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00:30Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV. I'm Finn McDermid and here are your top stories on
00:37Thursday the 17th of September.
00:40Transport troubles Hawkehurst girls still not back at school because of issues with SEND school transport.
00:46It's not fair. They're SEND, they're special needs. They need that support behind them.
00:52And all the families, they just don't know where to turn.
00:56Then, masts on the move. Work begins to remove the masts from a historic shipwreck off the coast of Sheppey.
01:03You know, it's obviously a wreck that means a lot to this community and a wreck that has risks inherent
01:08to itself.
01:09So leading up to it, we need to take each of those challenges very seriously.
01:13And travel broadens the mind. We meet Adil Life Coach and international vlogger sharing stories of different countries and their
01:20cultures.
01:21They are things, they are valuable things in our areas and around us that people can see.
01:38But first tonight, a mother from Hawkehurst says it's unacceptable that her daughter hasn't yet returned to school because of
01:44issues with organising transport.
01:46Councils don't legally have to provide free transport for children aged over 16 with special educational needs.
01:53But this means that Sarah Martin's daughter, Abby, is still at home despite school starting weeks ago.
01:59Sophie Denny has the story.
02:01The start of term can be stressful for many.
02:04But some children with special educational needs haven't even been able to get there.
02:10We're now a couple of weeks into the start of the new school year and I've come to Hawkehurst to
02:16speak to Sarah Martin,
02:17whose daughter Abby hasn't been able to go back to school yet and it's unlikely that she'll return until October.
02:25Unfortunately, I can't leave her on her own.
02:27So my mum, who's nearly 80, is around here keeping an eye on her each day.
02:33It's hard. It is very hard.
02:35Abby is 16 but has the cognitive functioning of someone much younger.
02:39And a change in the law earlier this year means councils no longer have to provide free school transport for
02:47over-sixteens.
02:48But Sarah says she can't pay the £221 termly contribution that Kent County Council have asked her for.
02:57Abby's school has now paid the first term of transport fees on Sarah's behalf.
03:02But she says she might have to borrow money going forwards.
03:06I had to ask them because I couldn't afford it to my own child's school.
03:12You can't do that for every family.
03:13I mean, I'm very lucky they've done it.
03:15But if you've got 10 families asking, that's quite a bit of money.
03:20Sarah's been appealing this lack of transport since July and was initially told that Abby could get a bus to
03:27school.
03:27But this is an hour-long journey which would involve multiple buses and a long walk by herself.
03:33It's not liable. You can't do that. It's not fair.
03:36The SEN, their special needs, they need that support behind them.
03:41And all the families, they just don't know where to turn, don't know what to do.
03:46Even though the school has paid the first term's cost, Sarah's been told she'll still have to wait another three
03:52to four weeks before transport can be arranged.
03:55They need to look into this quicker. They've had long enough to do this and sort it all out.
04:01But why are they still dragging it out? Why can't we just have our taxis back?
04:05Kent County Council declined to comment but have previously told Kent Online that, in line with national guidance,
04:13there is no automatic right to free transport after the age of 16.
04:17And so local authorities must decide what support is needed.
04:21For Sarah, she's hoping that the delay in Abby's return to school won't push her further behind.
04:28Sophie Denny for KMTV in Hawkehurst.
04:32A coroner has warned that more people could be at risk after a hospital trust's problems contributed to the death
04:38of a teacher from Thanet.
04:41Nick Hales, who taught at Ursuline College in Westgate-on-Sea,
04:45had been receiving treatment for a blood condition that involved low platelets.
04:48He suffered a brain haemorrhage at home in January and died later that evening.
04:52An inquest into his death found that failures to provide two planned platelet transfusions at QEQM Hospital contributed to his
05:00death.
05:01East Kent Hospitals Trust said that many of the issues explored during that inquest have been reviewed and addressed since
05:06Mr Hale's death,
05:07including improvements to the management of blood product requests.
05:12A teenager who added a McDonald's chips wrapper to a makeshift bonfire that went on to cause four million pounds
05:19of damage to an abandoned department store appeared in court two days ago.
05:23The boy was 16 at the time and was part of a group who entered Canterbury's abandoned former Debenhams and
05:28gathered around the fire before it spread throughout the building.
05:31Our reporter Maisie Walker joins us now with more details about this case.
05:35So what was the response, Maisie? We can see some of the images here when this actually happened.
05:39I'm imagining it was quite drastic.
05:41Well, more than 50 firefighters were actually called to the scene as huge clouds of smoke rose above the city
05:47centre on the 2nd of December 2024.
05:50You can see some of the pictures on screen now showing just how large the smoke was.
05:54Apparently it could be seen for miles.
05:5730 people were evacuated from nearby flats and one person actually required medical treatment.
06:03And you can see some of that fire and the damage on the screen now.
06:07There's a large emergency response.
06:09Well, tell us a bit about what happened as a consequence of that.
06:13Tell us what happened in court.
06:14Well, the boy appeared before Folkestone Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
06:17And despite the huge amount of damage caused, prosecutors accepted the fact that the teenager had not actually started the
06:24fire.
06:25His direct involvement was limited to placing the fast food wrapper onto the fire.
06:30However, the judge did tell him that he was not just simply a bystander and described the consequences as catastrophic,
06:37saying lives could have been put at risk.
06:39And you can see some of the damage on the screen now.
06:42He avoided a prison sentence after admitting to arson and being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
06:48The court also considered the fact that he was only 16 when the fire happened, saying young people can be
06:54more affected by peer pressure.
06:56It was also mentioned in court that it was his first time using SNUS.
07:00So that left him feeling dizzy and unwell and impacted his judgment.
07:05If the teenager had been an adult at the time, the offence would have been a starting point of six
07:10years in prison.
07:11Instead, he was given 12-month intensive referral order, including 30 hours of intervention work and supervision by the Youth
07:18Justice Service.
07:20He was one of several young people arrested following the fire, with two being charged, another teenage boy awaiting trial.
07:28And, Maisie, we saw some of the pictures of the damage that was caused there.
07:31What's the future for the building looking like?
07:33Well, the building has become a target for urban explorers.
07:36While the future is a long-awaited, development remains uncertain.
07:40Plans were approved in January back in 2020 to turn the city centre building into 47 homes and 12 shops.
07:48However, the project has faced delays because of things like water pollution issues at Sodmarsh, the COVID pandemic and the
07:54obvious.
07:55I see. Thank you so much, Maisie.
07:59A couple from Raynham have said it was a terrifying escape when they ran into the sea to avoid a
08:04wildfire while on holiday in Croatia.
08:07You can see some of these images now.
08:13Stephen and Anna Saunders were at the Garva Waterman Resort in Brac when the power went out.
08:18With embers blowing across, one tree caught fire near them, meaning the two chose to get in the water for
08:23their own safety.
08:23Stephen said that hundreds were in the sea or on platforms by the water and there was no emergency lighting,
08:29no clear evacuation route and the reception was empty.
08:32The hotel chain said we will conduct a detailed review of the events of that night, including our procedures and
08:38communications, identifying any lessons that need to be learned.
08:43Back in 1944, the SS Richard Montgomery grounded on a sandbank off the coast of Shearnesse.
08:49The ship was bound for France, carrying around 7,000 tonnes of munitions and around 1,400 tonnes still remain
08:56underneath the River Thames today.
08:58Now, 82 years later, the complex challenge of removing the masts of that vessel has started.
09:03Our reporter, Justine Latter, went out on the water to find out more.
09:09Just another peaceful day on the Thames estuary off the coast of Shearnesse.
09:15But further out to sea, a huge underwater operation is taking place.
09:20Works to remove the masts of a second World War shipwreck have begun, funded by £9.5 million from the
09:28government.
09:28The SS Richard Montgomery travelled all the way from the USA before it anchored in shallow waters and grounded on
09:37a sandbank here, just outside of Shearnesse on the sea.
09:41A barge with a recovery crew and seven divers are in place to work on the complex task.
09:47The team here say the removal has gone well so far.
09:51We're quite happy with how it's gone.
09:53Bringing the barge into position went really smoothly and we're off to a great start.
09:57Hoping to continue that through and see a successful project.
10:00But this high-stake operation isn't without its challenges.
10:05The vessel was carrying thousands of tons of munitions set for France when she grounded.
10:11The crew in 1944 managed to unload half of the cargo before the ship flooded entirely.
10:18And approximately 1,400 tons of explosives still remain on board.
10:23You know, it's obviously a wreck that means a lot to this community and a wreck that has risks inherent
10:29to itself.
10:30So leading up to it, we need to take each of those challenges very seriously and come up with methods
10:35and ways to do each step of the work that might not be how we normally do it.
10:39They need to be a step up to make sure that we take care of every risk possible, given the
10:43unique circumstances of this wreck site.
10:45But how are the divers, five of whom are ex-forces, carrying out their work?
10:51Because of the visibility, you don't see a lot.
10:54Probably, I think we had about a foot of visibility this morning, which is quite good for us.
11:01So, a lot of it is done by feel, so when we're looking for items to cut, it's done by
11:05feel.
11:06And we've also got a sonar, so I can actually see what's on the seabed and I can see where
11:11the diver is.
11:12And I can assist him to get where he needs to be to do the work that he needs to
11:16do.
11:17Once removed, the masts will be sent to the historic Dockyard Chatham, where they can be properly preserved,
11:23before going on display locally.
11:26Justine Lata, off the coast of Sheppey, for KMTV.
11:30Well, that's all the time we have for now.
11:33But coming up in the next part of our show, we'll hear about how bird flu has returned to a
11:37nature reserve near one Kent border.
11:39We'll also have all your sports news from the youngsters breaking into the starting 11 at Gillingham,
11:44to Canterbury Rugby Club's victory over in Dorking.
11:47And, as always, we'll have your weather news alongside a travel blogger telling us the secret to learning all about
11:53other cultures.
11:53All that and more after this short break.
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15:17Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
15:21Now, more than 400 birds have died at a nature reserve near Romney Marsh in what is suspected to be
15:31a case of bird flu.
15:32The site has closed with visitors warned not to touch any of the birds since some were found dead.
15:37Later, believed to be by avian botulism, a different type of toxin.
15:41Now, during ongoing monitoring of the suspected avian botulism outbreak, bosses have found the presence of bird flu.
15:48The Sussex Wildlife Trust have said that avian influenza is highly transmissible to birds, but the risk to human health
15:54is low.
15:56And now we've got all your latest sports news from some of Gillingham's youngsters breaking through to the starting 11,
16:01as well as Canterbury dominating against dorking in a league match. Let's take a look.
16:16First, over to Gillingham, where plenty of young players have stepped up in an injury crisis.
16:21With Bradley Dack, Armani Little and Ethan Coleman all sidelined, younger players like Harry Waldock, Logan Dobbs, Selden Kendall and
16:29Lamine Siler have been enjoying first-team football.
16:31With Zane Albrecht back from his injury soon, it might mean a battle for the starting 11 spots, especially with
16:37Dobbs netting that first goal against Tranmere Rovers at home.
16:40Conor McManus has also shifted to the left wing-back position since Kadeem Harris suffered an ACL injury, and he's
16:46been given a spot on the under-21 Republic of Ireland national team.
16:50To rugby, where Canterbury beat Dorking 38-15 on the road in Surrey.
16:54They scored six tries and shut out Dorking, who'd had to wait until the last few minutes of the game
16:59before getting themselves past Canterbury's defences.
17:02It was a game of two halves, with the Kent team only really starting to dominate in the latter, putting
17:06the game to bed by about the 55th minute, with prop Ollie Frostick claiming a try.
17:11This Saturday, they'll play Isha, who also won their first fixture of the campaign.
17:15And it was a double victory for the Addisham ace, Tom Ovenden, who cruised to his wins at Brands Hatch
17:21in the modified Ford Series.
17:23He dedicated his performance to his late cousins that built his family's Ford Escort, with him driving the MK1 RSR
17:29model in memory of Ollie and Matt.
17:31He said it's been a very tough year for the family, so it's very, very special to bring out the
17:36car again and win at Brands.
17:38Tom is seeking to retain his mini-challenge JCW title this year, and currently has a 33-point lead over
17:44Max Edmonton.
17:46And that's all your latest sports from around the county.
17:58For many of us, holidays are a chance to kick up our feet and relax at the beachside.
18:02But a travel vlogger and life coach from Deal is using social media to tell us that using our holidays,
18:08we should be looking at other cultures and learning more about them.
18:11After seeing differences in the north and south of his home country of Ghana, he's on a mission to highlight
18:16the importance of travel to the world.
18:18Paul Cuticle joined me earlier in the studio.
18:20Well, thank you so much for joining me, Paul.
18:22First of all, they say that travel broadens the mind.
18:25How important is it for people to get to understand other cultures and things like that?
18:29Yeah, it is very important that the people understand different cultures because there are times where, when you are born
18:35and raised in a particular society,
18:37your mindset, how you think, how you view the world, is shaped by how you see the world, by reason
18:44of where you were born.
18:45But then when you travel outside your society, you get to see that, no, there are different perspectives to life.
18:51There are different ways people live their life.
18:54For example, what you might see as the best food in your society might be different from another person's society.
19:02And like I said, one man's meat might be another person's poison.
19:05So the more you travel, the more you get to know that the world is big, we are all different.
19:10And as a society, we can all have different backgrounds, but then we can live in unity.
19:17I see. And you make educational content online about different cultures.
19:21Tell us a bit about that and also your life coaching as well.
19:24Tell us a bit about where that started for you.
19:26Yeah, so ACC Mindset, where I explore different cultures.
19:30So I realized that in my country where I come from, a country, Ghana, Ghana, where I come from, a
19:37country of 30 million people,
19:38I was born and raised in the South Accra.
19:41Within that country, I realized that there were different stories that people say concerning the northern part of the country.
19:48So in 2017, I decided to embark on the journey to explore the northern belt.
19:53When I explored the northern belt, I realized that life there was so different.
19:58So if a country of 30 million people, people in the South can think differently of people in the North,
20:06then what do we think of the 196 countries in the world?
20:11For example, when you look at the shirt I'm wearing, you can see different patterns of leaves interconnected.
20:16It tells us a message that we are all different people, but then in unity, we can come together to
20:24form a cohesive society.
20:26Yeah, so as part of my life coaching, I mentor young people, teach them about life.
20:31I cover finances, I cover social issues, I cover religious stuff, a whole lot.
20:38I see. And what advice would you give to people out there who want to do what you do and
20:41see the world?
20:42What's a good place to start?
20:44First of all, they should start from their region because I understand that people would have financial issues.
20:49Myself, I started in my country. As of when I started traveling, we had 10 administrative regions.
20:55I traveled to nine of the countries with the exception of Vota region.
20:59So people might have financial issues probably because they are not working, because they are working,
21:05but finances will not allow them spend much on traveling.
21:08So they can start from their area.
21:09And I tell you, there are a lot of things around us that we have not explored.
21:14Even within Kent, there are many people who might not have heard of where I live in Kent.
21:21Someone where I live in Kent might not have heard of some of the things that you also have around
21:27your area.
21:28So they should start from where they are.
21:31They would realize that there are lots of things in their area that the world wants to know.
21:35So it's all about telling your own story. That is how I decided to tell the story of the world,
21:39that there are things, there are valuable things in our areas and around us that people can see.
21:47Amazing. Well, thank you so much for joining us.
21:49Yeah, thank you.
21:51And now let's take a look at your weather forecast.
21:59Well, it's looking like a particularly mild one this evening.
22:02Lows of 12 down there in the south, highs of 14 in the north, a clear night into tomorrow morning,
22:06an even clearer day, plenty of sun all around.
22:09Lows of 13 in the centre, 14 up in the north again.
22:13And staying with some cloud now into tomorrow afternoon,
22:17looking like 20 across the board except for the south.
22:20And here's your outlook.
22:2220 degrees going to 22 by the time we reach Monday.
22:25More of that cloudy overcast skies sticking around.
22:35And finally, an author from the Canterbury area has put pen to paper on her new book,
22:40Elder Witch, the first of a new series of young adult novels all about a fantasy world of magic.
22:45The book mainly takes place in the Kent Marshes, sorry, the Welsh Marshes, I should say,
22:49but there are nods to Kent and its cultural influence throughout history.
22:53Lucy Bowens joined me earlier.
22:55Well, thank you so much for joining us.
22:57First of all, tell us about Ever Witch for someone who hasn't heard about it.
23:00Give us a bit of the background.
23:02So Elder Witch is a young adult fantasy.
23:04So that means it's really sort of aimed at young people from 12 upwards.
23:09But, you know, many adults read young adult as well.
23:12So it's there for everybody, really.
23:15And it tells the story of a young girl in Anglo-Norman Wales whose brother is abducted
23:23by a terrifying, shape-shifting elder witch called Morphira Le Breton.
23:27And she then has to go on this quest in order to find him.
23:31But ironically, the only person that can help her is this hazel witch who has been accused
23:39of the abduction, so she has to get him out of jail in order to take him on her journey
23:44to find him.
23:46I see.
23:46And your characters include deaf representation drawn from your own experiences as a child.
23:51Tell us a bit about that.
23:52Yeah, so in this book, my one character, so the uncle of the Welsh boy who helps Emeline, he is
24:02deaf.
24:02He went deaf as an adult through a riding accident.
24:06But you don't learn that until book two, Rowan Witch, which hopefully will come out in a couple of years.
24:13So, yes, I've tried to get some representation in, but also realistic representation of what it would be like
24:21in medieval England and Wales to have a deaf character.
24:27I also have a character with cerebral palsy as well, who is just woven into the story.
24:34And it's not really talked about or discussed about because I just wanted it to be there.
24:39I wanted it to feel natural.
24:42Do you feel oftentimes in literature, when a character has these traits, it's the character revolves around the traits
24:48rather than it just being a natural part of their character?
24:49Absolutely. And I think sometimes you have to be a bit careful in fantasy because suddenly, you know,
24:53these traits become their magical, you know, features, which I don't think is right.
24:59I am a coder, so I'm a child of deaf parents, and I was brought up in a deaf culture.
25:05And in my new book I'm writing, which is a gothic horror,
25:10which is another interview entirely.
25:13But deafness and being a coder really sits at the heart of that book.
25:18So this was almost me sort of in Eldowitch trying things out.
25:24And then it, yeah, it elevates as I go through my writing career.
25:28You're from the Canterbury area.
25:30Yes.
25:30Can I ask you, were there any things from Kent maybe that inspired you in the writing of Eldowitch?
25:35Well, I mean, it really is a book that is set in the Welsh Marsh and evolves around a lot
25:43of Celtic folklore
25:44and also the magical island that is off the coast of Ireland.
25:49So we're really talking about being west.
25:52But there were things.
25:53So there were things like, you know, she references Canterbury because Canterbury is such an iconic building,
26:01an iconic place for anyone in the Middle Ages.
26:06She talks about her father setting sail from the port of Duvres, as it was called, you know,
26:14as he's sent to France to go and fight the French.
26:16So there are little references, but most of it is set around Wales and the Welsh Marsh.
26:24Well, that is all the time we have.
26:26You've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
26:29And as always, there's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
26:33Don't forget, you can always keep up to date with the latest news across your county
26:36by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
26:40You can also keep us on your social timelines by liking us on our Facebook and following our TikTok.
26:45Well, that is all the time we have.
26:47Thank you so much for watching and see you very soon.
26:49Goodbye.
27:15Bye.
27:16Bye.
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