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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Chloe Brewster.
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00:28Transcription by CastingWords
00:31Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live on KMTV. I'm Chloe Brewster and here are your top stories on Tuesday
00:37the 3rd of November.
00:39Tributes laid for Sheppie Teen who died in a crash.
00:43Shifting gears could an hour of free parking revitalise Dover's High Street.
00:49Running a business in this moment is the hardest it's been all these years.
00:54And finally, setting the bar. Fannet is the only area in Kent that's gained more pubs and bars than it's
01:00lost.
01:01Pubs are where people want to go.
01:15An investigation has been launched after an 18-year-old died following a moped crash in Sheerness on Halloween.
01:21A 16-year-old boy who was a passenger was also seriously injured and remains in a critical condition in
01:27hospital.
01:28Our reporter Maisie Walker visited the flower tribute earlier today, which is just by the leisure centre there where it
01:34happened.
01:35Maisie, what did you find when you went along?
01:37Well, the flower tribute was set up the morning after the incident happened, which was on the 31st of October.
01:43And when I visited the scene today, the tribute had grown considerably.
01:47And as you can see with the footage on the screen now, I counted more than 40 flowers alongside other
01:53things such as balloons, lucasades and lit candles.
01:58And this follows a moped crash in which an 18-year-old man from Sheppie died.
02:04A 16-year-old passenger was also seriously injured and remains in critical condition in the London hospital.
02:10But neither have been named just yet.
02:13Kent police said officers were carrying out a foot patrol near Beach Street and Royal Road close to the leisure
02:19centre shortly before 7.50pm.
02:22As officers approached the moped driver, the vehicle left the area through an alleyway before being involved in a collision.
02:29Officers immediately provided first aid, but the 18-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
02:35So police have now since launched an appeal for information.
02:40And as you say, you were there up close, so you were there at the scene.
02:44Yeah.
02:44What were some of the tributes like?
02:46Well, I visited the scene around 1pm today and where, you know, I found more than 40 flowers.
02:51Most of them with a number of handwritten notes on them.
02:54So one read thinking of all your friends and family, especially your mum at this heartbreaking time.
03:00Another, which some parts have been blurred out to keep out names, said, taken far too young, go and find
03:08your nan and granddad.
03:10You'll forever be loved. Rest in peace.
03:12And alongside this was another that read, rest in peace, our boy, forever going to miss you, my boy.
03:19So it's clear that at the moment there is a lot of grief within the community and with friends and
03:24family.
03:25But obviously more on this as we have it.
03:28Thank you, Maisie, for bringing us that very sad update there.
03:32An arson investigation has been launched after a van fire killed four animals in All Hallows.
03:38New images show several vehicles covered in flames in every way.
03:42Three people were treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation and minor burns.
03:46And four puppies inside one of the vans died.
03:49It's not clear why they had been inside the van at the time.
03:53Now, residents claim two men on e-bikes were seen near the scene at around 12.30am,
03:58who allegedly fled moments after flames erupted.
04:01Police say they're now treating the fire as suspicious.
04:05A man has been arrested after hijacking a Ramsgate fishing boat.
04:10Fisherman Ollie Swift claims the suspect jumped aboard in the early hours,
04:13demanding to be taken to France to collect his family.
04:16He said the 100-tonne vessel was driven around the marina by the suspect,
04:20with its mooring ropes snapped during the incident.
04:23The crew then awoke and took back control of the boat.
04:26A 30-year-old man, a Sudanese national, was arrested in connection with the incident.
04:32A new report has found that hundreds of Kent children are at risk from radicalisation and grooming gangs.
04:38The study has raised questions on whether authorities are identifying risks fast enough to protect vulnerable children.
04:44I spoke to trainee journalist Grace Brooks earlier about the report.
04:48So, thank you for joining me, Grace.
04:50Can you just give a summary of what the report found?
04:53Yeah, of course.
04:53So, the report was submitted to Kent County Council last week,
04:57and it identified 1,143 early-help young people in the year to September 2025.
05:05These young people are with one or more extra-familial risks,
05:09including 82 young people with radicalisation risk and 648 with child sexual exploitation risk.
05:18The report also identified 1,061 older children at risk,
05:24with 505 of those at risk of child sexual exploitation.
05:28Other risks identified by the report include criminal exploitation,
05:33trafficking, gangs and modern slavery.
05:36It's important to note, however, that these numbers show children with risk flags
05:42and not confirmed exploitation incidents.
05:46And what, I guess, what type of children are most at risk?
05:51Yeah, I mean, all children, regardless of gender, social class, religion and nationality,
05:58are vulnerable to these risks.
06:00But special attention should be given to certain groups of young people.
06:04So, the report identified that 15 to 17-year-olds are the most at risk,
06:10and Councillor Anthony Hook has warned that care leavers, especially asylum seekers,
06:16are particularly vulnerable.
06:17What are the council planning to do to kind of help support these children?
06:21Yeah, so Kevin Cassavan, Director of Integrated Services at Kent County Council,
06:27has outlined that the real challenge is identification.
06:30So, unlike other risks, such as physical abuse or neglect,
06:36children impacted by radicalisation and grooming are harder to identify early.
06:43So, there are some risk flags, however, including school absences,
06:49exclusions or children going missing.
06:50And it's all about identifying these risks early and making sure vulnerable children
06:56don't cross this line into criminality.
06:59A statement by Kent County Council says,
07:02Kent County Council's early help service provides preventative support for children,
07:07young people and families from pregnancy until a child turns 18.
07:11Well, thank you so much for joining me, Grace.
07:14The number of Kent police officers who have been barred from the profession
07:18have doubled in the last year.
07:20College of Policing figures revealed 22 officers were let go
07:24between April 1st, 2025 and March of this year.
07:27They include a constable who threatened a colleague
07:30and used a racial slur in Snapchat messages
07:32and another Canterbury-based officer who attempted to form
07:36an inappropriate relationship with a witness.
07:38Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Scott,
07:41head of professional standards at Kent Police,
07:42said the increase represented the force's determination to remove from policing
07:47those whose behaviour falls below the standards expected.
07:52Kent's train services were delayed after a body was found on the tracks in London.
07:57Paramedics pronounced a person dead at the scene at 20 to 9 this morning
08:00near St John's railway station.
08:02Police inquiries into the exact circumstances of the death are currently ongoing.
08:07The incident between Hiver Green and New Cross
08:10saw services from London to Dartford,
08:13Sevenoaks, Tombridge, Hastings,
08:14Ashford and Maidstone, East all disrupted.
08:18All lines are now open, but Southeastern Rail have warned that some services might be delayed
08:23or cancelled.
08:26The worst it's ever been.
08:28That's what one trader said about her cafe in Dover amid rising costs and flagging footfall.
08:34But one reformed Kent County councillor believes he's got the solution.
08:38One hour of free parking for the town's visitors.
08:41But who will pick up the tab?
08:43Our local democracy reporter Megan Shaw has been finding out.
08:47Running a business in this moment is the hardest it's been all these years.
08:52Business owners in Dover struggling to fill seats and asking for the council to split the bill.
09:00But one Kent County councillor believes he's got the solution.
09:03And it starts with an hour of free parking.
09:07The retail environment in Dover town is really struggling.
09:13They would like help with rents.
09:15They would like help with business rates.
09:17The government set business rates.
09:19And landlords set rents.
09:21We have no control over those things.
09:24They want the councillors to do something.
09:25Dover District Council has one lever they can pull.
09:28And that's parking.
09:30Sandra Malo has run the Salvet Cafe for a decade.
09:34And while tables might be full, she tells me it's never been harder to get people through the door.
09:40Customers can have food to pay the high prices of food.
09:44We try to keep lower.
09:46And to keep lower you work harder.
09:48And with the increase of rates and license and BIM collections.
09:56Just down the road, butcher Steve Rother is also finding more difficult to bring home the bacon.
10:03It's hard work.
10:04So the town's struggling.
10:06There's lots of empty buildings.
10:08There's not as many new shops coming into a place.
10:10And although it's good fun running the business in Dover, it's hard working with it.
10:14The council-owned car parks start at £1.80 per hour in Dover.
10:20With both tradespeople agreeing that an hour of free parking would boost their business.
10:26It's easier to just pop into town for a couple of bits rather than going up to the bigger chains
10:31where they've all got free parking.
10:33People have been struggling to park around for cheaper car park.
10:36But such a concession could cost Dover District Council around £700,000.
10:42Yet across the country, local councils are struggling to make ends meet and balance the books.
10:50Is this something that Dover District Council can really afford?
10:55The leader of the council expressed sympathy towards struggling traders.
10:59But ultimately feels Council of the Friends petition would need the council to cut some services to allow this to
11:07happen.
11:07James needs 1,600 signatures for this to be debated at a full council meeting.
11:14And leaving shopkeepers like Steve and Sandra hoping for a solution and running on fumes.
11:22Megan Shaw in Dover.
11:25Now it's time for a quick break, but don't go anywhere because coming up we have plenty more news just
11:31for you.
11:31Including our reporter Justine Larta exploring why Thanet has seen a rise in pubs over the past 15 years.
11:39The only Kent area to gain pubs rather than lose them.
11:43We'll also be taking a look at why residents in West Malling are fighting plans for 230 homes in the
11:50area.
11:51We'll also be joined by Barry from Medway River Lit to discuss the return of the Literature and Poetry Festival.
11:57All that and more after this break. See you soon.
15:19Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
15:23Now, over the years, the South East has seen thousands of its pubs close, but one district has bucked that
15:30trend.
15:31According to the Office for National Statistics, Thanet has seen a rise in pubs of almost 10% in the
15:36last 15 years.
15:37So what makes Thanet unique?
15:39Well, our reporter Justine Lartor went to meet some pub landlords to find out.
15:44The South East has lost just over 17% of its pubs and bars since 2010.
15:50But here in Thanet, it's the only council district in the South East to have seen more pubs open than
15:56close.
15:56But why is that?
15:58What makes Thanet different to everywhere else?
16:00Thorley Taverns, which has been running for over 50 years, has 17 different pubs in Thanet.
16:06Their operations director thinks the rise in pubs is due to a housing boom.
16:11Pubs are where people want to go.
16:13We saw that after COVID.
16:14There was an absolute cork out of a champagne bottle where people wanted to go and socialise.
16:19I think what's happened is that we've had a housing explosion in Thanet.
16:22If you look at the outskirts of Westwood Cross, if you look at Margate and the back of Ramsgate, we've
16:27got a lot of housing.
16:28We've got more people coming to live in Thanet because it's a beautiful place, to be honest.
16:32Businesses like Thorley Taverns have seen the pub industry change over decades.
16:37But what has the experience been like for pubs that have only been trading for a few months?
16:43The Dog and Sparrow in Broadstairs, which specialises in German and Belgian beer, has been open since June.
16:49It's been really good.
16:50The local community are really supportive.
16:53And the area seems to have a thriving tourist business as well.
16:58So the kind of two work hand in hand.
17:00My motto has always been, you know, if you want a suit, you go to Savile Row because that's where
17:05all the tailors are.
17:06And I think lots of places together also attract people.
17:10And over in Margate, an Anglo-Indian bar is providing something different to the usual.
17:15Henry's pub specialises in car scales and it's decked out in vintage decor.
17:20You can feel this pub when you look at the three of us who are running it.
17:26And it's about, it's part of us.
17:30It's personable.
17:31It's like going into our living room or indeed our house, a public house, as they were.
17:37This is our house.
17:39This is what we're interested in.
17:41So what about the next 15 years for pubs in Thanet?
17:44Phil thinks it's essential pubs listen to customer feedback.
17:47Generally speaking, something this size, you have to offer what people want.
17:52So we take feedback off our customers.
17:54They're all very excited about what Paul's going to launch from the kitchen.
17:58And we get asked about 20 times a week when we're going to offer.
18:01So we've got a whole queue waiting for when the kitchen eventually does offer.
18:05Pub owners here are confident Thanet will continue to be a growing hub for pubs in the southeast.
18:11Justine Lata for KMTV in Thanet.
18:14A proposed 230 home development in West Mauling has received backlash from locals as they fear the loss of agricultural
18:23land.
18:24The campaigners have been given a chance to share their opinions on the proposed plan, allowing their voices to be
18:29heard before it is submitted for independent examination.
18:32The plans include a community orchard and an access road.
18:35A spokesperson from Miller Home said the proposed development would be an attractive addition for West Mauling.
18:41But the MP said that they're deeply concerned it poses an environmental threat to the area.
18:47A huge 200-space car park has opened at a former Ashford shopping centre.
18:52It's at the now bulldozed Paul Mark Park Mall shopping centre and will offer 210 spots, including 14 disabled bays
19:01and 10 electric vehicle charging points.
19:03There will be free parking at the site after 3pm from Monday to Saturday and all day on Sundays and
19:11bank holidays.
19:12Ashford Borough Council is eventually planning a residential-led mixed-use development on the land, but granted itself planning commission
19:19for the car park for five years in the meantime.
19:22Now let's take a look at the weather.
19:29This evening we'll see mostly cloudy skies with some clear patches in Margate and Dover, with temperatures mainly at 9
19:35degrees in the county.
19:36Going into tomorrow morning, we'll see temperatures remain largely the same, with partial cloud across the county and high wind
19:41speeds in the east.
19:43Moving to the afternoon, temperatures will rise to highs of 11 degrees in Dover, Margate and Dartford, with a low
19:49of 9 degrees in Royal Tunbridge Wells.
19:50And for your outlook, temperatures will remain steady across the county at 11 degrees, with clear skies on Thursday, full
19:57cloud on Friday and partial cloud on Saturday.
20:08Today is National Sandwich Day and with the popular lunchtime meal sharing a name of a Kent seaside town, it's
20:14only right to market.
20:16And did you know that the first ever sandwich was believed to have been crafted there too?
20:21I visited the town and tried a rendition of the original sandwich earlier in the year.
20:26You can watch back any of our old reports at any time on our website, kmtv.co.uk.
20:33We have plenty of oddly named places in Kent, Noah's Ark, Fong Lane and Tickle Belly Alley to name a
20:39few, but one of the most loved is without a doubt Sandwich in the South East.
20:44And while I can imagine locals may be a tad fed up of the sarni-themed jokes levelled in their
20:49direction, today's event gathered lovers far and wide to the Crispin Inn in the town.
20:55Yes, the Crispin Inn. They were there to taste an authentic sandwich sandwich.
21:03The first ever sandwich was said to have been crafted in 1762 by John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich.
21:10It was said to have been because he wanted to be able to eat without having to use cutlery or
21:14taking a break from his gambling, allegedly.
21:16This way he could eat as he played, using the bread as kind of a two-part edible plate.
21:21But what does that sandwich actually look like?
21:24So there's bread, of course. There's prime steak, beef steak, which is excellent. There's Christmas pudding.
21:34Christmas pudding in a sandwich. But what do Papa Revelers think of it?
21:38It's really good. I was a bit sceptical at first, but it actually really works together.
21:43Unbelievable. Very, very generous.
21:46Christmas is going to look a whole lot different now when I get my Christmas pudding.
21:50So I've just been served up the sandwich. I've taken my first few bites, so I feel like I can
21:55give a decent review so far.
21:57So it's a bit strange, right? So you've got your bread, you've got your beef, you've got your pickle. Very,
22:02very typical.
22:02But then there's like Christmas pudding in it. It might have changed my favourite.
22:06Although the campaign is a marketing stunt, Mayor Emmet says it's done a world of good for the town, with
22:11even the local councillors getting involved.
22:14Before there were BLTs, before there were coronation chickens, there was the first sandwich.
22:20When it was announced to me, I just thought it was a great opportunity to sell sandwich to the wider
22:28community and hopefully instill some more tourism into the town.
22:32It hasn't cost us anything. I think it's all been run by a national company.
22:38We would have been silly not to buy into it. And, you know, we know how this works with social
22:44media.
22:44There's a ripple effect. People will share, people will talk about it, and then people will actually think, let's go
22:49and visit.
22:50Let's have a toast to Sandwich.
22:52To Sandwich!
22:55Chloe Brewster for KMTV in Sandwich.
23:02Medway's Literature Festival returned on Friday of a programme packed full of author talks, poets, workshops and activities.
23:09So we invited organiser and local librarian Barry Fentiman Hall to tell us more.
23:15We realised there was an audience for something that wasn't really being provided in Medway.
23:21We've got 300,000 people out there. I know a lot of them read books because I work in a
23:25library.
23:25You know, we're heading for 50,000 issues just out of Chatham Library this year.
23:30So we know that there's a lot of people out there that would be interested in this stuff.
23:34So we thought, hey, let's try and put it on. Let's talk to the council. Let's see if we can
23:37get some sort of backing there.
23:39And we do work with Medway Council Culture Team and Medway Libraries very closely.
23:44You know, we couldn't do it without them.
23:47And we thought, OK, so, like, you know, we've got to have a very local flavour to it.
23:52But we want to bring some other stuff in as well and just sort of smash them together and see
23:55how that works.
23:56And it does, you know, the first year we were headlined by our very own Billy Childish of world fame,
24:04but also Chatham fame.
24:07Ben Aronovich, who's a major author, he comes every year pretty much now.
24:10And we've also got Natalie Haynes this year, who's a major superstar mythologist.
24:16If the Washington Post has got anything to say about it, that's what they call her.
24:21But we also have a number of local writers on, as I said.
24:25And I mean, Medway is known for its literature in some senses.
24:29Dickens used to live here.
24:31But how important is it for you to kind of bring a bit, I don't know, a variety of flavour
24:35to the literature festival?
24:36Like you say, Romantic Sea and other genres?
24:39We, you know, it would be awful if everything on the festival was just what I liked, particularly, and everyone
24:46looked like me.
24:47That's not what Medway is and it's not what it looks like.
24:50As I say, I work in a public job. I know what this area is.
24:55And, you know, we've got to reflect that. And we want to reflect that.
24:58You know, it's a thing we positively want to do.
25:02It's a festival that is absolutely open to everyone and a safe place for everyone to be.
25:07And we want them to come and enjoy stories.
25:10And if people have listened to our conversation and thought, that sounds like a bit of me, I want to
25:15head down.
25:16How do they find out when the events are and where to go?
25:19Somewhere around. If you have a library anywhere near you, go to your libraries.
25:22Please do go to your libraries.
25:24You'll see one of these brochures. You'll probably find it in Waterstones as well.
25:28This will tell you where everything is happening.
25:30Oh, I can see my face there. Dreadful.
25:33Yeah. But online, yeah, we have got a website, Medway River Lit.
25:37If you just Google that, you will find it.
25:40All tickets can be booked on there free of charge if that's what you need it to be.
25:44We don't believe, particularly with libraries, but with any of our venues, we don't think that in any cultural space
25:49you should necessarily have to pay to get in it.
25:53If you want to see Natalie Haynes and you're unemployed and you can't afford to pay the ticket price that
25:58it would have been anywhere else, maybe, you can go for nothing.
26:03If you can afford it and you want to pay some money for it, you can.
26:06And that's the way we like to price it.
26:08I think it's fairer and I think it's more accessible.
26:11And accessibility is a big deal for us.
26:15We have received some funding this year from Arts Council England to make our events more accessible.
26:20We only operate in fully accessible buildings.
26:23We have had, I mean, we cannot afford it for every event because it's quite an expensive thing.
26:28And it should be because BSL signers are artists.
26:31You know, it's a thing that takes a long time to learn to do.
26:35And we've had a BSL interpreter for the launch and for the play last night.
26:39And it was great to be able to do that.
26:41And it just makes it, it opens the door for more people to come and see it.
26:47You've been watching Kent tonight live on KMTV.
26:50There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
26:52Thank you so much. See you soon.