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00:26Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KNN.
00:30I'm Finn McDermid and here are your top stories on Thursday, the 3rd of September.
00:35Standing with Nepal, Dartford, Nepalese community hold a vigil in support of those affected by the recent floods.
00:42A lot of my childhood friends and people living in my areas, whom I have known from my childhood, they
00:49are all gone, they are all swept away.
00:50Worried for wildlife, Ashford Animal Rescue Centre says they've taken in double the amount of hedgehogs because of the hot
00:57weather.
00:57We generally will take in a couple of hundred hoglets every year. We've known and doubled that this year for
01:04sure. We have been incredibly busy with young hoglets.
01:08And Chatham falls silent as the Royal Navy Association pays tribute to the lives lost in a World War I
01:14bombing.
01:15Every year we commemorate this tragic event and we will never forget them.
01:32For our top story tonight, it's been one week since flash floods devastated parts of Nepal and more than 4
01:38,000 people are estimated to still be missing.
01:41One of them is Sarada Simkada, a nurse at Darant Valley Hospital.
01:45Last night, the Dartford, Nepalese community held a vigil in support of those affected by the floods and to pray
01:51for those still missing.
01:52Justine Lata has the story.
01:54A community in pieces from devastating floods almost 5,000 miles away.
02:01At the Dartford Civic Centre last night, the council chamber was packed full of local people standing in solidarity with
02:09Nepal.
02:10There's so much we want to do that we can't do.
02:13But in a small way, today, by just coming together and really just putting a shoulder around our brothers, citizens
02:19of Nepalese community,
02:20we're just trying to show how much as a community in Dartford and how much as a community in Kent
02:25that we care.
02:26One of those still missing in Nepal is Sarada Simkada, a nurse at Darant Valley Hospital,
02:32who has not been heard from since the day before the floods.
02:35She was on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.
02:38A minute's silence was held for her and for all of those affected by the floods.
02:48We've heard from faith leaders today, as well as Dartford's MP, Jim Dixon.
02:54But there were many people at this vigil who had powerful stories to share.
02:59I'm a person whose parents are affected there.
03:02At least they are safe there.
03:04But my house, the properties, and a lot of my childhood friends and people living in my areas,
03:12whom I have known from my childhood, they are all gone.
03:15They are all swept away by the first flood.
03:18And it's very devastating, you know.
03:19And it's very painful to hear those things from here, you know,
03:23and not being able to be there at the time of their need.
03:26Actually, this is an unimaginable moment for us.
03:32I'm really sad about what had happened in Nepal.
03:36It's very difficult to accept it, either it's the reality or not.
03:42The local MP here, Jim Dixon, said he will try to support the community the best he can.
03:48I think it's really important the Nepalese community in Dartford, who are very much cherished part of the Dartford family,
03:54they feel that we have their back, that we're thinking about them, that we're feeling their pain,
04:00we're supporting them where we can, we're giving money.
04:03And I think the message to the Dartford Nepalese community has been, we're here, we love you, we support you,
04:10and we'll try to get through this.
04:12For now, the Nepalese community in Dartford are praying for any good news about the whereabouts of Sarada and others
04:19who are still missing.
04:26The inquest into the death of a 14-year-old girl who fell from a bridge in Aylesford has opened.
04:31Alexis Malcolm, known as Lexie Mae Marie, died on the M20 in Aylesford last month after falling from a footbridge
04:38and being hit by traffic.
04:39There's been an outpouring of grief in the community following her death with balloons, gifts, flowers and handwritten messages seen
04:46across the bridge.
04:47The police have been investigating her death and are asking for any witnesses or those with dashcam footage to get
04:52in contact with them.
04:53The full inquest will happen in February next year.
04:57A mum from Chatham is worried she's being targeted after her car windows were smashed twice in a week.
05:02This is one of the incidents on Waghorn Street in August where her rear and side window were both hit.
05:07The other incident was at 11pm. She didn't see it but found her rear window smashed in the morning.
05:12The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, said that none of the other cars parked on the road were hit
05:17and she had to pay almost £300 in one of the incidents to get her windows fixed.
05:22Kent police have confirmed that officers are continuing to investigate the incidents.
05:28A convicted paedophile and former BBC star from Cranbrook has died.
05:33Chris Langham was a well-known comedian and had just won a BAFTA for his performance in The Thick of
05:38It and Help when he was arrested back in 2006.
05:41He was found to have downloaded indecent images of children and spent 10 months in prison on the Isle of
05:46Sheppey before his release in 2007.
05:48Following his conviction, he appeared in the odd screen project like 2020's Vengeance.
05:58Over the summer, we covered a number of stories about the impact of repeated heatwaves and drought
06:05and while the ground might be recovering, our wildlife could be feeling long-term effects.
06:10Our reporter, Kristen Hawthorne, went down to a hedgehog rescue in Ashford.
06:14They've taken in double the usual number of hoglets this year.
06:17It might look cute, but there's a reason this hedgehog is so small.
06:22Lisa from Thorn Hedgehog Rescue says this hoglet, like many others this year, was abandoned by its mother,
06:29likely due to a lack of food supply available after the hot and dry summer.
06:33We have been seeing masses of abandoned litters where the mums just can't cope with the babies.
06:40There isn't enough of a food supply and there isn't enough water
06:42and they just can't cope with the hoglets that they've been having.
06:46So we've seen a massive increase in babies coming in this year.
06:50We're getting hoglets that should be much bigger than they are,
06:52so they almost have delayed development.
06:55We're seeing a lot of hoglets coming in with weakened immune systems.
07:00They've got the teeth and the facial features and the fur of maybe a five or six-week-old,
07:06but they're coming in really, really tiny, sort of looking like they're two or three weeks old.
07:10This is an example of some of the issues that Lisa and other rescues across the country have been noticing.
07:16This hedgehog is estimated to be about six to eight weeks old,
07:20but should be double the size and as you can see, he's very, very tiny.
07:25Hedgehogs primarily will dig and forage for insects and they're not massive slug, snail and worm eaters.
07:31And if they have too many of those, it can actually cause an overburden of parasites,
07:35which not only makes them very poorly, they can pass on to the hoglets in the womb as well.
07:40But is it just the rescues that have been noticing a change?
07:43When was the last time you saw a hedgehog?
07:45I don't know, five years since I've seen one. It's a long time.
07:50I didn't know, first of all, actually, that you have hedgehogs here because I've never seen one.
07:56So to hear that they are here and that they are in danger, I think is quite upsetting.
08:01As a child in the 70s, we had loads of them in the garden, you know, we were respectful for
08:07them,
08:08but very rare now you get to see the hedgehogs.
08:12If you notice a hedgehog out during the day, injured or seeming confused, there are lots of things you can
08:17do to help.
08:18Allow them from garden to garden. Hedgehog highways are really, really important.
08:23Normally, a hedgehog will dig and forage for food up to 10 or 12 gardens a night and travel one
08:28to two miles,
08:28so they really need these long distances to be able to get the food supply that they need to survive.
08:34While we're in long, hot, dry weather, putting food and water out is really important.
08:38We suggest that if you start feeding, you do that all year round because of the weather.
08:43The milder winters, a lot of hedgehogs don't hibernate at all anymore.
08:45Cat biscuits is absolutely perfect, nutritionally complete, and the crunch of the kibble keeps their teeth healthy.
08:52Rescues like Lisa's are giving hedgehogs a second chance, but with extreme weather becoming more common,
08:58the hope is that Britain's most familiar wildlife won't need rescuing just to survive.
09:03Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV, Pluckley.
09:08Kristen joins me now. Kristen, is it just the weather or is it anything else that could be affecting, was
09:13it hoglets?
09:14Yes, hoglets are baby hedgehogs, basically, which I just learned yesterday.
09:19So this all came about because I saw a post on Facebook from a hedgehog rescue in Essex.
09:27The post went kind of viral within the community and across the UK, really,
09:32with a lot of other charities commenting on it and people at home commenting on it as well.
09:37They said that they have seen a decrease in the amount of healthy hedgehogs.
09:44And it's due for a number of reasons.
09:45They predict that it could be the hot weather.
09:49Microplastics is another one.
09:50And then Lisa was also saying it could be a virus as well.
09:54But the common denominator is the hot weather.
09:57An investigation, of course, is underway.
09:59And the result of that will come in the new year.
10:02So at the moment, these are just predictions.
10:04But like I said, it is the hot weather that we've been having.
10:07Those five heatwaves, I believe, that we had over the summer really did affect them.
10:12And foxes and hedgehogs usually get along quite well, I was told.
10:16But she's also seeing a lot of hedgehogs coming in that have been attacked by foxes
10:21because the foxes don't have anything really to eat either.
10:24And badges eat hedgehogs, so they're struggling as well.
10:28So it is having quite a big impact.
10:30So we really do need to look after them.
10:32I see.
10:33And, well, obviously, we can see there that they're being helped out and being rescued.
10:36But how else can we and some of our viewers at home really take care of these hoglets?
10:40Well, as you say that, there's a picture on screen.
10:42So that's Lisa showing me a box that she made that people can make at home.
10:46Now, you do see those sort of black chains on the exit and the entry.
10:52Now, she's changing that because she said it could very easily get caught in the hedgehog's spikes.
10:58So if you just put a little bit of plastic, you can get creative with it.
11:02As long as it kind of shelters the food, we're going to be getting lots of snow,
11:06I'm assuming, in the new season and lots of rain.
11:10So that just keeps the food and water clean and dry.
11:14And if you have an injury and an exit, that means if two hedgehogs are in there,
11:18one can escape if they're fighting for food.
11:21I see.
11:22Brilliant.
11:22Well, thanks so much, Kristen.
11:25Well, that's all the time we have for this part of the show.
11:27Join us after the break.
11:28We'll be going through more of your headlines from across the county,
11:32including a hospital that had a sewage issue in their maternity ward,
11:37as well as a store in Herne Bay that sells a 17-foot-tall King Kong statue.
11:42We'll have all that and more after the next few minutes.
11:46See you after this short break.
15:14Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
15:18Two bays on a maternity ward at a hospital in Margate were evacuated as sewage came out of toilets and
15:24sinks, leaving some mums fearing for the health of their babies.
15:29One of them being Melissa Hall, who just 21 hours before gave birth to her daughter.
15:34The mum described strong smells and even mould while she was at the hospital.
15:39Naila Mohamed joins us now to tell us more.
15:40So, Naila, where did this all start?
15:42So, this was at the QEQM hospital in Margate and what had happened was this dirty water had overflowed from
15:48sinks and toilets and just covered the floor.
15:51And hospital bosses said that this was due to a combination of really heavy rain that we've kind of seen
15:56sporadically across the county recently, in combination with inappropriate items being flushed down public toilets.
16:03And this is caused an overflow.
16:04And so, sewage has kind of started to leak up where it shouldn't be leaking from.
16:09I mean, images, we can see this is just coming up from a sink.
16:12And this was in a bay of a mother, Melissa Hall, who had given birth just 21 hours before.
16:20She explained to our sister station, Kent Online, that she heard gurgling noises coming out of the sink.
16:25She was then moved to another bay where she complained of mouldy walls, which we can see on the screen
16:31there.
16:31So, for her, the experience wasn't really that great.
16:34I mean, giving birth, always a difficult experience, particularly stressful.
16:39I can imagine this really added to that.
16:41Absolutely.
16:41She said that the smell was just horrific.
16:44And she was really concerned because she's, again, said to sister station, Kent Online, that she's breathing in all these
16:50particles of airborne, you know, the smells that you get when you go into sewage.
16:55It's all up in the air.
16:56And she was concerned that her baby would be having the same particles, the same smell, but also the other
17:01mothers in the ward as well and their children.
17:03And what have the hospital told us?
17:05Well, the hospital said that they evacuated the areas.
17:08They did a really comprehensive clean, saying all the affected areas were sorted and there's continuous cleaning going on.
17:15Contractors were there immediately and it was reopened for use the following morning, but then did say that this was
17:21because of the heavy rainfall and people flushing the wrong items down public toilets.
17:26Thank you so much for your time, Nayla.
17:30Now it's time to take a look at your weather forecast.
17:38Tonight, some clouds hanging over us, lows of 18 degrees in Medway and Royal Tunbridge Wells, 19 everywhere else.
17:44Some sun across parts of North Kent tomorrow morning, a little bit colder and cloudier in the south, highs of
17:4821.
17:49Staying mostly mild in the afternoon, highs of 22 in Maidstone, no sun in sight, lows of 21 across the
17:54rest of the county.
17:55And it'll be getting slightly warmer into our weekend sun.
17:58Some partial sun on Saturday and Sunday, rising to 24 degrees, cooling slightly with some heavy cloud as we go
18:05back to Monday.
18:13The Royal Navy Association gathered to remember a World War I bombing that took the lives of more than 100
18:20sailors.
18:21Today is the 109th anniversary of the Drill Hall bombing, which is now a library at the University of Greenwich
18:27and Kent, where a memorial event was held.
18:29The 3rd of September also marks Merchant Navy Day, honouring the work of the Navy.
18:34Henry Luck, our community reporter, has more.
18:37Almost 110 years ago, around 131 sailors were killed when two bombs fell on them at the drill shed, one
18:48of the first night-time raids the world had witnessed.
18:52The Royal Naval Association have gathered at that very spot, now the University of Greenwich's Drill Hall Library, to remember
19:02one of the most devastating bombings of the First World War.
19:06Well, what it does, it keeps the legacy of the Royal Navy intact within the community.
19:13Although the Royal Navy left this area many years ago, it still plays a major role in commemorating events, some
19:22happy, some very sad and tragic.
19:26And it means a lot to us as the Royal Navy Association, and other associations, who come alongside us and
19:33commemorate such events.
19:35So it's very important that we remember those who have sacrificed so much for us.
19:39The roof of the Drill Hall Library was made of glass, which shone brightly in the night, which is what
19:46made it a target on that fateful night in 1917.
19:50It's a great honour to be here to recognise the sacrifice and the origins of this ceremony, the history of
19:59a shared legacy, of the contribution that the Naval Services have made over the years, and our ongoing commitment to
20:06education for the Medway population.
20:08The event falls on the same day as Merchant Navy Day, which recognises the bravery and sacrifices of merchant seafarers
20:18who supply goods, fuel and food.
20:22So we're really proud here in Medway of our links to both the Royal Navy, but also the Merchant Navy.
20:28And earlier today we rose the flag, raised the flag high above Gunwharf for Merchant Navy Day.
20:35We're really proud to do that right now, today, in places like the Straits of Hormuz, it will be Merchant
20:40Navy individuals, personnel, who are bringing goods, helping our trade, both here in the UK and across the world.
20:48So it's an important time to reflect and say thank you to those serving in the Merchant Navy.
20:53As well as remembering the past, this service pays tribute to the servicemen and servicewomen at sea who keep us
21:03safe today.
21:04Henry Luck, for KMTV, in Chatham.
21:09Now don't forget, you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging on to
21:13our website that is of course KMTV.co.uk.
21:17There you'll find all our reports, including this one, about a young woman who's made the England Sheepdog Handling Team.
21:22I went down to meet her and see how tricky it actually is.
21:28This is Grace. She lives in Gedding, near Canterbury, and she's currently studying to take her A-levels.
21:33But when she walks onto this field, she goes from student to teacher.
21:37She's a sheepdog handler who's earned herself a spot on the England national team.
21:43Yeah, it felt very, like, surreal because I sort of watched the livestream before and you see everyone walking up
21:50at the presentation and you just kind of think, like, oh, I wonder how that feels.
21:54And so, like, when you're standing there, like, in the line with the whole team, it feels, like, it feels
22:00really cool.
22:00When she's away from competitions, her dad takes care of the dogs while mum travels with her.
22:05Yeah, it's absolutely amazing. I never, ever thought that Grace would make the English team.
22:12I think the worst feeling of the day was just watching her go from second and then watching the scores
22:20come down, thinking, hang on there, Grace, hang on there.
22:23She's able to tell the dogs how to move the sheep using a special whistle, and depending on the frequency
22:28and length of the blows, she can give specific instructions.
22:31Yeah, so every dog really has a different whistle, like, they can be the same, but they're different whistles for
22:38different commands.
22:39So, a sweep's come by, which is left, is .
22:44And then his, say, like, gentle stop is .
22:47And then a walk on.
22:50And if you want it to be a bit quicker, you can sort of .
22:54Now it's my turn. Grace has kindly given me some instructions on some of the commands that sheep dog handlers
22:59tend to give.
22:59So, let's see if I've got any potential.
23:03Come by!
23:07Wow, he's really doing it. He's really running.
23:09Stand!
23:11Come by!
23:13Oh, he's not command for you.
23:17That is just amazing.
23:19Yeah.
23:20Grace says the most important thing is to understand the dogs and their habits.
23:24Come by.
23:25So, maybe I shouldn't quit the day job just yet.
23:27Come by.
23:29Come by.
23:30Come by.
23:32Well, whether they're learning from Grace ahead of the national competitions, or taking a breather with me, the dogs definitely
23:38deserve a chance to cool off.
23:40Finn McDermott for KMTV in Gedding.
23:44One of Kent's biggest antique stores could shut its doors unless they find a new owner.
23:49Brigsy's Antiques Emporium in Herne Bay sells collectibles and film memorabilia and has done for years, even having an entire
23:56American diner inside.
23:58I spoke to one of the owners, Chris Monty, about the store's future.
24:02Well, thank you so much for joining me, Chris.
24:04Now, first of all, tell us a bit about the origins of Brigsy's.
24:07It was originally a historic cinema, is that right?
24:10Yeah, that's correct.
24:11So, from what I understand is Brigsy's, or formerly the venue itself, was kind of constructed around 1985.
24:21Over the hundred years, it's been a cinema.
24:25It's been a theatre.
24:26Now, formally, it's been an antique store.
24:29So, one of the biggest antique stores.
24:31I see.
24:32And now you're in a situation where you're looking for someone to buy the building.
24:35Just tell us a bit about why that's happened and a bit about the sort of community response.
24:39How are people feeling about this?
24:41Yeah, it's a massive shame.
24:43Obviously, over the five years, we've created something which we feel the community love.
24:48Not just local community, but also tourists or visitors from further afield.
24:53Potentially, with Brigsy closing, that impacts not just people's way of generating income,
24:58but also for people who just see it as a place that they want to visit or a hub
25:02or just a safe place where they can explore and be part of the community.
25:06So, yeah, massive shame if we're to lose it.
25:09Obviously, we're trying everything possible to keep Brigsy's as it is and continue to flourish.
25:14It's an amazing place.
25:16And I'm aware that Brigsy's has become quite iconic for some of the items that you sell.
25:20Tell us a bit about your strangest stock.
25:22I'm aware there's a 17-foot King Kong statue?
25:26Yeah, we've got a King Kong statue, we've got an Iron Giant, which has been made by the incredible Steve,
25:35who deserves all the credit for kind of basically designing them and creating them as flagship pieces within the store.
25:44We also have had loads of stock.
25:45So, over the years, what I find incredible about coming to the Emporium when I come down to visit from
25:50London is the variety of stock
25:52and what changes each week and month continues to amaze me.
25:56We've had church bells, we've had jukeboxes, we've had windows from Kew Gardens.
26:04It's amazing for all ages. It's an incredible venue.
26:08So, if you haven't been there, please do come and visit because I think you'll find something which is a
26:13gem or just something that's nostalgic.
26:16But also, if you are a massive supporter and have been supporting us over the years, please continue to do
26:20so.
26:20And we hugely appreciate it.
26:22I see. Thank you so much for joining us.
26:26You've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
26:29There's always more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
26:32And don't forget, you can keep up to date with the latest news across your county on our website, KMTV
26:37.co.uk.
26:38You can also check out our socials as well.
26:41But that is all the time we have for tonight.
26:43Thank you so much for watching and we'll see you very soon.
26:45Good night.
27:02Good night.
27:04Good night.
27:10idag.
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