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Catch up on the latest news from across the county with Sofia Akin.
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00:26 - Hello and welcome to Kentonite live on KMTV.
00:30 I'm Sophia Akin and here are your top stories
00:33 on Wednesday the 21st of February.
00:36 A sign of the times, Gillingham Charity
00:39 sees rise at soup kitchens as new research
00:42 reveals struggles to afford food.
00:44 - Going to a soup kitchen, a food bank,
00:46 used to be a kind of a shameful thing.
00:47 Now it's the new normal.
00:49 - On the road, with more than 3,000 car accidents
00:52 in Kent a year, we meet the highways officers
00:55 keeping motorists safe.
00:57 - Distractions are a big part of what we're seeing
00:59 with the current trends at the moment.
01:01 - A good point.
01:03 Praise from the manager as Gillingham
01:04 face midweek goalless draw.
01:07 - Point at home to Swindon, probably last week
01:09 when you get done in the 94th minute is a bad point,
01:11 but that's a good point.
01:23 - Workers at a Medway food bank say they're seeing
01:25 a monthly rise in people using their services.
01:29 It comes as research reveals more than half of the people
01:31 on universal credit in the southeast
01:34 are unable to afford enough food.
01:36 The findings commissioned by the Trussell Trust
01:38 have been described by the Gillingham Street Angels as grim.
01:42 The trust is now calling on the government
01:44 to address food poverty ahead of the spring budget.
01:47 Oliver Leeder de Sack's reports.
01:50 - A busy kitchen fighting a worsening battle.
01:53 The Gillingham Street Angels are on the front line
01:56 against food poverty in Kent,
01:58 saying they're supporting 25,000 people a month.
02:01 But the charity's CEO, Neil Charlotte, says
02:04 what started as a homeless charity
02:06 has morphed into something more extensive
02:09 to combat a growing crisis.
02:12 - The problem is we were a homeless charity.
02:13 We dealt with people who were straight homeless
02:15 sitting in doorways.
02:16 That's not the only problem now.
02:18 The problem is everybody in society,
02:19 people in full-time employment,
02:21 people who supported housing,
02:23 people have got problems.
02:23 People can't afford to pay.
02:25 And who do you say no to?
02:26 Who turns up at our soup kitchen,
02:27 we say, "No, sorry, we can't serve you."
02:30 - It comes as new research conducted by YouGov
02:33 on behalf of the Trussell Trust
02:35 reveals more than half of those on universal credit
02:38 in the southeast are struggling with food.
02:41 With the spring budget on the horizon,
02:43 the charity are now demanding the government
02:45 would extend the Household Support Fund
02:47 and put in place an essentials guarantee of support
02:51 for food and household bills.
02:53 - We would really like to hear an increase
02:55 in universal credit,
02:56 'cause I think that's desperately needed.
02:58 In line with the cost of living crisis,
02:59 we know that people are struggling
03:01 and we need to see that the amount
03:05 that they're paying people,
03:06 the minimum amount they're supposed to have to live on
03:08 needs to increase in order that people
03:11 won't need our services.
03:12 We aren't supposed to be here.
03:13 We're here because the government aren't doing
03:15 what they're supposed to be doing.
03:16 They aren't paying people the amount of money
03:17 they should be.
03:18 - It may be a wet and windy day here in Medway,
03:22 but in this van behind me are boxes of food
03:25 ready to be delivered
03:26 to the Gilliam Street Angel Soup Kitchen.
03:28 Neil and his volunteers say more than 100 people
03:31 will turn out and brave the elements to get a warm meal.
03:35 And he says the numbers have been increasing
03:38 in recent months.
03:40 - No, when we started,
03:41 we were probably looking after 20 people a night.
03:42 We were going around to where the actual street homeless
03:44 were sitting on the floor.
03:46 And now that's grown sometimes to make it 200 people.
03:49 And that's a sign of the times, it's bad.
03:52 Going to a soup kitchen, a food bank,
03:53 used to be a kind of a shameful thing.
03:55 Now it's the new normal.
03:56 - In a statement, a UK government spokesperson said,
03:59 "We're providing more than 100 billion pounds
04:02 "in cost of living support,
04:04 "worth on average nearly 4,000 per household,
04:07 "including investing over 2 billion
04:09 "in the Household Support Fund to help those most in need."
04:13 Since 2010, there have been 1.7 million fewer people
04:17 living in absolute poverty.
04:19 And we know work is the best route out of poverty.
04:22 So we're going even further,
04:24 raising the national living wage
04:26 and investing billions through our Back to Work plan.
04:29 With more than 88,000 people on universal credit
04:33 using food banks in the last month,
04:35 pressure is mounting on the government
04:37 as people here in Kent continue to struggle.
04:40 Oliver Leeds-Essacs reporting for KMTV.
04:44 - Well, Ollie, thank you for joining us.
04:45 Tell us a little bit more about this report
04:47 by the Trussell Trust.
04:48 So what else was some of the findings of this report?
04:51 - So as stated in the report,
04:53 58% of people receiving universal credit
04:55 ran out of food last month
04:57 and couldn't afford to buy any more.
04:59 And one in 12 claim universal,
05:01 one in 10, 12% of people on universal credit
05:05 who have been forced to go to the bank in the last month,
05:08 to a food bank to get food.
05:10 They couldn't get any food banks
05:12 like we see here in Gillingham,
05:14 like the soup kitchen in Gillingham today at 4.30
05:17 ran by the three angels who I spoke to earlier today.
05:22 In the last three months,
05:24 there's also been people who claim universal credit
05:26 who are unable to cook hot food as well,
05:28 to even afford to turn on their ovens or other utilities.
05:32 So there is some quite damning stuff.
05:36 That is why the Trussell Trust
05:38 are calling on the government
05:39 to extend the household support fund
05:44 to try and help people during this difficult time
05:48 in regards to their bills.
05:50 - And it's not just about food poverty, this report,
05:52 is it?
05:53 There are a few other things that have been mentioned
05:55 by the Trussell Trust too.
05:57 - Of course, with three in 10 people missing
06:00 essential appointments according to the Trussell Trust,
06:01 that is 29% of people on universal credit.
06:07 There is a lot of challenges.
06:08 People are struggling to get to work, get to appointments.
06:11 They can't afford the utilities, the rent,
06:13 the transport costs for 10 people.
06:17 Also, trying to keep their home warm this winter.
06:20 Obviously, winter is coming to a close.
06:22 So hopefully we may see some alleviation in this area,
06:25 but there's still been challenges
06:27 over the last couple of months in regards to heating.
06:31 The Trussell Trust says a new data demonstrates
06:34 a need for longer lasting support for people
06:36 on the lowest incomes, but the government say
06:39 they have provided significant funding already.
06:43 They say they've provided over 100 billion,
06:46 104 billion in fact, to tackle the cost
06:50 of living crisis across the country.
06:53 - Ollie, thanks for joining us.
06:54 Tell us a little bit more about that,
06:55 and I'm sure we'll continue to look into this report
06:58 and speak to people to see kind of the impact of it.
07:01 Thank you so much.
07:02 Now, loud bangs and plumes of smoke were seen
07:05 at an industrial estate near Sittingbourne today.
07:08 Workers at the Eurolink industrial estate in Merston
07:11 reported hearing explosions before thick black smoke
07:15 spread near Milton Creek Country Park.
07:17 Residents say they heard six loud explosions,
07:20 prompting a call to the fire service at around 11 a.m.
07:23 Spokesperson for the service said three fire engines
07:26 were at the scene and extinguished a fire
07:28 involving three trailers.
07:30 No injuries have been reported,
07:31 and the cause isn't yet known.
07:35 Now, every day in Kent,
07:36 an average of 10 accidents happen on our roads.
07:39 In most cases, police will attend these incidents,
07:42 but National Highways will often be the first
07:44 to attend the scene.
07:45 They're also responsible for breakdowns
07:47 and even removing animals from the motorways.
07:50 And Kent's officers will also put Operation Brock in place.
07:53 Our county is of course home to some major roads too,
07:56 from the Dartford Crossing, the M25, and the Port of Dover.
08:00 So it's never a quiet day for highways officers.
08:04 We just got some running from the opposite carriageway.
08:08 No two days are the same for road traffic officers in Kent.
08:13 Some days they'll be responding to dangerous road accidents.
08:17 Other days they could be towing broken down vehicles,
08:20 removing them from threatening situations,
08:23 or they could even be dealing with animals
08:25 out on the motorways.
08:27 Either end of the smart motorways,
08:28 there'll be units on standby at park up points.
08:33 So if there is a breakdown or an accident
08:35 or something like that, they're ready to go straight away.
08:39 Halfway through our morning drive,
08:41 we came across a broken down van on a slip road
08:44 just before Bluebell Hill.
08:46 Something National Highways officers
08:47 will often have to deal with is breakdowns of vehicles
08:50 that aren't in safe spaces.
08:52 So what they've had to do with this van
08:54 is tow it to a safe space.
08:56 And then from here, it will be up to the motorist
08:59 to find breakdown cover.
09:01 They also had to stop traffic after calls of debris on the M2.
09:05 This could lead to punctures of tyres
09:07 or cause a vehicle to lose control.
09:10 And often, one accident can lead to another.
09:12 A lot of it is distractions.
09:15 So it might be mobile phone use.
09:17 They're not really watching where they're going,
09:19 things like that.
09:21 So yeah, I think vehicle distractions
09:23 are a big part of what we're seeing
09:25 with the current trends at the moment.
09:27 The job we do, we see some quite serious things.
09:31 Everybody wants to go home at the end of the day.
09:33 They should be abiding by the signs and signals.
09:36 They are there really to help them get home safely
09:41 at the end of the day.
09:42 So things like red X's should be obeyed by and things like that.
09:47 They're not just there for the sake of it.
09:49 They're there because there's something happening
09:51 and they need to be aware of.
09:53 Our county is home to some of the country's busiest roads.
09:57 Of course, Kent lies in the southeast.
10:00 And in this region, 500 of the more than 4,000 miles of roads
10:04 are under national highways control.
10:06 With the Dartford Crossing, M25, and Port of Dover,
10:10 it means most days aren't quiet ones for the traffic officers.
10:14 New figures show in 2022, Kent was the county with the most car
10:18 crashes across the UK.
10:21 That year, it had almost 3,500 crashes,
10:24 averaging around 10 a day.
10:26 Sometimes highways will respond to these.
10:29 In most cases, when a traffic incident
10:31 is reported to the police, national highways
10:33 will be the first one on the scene.
10:35 And then in more serious cases, the police will take over.
10:39 Another responsibility for highways
10:41 is putting Operation Brock in place.
10:43 It's a system some have criticized,
10:46 as the traffic management system can lead to congestion
10:49 towards the east of the county.
10:50 During this time, they'll increase patrol numbers
10:53 to help with managing congestion at this time.
10:55 We here at Coal Harbour, we are tasked
10:58 with running Operation Brock, placing lorries within the queue
11:04 so the rest of Kent doesn't have any HTV congestions
11:08 or any issues, and to make sure Dover town itself doesn't
11:12 become too heavily congested as best we can.
11:15 With collisions at an all-time high in Kent,
11:17 it seems the need for this service isn't going anywhere.
11:21 Sophia Akin for KMTV.
11:25 Well, we can hear a bit more from that story on Kent Online
11:28 as well.
11:28 But it's time for us to take a short break now.
11:31 But coming up, we'll get the latest on a new rule
11:33 allowing patients a second opinion in hospital
11:36 if they're seriously ill.
11:37 KMTV's health expert, Dr. Julian Spinks,
11:40 will be here as usual to explain what this is actually
11:43 going to look like in practice.
11:45 We'll also have all the latest sport from our sport
11:48 reporter, Bartholomew Hall.
11:50 I'll see you in just a few minutes.
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15:12 Hello, and welcome back to Kentonite live on KMTV.
15:20 Now, armed police have been spotted in a residential street
15:23 in Ashford.
15:24 People have been told to stay in their homes.
15:27 More than 10 officers and police dog teams
15:29 are in Sheldwich Close.
15:31 Residents say the dead end road in Stanhope
15:33 has been blocked by police.
15:35 The nature of the incident is currently unknown,
15:38 but we'll update you once we know a bit more about that.
15:40 Well, now it's time to catch up on the latest health
15:46 headlines with our KMTV's health expert, Dr. Julian Spinks.
15:50 Julian, thank you for joining us.
16:02 We're going to be speaking a little bit today about Martha's
16:04 Rule, which hospitals in England will
16:06 be introducing from April.
16:08 It's going to be giving--
16:10 it's going to give seriously ill patients easy access
16:12 to a second opinion if their condition worsens.
16:16 So this has happened following a campaign
16:18 by the parents of a young girl called Martha Mills.
16:21 She was 13, and she died of sepsis
16:23 as her symptoms were missed.
16:24 So I'd actually just like to start
16:26 by talking about sepsis.
16:27 How easy is it to miss symptoms of sepsis?
16:30 Sepsis is tricky, and the reason is that it starts off
16:34 as a normal infection.
16:35 And most people get over it, but a small number
16:38 start to develop a severe reaction to it,
16:41 and their immune system attacks their body.
16:43 And they can then start to go downhill,
16:45 and that can be quite rapid.
16:46 So if you see them too early, you can't see it.
16:49 If you wait too late, then unfortunately, many of them
16:52 can die.
16:53 And so there's that sort of golden time
16:55 where we want to pick up that people are developing sepsis.
16:58 Are there sort of set symptoms of sepsis,
17:00 or can it sort of be different from person to person?
17:03 And how deadly can it be in some cases?
17:07 Well, the symptoms, the common thing
17:09 is you've got somebody who is becoming much iller.
17:11 They're deteriorating.
17:12 They may get confused.
17:14 They may be going drowsy.
17:16 They've got a high temperature.
17:17 They can have changes in their skin,
17:19 so it goes blue or mottled.
17:20 Or they can get that rash that people remember from meningitis
17:23 that doesn't blanch.
17:25 In children, you can get a drop in urine output and so on.
17:29 It's really important that people, if they think that
17:31 someone is deteriorating in that way, that they make it known.
17:34 And in Martha's case, that was the problem.
17:36 They made it known to the doctors,
17:37 but it wasn't responded to.
17:39 And yeah, as we talk about Martha's rule,
17:42 it's set to come in April, which seems like a really
17:45 sort of quick implementation.
17:46 But is it going to be that easy?
17:47 We know that the NHS is so stretched at the moment.
17:51 So is it going to be that easy to just give somebody
17:53 a second opinion?
17:54 How do you actually see this kind of working out?
17:57 Well, the critical care teams that
17:58 are going to be called in as a second opinion
18:00 are already there in some hospitals.
18:02 And by April, there'll be 100 hospitals who can do it.
18:05 And then there's about another 30, 40 hospitals
18:07 who will do it over the next 12 months.
18:10 And there's three bits.
18:11 The first one is it's also for the medical team
18:13 to actually get another opinion, because another pair of eyes
18:16 can make a difference.
18:17 Secondly, it's so that relatives, parents, and so on
18:20 can actually raise a concern.
18:22 And they will have a contact detail for that.
18:24 And finally, a mechanism for checking with relatives
18:28 what they think about how their relative is doing,
18:31 as to whether they are worried that they're deteriorating.
18:34 How do we decide who is kind of able to get a second opinion?
18:39 Because surely everyone, most people in most cases,
18:41 would want a second opinion, won't they?
18:43 So is there any concerns that the system
18:45 could be abused at all?
18:47 I don't think it will be.
18:48 The key bit here is really if you
18:50 are concerned that your relative is deteriorating,
18:54 rather than just getting a general second opinion
18:57 for a diagnosis.
18:58 And really, it is very important that we can do this,
19:01 because we do see these cases where the parents or the
19:05 relatives are going, I really am not happy.
19:07 They're not like they are themselves.
19:09 And they're not like they were an hour or two ago.
19:11 And then they get ignored.
19:12 Julian, thank you very much for joining us, as usual.
19:14 We'll see you at the same time next week.
19:17 Next tonight, multiple homes in Kings North
19:20 have been flooded after a huge water leak sprung up
19:24 on a main road.
19:25 Residents in Ashford Road found water gushing outside
19:28 their homes, leaving a number of gardens and driveways
19:31 and rooms flooded.
19:32 Southeast water teams have been working in the area this week,
19:35 with two-way traffic lights set up to close the leak.
19:39 It's not the first time, though.
19:40 Residents faced a similar issue last week,
19:42 when another pipe burst in the road.
19:44 A statement on the company's website
19:46 says, "We're really sorry to those of you
19:48 who are experiencing low water pressure or no water
19:51 at the moment.
19:51 This has been caused by a burst main, which we're
19:53 trying to fix as quickly as we can."
19:55 That was a statement there.
19:57 Now to the weather forecast, though.
19:59 And Kent can expect 70 mile per hour winds in the coming days,
20:02 prompting a weather warning for the whole of the county.
20:05 The wind alert comes into force at 8 AM tomorrow
20:07 and lasts until 6 PM on Thursday,
20:10 while flood warnings are forecast from 5 AM until 5 PM.
20:13 There's also a weather warning for heavy rain
20:15 and other flooding in parts.
20:16 Well, let's see what you can expect where you are.
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20:22 Well, it's going to be another wet and drizzly evening
20:27 tonight.
20:28 11 degrees up in Chatham, lows of 10 on the East Coast
20:31 and down in Tunbridge Wells.
20:32 Some sunshine coming out tomorrow,
20:34 but followed with cloud and rain as well.
20:37 Slightly windy at 60 miles per hour.
20:40 Getting even wetter as the day goes on, unfortunately.
20:43 7 degrees up in Canterbury.
20:45 And here's the outlook for the rest of the week.
20:47 Some sunshine Friday and Saturday,
20:49 but cloud and rain on Sunday.
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20:53 Time for sport now.
21:01 And following Gillingham's goalless draw at home
21:04 to Stockport County, the manager, Stephen Clements,
21:07 has praised his side's defence.
21:09 It comes ahead of another crucial match for Gillingham
21:11 as they welcome promotion-chasing Wrexham
21:14 at Depreesfield on Saturday.
21:15 Well, with more on this and news about former Gillingham
21:18 manager Neil Harris possibly returning to a former club,
21:21 here's our reporter Bartholomew Hull.
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21:26 Bartholomew, another draw for Gillingham.
21:34 Just one win in the last seven.
21:37 Is this something that fans should be concerned about?
21:40 Possibly, although if you look at the league table
21:42 after last night, Gillingham now move up
21:44 from where they were in 12th to 8th.
21:47 That's just one place and one point off of the promotion
21:51 playoff places, which is where they're aiming to be
21:53 by the end of the season.
21:55 In terms of fans being upset, well,
21:57 there will be some disappointment among them.
22:00 Many will expect them to have scored something at home.
22:02 It's actually the first time that Gilles haven't scored
22:05 at home since all the way back to boxing day.
22:07 So yeah, they've had a pretty good strong showing at home
22:10 this side of the new year.
22:12 Last night, not so much.
22:13 Then again, Stockport, they are the league leaders
22:16 at the moment.
22:16 They have the strongest goal scoring record.
22:20 And I mean, all you have to do is hear from Stephen Clements.
22:23 We can hear from him in just a second.
22:24 He was singing his team's praises too.
22:29 It's a very difficult game.
22:30 They're the top scorers in the division.
22:33 So we knew we was going to have to be spot on defensively today.
22:36 And they tested us at times, but I don't really
22:38 think they've threatened us too much.
22:40 We've only had one or two shots.
22:41 Yeah, we didn't create enough ourselves.
22:44 But I thought we was much better in the second half
22:47 than the first.
22:50 And yeah, we take the point and we move on.
22:52 That's a good point there today.
22:54 The point at home to Swindon, probably last week
22:57 when you get done in the 94th minute is a bad point.
22:59 But that's a good point.
23:01 But of course, next for Gillingham, as you mentioned,
23:04 is Wrexham this Saturday at Priestfield,
23:06 another high flying side.
23:08 So hopefully, for fans, they'll see a bit more than just a goal.
23:11 And we've also been hearing about Neil Harris,
23:13 former Gillingham boss, potentially making a return,
23:16 not to Gillingham, but to his former club, Millwall.
23:18 What more can you tell us about this?
23:20 Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it?
23:21 These are the reports that are coming out today,
23:23 returning to not just where he's previously managed,
23:25 but also played.
23:26 He is, of course, their highest ever record scoring striker
23:30 at the side.
23:30 So going back will be a bit of a homecoming for him.
23:33 But really, it was only a few months ago
23:35 I was sitting on this sofa telling you
23:36 about Neil Harris, his sides playing at Gillingham,
23:40 then, of course, being sacked, moving on to Cambridge United,
23:43 where he's had a couple of really good strong results
23:45 there.
23:46 But moving back up to the championship,
23:48 I mean, it just raises the question, did Gillingham
23:50 get rid of him too soon?
23:52 Of course, it's one thing to dwell on the past, isn't it?
23:55 And they can only stick with who they've got now.
23:58 But an interesting thought.
23:59 Interesting to hear, yeah, he could be making a comeback.
24:02 Bartholomew, thank you very much.
24:04 Well, it's time now for your pick of the papers,
24:07 taking a look at what's making the headlines in Kent's
24:09 newspapers, online, and radio, and to talk
24:12 about painted postboxes and scribbled out signs.
24:15 I caught up with Peter Bowie earlier on.
24:18 Postboxes are being vandalised in Dartford.
24:21 What started off as a light-hearted colour
24:23 change between gold has now become what some residents have
24:27 called ridiculous.
24:28 It's come to a very pink and yellow spot,
24:32 which pays homage to the TV character Mr. Blobby.
24:35 Do you know him at all?
24:36 I do know him.
24:36 And I'm intrigued to see how they've
24:38 painted that onto a postbox.
24:40 It's very interesting.
24:41 One even had a more drastic change,
24:43 and it now resembles a Cadbury cream egg.
24:46 Of course, police are undergoing this investigation.
24:49 One man was even arrested for the colour paint of gold.
24:52 But obviously, the colours are still changing,
24:54 so the investigation is ongoing.
24:57 Brilliant, and what's your next story?
25:00 Again, about vandalism.
25:01 But this time, it's elsewhere in Kent.
25:03 Residents are spray painting 20-mile-per-hour signs
25:05 in Herne Bay amidst rage over road signs designed
25:08 to tell drivers that they are in the new slow zones.
25:10 This was implemented in 2022, but the idea
25:15 was presented in 2021.
25:16 And of course, some people don't agree with this.
25:19 Some people disagree with it.
25:20 However, Dan Watkins, who was crucial to implementing this,
25:24 says it's really frustrating and that he urges anyone
25:27 with CCTV or other evidence to report it to the police.
25:31 Yeah, it's interesting they've got the police involved,
25:33 and we'll have to see how that unfolds,
25:34 because it's been happening for a while now.
25:36 What's your final story tonight?
25:38 And my final story is about overcapacity,
25:41 as a school in Ashford has submitted requests
25:43 for new classrooms as students are, quote,
25:46 "being taught in dining halls."
25:48 Norton Natchpool, a grammar school in Ashford,
25:51 has become so overcrowded with pupils
25:52 that teachers say they have to run out of space
25:54 and are close to max capacity.
25:56 The school wants to build a new block of four classrooms
25:58 and has already applied to Ashford Borough Council.
26:00 And headteacher Ben Green says this
26:02 is because years 7 to 11 are at max capacity,
26:06 and this is only to benefit their education.
26:08 Great, Peter, thank you very much for joining us
26:11 with that range of stories, really interesting.
26:13 Great, hearing from Peter earlier today.
26:17 That's all from us here on Kent tonight.
26:19 There's more news made for Kent just throughout the evening.
26:22 And don't forget, you can always keep up to date
26:24 with the latest news across your county
26:26 by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
26:29 You can, of course, also keep us on your social timelines.
26:32 You can like us on Facebook,
26:34 follow us on X, TikTok, Instagram as well.
26:37 And if you have a story that you think we should be covering,
26:39 then please do get in touch.
26:41 We'll be back at the same time tomorrow, 5.30,
26:44 with another episode of Kent Tonight.
26:46 Have a lovely rest of your evening and see you soon.
26:49 Good night.
26:50 (upbeat music)
26:53 (upbeat music)
26:56 (upbeat music)
26:58 (dramatic music)
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