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Catch up with all the latest stories from across Kent with Chloe Brewster.
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01:00Stour under scrutiny. Local volunteers take part in a pollution safari to monitor the River Stour.
01:07It's a necessary requirement to make sure that these companies are doing what they are supposed to do.
01:15Bringing words to life. Kent location news in the new adaption of sense and sensibility.
01:21There were dogs involved in it. There were children involved. It was a very active, joyous scene that they were
01:27filming here, which is this country hop dance.
01:38Just before we begin this evening's show, we'd like to issue this correction.
01:42During a Kent Tonight broadcast on Thursday the 24th of September, we aired a report which looked at Dover resident
01:48Roy Moore's blue badge application.
01:50Within the report, there were inaccuracies which we would like to correct now.
01:54Firstly, we said he eventually received the approval for a blue badge as a result of us challenging the council.
01:59However, this wasn't correct. We would like to stress that he was also going through an appeals process at that
02:05time.
02:06We would also like to clarify that Kent County Council administers the blue badge scheme on behalf of the government
02:11and that eligibility of the blue badge can be completed virtually as well as face-to-face.
02:18Now, the Napier Primary Academy in Gillingham has officially launched the Harbour, a dedicated specialist resource designed to support pupils
02:26with autism spectrum disorder,
02:27as well as speech, language and communication needs.
02:31The provision offers tailor-made learning environments, sensory-friendly spaces and trained specialist staff.
02:37Nayla Mohamed was at the school for the launch.
02:39The doors are open on a new chapter for children with additional education needs in Medway.
02:46The Napier School Academy has launched the Harbour, a dedicated specialist resource provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder,
02:55as well as speech, language and communication needs.
02:58It's very hard in mainstream settings to give them all the support that they need.
03:02It's the government's strategy to make sure that every school has a specialist unit with the skills and the space
03:09and the facilities as well.
03:10And to put them in already great schools is exactly the right thing to do.
03:15But the opening comes as demand for specialist support is expected to grow.
03:19Latest local council figures show that the number of primary age pupils recorded under the autism spectrum disorder has risen,
03:27from 373 in the 2022 academic year to 529 last year,
03:32with forecasts showing figures could reach 694 pupils by 2030.
03:37For families, this specialist provision can mean their children receive support closer to home.
03:42I think it's about specialists. I think it's about individualised.
03:45I think it's about moving away from traditional sort of classroom and mainstream classrooms.
03:49It's giving them that space, that safe space.
03:52And I think for us, it's a bridge, that stepping stone between a mainstream and an SRP,
04:00so that they have access to the resources where they need 24-7.
04:04The new provision also includes specialist teaching,
04:07designed around individual needs of the pupils.
04:10And another asset at the harbour here is the sensory room,
04:13where pupils can come in and regulate their needs
04:16if they feel like the world's getting that little bit too much.
04:19Now, the room caters for all sorts of sensory needs.
04:22Here, you can regulate a sense of touch.
04:24We've got visuals here on the screen of some bubbles and nice lighting as well.
04:28You've got a hard mat here for that extra bit of comfort.
04:32And we even have a rocking chair,
04:34in case pupils want a bit of calm movement.
04:38And teachers of the provision say that this room is really, really important for those pupils.
04:43Some children, particularly with autism in our unit, can't regulate their senses without this.
04:49The whole world is too much of a sensory space for them.
04:52So this just gives them that chance to be able to regulate their senses,
04:55to be ready for learning.
04:58We see the benefit of it constantly.
05:00They can come in and just calm, and it gives them their safe space.
05:04And with the number of primary age pupils recorded as autistic expected to continue to rise,
05:09school teachers say spaces like these make all the difference to pupils.
05:14Nayla Mohamed for KMTV in Medway.
05:16The provision was a joint collaboration with Medway Council, who said,
05:20We have worked closely with Napier School Academy
05:23in support of the development of the Harbour Special Resource Provision.
05:26We welcome the launch of this additional SEND provision,
05:29which will increase local capacity and support more children and young people
05:32to access appropriate education and specialist support within their local community.
05:36We look forward to continuing our partnership with the school
05:39to ensure pupils receive the support they need to thrive.
05:45A Ramsgate man has been jailed for 11 years for his role in a nationwide drug gang.
05:5160-year-old Peter Castercum was part of an organised crime operation
05:56responsible for distributing cocaine with an estimated wholesale value of more than £56 million.
06:01The court heard how Castercum had helped store, supply and repackage more than 75kg of drugs
06:07from a flat in the town.
06:09Castercum denied conspiracy to supply cocaine, but was found guilty by a jury.
06:14His arrest came as part of a much wider operation,
06:16which saw Castercum's son, Shay, the supposed ringleader,
06:20as well as Shay's girlfriend, Kirsty, put behind bars.
06:24A mother from Maidstone has been given £50,000 in compensation
06:29after a routine hair appointment caused her to suffer chemical burns.
06:33Natasha Holgate has been left with a permanent scar
06:35and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident.
06:39Sophie Denny joins me in the studio now to tell us more.
06:42Sophie, what happened?
06:43Yes, so Natasha was just going for a regular hair appointment back in January 2022.
06:50She was having her hair dyed blonde at the Bow Hair Dressing Salon in Snodland
06:55and she said that when her hair got put in the foils,
06:58it just felt really, there was burning and they felt really hot
07:02to the extent that the hairdresser couldn't actually touch them with her bare hands.
07:06You can see a picture of Natasha there.
07:08There were photos of the chemical burns that she eventually suffered,
07:13but these were just too gruesome, really, for us to broadcast.
07:18So they found that the hairdryer had crystallised
07:22and that she felt this excruciating pain when her hair was washed.
07:27They couldn't get a comb through her hair
07:28and so the hairdresser sent her home and didn't charge her anything.
07:32It is important to note that since this,
07:35she has gone through three and a half years of treatment
07:38and been given this £50,000 compensation
07:41and this hairdressing salon has since closed
07:44and the owner declined to provide Kent Online with any comments.
07:47Well, some of the photos were pretty shocking.
07:50How can you treat that?
07:52Yes, so Natasha had to go to A&E
07:55and was referred, sorry, to a specialist burns unit.
07:59Had a skin graft surgery at the time
08:02which left her with a big scar on her head
08:04and so since that, over the last four years,
08:07she has actually gone through four reconstructive surgeries
08:10to try and reduce the size of this scar
08:13and she actually has two more surgeries to go.
08:15So it's been going on for four years
08:17and it's still continuing
08:19and this surgery basically,
08:21it takes part of the scar tissue away
08:26and it pulls the skin tighter together
08:28so the aim is to reduce the size of the scar on her head
08:32so hopefully she can get some more hair regrowth going forwards.
08:36Thank you so much, Sophie.
08:37This is clearly a very shocking situation.
08:41You would not expect that when you're going to the hairdressers.
08:43No, she had to take six months off work as well
08:46and seek out therapy.
08:52Now it's time to take a short break
08:54but, oh, sorry,
08:56the annual Stour Valley River Fest
08:58is back in Canterbury
08:59but this year pollution is also part of the conversation.
09:02Sephora has more.
09:07The River Stour is one of Kent's major waterways
09:10running through Canterbury
09:11and supporting communities.
09:13Wildlife and agriculture lie along its catchment
09:16with a number of different species living along it too.
09:19It might seem peaceful here at the River Stour
09:22but there are growing concerns
09:23about what's actually in the water.
09:26Today, volunteers will be testing out for pollutants
09:28including ammonia, nitrates and phosphates
09:31as part of a wider effort to understand
09:34what's actually affecting its health.
09:36The event is part of Stour Valley River Fest,
09:38a week-long celebration of the River Stour
09:40and its environment
09:41running across Canterbury this week.
09:44Leading the event is Dr Ian Goodall.
09:46who founded the Stour monitoring programme known as STOMP.
09:49He says more monitoring is needed
09:51to understand exactly what is affecting the river.
09:54As organisms living as part of a wider biological system,
09:58it's not just us,
10:00it's everything else around us that gets impacted.
10:02So when there are these sewage releases incorporated in the sewage
10:08are a wide range of different pollutants as well.
10:12So it's a necessary requirement to make sure
10:15that these companies are doing what they are supposed to do
10:19and that they are upholding their side of the social construct.
10:23The focus on pollution comes as Southern Water was fined
10:27with £2.4 million earlier this week
10:29over incidents elsewhere in Kent.
10:32But the Stour has pollution concerns of its own.
10:35Data shows a storm overflow in Canterbury
10:37discharged into the Great Stour seven times in 2025.
10:41I contacted Southern Water for a response.
10:44They said they're investing £209 million
10:47to upgrade wastewater treatment works
10:49and reduce nutrients entering rivers,
10:52including within the Stour catchment.
10:54They also added that £88 million
10:56is being spent on storm overflow improvements
10:58in the catchment too.
11:00And testing isn't just looking for sewage.
11:02The Stour can be affected by a range of pollutants.
11:05What we've learned from the event today
11:07is just the incredible range of different kinds of pollution
11:10that you wouldn't think of.
11:11For example, what surprised me,
11:13the levels of caffeine and nicotine
11:16from human activity going into the river
11:19and affecting fish in the same way that they affect human beings.
11:24And it's an incredible toxic mix in the river.
11:27And that's why it's so important
11:29to have this expert scientific knowledge
11:31for how to assess these things
11:33and how to look at where they're coming from
11:36and what to do about it.
11:37With testing continuing,
11:39volunteers hope the data they collect
11:41will help identify pollution sources
11:43and support efforts to improve the Stour's water quality.
11:46Sephora Mamat, the KMTV in Canterbury.
11:50Now it's time for a quick break,
11:52but don't go anywhere
11:53because coming up we have plenty more stories to bring you.
11:56See you in a bit.
12:05See you in a bit.
12:37See you in a bit.
13:06See you in a bit.
13:39See you in a bit.
14:05See you in a bit.
14:36See you in a bit.
14:42See you in a bit.
15:24Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
15:27Through the week we have been following the impact the Folkestone fire has had on residents.
15:32When our residents neighbouring the hotel have finally been able to collect their pets from their homes after fears the
15:37part of the building could collapse.
15:40About 90 people were first evacuated from Pavilion Court on Saturday as the fire took hold at the Grand Burstyn
15:46Hotel.
15:47They have since been placed in temporary accommodation.
15:50While they originally had to leave without their pets including cats, dogs, birds, spiders and even snakes, RSPCA volunteers have
15:57now collected them from the site.
15:59It is still uncertain as to when residents can re-enter their homes.
16:03This Sunday marks World Deaf Day which celebrates deaf communities and promotes the use of sign language.
16:10Because of its usefulness members of deaf charities say schools should teach British Sign Language and raise awareness of inclusion.
16:17We were joined by Lydia from the Kent Deaf Children's Charity to talk about the day's importance earlier.
16:23How do you guys tend to teach sign language?
16:26Is that something that is encouraged at the moment when your community kind of groups and you get everyone together?
16:32So we feel like sign language is really important.
16:36It provides full access to communication and connection.
16:40It is a rich language with its own culture, grammar and history and we do encourage it, yes.
16:49And how important is it to you guys to raise awareness of sign language and some of the challenges that
16:56families face?
16:58It is important because we want to increase deaf awareness.
17:03We want people to understand the importance of full access to communication.
17:10And were you aware of World Deaf Day before we approached you about it?
17:15And if so, kind of how important is that?
17:19Yes, I was aware of World Deaf Day.
17:22It is really important for me on a personal level.
17:25It is a day where we can shine spotlight on deaf people to celebrate their identity, celebrate equality, celebrate inclusion.
17:38And I imagine you know sign language yourself.
17:42Would you be able to demonstrate some to us?
17:44For example, how would I say World Deaf Day?
17:48Sure, yes.
17:49World.
17:51World, okay.
17:54Deaf Day.
17:56Okay, let me have a go.
17:58So, world, is that correct?
18:00Deaf.
18:01Yes.
18:02Deaf.
18:02Deaf.
18:03Deaf.
18:04Day.
18:05Day.
18:07World Deaf.
18:08I've forgotten the last one again.
18:11Day.
18:11Day.
18:12And it must be challenging for someone who has recently become deaf to suddenly learn this entire new language.
18:20How long does it take generally to kind of become fluent in that?
18:25It depends how long, how much effort you're putting in, how much engagement you're having.
18:30You're also learning as you go.
18:32So, you're having conversations with people and through that connection, you'll learn different words, different vocabulary, depending on the situation.
18:44And how far do you think we've come in kind of helping deaf communities?
18:48And what would you like to see, maybe from the government or from more community organisations and how we can
18:54support people?
18:55I do think that we've advanced greatly in terms of deaf awareness.
19:01Technology is improving every single day.
19:03People are understanding the importance for full, accessible communications.
19:08There is lots of inclusivity in schools.
19:14Going forward, I think we'd love to see more BSL incorporated in schools.
19:20More accessible, inclusive events across Kent.
19:25More investment in deaf awareness training for teachers, professionals and the public.
19:31And continued investment in early support for deaf children and their families.
19:36Thank you so much for joining us.
19:39And thank you for teaching me that sign language.
19:41I'll take that away and teach that to the rest of the news team.
19:44You're welcome.
19:46One of Kent's fastest growing businesses has just opened the door to a brand new headquarters.
19:51The founders of Must Have Ideas hosted an opening ceremony which saw Councillor Tristan Osborne attend to cut the ribbon.
19:58The new building is set to boost the growth of the business and help the local community by providing more
20:03jobs.
20:03Our community reporter, Henry Luck, has more.
20:06Must Have Ideas came to life at a table just like this.
20:11Now, it's exploded into a massive new warehouse with Councillor Tristan Osborne cutting the ribbon for its grand opening.
20:21This new site is about the size of five football pitches and lets the company ship more goods than ever
20:28and create more jobs for the community.
20:31Must Have Ideas is about these convenient gadgets that enhance everyday life.
20:37So, what I found here is the book beam.
20:42And what this is, you wear it around your neck, you turn on a light and it lets you read
20:47in the dark.
20:47But of course, there's plenty more products Must Have Ideas provides, from gardening to kitchenware.
20:54The site hosts around 200 employees and is led by entrepreneur Amy Knight.
21:02Even though she's just under 30 years old, she's already won awards such as the Every Woman Entrepreneur and Management
21:12Today's 35 Women Under 35.
21:16Her goal is to inspire young women to bring their business ideas to life.
21:22I'm really, really proud. The team have worked so hard after the last eight years and particularly whilst we've moved
21:28into the new building.
21:30So, it's incredible to be able to show it off and celebrate it today and everything that the team have
21:35achieved.
21:35It's going to allow us to grow, to serve more customers, to launch more products, to employ more people.
21:41Because we just haven't the space to be able to do all of that in every area of the business.
21:46Yeah. So, this is a business that was created in my constituency all the way back in 2018 in the
21:53back room of a house.
21:55And now, it's in a 250,000 square feet factory.
21:58So, this is a story about Britain. It's about the entrepreneurialism, the dynamism of growing a business in the UK.
22:05And it's been a true success story.
22:06So, I'm not only proud it's a Kemp business, I'm proud it's a business that's been created in my constituency
22:11and has settled here and grown here.
22:13With this site looking to grow over the year, who knows what more ideas Amy will have in stock.
22:22Henry Luck for Keane TV in Snodland.
22:26Let's take a look at the weather in the coming days.
22:35This evening, we'll be seeing clouds across the county, hitting 19 degrees in Medway there and a bit cooler towards
22:41the coast.
22:42Going into tomorrow morning, we're seeing some sun again.
22:45I mean, we had a lovely day today, so we expect a little bit of that tomorrow.
22:48It will warm up into the afternoon, but not quite as warm as we had today, unfortunately.
22:5220 degrees in Medway and a little bit cooler by the coast.
22:56For the rest of the weekend, we're taking around 22 degrees on Sunday, 19 on Monday when we will start
23:01work again and 24 degrees on Tuesday.
23:10New drone images show the progress on the Lionesses football training facilities a year after plans were approved.
23:17The Lionesses training ground is underway at Cobb Down Sports Ground in Ditton near Aylesford.
23:23Free academy pitches are being developed with foundations also laid for an indoor swimming pool.
23:28The club hopes it will be operational by October 2027, providing pathways for girls from under-12s to under-21s.
23:37If you've ever wanted to step into the world of your favourite book, now's your chance.
23:42The newest adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility hits our screens today.
23:47And one of the film's main dance scenes was actually filmed here in Kent.
23:52Our reporter Sophie Denny went down to have a sneak peek at the location.
23:56Your sister seems happy.
23:58Yes.
23:59Sucked spirit is all too rare.
24:01Stepping into a world of romance, secrets and unrequited love.
24:06Jane Austen's iconic Sense and Sensibility brought to life here in Kent.
24:12Very, very hectic.
24:13More than 100 crew to up to 150.
24:16There were around 100 extras.
24:19There were dogs involved in it.
24:21There were children involved.
24:22It was a very active, joyous scene that they were filming here, which was this country hop dance.
24:28Cast and crew of the book's latest on-screen adaptation filled Penthurst Place last summer to film one of the
24:35two main dance scenes.
24:37Spending most of the filming days up in the hall's minstrels gallery, Ben watched on as stars including Daisy Edgar
24:44-Jones, who plays Eleanor Dashwood, and George Mackay, playing her love interest Edward Ferrars, dance their way across the Baron's
24:52Hall.
24:53We try very hard to blend into the background, which is difficult when you are a bit starstruck, but they
24:58were all delightful.
24:59And we were very fortunate that only recently Daisy Edgar-Jones did say that one of her favourite scenes to
25:06shoot was actually the hop dance.
25:08During filming, the Baron's Hall was filled with acting royalty, but it's also no stranger to actual royalty.
25:16In fact, King Henry VIII himself owned Penthurst Place in the 1500s.
25:21He came to a big function here himself, hosted by the 3rd Duke of Buckingham, who for his sins had
25:27his head chopped off, and Henry VIII assumed control of the estate for 30 years or so.
25:32It was certainly useful for him, as Anne Boleyn's family lived only four miles down the road at Hever Castle,
25:39so perhaps courtship was at the back of his mind as well.
25:42The hall was built in 1341, a few hundred years before Jane Austen's time.
25:47But Ben says transforming it was a relatively simple task, with the team just removing the hall's armour and pictures,
25:55alongside covering up some more modern additions like plug sockets.
25:59For now, the hall has been restored back to its usual medieval state.
26:04But there just might be some more transformations happening soon.
26:08It's a bit of a watch this space.
26:10There are one or two things in the pipeline that would be lovely if they come off.
26:13But unfortunately, yes, we're bound by a code of silence.
26:16While Ben might be sworn to secrecy on what's next for the hall, the film's release marks the beginning of
26:23a new chapter for a timeless classic.
26:26Sophie Denny for KMTV in Tunbridge.
26:29Well, I don't know about you, but I was gutted to not see Sophie recreate that dance in the ballroom
26:34there.
26:35I think she would have absolutely smashed it.
26:37Anyway, you've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
26:41There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
26:44Don't forget, you can always keep up to date with the latest news from across your county by logging on
26:48to kmtv.co.uk.
26:51You can also keep us on your social timelines on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
26:56Thank you so much for watching.
26:57See you soon.