- 3 years ago
Catch up on the latest news from across the county with Abby Hook.
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00:02 - Good evening and welcome to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
00:28 I'm Abbey Hook, here are your top stories
00:30 on Tuesday the 22nd of August.
00:33 A devastating loss, six houses destroyed
00:37 in Norfleet fire, leaving community homeless.
00:41 - Photos and stuff like that, we can't replace them.
00:44 My children, when they were younger,
00:46 and all my grandchildren, I can't replace all that.
00:49 It's just, we've got nothing.
00:51 - Tons of tins to tip the target.
00:55 KMFM launched Mission to Feed Families at Food Banks in Kent.
01:00 - If you just took a minute to go,
01:01 what would it be like today
01:04 if you didn't have anything in the cupboard?
01:07 - And changing lives.
01:09 Canterbury Charity giving adults
01:11 with learning disabilities a place to shine.
01:14 - The vast skills from basic social skills
01:17 right up to living independently.
01:19 (upbeat music)
01:21 (dramatic music)
01:24 - First tonight, six homes have been severely damaged
01:32 in Norfleet following a fire that started last night.
01:35 It's left the residents in the Rose Street Terrace homeless
01:38 and many of their belongings destroyed.
01:40 Thankfully, no one was injured,
01:42 but questions are now being asked
01:44 about how the fire started and why.
01:46 Gabriel Morris has this report.
01:48 - Five o'clock, I noticed a load of smoke
01:50 go past the window.
01:52 I shouted up to my son, 'cause he lives there as well,
01:56 and he looked out of his window and said,
01:58 just shouted, "Come downstairs, get out the house,
02:01 "'cause there's a house on fire."
02:02 We came out and the street was thick with smoke.
02:04 We could just about see to get across the road.
02:07 - Belongings burnt, waterlogged, and destroyed.
02:11 Memories up in smoke and homes lost.
02:15 The aftermath of a fire destroying six homes in Norfleet.
02:20 Taking eight hours to put out,
02:23 the fire service has today taken some residents
02:26 back into their homes
02:27 to retrieve any salvageable belongings or documents.
02:32 And for Rosemary, this might be the last time
02:34 she sees her home of 45 years.
02:37 A tough goodbye.
02:39 - And everything we had are all gone.
02:42 We've lived here all our lives, near enough,
02:44 and everything we own are in these properties.
02:48 And it's such bad dirt, it's really, really horrifying
02:52 to think that you've, it's the silly things you think of,
02:56 but then photos and stuff like that, we can't replace them.
02:59 My children, when they were younger,
03:01 and all my grandchildren, I can't replace all that.
03:04 It's just, we've got nothing.
03:06 - But the fire could have been worse.
03:10 Now, there was the threat that the fire could spread
03:12 from that set of terraces into the adjacent set.
03:15 So to stop that, the fire service put foam along here
03:19 and up the walls to try and stop the fire spreading.
03:21 Thankfully, it worked.
03:24 Questions remain on how it started,
03:26 and investigations have begun.
03:28 - There's significant damage.
03:30 The fire has torn through the properties.
03:33 We have also had to gain access to the roof space
03:36 to extinguish it.
03:37 So this morning, obviously, we're really mindful
03:39 of the impact on those directly affected
03:40 in the wider community.
03:42 So we're working closely to support
03:44 those directly affected.
03:45 - Thankfully, no one was injured,
03:47 but it could have been different.
03:49 - The elderly lady at number eight,
03:50 she was still in her house with her daughter.
03:53 I went in there, told them to get out
03:55 'cause the roof was on fire.
03:56 Grabbed the family cap.
03:59 I don't know what's gonna happen with their homes.
04:00 I don't know if they're gonna take the houses down
04:03 or try and redo them up again.
04:05 I don't know.
04:06 But all I know is people have lost a lot of stuff
04:08 and they're gonna need a lot of help.
04:10 There is a GoFundMe page.
04:12 Help as much as you can.
04:13 - And donations are already coming in,
04:16 but they're still without a home.
04:19 Gravesham Council says they'll provide temporary shelter.
04:23 - 'Cause our temporary accommodation is so stretched,
04:26 but these people are going to have to be given priority
04:28 because of the trauma they've been through.
04:30 And we will stay in contact with them
04:32 because we do care about our residents and our tenants.
04:35 - How quickly are they gonna get into these houses?
04:38 - Well, at the moment,
04:40 they're being put in overnight accommodation,
04:43 which is hotel accommodation, nice hotels.
04:45 And we will then take it from there,
04:48 from the point of view of how quickly we can move them in,
04:51 what's empty, where it is, where it's available,
04:53 and what their needs are.
04:55 - Whether these houses are pulled down or can be saved,
04:58 the homeowners are left in shock,
05:01 homeless and awaiting answers.
05:03 Gabriel Morris for Caine TV in North Leet.
05:06 - Well, Gabriel Morris joins me in the studio now.
05:09 Gabriel, a devastating story for those families
05:11 who have lost a lot.
05:13 You can see all the roofs destroyed on the screen here.
05:15 What's next?
05:17 - Well, there are six households now without their home.
05:22 They will now have to find somewhere to sleep,
05:25 somewhere to live.
05:27 In the short term, tonight for the next week,
05:30 that's most likely going to be a hotel.
05:33 And that's where Maney stayed last night.
05:35 Rosemary, who you heard from in my report just now,
05:38 she slept on a neighbor's floor last night.
05:40 She said she's got a place to sleep tonight.
05:42 The council have promised a temporary accommodation,
05:45 but as you saw in my report,
05:46 there are no guarantees about how quickly that could come in.
05:50 And then after that, whether or not the houses can survive,
05:54 you can see devastating damage in the roofs
05:57 on the screen now.
05:59 There's a survey being taken place at the moment
06:02 to see if they can be repaired
06:04 or are they going to have to be pulled down.
06:06 Now it'll be down to the insurers on an individual basis
06:09 for the homeowner.
06:10 So a lot of questions for the homeowners
06:14 and it's been a traumatic 24 hours for them.
06:16 It's now just been a little more than 24 hours
06:18 since it first started.
06:20 And the fire brigade were there quickly
06:22 and working their hardest.
06:23 And well, as Rosemary tells me,
06:25 you're going to see in a clip from her in just a second,
06:28 it kept starting going out, starting going out the fire.
06:31 - Then the fire crew turned up
06:34 and they started to put all the fires out.
06:38 But as they put the fires out,
06:39 they reignited again.
06:41 And this kept happening a lot through the night.
06:43 So that's it.
06:45 We're not allowed to have it.
06:46 They're all the houses have had it.
06:48 We've lost everything in there.
06:50 Through smoke or water damage.
06:53 - How do you feel?
06:54 - Gutted.
06:55 I've been living there and this lady has living there
06:58 for 44, 45 years this year.
07:00 - Next, a man from Broadstairs has been left
07:04 with a rotting finger after potentially being bitten
07:07 by what is known as Britain's most dangerous spider.
07:10 Jason Missy says he was moving wood in his garden
07:13 when he felt a sting.
07:14 The bite, which is too graphic to show,
07:16 forced the 50 year old to go to hospital
07:18 where doctors identified the injury as a spider bite.
07:21 Mr. Missy believes it was a noble false widow,
07:24 which according to the wildlife trust
07:26 is rarely likely to bite someone.
07:28 But that if it does,
07:29 it could cause a person to feel unwell.
07:31 The painful gash has left Mr. Missy needing to pick away
07:34 at the dead flesh as his finger heals.
07:37 Now the rise in mortgage rates means it's now cheaper
07:41 to rent a home than to buy one.
07:43 According to Zoopla, for the first time since 2010,
07:46 the average UK rent is 1,163 pounds a month,
07:50 while average mortgage repayments are 1,285, sorry,
07:55 for the first time buyers on a 15% deposit.
07:59 It's also said the Southeastern London are parts
08:01 of the most worst affected locations.
08:04 Well, I'm joined now by Caroline Meek,
08:05 a property manager from Red Door Homes,
08:08 who are based in Rochester.
08:10 Caroline, rents have been rising
08:12 and this may have come as a surprise to people
08:16 to now find out it's actually cheaper than to buy a home.
08:19 Yeah, yeah, it is.
08:21 And just looking at a comparison that we did earlier,
08:24 a house that we've just rented out at 1,350 a month,
08:28 that's valued at 300,000.
08:30 If you just put down the minimum of 10% deposit,
08:32 the mortgage on that would be roughly 1,460 a month.
08:35 So it's about a hundred pound more.
08:37 So it's quite a big difference.
08:40 Should people still buy a home?
08:43 Should it be now?
08:44 When's the right time?
08:45 Is there a right time?
08:46 It changes constantly, it seems.
08:48 Yeah, I think that is a million dollar question,
08:51 like when is the right time?
08:53 If it's the right time for you, go ahead.
08:55 But I think also it gives you some security,
08:57 I think with renting,
08:59 you know that's your maximum outlay.
09:01 So if you're spending say 1,350 on rent,
09:03 that's the most you're gonna spend each month.
09:05 Whereas say with buying a property,
09:07 you have got to consider other costs,
09:09 your insurance, your maintenance,
09:11 the boiler might go, the fence,
09:13 all these things that always seem to happen
09:14 at the wrong point.
09:15 So it really depends on your cashflow, I think, isn't it?
09:19 And we spoke to you not long ago
09:20 about landlords pulling out of the market
09:23 and not actually having rented properties available
09:26 because it was just costing them too much
09:28 or they weren't making any profit at all.
09:30 So is this good news for them?
09:32 Do you think this will push more people to now rent?
09:35 What do you think?
09:36 It's really hard to say.
09:39 I think that people are pushed to rent
09:41 because of having the capital to be able to buy.
09:43 Just if you look at an average house price 300,000,
09:47 10% deposit, you know, it's 30,000 pound,
09:49 it's a lot of money.
09:50 And you know, if that money was in the bank,
09:52 it's earning interest at the moment.
09:54 So arguably that will come off of your rental figure.
09:56 So I think the rental market is always strong
09:59 and it does seem that obviously with the house prices
10:02 the way they are, the costs ever increasing on things,
10:04 that yeah, probably rents will still keep creeping up.
10:09 But you know, what happens
10:10 the property market changes all the time.
10:12 So what's next?
10:14 What's the next thing?
10:15 I know it's incredibly hard to predict
10:16 and these are hard questions.
10:18 These are the tough questions people are asking.
10:20 Will we be speaking to you next week
10:21 with mortgages being cheaper all of a sudden?
10:24 How likely is it to just keep changing?
10:29 It's very likely it will keep changing, definitely.
10:31 But will it go down next week?
10:33 I doubt it.
10:34 I think even if mortgage rates stop going up
10:37 or interest rates stop going up, sorry,
10:39 then I don't think you'll see a sharp drop
10:40 in mortgage rates coming down.
10:42 And I think, you know, statistics have shown us
10:45 for year on year now that the rental market is growing
10:48 because obviously the number of people being able to buy
10:50 is less and less.
10:51 It's just so much further out of most people's reach.
10:55 So yeah, it's difficult times.
10:58 Thank you very much, Caroline, for your time today.
11:00 No problem.
11:02 Caroline Meek from Red Door, Holmes there.
11:04 Coming up, our sister station, KMFM,
11:06 have donated nearly seven tonnes of food
11:09 to 18 food banks in Kent.
11:10 I was down there today finding out more.
11:12 See you soon.
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14:28 - Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
14:37 Now, seven tonnes of tins for Kent's most vulnerable.
14:41 Nearly 200,000 KMFM listeners were invited
14:45 to donate non-perishable items to our sister station.
14:48 It's part of a tonnes of tins campaign
14:51 to give back to 18 food banks.
14:53 Well, I went to see them today, found out why they launched
14:56 this mission and how much of a success it's been.
14:59 Teaming up to transport seven tonnes of tins
15:03 to those who need it most.
15:06 - KMFM's tonnes of tins.
15:09 - Our sister station have raised thousands of pounds
15:12 and collected thousands of items to donate
15:14 to food banks in Kent.
15:16 People could either drop donations off, donate online
15:20 or get their food shop delivered to KMFM HQ.
15:24 - I think the thing with food is that if you just took
15:27 a minute to go, what would it be like today
15:31 if you didn't have anything in a cupboard
15:34 and you had no money to go and buy something?
15:37 And I think that if you put it like that, added to it
15:41 that there are so many people using food banks right now,
15:44 including people that you probably know.
15:47 - The partnership with UK Harvest and Southern Water
15:50 aims to provide as many tonnes of non-perishable food
15:53 as possible, but the team couldn't have imagined
15:56 the response they got.
15:58 - It's really, when you do things like this
16:01 at a radio station, you've got to remember,
16:03 like we're sat in a room, we don't see anybody there.
16:06 But when you're saying to somebody,
16:08 "Please, can you help us with something?"
16:11 You have no idea where that's going to go.
16:14 And so I was on a breakfast show with Chelsea
16:17 and we opened the mics at like 10 past nine one morning
16:20 and I said, "Look, this is what's going on.
16:24 "This is what's happening.
16:25 "If you can just give us a couple of quid
16:28 "and then just give him Paige."
16:30 - Went through the roof and they raised 5,018 pounds in total.
16:37 That money funded a huge food shop across Kent supermarkets
16:40 and is still arriving at charities' doors,
16:43 ready to feed the 3 million UK households
16:46 who have used a food bank in the past year.
16:49 And Rob knows himself what an impact it can have.
16:52 - I've been donating personally to food banks
16:54 since just before the pandemic
16:56 'cause somebody I know who's got a full-time job
16:59 was having to use them to feed his family.
17:01 And I was like, "This is just insane."
17:03 So hopefully it's encouraged people to think about
17:07 filling up even just the front bit of the trolley
17:09 with a couple of tins every week
17:11 and if you've got the money to do it.
17:13 - So after weeks of asking 191,000 listeners,
17:18 KMFM have managed to gather up nearly seven tonnes of food
17:21 to donate to local food banks.
17:23 They say it's crucial to helping families
17:25 struggling through the cost-of-living crisis
17:27 and they've managed to gain so much support
17:29 because of their huge reach here in Kent.
17:32 Abbey Hook for KMTV at KMFM.
17:37 Next, new research suggests that
17:41 hot drink enjoyers in Kent and the rest of the UK
17:44 now favour coffee over tea,
17:46 with 63% regularly drinking coffee
17:49 and just 59% preferring tea.
17:52 Known for our love of coffee,
17:53 the age-old stereotype of Brits might need a rethink
17:56 as 533 million packets of coffee sold just last year.
18:02 But just 287 million packets of tea were sold,
18:05 according to data company Kantar.
18:08 Well, we even asked you, the KMTV viewers,
18:10 on X or Twitter, which beverage you prefer.
18:13 53% of you told us that you also prefer coffee,
18:17 with 46 opting for tea.
18:19 Well, for me, it has to be a nice cup of Earl Grey
18:22 with milk as well, I know, controversial.
18:25 Now, from county cricket to local rugby,
18:28 it's Bartholomew Hall with the sport.
18:30 (upbeat music)
18:39 First up, Kent travelled to Hampshire today
18:41 on the Isle of Wight for a crucial one-day cup match
18:44 that could have determined their spot in the knockout stages.
18:47 Kent won the toss this morning and elected to bat first.
18:50 Kent's top batsman, Daniel Beldrummond,
18:51 achieved his highest score of the tournament,
18:54 posting 150 runs of 133 balls.
18:57 The defending champions concluded their innings at 325 for eight.
19:02 Hampshire have been striving fast to reach this target this afternoon.
19:05 However, Tom Press was stumped by the wicketkeeper
19:07 off a cadre delivery for 78, Kent slowing them down as fast as they can.
19:12 But as things stand, Hampshire need 19 runs to win
19:15 with just four overs remaining.
19:17 But knockout hopes for Kent have been shattered
19:20 following a win from Lancashire in their match.
19:23 And one noticeable absent from Kent's line-up today
19:25 was club captain Sam Billings.
19:28 It comes after the 32-year-old has agreed to play
19:31 for the Dubai Capitals next year
19:33 in the second season of the DP World ILT 20 in the United Arab Emirates.
19:38 The Spitfire skipper is currently leading the Oval's Invincibles in the 100,
19:42 but has suffered a poor summer with Kent,
19:44 having stepped down as their four-day captain for the rest of the season.
19:48 Kent head coach Matt Walker has reassured fans
19:50 that Billings may return for their county championship
19:52 Division 1 campaign in September,
19:55 as Kent tries to avoid relegation.
19:58 Now, Maidstone Borough Council will vote next week
20:00 to decide if Alessia Russo should be given the Freedom of the Borough Award.
20:04 The Lionesses and former St Simon's Stock School girl
20:07 returned to England this morning after appearing in the first World Cup final
20:11 for a senior England team since 1966.
20:14 The award is the highest honour that her hometown could give to her
20:17 and is usually reserved for people with outstanding achievement
20:20 or who have made significant contribution to their hometown.
20:24 Well, she is clearly one of them.
20:26 Allington Ward Councillor Stanley Forkast nominated the striker for the award,
20:30 and this is why he told us why.
20:32 As you know, women's sport has had barriers that perhaps the men hasn't faced.
20:37 And the fact that Alessia and her teammates have sort of ripped down those barriers
20:40 and achieved on such a global stage,
20:43 we thought it was only fitting to give her the most prestigious thing we can.
20:46 You know, they might not have won the actual trophy,
20:49 but they've certainly won the hearts and minds of the nation.
20:53 Well, finally for me, plans have been put forward to convert a disused
20:57 golf driving range in North Kent into a purpose-built rugby club ground.
21:01 Swanley Rugby Club wants to build the new facilities at the Olympic in Beecherlein Lane
21:05 to turn what is currently seen as an events venue into its new home.
21:09 Plans include installing a new rugby pitch area, training area and changing facilities.
21:14 Founded in 2017, the club has since not had its own permanent base
21:18 and says the change will help it continue to root itself in the community
21:22 as an all-inclusive club.
21:24 Well, that's it from me with the sport for today.
21:27 Bartholomew with the sport there. Now it's time for us to take a quick look at the weather.
21:40 Expect lows of 15 this evening in Tunbridge Wells, 16 across most of Kent, 17 near Chatham.
21:52 Warm weather tomorrow morning and clear skies.
21:55 Highs of 21, lows of 20.
21:58 And the afternoon warming up to 26 in North Kent.
22:01 Lows of 21 near Dover. Clear skies still.
22:05 And enjoy that sunshine while it lasts.
22:07 Rain by Friday and Saturday.
22:09 Lows of 18, highs of 24 Thursday.
22:21 And now, a Canterbury charity is urging of the importance of learning life skills
22:26 and they've been transforming the lives of adults with learning disabilities for decades.
22:30 Fifth Trust teach gardening, cooking and arts and crafts to more than 100 students
22:35 and hope to help even more.
22:37 Our reporter Sophia Akin has been down to find out more.
22:40 The Garden of England, known for its plants, vegetables and of course vineyards.
22:48 The Canterbury Garden Centre has been supporting adults with learning disabilities since the 90s.
22:54 Teaching skills for life to 150 students.
22:57 From cooking to arts and crafts and even gardening.
23:01 Well today they're getting their fingers green.
23:04 What do you think?
23:12 I like everything, water and plants and talk to them.
23:19 It's basic life skills really, anything from just being able to communicate to somebody on an appropriate level
23:24 to be able to socialise with people, right up to learning to be independent.
23:28 So somebody might come in and just not be able to socialise with somebody because of a condition.
23:34 We support them in that environment to do that where they're comfortable to be able to then be able to socialise,
23:39 build friends, build relationships.
23:41 But in a working environment so that eventually people may be able to go on and hold down jobs or do voluntary jobs from that.
23:49 Fifth Trust has a range of plants and vegetables which are looked after by the volunteers here who come along.
23:55 But it doesn't stop there, it's also home to a vineyard producing still and sparkling wines.
24:01 And this year so far the erratic climate has actually been a blessing for the vineyard's grapes.
24:07 In many respects the climate's been really good so far.
24:11 We had quite a mild winter, we had a lot of rain, we then had a lot of sun and then we've had a lot of rain again.
24:19 So that's actually been really good for the production and for the producing of the grapes.
24:25 The worry now though is that we're just not getting enough sunlight.
24:29 Here I am today bathed in sunlight but it's quite a rare occasion here in East Kent.
24:33 We do need many, many more days of bright sunshine to really ripen the grapes up now.
24:39 These vines here have been producing grapes for 11 years.
24:42 Now wine grapes, they can take anywhere between three and five years until they're actually ready to be used for wine.
24:47 But vines themselves, they can last for centuries.
24:49 So say 100, 200 years time from now, we could see these exact vines still producing grapes for wine.
24:56 Well with 1,500 vines on site, it seems wine for the coming years won't be in short supply.
25:02 Sophia Akin for KMTV in Canterbury.
25:05 Well not a bad day for you then Sophia, dragged you all the way back to the studio now.
25:10 What was it like today?
25:12 It was lovely, it was so relaxing.
25:14 Everyone there seemed to be having such a lovely time.
25:16 Started off by seeing the Lady Debbie watering some of the plants.
25:21 She's really got a good grip of it, she's really enjoying it.
25:24 Then got to see that lovely vineyard.
25:26 You can see the lovely fruit and veg looked very good enough to eat.
25:30 I didn't actually get to try any of it, all the wine unfortunately.
25:33 But I hear it takes three to five years until it's ready.
25:37 So perhaps later on in the year I'll go back for some.
25:40 And what else is on the show today?
25:42 We've got this report playing, what else can we expect?
25:46 I'm most excited to see our reporter Gabriel try axe throwing.
25:50 That will be interesting to see if he's any good at it.
25:52 We've also got a couple of guests joining us to talk about some local graffiti.
25:57 Sounds interesting, so stay tuned.
26:00 Great stuff, Sophia. Thank you for giving us a bit of a flavour.
26:03 I'll let you have my seat until we've got time for our Kent tonight.
26:06 Sophia will be back soon.
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