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00:31Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:35I'm Finn McDermid and here are your top stories on Wednesday, the 18th of June.
00:40A difficult tusk. Twiddle, pensioner, calls on council to give back eight-foot elephant slide.
00:46I mean, the landfills are bad enough. Why put a big lump of fibreglass when it could have stayed here with me?
00:5225 years. We remember the 58 Chinese men and women who died whilst trying to reach the UK.
00:58We must redouble our efforts to make sure that this does not happen again.
01:05And turning the tide, we meet the Team GB underwater hockey player raising money to make it to the World Championship qualifiers.
01:13I'm actually really excited, especially teams like France and South Africa. They're really top rivals, so I'm buzzing.
01:19But first tonight, it's time to talk about the elephant in the room. And I'm, of course, talking about Ellie.
01:36Her adoptive owner from Twiddle wants her back after Medway Council took her to the tip.
01:41The authority says it's an unsafe slide. It was never meant to be in the hands of Trevor Robinson.
01:46But the pensioner disagrees, even if his neighbours thought the elephant was nothing more than a monstrous eyesore.
01:52Well, our local democracy reporter, Olly Leder, went down to her former stomping ground.
01:57It wasn't your usual garden ornament.
02:00An eight-and-a-half-foot fiberglass elephant taken from a Gillingham driveway by Medway Council.
02:10Ellie had been a fixture of the Strand for 30 years.
02:16But when the water slide was found unsafe, one regular convinced the contractors hauling her away to make his home her stomping ground.
02:29That was going to be the crowning glory of all my little toys.
02:32This was going to be the centrepiece.
02:34She was coming here on my lawn and it was going to be...
02:37I was actually going to build a little pond there so you could slide down it into the pond.
02:43But after two months and complaints from neighbours, the council seized the slide,
02:50taking Ellie to the Great Elephant Sanctuary in the sky.
02:54Or in other words, a landfill.
02:56I mean, the landfill was bad enough.
02:59I said, why put a big lump of fiberglass when it could have stayed here with me?
03:03It wasn't a lot to feed it either.
03:06But with children flocking to see the Jubilee-themed oddity,
03:12for the neighbours next door, Ellie becoming a dangerous eyesore
03:16was the elephant in the room, or rather, on the road.
03:21We saw the bits of string tied to bits of old wood, the fact that it was unsafe,
03:27the fact that it could have fallen at any time, the fact that it was dangerous.
03:31I can't believe for a moment that he actually thought that he could leave it there.
03:36I mean, planning, I mean, you have to have planning permission.
03:39We couldn't put a shed up in our front garden, so a six-foot shed.
03:43So how would he be able to put a ten-foot elephant up?
03:47Medway Council says it's unsure of how the slide ended up on Romani Road.
03:54But while an elephant may never forget,
03:57the council and some of the residents probably wish they could.
04:03Olly Leader in Gillingham.
04:05Well, Olly Leader joins me in the studio now.
04:14Now, what more can you tell us about the story?
04:17So, Finn, it's not every day that you get to see one of these things
04:20on the streets of Gillingham.
04:23And that is kind of the point.
04:26Trevor Robinson was never meant to have Ellie in the first place.
04:31You might have seen her, if you've ever been down to the Gillingham Strand,
04:34being part of the Lido for around 30 years.
04:38She's been painted in jubilee colours, NHS caring rainbows,
04:44the sort of things that kind of show the history of the time.
04:48But time ran out on Ellie.
04:51The audit of the Strand, the health and safety audit,
04:54happens every single year, found the elephant to be unsafe.
04:58Medway Norse was told to dispose of it,
05:00but the subcontractor was convinced by Trevor to hand it over to him in four pieces.
05:08And that's where the trouble really began for neighbours in the area.
05:14I see.
05:14And what's next for Ellie and for Trevor?
05:18Well, Ellie is essentially gone to the elephant sanctuary in the sky,
05:22in the semi-package, or in other words, she's gone to the dump.
05:25Trevor does want her back, though.
05:29He said if anything comes of this, he wants her back and to spend the rest of her days with him.
05:37It doesn't seem likely, though.
05:38She caused quite a divisive reaction on Romani Road, where she was based.
05:45Some neighbours thought she was a monstrous eyesore, didn't want her around.
05:49She is huge, an eight-foot elephant slide, and also one considered unsafe by Medway Council.
05:57There's even pictures of her with a safety sign, a dangerous safety sign, wrapped around her.
06:04And there was a concern, actually, that children from the local school would have come flocking to come see her,
06:09and teachers were actually concerned about the potential impacts, a lot of risk associated with that.
06:16But some people were ambivalent, one even liked it.
06:20So, quite a divisive response to a simple slide.
06:23Absolutely, and definitely a rare story we encounter here.
06:26But thank you so much for bringing the details on this, Ollie.
06:29Now, moving on.
06:31A community in Lenham is rallying around families who lost their homes in a devastating fire.
06:37The fire broke out in a utility room on Douglas Road on Sunday,
06:41sparked by an electrical fault and spread to multiple houses.
06:45Nine fire engines and around 55 firefighters raced to the scene to tackle the flames.
06:50Now, they initially brought the fire under control by 3 a.m.,
06:53but hotspots just kept reigniting, and it was finally extinguished by 6.30 the next day.
06:59The Lenham Social Club is now serving as a donation hub,
07:02where neighbours are dropping off supplies to support those affected.
07:07In other news, today marks 25 years since 58 Chinese men and women died
07:12after attempting to reach the Kent coast.
07:14Out of 60 people found in the back of a lorry, only two survived.
07:19Today, it remains one of the worst losses of life linked to human trafficking on British soil.
07:24And Etterley Reynolds has more.
07:26On the 18th of June 2000, 58 Chinese men and women passed away
07:32after suffocating in the back of a lorry during an attempt to reach the UK.
07:37They were found when Dover Custom Officers carried out what was supposed to be a routine check.
07:43When looking in the back of the lorry, they found,
07:45out of 60 people, only two men had survived.
07:49Driver Perry Wacker claimed he did not know what or who he was carrying,
07:55but a jury did not believe him, and he was jailed for 14 years for manslaughter.
07:5925 years later, this tragic incident is not a one-off event.
08:05In recent years, dozens have drowned trying to cross the English Channel.
08:09There's no safety.
08:10It's been provided safe food for them to be able to kind of apply there.
08:15And then, so that's why, like, I feel like the need for humanitarian visas
08:18should be approached that needed the government to deal with it.
08:21Despite being one of the worst losses linked to human trafficking,
08:24it's often forgotten about.
08:27We need to remember them and mark this occasion,
08:32because in the remembering and the marking,
08:35I hope what we're saying is we must redouble our efforts
08:39to make sure that this does not happen again.
08:45The anniversary of the tragedy falls in Refugee Week,
08:48and CEO of Kent Refugee Action Network, Dr. Razia Sharif,
08:53has said with its theme of community as a superpower,
08:57we call on the community to remember those lost in 2000,
09:01and all those lost since.
09:06Well, I'm joined by Etterley Reynolds in the studio now.
09:10And Etterley, talk us through the story.
09:13What more can you tell us?
09:15So, as I mentioned in my package, today, on this exact day,
09:1925 years ago, 58 Chinese men and women unfortunately suffocated
09:23in the airtight container in the back of a lorry.
09:27When carrying a routine check,
09:30Dover Custom Officers came upon the scene,
09:32and out of 60 people, unfortunately, only two survived.
09:36They'd all paid about £20,000
09:38for what they thought was safe passage to the UK.
09:42Most began their journey over in Beijing,
09:44guided by the Stiegerhead gang, an infamous gang.
09:49And it was a criminal network that profits from smuggling people
09:53to wealthier Western countries from poorer Asian countries.
09:57And they had travelled through Europe,
09:59and it was in the Netherlands that they got on the lorry.
10:0360 people crammed into a hot container with very little water.
10:08And it was Dutch driver Perry Wacker had shut the air vent to avoid detection.
10:16And it's this what, unfortunately, caused them to suffocate.
10:19Now, the driver claimed he did not know who or what he was carrying,
10:24but a jury didn't believe him.
10:26He was sentenced to 14 years for manslaughter.
10:29His interpreter and nine others linked to the operation were jailed for what happened.
10:37And the anniversary lands in this week's Refugee Week.
10:40And many are calling on this time to reflect and remember the 58 Chinese men and women that died,
10:46but also those who we've lost since.
10:48Now, this incident of immigrants coming over in unsafe methods is not an isolated incident.
10:55We've seen it a lot with people coming over in dinghies.
10:59And just last year, there was 80 people who drowned crossing the English Channel on these dinghies.
11:08And Dr. Rezaia Sharif, the CEO of Kent Refugee Action Network,
11:13has said the only viable solution is through humanitarian or refugee visas.
11:20I see. Thank you so much for bringing us the details on this, Etterly.
11:24Thank you again.
11:27Apologies at the beginning of that item.
11:29We had the wrong picture up there.
11:31Well, it's now time for a short break.
11:34But coming up after that, we'll speak to a Met Office forecaster
11:37all about the hot weather that's in store for Kent.
11:40And we catch up, as always, with KMTV's health expert, Dr. Julian Spinks,
11:46all about the latest health headlines.
11:48We'll have all that and more after this very short break.
11:52See you in just a few minutes.
18:30Number of rib wound.
18:32In committee.
18:33This is some of the applicants's
18:35entrega düşün baby, any human, how to care?
18:38and other chronic diseases are more likely to suffer from problems.
18:43I see. And what symptoms should someone look out for
18:46if they think they could be experiencing heat stroke or heat exhaustion?
18:51Well, the first thing you're going to notice is you become very thirsty.
18:54You can feel faint. Your temperature starts to go up.
18:58You can sweat profusely.
19:00You can get a rapid heartbeat and palpitations and feeling slightly breathless,
19:04just generally feeling rotten.
19:07That's heat exhaustion.
19:08And the key bit there is to get cool, take clothing off,
19:12take cool drinks to actually cool yourself down.
19:15Heat exhaustion is where you move on to a point where your blood pressure starts to drop.
19:19You get a very rapid heartbeat. You can be faint.
19:21People can start to be confused as well.
19:24And when things are happening that way,
19:25or if you've taken someone and done all the things to try and cool them down,
19:28they're still unwell after half an hour,
19:30that's when you need to speak to the ambulance service or to get some medical advice.
19:35I see. And obviously, with the summer approaching,
19:37many people will be heading to the beach.
19:40Is it enough to be going to the beach, to be in the water?
19:44Is it enough? What more can we do?
19:46People need to be applying their sun cream.
19:48But are there any key things that people are forgetting,
19:51do you think, when they go out to the beach?
19:52Yeah. I mean, the first thing is to say is that between 11 o'clock in the morning
19:55and 3 o'clock in the afternoon,
19:57that's when you get peak heating from the sun.
19:59And so avoiding that time,
20:01and I know that's the middle of the day when you want to have fun at the beach,
20:04keeping plenty of fluids going in,
20:06staying hydrated and cool drinks will actually cool you down.
20:10Absolutely still wear a hat.
20:12That will give you some shade and reduce heating on your head.
20:15The problem with going into the sea is that it can fuel you.
20:18Some bits will be cool,
20:20but the head, which is going to stay above the waves,
20:22can overheat as well.
20:24And don't forget the sunscreen,
20:26because what we don't want is people to get melanomas and so on as a result.
20:30I see.
20:30And for those who maybe aren't visiting the beach,
20:33that might be trying to stay cool indoors,
20:35especially those without air conditioning,
20:37what small things can they do to make sure that they stay nice and cool?
20:40There's some very simple things,
20:41and that is opening your windows overnight when it's cool air,
20:44so you get the air coming in,
20:46closing them when you get to the heat of the day,
20:49drawing the curtains on the side of the house where the sun is beating down
20:52and moving away from those rooms.
20:55So it means shifting around.
20:56Now, the difficulty is,
20:58if you're an elderly person who has only got one room you live in
21:00or you're bed bound and so on,
21:02you don't really have a lot of that choice,
21:04and that's why we would actually ask neighbours to watch out for them
21:09and also to check relatives
21:10to make sure people are not deteriorating.
21:13I see.
21:13And very quickly,
21:15would you have any advice for parents who can,
21:19especially young children during this hot weather,
21:20if there's anything they need to look out for with those young children?
21:22You mentioned that was a particularly vulnerable group.
21:24Yes.
21:25Putting a hat on,
21:26putting a T-shirt on,
21:28lots of sunscreen.
21:29Don't take them out at the wrong time of day
21:31and just put them in the shade as much as you can.
21:34What we want them to do is enjoy themselves,
21:35but not to overheat.
21:37I see.
21:37Amazing.
21:37Well, I think that is all we have time for at the moment, Julian.
21:42But just now,
21:43we'll take a very quick look at the weather where you are,
21:46see if that sunny weather will be hitting you across the county.
21:49You can take some of Dr Julian Spinks' advice.
21:53Difficult to say.
21:54I think the weather's affecting me, Julian.
21:56Yeah, speech problems.
21:57Definitely.
21:58Brilliant.
21:58Let's take a look at that weather now.
21:59Tonight is looking quite calm and definitely warm
22:07with clear skies and temperatures reaching 20 degrees up in Dartford.
22:11Moving into tomorrow morning,
22:13the sun greeting us with temperatures ranging between 20 and 22 degrees.
22:17And in the afternoon,
22:19Maidstone and Dartford hitting highs of 28 degrees
22:21and wind speeds 9 and 11 miles per hour.
22:25Now, let's have a look at your outlook.
22:27Saturdays hitting scorching highs of 30 degrees.
22:30Friday and Sunday bringing highs of 26.
22:33Sunshine expected across all three days.
22:42Now, don't forget you can keep up to date
22:44with all your latest stories across Kent
22:47by logging on to our website.
22:48That's kmtv.co.uk.
22:51There you'll find all our reports,
22:53including this one,
22:54about how the closure of the Tilbury Ferry Service
22:57has affected businesses in Gravesend.
23:00Let's have a look at that story.
23:02The River Thames,
23:03a five-minute crossing by boat,
23:05but since the ferry linking Gravesend and Tilbury
23:08stopped running last year,
23:10those hoping to quickly hop between Kent and Essex
23:13are now faced with a 50-minute drive.
23:16The closure came about after Kent County Council
23:19and Thurrock Council pulled their joint funding,
23:21leaving the operator Jetstream Tours
23:24with no choice but to axe the service.
23:27It's meant businesses such as the Three Doors pub
23:30have been left without many of their regular customers.
23:33We got to know people so well from the other side,
23:36but all of a sudden that's stopped.
23:39There's no way we will see them.
23:40It's a loss of revenue, of course.
23:42You have to sort of adjust generally.
23:45The climate's always changing,
23:47but that was a loss which should never have happened.
23:52Leicester is just one of hundreds in support
23:54of a petition to bring back the Tilbury Ferry,
23:57all set up by Gravesend's MP.
24:00This is really about how we can keep this on the agenda
24:03and really call on all the various businesses
24:06around the Thames Estuary, across the water.
24:09How can we all work together with councils
24:12to really reinstate this Tilbury-Gravesend ferry?
24:15Further into the town,
24:17other traders say the problems are spreading there too.
24:21We've lost all that trade that came from that,
24:23and we're not the only ones.
24:25The High Street, a few of the businesses
24:27from the High Street have actually closed
24:29because they just couldn't sustain it
24:31because there was nobody walking up
24:32and down the High Street anymore.
24:33We do have some that have still continued to come,
24:36but they're telling me they've got four buses to get here.
24:39So there's a few and five between,
24:41and yeah, we definitely need it back.
24:43For decades, the Tilbury Ferry took people
24:46to and from Gravesend from that pier over there,
24:49an easy way to cross the Thames.
24:52Not all hope is lost, though,
24:53because just a few miles down the river that way
24:55and the new Lower Thames Crossing is set to be built,
24:58although it will take a few years
25:00before anybody in this town sees the benefits.
25:02We reached out to both Kent and Thurrock Council
25:05about the future of the ferry service
25:07and were told without joint funding from Thurrock Council,
25:11KCC is currently unable to support the service independently,
25:15but is committed to working with a range of partners
25:17to explore a long-term solution.
25:19Meanwhile, Thurrock Council told us
25:21it's also committed to working with partners
25:23to seek a long-term sustainable funding model.
25:26So with the issue of funding still lost in deep waters,
25:30it seems the Tilbury Ferry's future remains uncertain
25:33and these gates closed.
25:35Bartholomew Hall for KMTV in Gravesend.
25:38Well, clearly a big issue for residents there
25:44and you can follow that story more on Kent Online
25:47and on our various social media.
25:49But before we go, let's have a quick recap of the headlines.
25:54A difficult tusk, Twiddle pensioner, sorry, Twiddle pensioner
25:58calls on council to give back eight-foot elephant slide.
26:0225 years.
26:03We remember the 58 Chinese men and women
26:05who died whilst trying to reach the UK.
26:07And turning the tide,
26:09we meet the underwater hockey pro raising money
26:11to make it to the world championship qualifiers.
26:16I had a lot of fun.
26:17I even had a go at the hockey myself.
26:20It was quite difficult.
26:21And in fact, the most unexpected part about it
26:23was just breathing.
26:25I had to have a snorkel on
26:26and you obviously have to dive below the water
26:27and you can actually watch the full package
26:30also on Invicta Sports.
26:32But like I was saying,
26:32breathing was a big challenge there.
26:34Now it's time for a very quick break.
26:37But coming up, we'll have multiple stories,
26:40including a pensioner, like you saw just there,
26:42who's calling for his 20-foot-long elephant
26:44to be returned to his driveway
26:46after it was taken from him over safety fears.
26:50And a story about the redevelopment of Folkestone Harbour.
26:53All that and more after this very short break.
27:23you say he's going to be rewired,
27:25you're going to be rewired.
27:26Thank you for buying your back.
27:26And I say,
27:28you're going to be rewired.
27:28You just save your back.
27:29You're going to be rewired.
27:30I'm going to be rewired.
27:30I'll be rewired.
27:31You're going to be rewired.
33:01I mean, you have to have planning permission.
33:03We couldn't put a shed up in our front garden, a six-foot shed.
33:07So how would he be able to put a 10-foot elephant up?
33:11Medway Council says it's unsure of how the slide ended up on Romani Road.
33:18But while an elephant may never forget,
33:21the council and some of the residents probably wish they could.
33:27Ollie Leader in Gillingham.
33:31Well, Ollie Leader joins us in the studio now.
33:35And Ollie, what more can you tell us about this very special elephant?
33:39Well, Finn, it's an unusual story.
33:41Not every day you get to see an elephant of quite this size on a Gillingham street.
33:46Eight and a half foot.
33:48It went all the way up the driveway.
33:51And it was even higher than the neighbour's window.
33:54That's probably part of the problem with some of those complaints.
33:59But let's talk about Ellie.
34:00Because this elephant has been knocking around in Medway a fair bit.
34:0630 years, the Medway Council say it's been on the Strand.
34:09I'm not sure if you've been down there recently.
34:11The Lido, a very popular attraction.
34:15A big swimming pool in the open air.
34:18And Ellie's seen it all.
34:19She's been painted in jubilee colours for the NHS during COVID.
34:24She is an elephant that no one really wants to forget.
34:29Well, Trevor in particular.
34:31Because Trevor is a...
34:33He's been to the Strand for like 60 years.
34:35That's what he told us.
34:36So for Ellie, she had a lot of memories for him.
34:40You see him wandering up to her now just before she was carted away by the council.
34:44What he managed to do, basically, the council found that Ellie was not safe anymore.
34:50After 30 years of wear and tear, the annual audit of the Strand Safety found that it was no longer good enough.
34:58She was going to go to the tip.
35:00Medway North was going to take her away.
35:03They got subcontractors to do it.
35:05Trevor managed to convince those subcontractors, that's our understanding, to bring it to his house.
35:12He should never really had this unsafe elephant to begin with.
35:16And it lay on his drive for two months.
35:19And that's what caused such a stir with neighbours.
35:23I mean, absolutely.
35:25Ollie, you're the local democracy reporter.
35:27And all the time, there are stories where there's an issue with neighbours.
35:30I mean, I remember we had a particular story with a dropped curb.
35:34And I think this is definitely a rare one that we've been seeing today.
35:38And as you say, Ellie was at the Strand for many, many years.
35:43And I think it's definitely odd to see her taken from the Strand and put right there in someone's front garden.
35:50Well, I think the story is sort of, I was going to say we'll have more on this as it continues.
35:54But am I right in understanding that she's been fully disposed of?
35:58Look at it.
35:58You can kind of see it's held together with string.
36:01You can kind of see the interior, the rough edges.
36:04That's part of the reason that she was taken away.
36:06She was deemed unsafe.
36:07The council came round.
36:08They took it away.
36:10Neighbours were complaining.
36:10It was an eyesore.
36:12We spoke to several.
36:13They described it as monstrous.
36:15They said, how can you get planning permission?
36:17Trevor wanted to put it in his back garden.
36:19We wanted to get a crane over it, which wasn't going to work.
36:22So it's the end for Ellie, but not the end of Trevor's memories of her.
36:26Yeah, absolutely.
36:27Well, thank you for bringing us this story.
36:30Now, some new plans.
36:32We'll see more than 400 homes built in Folkestone Harbour.
36:36It's been approved months after councillors initially rejected it.
36:40Dozens of businesses will also be built at the popular site.
36:43And this is all despite concerns over affordability and parking.
36:46The revised scheme was narrowly voted through last night.
36:49Well, our reporter Gabriel Morris joined me earlier with more.
36:54Well, our reporter Gabriel Morris joins me in the studio now.
36:57So talk us through this new potentially controversial development for Folkestone.
37:01Well, it's been on the cards for a number of years now.
37:04And last night, that development for Folkestone Harbour and Seafront has been approved.
37:10It's gone for a number of times before.
37:12We're going to see 410 homes, 54 commercial units to be built on the landmark site.
37:18Now, if you're not quite aware where this is, it's on the Folkestone Harbour Arm.
37:22It's where they redeveloped the station.
37:24It's going to be all around that at the moment.
37:26So if you go down to Folkestone this summer, perhaps you're going to go to one of the outside film showings they do there.
37:34Or maybe you're going to have a drink in the outside area.
37:37That's where they're going to build it.
37:38It's where the car park is at the moment.
37:40That's very soon will become a building site.
37:42And they're going to build those hundreds of homes and the 50 commercial units.
37:48Well, this scheme was originally rejected in January by five votes to four.
37:53But last night, it was approved by seven votes to two with two abstentions.
37:59Now, some revisions from that previous plan includes a 50% increase in public parking.
38:03That was one of the big concerns.
38:04And the introduction of a car club to reduce pressure on resident spaces, as parking will be a premium at this site.
38:13I see.
38:13And is there any more details you can tell us at this time about what we might be expecting about this development?
38:18Well, we do know that the development company said they're committed to ensuring that the new parking arrangements include management systems for busy periods.
38:25And the proposed redevelopment would create around seven and a half thousand square meter of commercial space divided between leisure facilities, restaurants, bars and retail outlets.
38:34That comprises of the 54 units, I say.
38:37Now, there is something already there in the moment, the goods yard.
38:40But this is now going to be indoors.
38:41And there will house 14 permanent food stalls and event spaces with flats above the venue.
38:46Now, this sort of is in place at the moment.
38:48You've got the outside cinema, but it can only operate in the summer.
38:51Now, during storms last December, you might remember that traders at the Harbour Arms outdoor Christmas market had to council due to strong winds and downpours that kept visitors away.
39:02But this will be an all year round thing.
39:03So it's going to add some flexibility and improvements to it.
39:06But let's not forget, this has been incredibly controversial.
39:10Councillor Lockwood said he acknowledged some of the improvements last night, but warned the committee couldn't block the buildings due to existing outline planning permission.
39:17Another councillor opposed to plans saying a lack of affordable homes.
39:21Another one criticised the loss of privacy and affordability.
39:25But there was some support, welcoming the heritage focus and economic potential.
39:29But we were speaking last night to a couple of residents who were opposed to this.
39:34Let's take a listen to some of their concerns here.
39:36Some saying they might even move away from the area because of this development.
39:40I think, quite honestly, you've got it.
39:42I think it's a real letdown for the community.
39:46Everyone wants to have a lovely space there.
39:49And this is going to be years of building site, monstrous design.
39:56It's awful.
39:58I think this is a permanent change to the landscape of Folkestone.
40:02I don't think that's necessarily a change for the better.
40:04It is a private housing development, which is not affordable to many people in Folkestone.
40:12And I'm not convinced by the tourist offering.
40:19More could have been done for the tourist offering.
40:21We've got a huge heritage in the harbour area and the potential of that really hasn't been explored and tapped into, which is a great shame.
40:31And finally, any words from the development company?
40:33Well, this is Sir Roger DeHaan.
40:35He's a controversial figure in Folkestone.
40:38He is behind these plans, as I'm sure most are aware.
40:41He's invested millions into regenerating Folkestone since purchasing the harbour back in 2004.
40:46And it has been transformed from what was essentially a derelict site.
40:49And he said, our plans will enhance the spaces that have already been transformed, the fibrancy of the area,
40:54and create an existing legacy project, which will provide a year-round offering.
40:58The lead architect has said their aim is to produce a scheme that has a huge benefit to the town and for those who live and work here.
41:06And a spokesperson last night for the development company said,
41:10we are considering our position following decisions made at Folkestone and Hive's district council's recent planning committee
41:16and provide further updates in due course.
41:20Well, it's now time for a very quick break.
41:23But coming up, we'll be joined by a very special guest to discuss just how to keep your dog safe from the hot weather.
41:30We'll also find out more about a Kent teacher who has qualified for an underwater hockey world championship.
41:36And I'll have a go as well.
41:38And we'll get a sneak peek ahead of a brand new episode of Kent Chronicles.
41:43It's a packed episode.
41:45We're covering stuff all the way from the Magna Carta to the Whitstable celebration,
41:49honouring the life of the actor Peter Cushing, you might know from Star Wars and Doctor Who.
41:53We'll have all that and more after the break.
45:52You're a bit grumpy today.
45:53But Kai, you're going to be telling us all about how we can keep our pets safe during
45:57this summer heat.
45:58So how can we?
45:59Definitely.
46:00So obviously, with the peak of summer hitting us now, the temperatures are reaching nearly
46:0730 degrees.
46:09One of the biggest dangers if you're a pet owner is heat stroke and experiencing heat stroke,
46:16they can experience symptoms like drooling a lot.
46:21She's very excited as we can see.
46:23She's very excited right now.
46:24Is that actually?
46:25Does that come into it?
46:26Does the heat make dogs less or more excitable maybe?
46:29Yes.
46:30So this is a good sign that she's excitable because one of the biggest signs is actually
46:34if your dog is lethargic or weak or if they're not moving much, that can mean they
46:39are suffering from heat stroke.
46:41I think Luna's definitely okay for the moment it seems.
46:44She's very, very excited.
46:45Very much so.
46:46I see.
46:47So what are some ways that we can protect our dogs from overheating if we suspect they
46:52might?
46:53Yes.
46:54So one of the biggest ones that people talk about is not leaving your dog unattended in
46:58a hot car.
46:59And actually some people think it's okay if the windows are down or something like that,
47:03but it's still very dangerous to leave your dog unattended in a car.
47:07So you should never do that.
47:08And some things that you might not think about are things like pavements.
47:13Pavements heat up really quickly in the sun and your dog may have their paws hurt by the
47:21pavements and things like that.
47:23I see.
47:24She's clearly unhappy about something.
47:26Maybe it might be this heat.
47:28But tell us a bit more.
47:29What do we do if we suspect our dog could be experiencing some of this heat stroke?
47:35What can we do to help our pets?
47:37Yes.
47:38Well, very clearly one of the most important things if they're experiencing heat stroke
47:42is to cool them down.
47:44Give them some water.
47:45Make sure it's not ice cold water because that can mess with them.
47:49So just cool water.
47:51Get some wet towels.
47:52Maybe wipe down your dog.
47:54Make sure they're cool.
47:55But obviously dog owners will know their dog best and each dog is different.
48:00Different breeds and different sizes.
48:02If you think something is very wrong with your dog, go to a vet.
48:06Go immediately.
48:07Speak to your vet.
48:08Speak to a professional and get your dog some help.
48:10But just cooling them down and making sure that they're very happy during the summer.
48:15Brilliant.
48:16And hopefully as happy as Luna is here being interviewed.
48:20Well, thank you so much for your time, Kai.
48:23And thank you, Luna.
48:25And she's off.
48:30Brilliant.
48:31And you can check out our socials soon for some outtakes from that particular item.
48:35Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging on to
48:39our website, that's kmtv.co.uk.
48:43There you'll find all our reports, including this one, about a swim in Joss Bay that raised funds for a marine charity
48:49working on coastal restoration here in the UK.
48:52The county's coasts are a vital but fragile ecosystem.
48:56They are threatened by pollution and overfishing.
48:59But here at Joss Bay today, despite being a little bit windy and wet, people are taking a swim to save our seas.
49:06Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Adlington and actor James Norton are amongst the few taking the cold plunge
49:12for Talisker's Wild Blue Swim Challenge.
49:14It's one of those that I've always felt a really deep connection to water.
49:18It doesn't matter what water that is.
49:20I just love the feeling of swimming and being out just in open space.
49:25I just think it's absolutely incredible.
49:27And I think we all, if you live near the coast, we all kind of have a bit more of a connection to it
49:32because they see it.
49:33And the local community here I think are really knowledgeable on the marine life, on the sea.
49:39Whereas actually once you get deeper away into the country, not so many people hear about it and see it and see it firsthand.
49:47So it's important to raise that awareness for everybody around the UK.
49:50Starting at 7am and set to finish at 5pm, the 10-hour relay race is in support of Le Blue Marine Foundation.
49:57The challenge is raising funds for coastal habitat restoration and marks the launch of their new limited edition whisky
50:03which has been released in a 100% recycled glass bottle.
50:07So for every bottle of Talisker the Wild Blue, £3 is donated to the Blue Marine Foundation.
50:14And then we also have the swimmers for every collective kilometre swum, a further £150 is being donated to the Blue Marine Foundation.
50:23And what's amazing is we're already at a total of over £100,000.
50:27The foundation's goal is to have effective protection for at least 30% of the ocean by 2030.
50:33Their recent research shows a global 92% reduction in seagrass meadows and 95% decline in native oyster reefs over the last century.
50:42Huge decline of these keystone habitats. Without these habitats we can't build that sort of base of an ecosystem.
50:50If we continue to lose those habitats at a rate we have been, they'll simply be lost forever.
50:56So the active intervention to restore these habitats now really is key.
51:01And by restoring them we not only provide benefits for nature but also for humans.
51:07These habitats provide a huge number of ecosystem services.
51:10Events like this can continue the foundation's work.
51:13Daisy Page for KMTV in Jost Bay.
51:17Well it's certainly an aquatic Kent tonight.
51:20A Kent teacher from Tunbridge Wells has been selected for Team GB's underwater hockey team
51:25that are heading to the Netherlands this summer.
51:27But since the sport isn't a professional one, she's having to raise her travel funds herself.
51:32I went down to Bromley, that's me right there, where I could have a go as well.
51:36And that's where the team train and I found out more about just how difficult the sport is.
51:40You've heard of synchronised swimming, but this sport feels a bit more like swimming with sharks at feeding time.
51:53Underwater hockey sees six players aside trying to push a heavy puck along the floor of the pool into goals on either side.
52:00Rona is a music teacher in Tunbridge Wells by day, but in the evenings she's a forward for the West Wycombe Underwater Hockey Club and for Team GB.
52:10But despite being selected to represent the country at the Underwater Hockey World Championship qualifiers this August in the Netherlands,
52:17since it isn't a professional sport, she's having to raise money on her own to get there.
52:22It's hard, you know, when you train so much and you represent your country, to have to pay for that is hard.
52:28Because it cancels out some people who might also be able to play but can't afford it.
52:35I'm a forward, so it's always a really aggressive position to play, and I really love that.
52:42So I'm actually really excited, especially teams like France and South Africa, they're really top rivals, so I'm buzzing.
52:49Well, just how tough was it down there at the bottom of the pool?
52:52To find out, I put on my flippers and started my training montage.
52:56Well, now it's time for me to have a go underwater hockey as well, and there's one thing for sure, it'll definitely be sink or swim.
53:03After ten solid minutes of choking on pool water through my snorkel, which according to Rona, is normally what happens, I was ready.
53:22I lined up to kick the skirmish off, and pretty quickly had the puck taken away from me, and we got scored on several times.
53:29It was pretty good exercise and quite fun, but unless I grew gills, I wasn't sure I'd have the lung capacity.
53:35So I was subbed out, and then Rona went back in to show me how it was done.
53:39Well, my skills might not take me to the Netherlands any time soon, unlike Rona, but at least I can walk dignified, knowing that I truly gave it a good go.
53:49Finn McDermid for KMTV.
53:54Well, and finally, coming up right after this, I'm not just a champion swimmer, I'm also particularly interested in history.
54:04And that's our show, Kent Chronicles, your weekly supply of the county's history news.
54:09On the show, we'll learn all about the red-billed chuff.
54:12Now this was extinct here in Kent for 200 years, and it's actually being reintroduced into the county.
54:19We can actually hear a little bit more about the bird now.
54:23We knew they'd been reintroduced to Jersey, and that had been a successful model.
54:28They started the releases in Jersey in 2013, and we thought we should restore them to Kent, essentially because they do have a cultural importance here.
54:40They actually appear on the Canterbury Coat of Arms due to their link with Thomas Beckett.
54:45And they also appear in King Lear, which was based on the White Cliffs at Dover.
54:51And we thought it was important to have the chuff back in its rightful place in Kent, because it's been missing here for 200 years.
55:00And we'll also take a look at some history news from around the country in our History Roundup, which you can watch right now.
55:07Hello and welcome to this week's History Roundup.
55:10First up, today marks 210 years since the Battle of Waterloo.
55:14In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte suffered defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era of European history.
55:22Waterloo Bridge at Betsecoed was built by the civil engineer Thomas Telford.
55:27It was constructed in the same year as the battle, and was only the seventh such bridge to be built.
55:32Next, in 1928, the kill was laid at the Highland and Wolf Company in Belfast for the biggest ship to date, the 1,000-foot, 60,000-tonne Oceanic III.
55:44However, with the advent of the Great Depression, she was never completed.
55:48Her kill was dismantled, and the steel was used in two new, smaller ships, Georgic and Britannic.
55:54Both of these ships entered service in 1930, and were the last liners White Star ever built, the famous shipping line behind the Titanic.
56:021928 also saw Amelia Earhart, along with pilot Wilma Stiltz and co-pilot mechanic Louis Gordon, fly from Newfoundland on the 17th of June to land near Buryport in South Wales on the 18th, thus becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
56:18In 1932, she became the first woman to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic, flying from Newfoundland to Colmore in Northern Ireland.
56:26That's all for this week's History Roundup.
56:31Well, you can catch that on and more on Kent Chronicles right after this.
56:35But for now, you've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
56:39Don't forget, there's still more news as we have it, and I'll see you very shortly just after this short break for Kent Chronicles. Bye-bye.
56:49We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
56:50We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
56:51We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
56:52We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
56:53We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
56:54We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
56:55We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
56:56We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
56:58We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
56:59We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
57:01We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
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57:04We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
57:05We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
57:06We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
57:07We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
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