told to delay sentencing hearings to try to manage numbers. Hear from Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat.

It's been revealed a Kent theatre may have to stay closed for a year, after potentially dangerous concrete was found in the roof.

The cost of repairing the Orchard in Dartford could run to £7 million - we've got reaction from the landlord of a nearby pub.

A group of dads who have experienced baby loss have called for more support and understanding of their feelings.

They've spoken in a hard hitting podcast released to mark baby loss awareness week and produced with Medway charity Abigail's Footsteps.

Six primary schools in Kent have been given free waterproofs and wellies so children can spend more time outdoors.

Pupils in Chatham, Sittingbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Whitstable and Birchington are the latest to benefit from the scheme by The Outdoor Guide Foundation. We've caught up with TV's Gemma Hunt who supports the organisation.

And in sport, and the Gillingham chairman says he's vetting candidates from around the world as they look to appoint a new manager.

Neil Harris was sacked last week following a run of three games without a win.

A Romney Marsh stabbing victim says she tried to keep her eyes open and stay awake after being attacked because her children needed her. 

The mum-of-four suffered wounds to her abdomen, chest and arms and was flown to a London hospital.

Also in today’s podcast, four men have gone on trial accused of murdering a homeless man in Canterbury earlier this year.

The victim was a former barrister and was attacked with a wooden gavel and a laptop. 

A man from Herne Bay is still shielding from covid more than three years since the pandemic hit. 

He says he's doing it to protect his vulnerable family members but often gets criticised over his decision to wear a mask in public. 

Hear the reaction from shoppers in Gillingham and from local business after it was announced there will be no Christmas lights in Medway this year. 

Council say it's been scrapped as they try to tackle a budget overspend of 17 million pounds. 

And in sport, interim manager Keith Millen says he's disappointed by the result of Gillingham's clash in the EFL trophy. 

They lost 5 -  1 away to Portsmouth. 

A TV DIY expert is lucky to be alive after his flat caught fire in Gravesend. 

Ben Bryant, who featured in the program 60 Minute Makeover had to be put on life support for three days after a chip pan  caught alight. 

Also making news today, a man has been left with a broken jaw after violence erupted during a night out in Deal. 

The attacker turned on his mate after accusing him of "chatting up" his partner. 

Angry neighbours of a development in Hythe have been told by planning bosses that "nobody has the right to a view".

Building work at the site of a former hospital is set to be two metres higher that originally put forward, knocking out views of the seafront. 

As Baby Loss Awareness week continues you can hear from three Kent mothers who have lost a child. 

They've shared their stories in the hopes of breaking the taboo.

And in sport, managerless Gillingham are in action again tonight as they take on Portsmouth in the EFL Trophy. 

Keith Millen will stay in charge for the match after securing a 2 - 1 win over MK Dons at the weekend.  

Residents in St Mary's Bay say a luxury sea-front development that's been abandoned half way through has become a "disgusting dumping ground".

More than four years after The Sands was supposed to open, it's become at £20-million home to rabbits, pigeons and vandals. 

Also in today's podcast, you can hear from the Medway parents who set up a podcast after their daughter was stillborn. 

David and Jo Ward set up A Journey with Abigail's Footsteps to help other bereaved parents. 

A Maidstone man says he was told by council to drill a hole in the bottom of his waste bin to avoid paying for a new one. 

He complained to council that it filled with rainwater but they said it didn't qualify for a free replacement.

A pensioner from Larkfield says her home and garage is being inundated with brambles after council let it run wild. 

The 78-year-old says without regular maintenance the bushes become "thick and dangerous".

And in sport, Gillingham FC have managed to end the week on a high after the shock sacking of their manager. 

Keith Millen was at the helm and helped the Gills secure a 2 -1 win over MK Dons. 

The boss of one of Kent's oldest family firms has pleaded guilty to hiding a tracker under his ex-girlfriend’s car during a four-month stalking campaign.

Graham West, who runs West Whelks in Whitstable Harbour, used the GPS device to monitor her movements. 

Also in today's podcast, the temporary manager for Gillingham Football Club says he's ready to step in after the shock sacking of Neil Harris. 

Keith Millen will lead the team against MK Dons tomorrow. 

A group of bikers have been allowed to run a social club in a former pub in Dover  despite fears "excessive noise" would keep residents up at night.

The Goat House opened in  July, filling the former Cherry Tree in London Road. 

The weather in Kent this weekend will be unseasonably warm with temperatures expected to hit the mid 20's. 

Hear from a meteorologist with the Met Office about why we're see a lingering summer. 

And, the last Wilko store in Kent has closed it doors two months after the company went into administration. 

You can hear how former employees across the county have been celebrating the end of an era. 

The family of a much-loved Whitstable football coach say they're heartbroken after he died suddenly on a flight home.

He's being remembered as an "amazing husband and dad" after suffering from a deep vein blood clot while on a long haul flight. 

Also in today's podcast, hear the reaction of a Kent GP after yesterday's announcement of plans to raise the smoking age.

Under Rishi Sunak's plans anyone born after the 1st of January 2009 will never be able to legally buy cigarettes.

Residents in Gillingham are angry after "secret" approval was given to three-storey homes. 

Neighbours of the new development say they only found out by accident. 

There are appeals to find the owners of a French bulldog after she was found abandoned in Sheerness. 

She was discovered with a bag full of toys and medication and is unable to be traced through her microchip. 

And, some shock news from Gillingham FC today as they announce the departure of Neil Harris. 

It's said to be down to a poor run of form  but it's a decision that's divided fans. 

A man and woman have gone on trial accused of murdering a toddler in Kent during lockdown.

Alfie Phillips was taken to hospital in November 2020 after paramedics had been called to Hernhill near Faversham - but he couldn't be saved. Hear what the jury at Maidstone Crown Court have been told so far.

The family of a Maidstone teenager who was found dead in woodland have vowed to raise awareness of mental health issues.

Russel Burdette-Deakin was discovered in Mote Park on Monday.

Also in today's podcast, politicians in Dover have hit out at the home secretary following her speech at the Conservative Party conference.

They have accused Suella Braverman of 'stoking up hate' - hear from Jamie Pout who is Labour deputy leader for Dover District Council.

A strike by train drivers means no rail services are running in Kent today. Members of the ASLEF union have walked out in an ongoing dispute over pay.

Bosses at a restaurant in Ashford say they have been forced to close and go takeaway only - because they haven't got enough staff.

Cappadocia on Station Road had room for 100 diners and opened in May last  year.

Kent Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes has been telling the podcast about her experience with the menopause, in a bid to help other women.

She's been struggling with insomnia, and figures show more than half of us don't realise that's a common symptom.

In sport, Gillingham have slipped further down the League 2 table after another defeat last night.

They lost 2-0 away to Crewe Alexandra. Hear reaction from manager Neil Harris.

Police searching for a Maidstone teenager who'd been missing for almost a month have confirmed a body has been found.

Russel Burdett-Deakin was last seen leaving his home near Sutton Road - officers liaising with the 17-year-olds family say the discovery was made in woodland at Mote Park.

Also in today's podcast, it's feared more than 13,000 patients in part of north Kent could be without a doctor's surgery within a year if a new super surgery's not built.

New figures show the bill for temporary housing in Kent has doubled over the last five years.

Councils spent more than £26 million on properties last year - up from £13.3 million in 2018. We've been speaking to a lady who has been in temporary accommodation for almost a year.

A dad-of-two is facing a legal battle with local bosses over a six-foot-fence he put around his garden near Gravesend .

It's Stoptober which sees smokers in Kent try to quit the habit. We've been speaking to the county's assistant director of public health.

And in sport, Gillingham are back in league two action tonight.

They're travelling to take on Crewe Alexandra following a frustrating 1-1 draw with Mansfield Town at Priestfield on Saturday.