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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Kristin Hawthorne.
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00:00Transcription by CastingWords
00:30Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV. I'm Kristen Hawthorne and here are your top stories on Friday the 3rd of October.
00:41Archbishop makes history. Dame Sarah Mullally becomes first woman ever to be appointed to lead the Church of England.
00:48I have the privilege to see hope in communities, charities and churches in the Church of England and across the wider Anglican community.
00:58Abuser brought to justice. Serial domestic abuser from Ashford receives sentence today in Canterbury.
01:06And Models for Heroes. Canterbury Model Company partners with Charity to provide opportunities for veterans across Medway.
01:13It's almost like a steam valve releasing all that pressure that's been built up and it does help so much.
01:23First tonight, after almost a year of anticipation, the new Archbishop of Canterbury has been chosen.
01:37And for the first time in the Church of England's history, it's a woman.
01:42Dame Sarah Mullally was officially named as the successor of Justin Welby, who resigned over a safeguarding scandal.
01:48She will become the 106th Archbishop after serving as the Chief Nursing Officer for England and the Bishop of London.
01:56Finn McDermott was at the cathedral earlier and joins me now to discuss this.
02:01So, I mean, like I just said, you were there earlier. What was the atmosphere like as people found out?
02:05Well, it was a very interesting atmosphere. When we actually found out that Dame Sarah Mullally would be the new Archbishop,
02:14we were all in the press room ahead of time because Downing Street comes out with the announcement at around 10 a.m.
02:19And then it's only by 10.30 that you actually go into the cathedral and, as we can see there, you get to meet and hear the address from the Dame.
02:29It was a very interesting atmosphere. The halls are normally quite quiet, but it was sort of a louder atmosphere as the assembled peoples learned more about Sarah,
02:38learned about her policies, how she likes to talk and that sort of thing.
02:43I mean, reportedly, many in the church didn't consider her to be a frontrunner due to her age.
02:48She's 63. And once you get to the age of 70, you have to retire unless you can get a one-year extension by the monarch.
02:54So it was a surprise, I think, to maybe some of the assembled peoples, but those from the church would have known this for some time.
03:03And, I mean, what does it mean for the church? Are there people that disagree?
03:06Well, it's multi-layered. I think the first thing that comes to people's minds is that the last Archbishop, Justin Welby,
03:15resigned over what's been referred to as a damning report into child abuser John Smith.
03:21He said he had to take personal responsibility for what had happened.
03:25Sarah, the Dame did bring this up briefly in her address.
03:31She also talked at length about her own policy and what she wants going forward.
03:34In fact, we can hear a little bit about what she said now.
03:38Given the many struggles of our church and our societies here and around the world,
03:44I am often asked where I see you.
03:48I have the privilege to see hope in communities, chaplains and churches in the Church of England
03:55and across the wider Anglican community.
03:58Thank you so much for joining us, Finn. We will come back to that on Monday.
04:06Now, almost two and a half years after he died, a special headstone has been laid for TV star
04:12and former Adlington resident, Paul O'Grady.
04:15The comedian, broadcaster and drag queen died at his home near Ashford in March of 2023 from a cardiac arrest.
04:25Since then, the 67-year-old's husband, Andre Porsayo, has fought for his husband to be given a headstone
04:32at his grave in St. Romwald's Church in Bonington.
04:35Getting one put up in the Church of England's graveyard where he's buried required special permission from church authorities.
04:43But after a lengthy battle, the final design has now been laid.
04:46The headstone bears the name of his former long-term partner and figurine of his beloved dog, Buster.
04:52And now, a football club has been left counting the cost of a break-in after a forced entry into its clubhouse and storage units.
05:03Rochester United chairman, Matt Hume, says the club is devastated after discovering its ground in Strewd had been ransacked overnight.
05:12He was alerted at around half six this morning when staff arrived to open up
05:16and found a gate padlock on the floor at its stadium in Reid Court Road.
05:20The chairman said they've stolen three of our trimmers, an air blower and even taken money from sweet machines for the kids.
05:28A police spokesperson confirmed the force was called to reports of a burglary and an investigation is now underway.
05:36But next tonight, a 36-year-old man from Ashford was served a sentence in Canterbury Crown Court
05:41following pleading guilty to a number of charges, including engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour
05:47in an intimate or family relationship.
05:50Our reporter, Ronnie Glastal, was there and sent us these details.
05:53Today, 36-year-old Terry Andrews of Beaver Lane in Ashford
05:57with a total of nine counts, including but not limited to
06:01wound or inflict grievous bodily harm without intent,
06:04intentional strangulation,
06:06engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship.
06:11Andrews was served a suspended sentence of 24 months, during which he must complete 200 hours of unpaid work towards his community,
06:1926 sessions of the Building Choices program, 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirements,
06:25and pay a sum of £1,630 in installments of £200 a month.
06:31Andrews was present in the court for proceedings, along with a victim accompanied by her aunt and brother,
06:36as well as a full public gallery.
06:40Early on in proceedings, the court heard from the prosecutor,
06:43reading out at the judge's request,
06:45WhatsApp messages included in evidence reports,
06:47demonstrating the verbal abuse the victim suffered,
06:51including explicit name-calling and accusations of dishonesty.
06:55The court also heard from the victim directly,
06:58reading out a statement in which she closed by saying,
07:00I forgive you, not because you deserve my forgiveness,
07:03but because I deserve peace.
07:05The defense then shared with the court elements of Andrews' personal circumstances,
07:10stating that he is remorseful for the way the relationship went,
07:14that he has been on bail throughout proceedings and now has full-time employment,
07:17a stable home with his mother, who was present in the public gallery,
07:21his two children, and a new partner.
07:25When serving the sentence to Andrews, recorder Amy Nicholson expressed that from character letters read,
07:31it is clear he is someone who prior to this was of good, positive character and that he should be grateful.
07:38So many individuals, knowing full well the charges against him, still wrote in his favour.
07:43Now, dozens of angry dog owners marched to their local council offices to protest new restrictions,
07:50which ban them from letting their pets off their leads.
07:54About 60 residents walked with their dogs from the Lees bandstand to the Civic Centre in Folkestone,
08:00to make their voices heard.
08:01It follows the adoption of a new public spaces protection order,
08:05which extends the number of areas where dogs must be kept on leads.
08:09Campaigners say the move unfairly targets responsible owners
08:13and was pushed through despite limited feedback in the public consultation process.
08:18However, Folkestone and Hyde District Council insists the rules are necessary
08:23to address complaints of uncontrolled animals, particularly near families and near young children as well.
08:31And now, Kent Wildlife Trust is celebrating the birth of a new female calf
08:35in its world-famous Bleen Bison Project, making it the third of its generation.
08:41The Bleen Bison Project, which began three years ago with the help of Wildwood Trust,
08:45was established to boost biodiversity, aid species recovery and restore natural woodland in Canterbury.
08:51Our community reporter, Henry Luck, joins us now with more.
08:56So, Henry, thank you so much for joining us.
08:59To start us off, can you tell us a bit about what the Bleen Project actually is?
09:03Well, as you can imagine, it's all about restoring the habitat of the bison.
09:10And thanks to it, this is the first time in a thousand years where the bison can roam freely
09:17because back in the 20th century, they were constantly hunted.
09:22But now this project is all about restoring this species.
09:27And is that why their population is so low?
09:29I mean, I know it's increasing now, obviously, but is that why it was so low because of the hunting?
09:33I think it was the main reason.
09:35But thankfully now that population's been jumped up to nine.
09:40And the first bison that were born a couple of years ago are now grandparents.
09:47Excellent.
09:48And what have the results been of the project so far?
09:50We've got nine of these, but has it been a success all the way through?
09:54I think it has been a success because bison are needed to help restore the woodland.
10:02So that could be carving bark, creating sunlight, adjust, and also creating dust bath sites for amphibians and infertebrates.
10:13And I mean, we can see the, is this the granddaughter, is it? The grandson?
10:18This is the granddaughter. It's a female, so no doubt that will help with reproduction and ensuring the project continues to be a success.
10:28Yeah, I mean, it's very, very cute.
10:30Was it a surprise pregnancy? Because I believe that there was some in the past, wasn't there?
10:33There was one last year where two were born suddenly, but I think this one has been planned for.
10:40But hopefully there'll be plenty more pleasant surprises along the way for this project.
10:45Hopefully.
10:45And what is being done to protect the bison, and maybe this one in particular?
10:49Well, under UK law, European bisons are considered to be dangerous animals.
10:54So there are some legal requirements that need to be met, such as putting up 26 miles of fencing around them in the woodland,
11:02in their woodland, which is about the size of 70 football pitches.
11:07And there is the issue of footpaths going onto the site.
11:10And that's why bridges have been built, so that the public can admire them from a distance and give the bison more space to grow.
11:18So the message overall is admire them from a distance, but definitely admire them because we haven't had them in a long time.
11:24That's true.
11:25Excellent, Henry.
11:26Well, hopefully in the future we'll be seeing great, great granddaughters and sons.
11:30Hopefully.
11:30And we can follow it and we'll see all the different bisons coming in.
11:34Thanks a lot, Henry.
11:35Thank you for having me.
11:37Okay, time for a quick break coming up now, but we'll be speaking with Megan Quirk,
11:41who we spoke to last Friday about her fundraiser for breast cancer and with Shining Star.
11:47But all that and more after the break.
11:49We'll see you then.
12:05We'll see you then.
17:58There,
18:52important medical appointments. I also am reliant on medication being delivered to me
18:59and haven't received it in the time frame that it should have been delivered in or haven't
19:06received it at all. When Laura does receive her post, it's often
19:10weeks worth of letters at a time. These backlogs can be a matter of life and death.
19:17Not receiving that medication means that, potentially, I would need further medication
19:26administered to me if I was to collapse. Living on my own with a ten-year-old son, that responsibility
19:33falls onto my ten-year-old son to administer that medication to make sure I stay alive
19:39or out of a coma, which a ten-year-old child shouldn't have the responsibility of.
19:45Laura's story is just one of many, with 33 residents across the area submitting a joint
19:51complaint to Royal Mail. Asked for comment, a Royal Mail spokesperson said,
19:56We are aware of service issues in Paddock Wood and apologise to residents affected.
20:01Our team in Tonbridge has been working hard to improve service locally and following a
20:05recent recruitment campaign, our new posties will begin training in the coming weeks.
20:10But for local residents, the Royal Mail's promises are still undelivered.
20:16Alfie Rowe for KMTV in Tonbridge Wells.
20:19And now, at the office today, it was quite dark outside and the rain came along, there was
20:28lots of wind, so I wonder what it's been like for you. So let's take a look at the weather
20:32for the coming days.
20:33This evening, we'll see light rain settling in across the county, continuing into the early
20:43hours of tomorrow morning. Temperatures overnight will remain mild, with lows at around 15 degrees
20:48and by tomorrow, conditions will remain relatively cool, with highs only reaching about 17 degrees.
20:55As we move into the weekend, then, we will see a shift in the weather. The sun will begin to break
21:02through the clouds at times, bringing some sunshine to the county. It will be particularly warm, though.
21:17Well, staying with the weather, Kent residents have been warned about potential risk to life,
21:22as Storm Amy is expected to hit the county over the weekend. Strong winds are expected to arrive
21:27this evening, with an amber warning in place, indicating danger to life, along with power
21:32outages, travel disruption and especially hazardous conditions along the coastal areas. So beware
21:37there, I suppose. Maisie Walker is here now with the latest updates. Maisie, you've been looking
21:42into this all day, really. I mean, when we first heard about the storm. So what's the latest?
21:48I mean, what do we have? Any dangers? Yes. So the Met Office issued the Amber Warnings today for the north
21:56of the UK, as Storm Amy brings very strong winds and heavy rain for the coming days. Right now, the storm
22:04is still currently developing in the Atlantic, and it's said to bring disruptive wet and windy weather for
22:12much of Scotland, Northern Ireland, North West England, and North West Wales from this afternoon
22:18and into Saturday. And so, I mean, from what you've said there, I'm getting the vibe that it's worse up in
22:26Northern Ireland and in Scotland. Are people in Kent at risk? Yeah, so not at this current time. You know, the impact of
22:36storm Amy is expected to reach Kent by the weekend. So there's not really much of a big concern just yet.
22:44Obviously, you can kind of sense of what's to come if you've been out today. It's been very windy with
22:49some scatters of rain. But for tonight, the only thing I'd really recommend is just wearing a coat and
22:55to be careful if you're heading out for this evening, as the wind is going to start to pick up, reaching up to
23:0147 miles per hour at its peak. And there's going to be some light rain as well. But looking ahead,
23:07a yellow weather warning is in place for Kent on Saturday and Sunday, with some minor impacts
23:13expected, like possible travel delays in a few areas. For those at home that aren't really sure
23:21what a yellow weather warning is, it's basically issued when there's expected to be some disruption
23:27to certain areas, specifically with travel. But overall, the impact is likely to be low. So you
23:32can carry on doing your daily routine. OK, fabulous. Well, it might be worse. It'll be it'll be all right
23:39here. Yes. All right. Thank you. And finally, Agora Models, based in Canterbury, has donated
23:45their armor kits to charity models for heroes. The charity encourages veterans to take up a new hobby,
23:51meet others with similar lived experiences and find new meaning and purpose. Our reporter,
23:56Megan Shaw, joined a group in Gillian. What do helicopters, glue and military veterans all have
24:04in common? They can all be found in Models for Heroes sessions, which allows veterans to distract
24:10themselves, focus on something meaningful and find comfort in shared experiences. Founded in 2017,
24:17the charity hosts two sessions in Kent, one in Ginningham and the other in Aylesford, which sees
24:23attendees create and paint their own models. A recent collaboration between the Canterbury-based
24:30Agora Models, a company specialising in museum grade model kits, has donated these to veteran
24:36groups in support of World Mental Health Day next week. Models for Heroes is a support group for
24:43military veterans and emergency personnel. And their group revolves around making models,
24:50assembling model kits and building dioramas. But why models? A study in the British Journal of
24:55Occupational Therapy found creative hobbies boost mental wellbeing and focusing on a personal project
25:02creates a sense of purpose and accomplishment. People get so much out of it. I can't sort of emphasise
25:09that enough. Guys that maybe for the first time have come out and interacted with a group of ex-service
25:21personnel. And it's not long before, as I say, the banter starts. But it's great. It's almost like a
25:31steam valve releasing all that pressure that's been built up. And it does help so much.
25:40And increased wellbeing is not the only benefit on offer here. As you can see here, these are super
25:45fiddly, but they're great for improving dexterity. I'm really struggling here, but these guys are much
25:50better than me. For some, Models for Heroes sessions have been a lifeline. I'm a veteran in the military
25:57of 17 and a half years in the Royal Engineers and I suffer with PTSD and it helps no end. Unfortunately,
26:10I've been to some dark places and I know the benefit of this because, as I said, it pushes all the nasty
26:19thoughts to the back of the mind. As long as places like these continue to offer support for veterans,
26:25the war against loneliness wages on. Megan Shaw for KMTV in Jenningham.
26:33Fantastic report from Megan Shaw there. But now, you've been watching Kent Tonight Live on KMTV,
26:37but there's more news made just for you throughout the evening, so don't miss it.
26:41And we'll be back on Monday at 5.30. See you then. Bye-bye.
26:55Bye-bye.
27:03Bye-bye.
27:15Bye-bye.
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