KentOnline

A young footballer from Kent took his own life after learning his late mother was a victim of convicted killer and necrophiliac David Fuller. 

Jay Carr was found in woodland shortly after going missing - Fuller was found guilty of abusing the bodies of women in mortuaries. 

Also in today's podcast, a homeless man died from carbon monoxide poisoning as he slept next to a church to keep warm. 

The dad-of-two was found by St John's Church in Tunbridge Wells during a January cold snap. 

A search has been called off for a firefighter who has gone missing while trying to swim the English Channel for charity. 

The huge international search was sparked when the 42-year-old got into trouble while approaching France. 

Residents of a Kent village are furious plans for a festival have been given the green light despite their objections. 

Locals say the Knockholt Fest will double the town's population and leave them vulnerable to crime. 

And in football, the fixtures for Gillingham's new season have been released, with their first game away from home. 

They'll kick off their league two campaign against Stockport County. 

People living in several villages across the county say they're shocked as operators make more cuts to bus services.

Routes across the Folkestone and Hythe district as well as Ashford are set to stop due to a lack of demand and rising costs. 

Also in today's podcast, children are among nine people at a birthday party who have fallen ill after playing in the River Medway. 

They've all been suffering similar symptoms after swimming at the spot in Maidstone. 

Frustrated festival goers who had tickets to a cancelled event in Gillingham say they're still waiting for refunds. 

That's despite being told they could have their money back when organisers changed the venue to Essex. 

A sign that welcomes people to Kent as they arrive off ferries in Dover has been labelled "shameful" after being covered with graffiti. 

Locals say the embarrassing tags have been there for more than a week. 

And in sport,  Kent's cricketers have made it four wins in a row in the T20 Blast after beating Sussex last night.

They're now 5th in the south group table ahead of a trip to Essex tomorrow.

Residents of a street of Tenterden say they're outraged after being fined for parking outside their own homes. 

New cameras are snapping everyone from residents to visitors and care workers - even if they have a permit. 

Also in today's podcast,  a  mum who fled Ukraine with her daughter just months after the invasion by Russia says she'll be forever grateful for the welcome they received in Kent.

The county has received more Ukrainian refugees than any other part of England.

A main road through Gravesend town centre will be closed tomorrow - with rumours they'll be shooting a film there  

The area will be off limits for traffic and pedestrians as the BBC bring a Hitchcock classic to TV screens. 

The fight is on the save the bells of an historic church near Ashford which have rung out across the county for hundreds of years. 

Campaigners are trying to raise money to raise money for urgent repairs. 

And, we take a look inside one of the latest crazes to sweep the county with competitors flocking from around to country to the Kent coast. 

A holiday park near Whitstable has recently played host to a grand slam in arm wrestling. 

People living near a railway line on the outskirts of Canterbury say they are unable to get any peace and quiet because of a new railway siren.

A loud noise to warn pedestrians about the track in Thanington goes off roughly every 15 minutes for 16 hours of the day. Hear from people living there and the response from Network Rail.

Also in today's podcast, cracks have started to appear in the walls of homes along a busy stretch of road in Ashford, because of the number of lorries driving past.

And the issue on Hythe Road has got so bad, they've started a petition calling for HGVs to be stopped form using the route as a cut-through to the M20. We've been speaking to a local resident.

Hear from one of the people from Kent who was recognised  in the King's birthday honours over the weekend.

Tom Coyd from Gillingham is the head coach of the England wheelchair rugby league team.

A Kent dad who set up a group to support others has told the podcast he hopes to expand it across the whole county.

Dad Space gives fathers the chance to meet-up, go for a walk and share their concerns.

And, a man who started busking on the streets of Thanet as a teenager - has been telling the podcast how he now rubs shoulders with the rich and famous.

Jon Nickoll can now be found on most nights, playing in the iconic American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London. He's been sharing his story.

A stranger has come to the aid of a thirsty teenager who was denied a glass of tap water a Folkestone Burger King. 

The boy asked for a free drink during one of the hottest days of the year so far, another customer stepped in to pay when staff refused. 

Also in today's podcast, South East Water have announced a hosepipe ban will come into force for most of Kent later this month. 

The restrictions come after hundreds of households were left without water or with low pressure this week. 

A three-year-old girl has been attacked by a dog in Ashford prompting calls for the animal to be taken away. 

The child was with her mother when she was pinned to the ground and had chucks of her hair pulled out. 

A former Eurovison contestant from Tonbridge speaks about how a new treatment for Cystic Fibrosis has allowed her to have a baby. 

Bianca Nicholas has joined a campaign to make sure everyone has access to the life-changing drug. 

And in sport,  the Ashes are underway at Edgbaston with Kent's Zak Crawley opening the batting for England. 

There's T20 Blast action as well with the Spitfires travelling to Lords to take on Middlesex 

A postal worker has saved a toddler who had walked out of a nursery near Canterbury unnoticed.

The little girl was spotted in the middle of the road near Bossingham pre-school. Leanne Porter has described the moment it happened.

Also in today's podcast, the family of a Kent security guard who died in a crowd crush at the O2 Academy in Brixton say they're still waiting for answers, six month on.

23-year-old Gaby Hutchinson from Gravesend was one of two people killed at the venue last December. Hear from Gabby's mum and sister.

Water supply issues have been continuing for people in west Kent.

A burst main caused taps to run dry in Tunbridge Wells yesterday. Although that's now been fixed, low pressure means water can't be pumped out properly.

MP Greg Clark has spoken out about it and people living in the town are worried about the rest of the summer.

There's been a mixed reaction to plans to knock down and rebuild a former cinema in Deal.

The Regent was more recently used as a bingo hall, but has been empty since 2008. Hear from a local resident.

And in sport, Gillingham have completed the signing of former Wales international Jonny Williams.

He's joined on a three-year deal after speculation he might have been snapped up by league 2 rivals Bradford City. The 29-year-old has been chatting to our sports reporter Luke Cawdell.

People living in part of Canterbury say students need to be more respectful of their neighbours after hundreds turned up to an end of term party.

Residents of Kemsing Gardens were even sent letters by the organisers warning the gathering could lead to damage and vandalism. Hear from someone who lives there and the response from police and one of the city's universities.

Also in today's podcast, junior doctors in Kent are back out on strike.

They've walking out for 72 hours from in a dispute over pay and say they're in 'despair' the government hasn't listened to concerns.

New figures show the RNLI were called out nearly 300 times last year to rescue asylum seekers in the Channel.

That's around 3% of the total number of lifeboat launches in 2022. Hear from a member of the crew from Dungeness.

A Medway business is calling for more government and local support as our high streets continue to struggle during the cost of living crisis.

Recent stats show the high street recorded negative sales for the first time in more than two years. We've been speaking to Danny Slingsby who runs Our Little Cherubs toyshop in Rochester.

Fourteen pharmacies in Kent have closed after bosses at LloydsPharmacy decided to withdraw from supermarkets.

The closures were due to happen gradually throughout the year, but in January the date was brought forward.

And, Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury is celebrating the birth of its 150th baby gorilla.

The young male named Kumbi has spent the past few months bonding with his family and can be seen by visitors in their enclosure.

People in parts of Kent have been left without water on one of the hottest days of the year so far.

Taps ran dry in and around Coxheath as supplies struggled to cope with demand. Hear from one resident who is worried it could happen again this summer. We has also had a response from South East Water.

Also in today's podcast, a court's heard how a man ran off and left his children in their pushchair after being caught shoplifting in Aylesford.

Police are continuing to question a man on suspicion of murder following the death of a man near a holiday park on Sheppey.

There's been a big rise in the number of businesses in Kent that have gone bust since before the pandemic.

A Sittingbourne trader has vowed to continue selling replica guns in his store, despite calls for them to be banned following a rise in anti-social behaviour in the town.

Figures seen by the podcast show more than 1,000 went into liquidation in the four years since 2019. We've been getting analysis from Tudor Price from the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce.

A Herne Bay dad has been telling us how a can of coke could save someone's life, as we mark Diabetes Awareness Week.

Karl Royer was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was just eight-year-olds, and has an insulin pump to help manage his blood sugar levels.

And, the final story on today's podcast is quite remarkable.

The family of Dartford teenager, who once suffered up to six epileptic seizures every ten seconds, have described how his life was completely changed after undergoing a new treatment.

Residents say their town is in decline and has "lost its vibrancy" as they call for Eurostar services to resume running from Ashford International. 

They've formed an action group and are calling for the once bustling international terminal to be brought back to life. 

Also in today's podcast, a Kent mum is pleading with Medway council to move her out of her mould infested flat. 

Her six-year-old son has a severe health condition which she says is being exacerbated by their living conditions. 

The warm weather over the weekend has kept fire crews busy - they've been called out to a number of blazes including a house fire in Dover. 

It's believed sunlight streaming through a glass ornament caused the back decking of the property to catch alight. 

New figures have revealed which part of Kent has had the most new homes built over the past five years.

There have been huge property developments in Maidstone, Dartford and Medway. 

And in sport, Kent's cricketers are back in action today in their county championship match against Surrey. 

The Spitfires had a strong start yesterday thanks to a century from Joe Cox. 

There's a heat health alert in force for Kent this weekend as we are set to get our first real blast of summer.

Forecasters say temperatures could reach around 30c but there are also concerns that could lead to thunderstorms in the north of the county.

Also in today's podcast, the issue of a Kent teenager who relies on medicinal cannabis to control a severe form of epilepsy has been raised in the house of Commons.

Teagan Appleby from Aylesham used to suffer hundreds of seizures a day, but her condition has been significantly improved by the drug. However, the private doctor who prescribes it is due to retire.

An historic building on the Isle of Sheppey has been brought back to life thanks to an incredible restoration programme.

The Dockyard Church in Sheerness has been derelict for the past 20 years and also suffered a devastating fire. It has now been transformed into a space for start-up companies.

Kent's biggest Pride event takes place in Canterbury this weekend.

For the first time, it'll be happening over two days rather than one and marks 50 years since the first ever Pride in Kent. Hear from one of the organisers and RuPaul Drag Race UK star Choriza May.

And in sport, Kent will be desperate to end their poor run of form in the T20 Blast later.

The Spitfires welcome Hampshire Hawkes to Canterbury tonight.