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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
00:27I'm Finn McDermid and here are your top stories on Tuesday 7th October.
00:31Food banks on the brink. Economic pressures mean their future across Kent is uncertain.
00:36We've always kind of known there might be light at the end of the tunnel.
00:41I think for the first time I'm unsure.
00:44Conference Blues, Gravesham and Medway, Tory councillors jump ship to reform
00:48as party outlines comeback plans.
00:50The trust is gone, okay, the trust is gone.
00:53You just need to knock on a couple of doorsteps on your way out after this interview.
00:56It's very clear, the trust is completely gone.
00:59People don't, they don't want to listen to the Conservatives.
01:02And from pitch to stage, we're at Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre
01:05to speak to the stars of hip football drama, Dear England.
01:08Play does chart his entire tenure as England manager from taking over in 2016
01:13and that's been up until 2024 when he left the post.
01:16But first, in the last hour, Kent police have arrested a man suspected of using a drone
01:32to deliver drugs to inmates at Maidstone Prison.
01:35Back in January, the force found a drone within the grounds of the prison alongside a package
01:39containing items including a large quantity of cannabis.
01:42Police are currently working to find the value of the suspected cocaine,
01:46which was recovered in a raid on an East London address.
01:49Our reporter, Kristen Hawthorne, will have more on the case shortly.
01:52But first, here's footage from the raid.
01:54Police!
01:55Police!
01:56Police!
01:57Just drop it, just drop it.
01:58You go.
01:59Police retainers!
02:00Police retainers!
02:01Right, you're under arrest.
02:02Flick it, yep, flick conveying.
02:04Flick it, flick, inflick, flick?
02:05Flick it, yep, flick conveying, cray-bittted articles into a prison.
02:11You don't have to say anything that may harm Wii defence.
02:17If you want to mention where you question something, where you may have allowed in court.
02:20Anything you do say may be given evidence.
02:22Alright!
02:23Flick it into looing?
02:24Flick it!
02:25Flick it.
02:26Flick it!
02:27Flick it!
02:28Brick it!
02:29Prick it!
02:30Flick it!
02:32Flick it!
02:33Well, Kristen Hawthorne joins us now. What more can you tell us?
02:49Yeah, so you've kind of given us a basic run through there, telling us what's happened.
02:53But for more detail, the police say that a man has been arrested after specialist officers
02:59investigating prison crime linked him to a drone used to deliver drugs to inmates.
03:04The investigation began back in January then, when a drone and a package containing illegal items,
03:11including a large amount of cannabis, were discovered inside the grounds of HMP Maidstone.
03:17Detectives carried out forensic tests and enquiries, and after tracing a suspect,
03:23they visited an address in Paislow, East London on October 2nd.
03:28Just about a week ago from now, really, quite recent, they found 50 wraps
03:33of what's believed to be cocaine and arrested a 27-year-old man.
03:37And in the CCTV footage we can see now, body cam footage rather,
03:41you'll be able to see the wraps that they found in the evidence bag.
03:45And within that bag, that's what's believed to be cocaine.
03:50And there was 50 of those.
03:52He was questioned on suspicion of smuggling items into prison,
03:55possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply, and following the interview,
03:59he's been returned to prison for breaching the terms of his licence from a previous conviction.
04:03I see. We haven't got much time left.
04:05Very briefly, why have they not yet found a value of the drugs?
04:09Well, when I was speaking to the police about this, they told me that it's more than just counting the wraps.
04:15They know that there's 50.
04:17But it's things like the purity, the current street value, and the weight of it all,
04:21and it needs to be analysed by an expert.
04:23But once we find that out, we'll update you.
04:25I see. Thank you so much for bringing us this breaking story, Kristen.
04:30Next tonight, nearly one in eight households in Kent are struggling with hunger.
04:34The stark findings from the latest Trussell Trust report come at a time when food bank operators
04:39across the county say they're at a breaking point.
04:42More than 14 million people in the UK went hungry in the last year because of poverty,
04:46up by almost two and a half million people since 2022.
04:50Alfie Rowe has been to a food bank in Tunbridge Wells to look at the growing crisis.
04:54Bags, packed, and ready to go.
05:01Norwich Food Bank's deliveries have served the community for over a decade.
05:06But their future is far from certain.
05:09Every day, drivers come here to this warehouse and collect these food bags behind me
05:14to deliver to needy residents across Tunbridge and Tunbridge Wells.
05:18However, with the cost of living hitting food banks across Kent hard,
05:21there's concerns whether services like this can continue.
05:25The amount of food going out to customers is going up.
05:28The amount of donations we're getting in is generally going down,
05:31which is probably a sense of what's happening in society at the moment.
05:36The future looks unsure, I think.
05:39I think we've been in the position before where donations have been low, demand has been high,
05:45but we've always kind of known there might be light at the end of the tunnel.
05:50I think for the first time, I'm unsure.
05:53But this is just one part of a larger problem.
05:57According to the charity Trussell Trust, food bank demand is growing across the region,
06:02with one in eight households in the south-east now experiencing food insecurity,
06:06a statistic driven by poverty.
06:09Low income is one of the main drivers as to why people are accessing support from food banks.
06:17It could be individuals or families who are just perhaps who are receiving universal credit,
06:22but for whom universal credit isn't enough.
06:25We're calling for the government to reverse the two-child limit
06:29and also to up-rent renters' allowance in line with the local housing allowance as well,
06:36because we're seeing that as a big factor with increasing rents
06:40for people across the south-east, across Kent in particular.
06:44As for comment, the government said,
06:46we are determined to tackle the unacceptable rise in food bank dependency.
06:50While food bank use went down last year, we want to do more.
06:54In addition to extending free school meals and ensuring the poorest children
06:57don't go hungry in the holidays with £1 billion to reform crisis support,
07:01our Child Poverty Task Force will publish an ambitious strategy later this year.
07:06But keeping the shelves full requires us all to give a helping hand, or a can.
07:11I do believe that if everybody donated something small,
07:15that would keep us going, and other food banks.
07:17Alfie Roy for KMTV in Tunbridge Wells.
07:24And Alfie joins me in the studio now.
07:27So Alfie, there we saw an example of one food bank.
07:30But can you tell us a bit about how widespread this problem is?
07:33Well, Finn, on a national level,
07:3514.1 million people in the UK are currently food insecure.
07:39According to the recent Trussell Trust report, hunger in the UK.
07:42Food insecurity means they are going without or reducing their quality or quantity of food.
07:47And this is normally measured by something known as the Household Food Security Survey module,
07:51which is a common way of doing this.
07:53Now, in this regard, Kent is by no means exempt.
07:56The big finding here is that 12% of households, that's one in eight,
08:00are currently experiencing some form of food insecurity.
08:03And while this is not the worst rate in the UK,
08:06the north tends to have a bit more going on there.
08:08This is definitely not an acceptable level.
08:10And food banks are really feeling the pressure on the ground, as we saw in that report.
08:14I see. And you mentioned your report there.
08:16Here at KMTV, some of our viewers will know that we cover food bank stories quite a lot.
08:21What makes this different?
08:23Well, Finn, we seem to be entering what is somewhat of a perfect storm in this regard,
08:27in terms of the supply and the demand.
08:29On the demand side, the recent economic downturn has pushed more people into poverty.
08:33And with poverty, food insecurity grows.
08:37To give one example, there's been a 56% rise in food parcels given to families with children
08:42in the past five years across the southeast region,
08:45what Trussell Trust called a wake-up call.
08:47On the other side, shrinking budgets means people are a lot less inclined to give food to these food banks.
08:52So they're experiencing competing pressures and are struggling to keep the lights on.
08:56I see. Well, thank you so much for your time, Alfie.
08:58And I'm sure we will return to this story.
09:01Next, the party is over.
09:04That's the claim made by several North Kent councillors who defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK.
09:10It coincides with the Tory party conference,
09:12where senior Conservatives have been laying out plans to bring the party back to power.
09:16One of those who defected is Robbie Lammas, a Medway Conservative,
09:20who was an advisor in the Rishi Sunak government
09:22and a former advisor to the previous Chatham and Aylesford MP, Tracey Crouch.
09:26Our local democracy reporter, Oli Leder, caught up with him earlier to find out why exactly he jumped ship.
09:35As Conservative councillors have been jumping ship to Reform UK.
09:42There was an issue that took place locally where I felt I was not supported in standing up for our flags being flown locally.
09:48One of those who has switched sides is Robbie Lammas, a Medway councillor and former advisor in the Rishi Sunak government.
09:57That there will be some people in Princes Park ward who voted for a Conservative councillor.
10:02And to those people I say I'm truly sorry.
10:04There's nothing I can do to change that.
10:06But I do speak to people. I live in the ward I represent.
10:09I'm part of the community here.
10:11And a lot of people have been encouraging me to go to Reform.
10:14I mean, I've had four people contact me this morning saying,
10:17I'm very encouraged by what you do. I want to do the same. How can I do it?
10:20So potentially the Reform group could become a sizeable opposition force here at Medway Council?
10:25It's possible. However, specifically on Medway Council there are quite a lot of considered seasoned, experienced councillors
10:32who have been in the party for many years and many of which are looking forward to retiring at the end of this term.
10:37So I don't think you'll have that seismic shift on Medway, but I do think you'll see one or two come over before too long.
10:42The move has not gone unnoticed. Conservative group leader George Perfect says that Lammas should reflect
10:49on his own part in the mistakes of the previous government and warning that rather than focusing on themselves,
10:57they should be focused on providing a strong, credible and effective alternative to the Labour Council in Medway.
11:04But none of that takes away from the rise of reform in a traditionally conservative county.
11:11Olly Leader in Medway.
11:14Well, it looks like that's all we have time for, for this part of the show.
11:18But coming up after the break, we'll chat with Kent's own rugby star from West Morning.
11:23That is, of course, Rosie Galligan, who was part of the winning squad of the Women's World Cup rugby game.
11:29And we'll be taking a look at the newest arrival to hit the stage next month
11:33with Dear England playing at the Marlowe in Canterbury as part of its national tour.
11:37And as always here on Kent Tonight, we will bring you all the latest news about the weather,
11:42especially since it's getting colder these days.
11:45Well, I'll see you in just a few minutes.
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16:12tournament and i just felt like i fully could be myself and it was the first place where i felt
16:17like i could be a bigger girl but still fit into a sport so yeah that is definitely where it stemmed
16:23from that's amazing and i think i also read that you had some interest in other sports you mentioned
16:27netball there i also read online you played some hockey and cricket but what was it about rugby
16:32that really got you hooked like i like i just said i think it's the first spot where i fully felt
16:37that my my body type could fit in and i think with netball i was a bit boisterous a bit too pushy
16:43hockey just didn't have that natural um player with a hockey stick but rugby i felt like i could use all
16:48the attributes from different sport like netball with my with my line out skills and then hockey
16:53with that evasion kind of thing and it was just a sport where i fully felt that i fit in and
16:58that family feel that you get through rugby unless you've been in it i don't think you can really
17:02understand but it definitely is like an extended family and that's what's really nice about it
17:06and was that the same sort of feeling at ellsford balls as well i mean you said you spent a lot of
17:10your childhood there was it almost like a second family second bigger family really
17:14yeah for sure i think rugby definitely has that feel um and at ellsford everyone knows each other
17:20um i still go down now and people ask how my dad is and dad is and stuff and he's kind of
17:26the name in terms of the galligan but i think i'm definitely coming for that name
17:30brilliant and um talk to us a bit about your journey from the ellsford balls all the way obviously to
17:35joining up with england under 20s what was that like for you and your development as a player
17:41yeah for me it started at ellsford but my first actual game was my kent county trial i remember
17:47my dad taking me and him saying rosie just catch the ball and run forward but instead i put this
17:52massive kick in and the winger managed to get on the end of it and it made me look quite good
17:57and so it stemmed from there i played kent county i did under 18 like talent development group managed
18:03to get into the under 20s a few years later and and then got capped for england in 2019 because
18:08two of the second rows broke their thumb their fingers in a training session so that first cap
18:13for me although it was absolutely incredible and it was it was a cap that came from um people's
18:20injuries whereas my second cap three years later after quite a terrible time with meningitis and breaking
18:26my ankle that second cap was a lot more special for me yeah you mentioned you broke your ankle you had
18:31meningitis i'm aware you were out for injury so you were sort of you couldn't really play rugby as
18:37you like to do what was it like then for that experience at the world cup final having that
18:42time away i think was it 2022 you came back some i think so yeah 2022 was the year that i kind of came
18:49back um from those into the england squad again yeah so what was it like coming off of that and where
18:56you are now obviously how was that feeling ahead of the game with canada yeah i think like rugby's a
19:02massive journey and you have so many highs and obviously in an england shirt as well i've managed
19:07to win quite a few um grand slams and wxv titles so you you obviously remember the highs but you also
19:14remember the real bad days the real lows that you go through and how much the sacrifices and the hard work
19:20that you've had to put in to get back to the pitch are important and i think in that moment when i was
19:25singing the national anthem seeing all of my family in the crowd um and knowing that i'd made it to a
19:30world cup final again for the second time uh that was just like such a special moment and to come away
19:35with the win like we'd worked so hard the last three years to make sure that we um we came off better
19:41this time around and to be able to do that with a sold out alien stadium at 82 nearly 82 000 was
19:46absolutely phenomenal and it was amazing game and you mentioned the crowd earlier 81 000 and i'd like to
19:52touch on something you mentioned earlier in the interview about how rugby can make you feel more
19:57at home as as you mentioned as a bigger girl do you think that now what the squad is doing what the
20:01red roses are doing going out there and winning is providing that to all those fans in that 80 000
20:05crowd and beyond for sure i think over 5.8 million people watched it on tv let alone the 81 000 also at
20:13the game so hopefully we've shown the nation that you can be whatever shape or size you want to be and
20:18still play rugby there's some big girls out there there's some small girls out there there's some
20:22fast there's some slower everyone's got their own talents and everyone's got their own superpowers
20:27and that is what's so special so if you haven't picked up a rugby ball and you fancy it please do
20:32because i promise you you won't look back amazing thank you so much for your time and for joining us
20:38now don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across kent by logging on to
20:41our website that's kmtv.co.uk there you'll find all our reports including this one about the race for
20:47others at buckmore park that raised thousands of pounds for charity my mom having breast cancer did
20:54to affect us in a big way as a family but the way we dealt with it was just with humor we've made jokes
21:00taking the mickey um it brought us closer together as a family and this really fits in really well with
21:06that that you can still have a laugh while going through things like that and it's nice that you
21:11can turn something so upsetting into something so positive those are the words of megan whose
21:19mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 later being put into remission in 2022 in 2021 though
21:26megan began raising money for a range of cancer charities in kent including breast cancer now and my
21:32shining star to help support others who fight similar battles over those past five years she
21:38has organized races at buckmore park where people dress up and name their teams after symptoms of
21:43cancer both to raise awareness and to create a positive atmosphere for those struggling but she
21:48says that this year's event was the best yet this is the first year that we actually sold out um
21:54completely so we ended up with over 100 people turning up for the event which was more than i expected as
21:59it was um people come dressed up in outfits and everything and it just looked brilliant everyone
22:05was in a good mood really excited um and it just went really well everyone seemed to come away enjoying
22:12themselves so normally at the event we've normally raised between three and four thousand and then we
22:18normally make a little bit extra on top as well um last year we made seven grand in total this year
22:24we're already nearly at the seven thousand mark just from the event alone um so i think we're probably
22:31going to get near the eight thousand mark this year um which will then push the total over the five
22:35years to thirty thousand which is brilliant as my mum always said to me something positive will come
22:41out of something negative so as megan continues to share her message of channeling negativity into
22:47positivity the race to support others is just beginning kristin hawthorne for kmtv now it's time
22:55for the weather tonight we'll see a cloudy evening with the moon visible in parts of the south of the
23:05county temperatures of 14 degrees up in dartford cooling slightly to 12. tomorrow morning some low
23:10wind speeds of six and four miles per hour some sun peeking through the clouds in margate temperatures
23:15rising all around and in the evening highs of 16 degrees in tunbridge wells lows of 15 in margate
23:20more cloudy skies to be expected and here's your outlook for the rest of the week bright sunny skies
23:25on thursday the cloud coming in on friday and some sun re-emerging just in time for the weekend
23:30temperatures dropping to 16 on saturday
23:32and for football fans here in kent watching their local side or the national team can often be filled
23:46with drama and for visitors to canterbury's marlowe theater next month it'll be football that takes
23:51center stage the critically acclaimed play dear england which tells the story of gareth southgate's
23:56tenure as the three lions manager will be coming to the county as part of a national tour maizey walker has
24:01been speaking to the stars of the show and in fact joins me here in the studio so maizey i suppose
24:06tell us a bit about the play what's it all about yeah so it's a fictionalized account of the struggles
24:12and triumphs of the england men's football team and which is coming to the marlowe theater in canterbury
24:19next month um but you know really the play is about more than just a game of football it's about the
24:25pressures of elite sport and how southgate helped to change notions of masculinity on the
24:31england team and the play begins during a time where the world of football has kind of delivered
24:37nothing but a pattern of loss for england and new manager gareth southgate knows he needs to open up
24:43his mind and face up the years of hurt and take his team back up through the ranks and while the
24:50writers first version of dear england actually finished with harry kane missing a penalty against
24:56france at the world cup in 2022 as i'm sure we all remember and he has now updated it to take account
25:02of england's ultimate loss to spain in the final of euro 2024. i see very quickly we don't have much
25:10time the actor who plays gareth southgate an unusual role how did they prepare well i actually spoke to
25:16him earlier well as with any play the the starting point is always the script and what i always go
25:24back to as well but obviously with a character you know as written in the page when it is based on
25:30someone who's in the public eye and is very well known there's a lot of footage of of him so you
25:36know i i could i was able to watch a lot of gareth southgate press conferences of um footage of him sort of
25:45on the touch line of football games or delivering lectures and and yeah sort of try to get a sense
25:52of vocal patterns and and the way that he stands the way he walks the way he talks um and then of
25:59course you've got the other things that sort of get put on top of that like teeth a set of false teeth
26:05and um other bits of makeup and hair and a waistcoat well thank you so much for bringing us all this
26:13interesting news i might have to go down and see it for myself well it looks like that's all we have
26:19time for for this part of the show but coming up we'll of course take a look back at our top stories
26:25we'll be rejoined by our reporter kristen hawthorne to look to tell us more about the breaking story
26:30of a man arrested in relation to delivering drugs via drone into maidstone prison and we'll take a look at
26:37alfie rose report from tunbridge wells on food banks in kent being at a crisis point we'll have all that
26:42and more after this very short break see you in just a few minutes
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30:03Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
30:16I'm Finn McDermott and here is a recap of your top stories on Tuesday 7th October.
30:22Food banks on the brink. Economic pressures mean their future across Kent is uncertain.
30:28Sorry, we have the wrong images there. That's our story we'll be coming to in just a moment.
30:33And here we can see the food banks that are on the brink.
30:36And we'll also be talking about the latest stage play to grace the Marlowe Theatre, all about the England football team.
30:42And in some more news on our top story, Kent police have arrested a man suspected of using a drone to deliver drugs to inmates at a Maidstone prison.
30:55Back in January, the force found a drone within the grounds of the prison alongside a package containing items including a large quantity of cannabis.
31:02Now, the police currently are still investigating exactly how much the cocaine is worth.
31:08They recovered it from a raid on an East London address.
31:11Well, our reporter Kristen Hawthorne will have more on the case shortly.
31:15But first, here's some footage from the raid itself.
31:17Right, you're under arrest.
31:43Look at, yep, conveying pre-abited articles into a prison.
31:47You don't have to say anything, may it harm your defence.
31:50If you don't mention my question, something we should later learn in court.
31:53Everything you did say may be given the evidence, all right?
31:54Well, Kristen Hawthorne joins me now.
32:09Kristen, tell us a bit more about this case.
32:11Yeah, so you have just seen the video there at home of the raid video.
32:17This was body cam footage from one of the policemen.
32:19Now, at the end you saw, basically in the evidence bags, you saw little balls wrapped up.
32:26These are the wraps which is believed to be cocaine.
32:29Now, there was about 50 of those found, as well as a large amount of cannabis.
32:33That was, yeah, that was delivered to the prison.
32:39So, the investigation began back in January when a drone and a package containing illegal items,
32:44including a large amount of cannabis, were discovered inside of the grounds of HMP Maidstone.
32:48Then, later, when they traced the suspect, traced a suspect, sorry,
32:53they went to an address in Paislow, East London, on October 2nd,
32:58where they then found the 50 wraps of what's believed to be cocaine
33:02and arrested a 27-year-old man as well.
33:06I see. And very quickly, what have the police said?
33:08Have they released a statement on this?
33:10So, Detective Inspector Scott Mahan said,
33:15Police-related crime can have serious consequences beyond the prison walls.
33:19Criminal activity behind bars doesn't just affect those inside.
33:22It can fuel violence and prolong criminal networks that pose a threat to our communities.
33:27By targeting those who smuggle contraband into prisons,
33:29we're disrupting organised crime at its roots.
33:32I see. Thank you so much for joining us, Kristen, with this story.
33:36Now, nearly one in eight households in Kent are struggling with hunger.
33:40The stark findings from the latest Trussell Trust report
33:43come at a time when food bank operators across the county say they're at a breaking point.
33:48More than 14 million people went hungry in the UK last year
33:51because of poverty, up by almost two and a half million people since 2022.
33:56Alfie Rowe has been to a food bank in Tunbridge Wells to look at the growing crisis.
34:00Norwich Food Bank's deliveries have served the community for over a decade.
34:11But their future is far from certain.
34:15Every day, drivers come here to this warehouse and collect these food bags behind me
34:19to deliver to needy residents across Tunbridge and Tunbridge Wells.
34:23However, with the cost of living hitting food banks across Kent hard,
34:27there's concerns whether services like this can continue.
34:30The amount of food going out to customers is going up.
34:34The amount of donations we're getting in is generally going down,
34:37which is probably a sense of what's happening in society at the moment.
34:41The future looks unsure, I think.
34:44I think we've been in the position before where donations have been low, demand has been high,
34:50but we've always kind of known there might be light at the end of the tunnel.
34:55I think for the first time, I'm unsure.
34:58But this is just one part of a larger problem.
35:03According to the charity Trussell Trust, food bank demand is growing across the region,
35:08with one in eight households in the south-east now experiencing food insecurity,
35:12a statistic driven by poverty.
35:15Low income is one of the main drivers as to why people are accessing support from food banks.
35:22So it could be individuals or families who are just perhaps who are receiving universal credit,
35:28but for whom universal credit isn't enough.
35:31We're calling for the government to reverse the two-child limit
35:35and also to up-rent renters' allowance in line with the local housing allowance as well,
35:42because we're seeing that as a big factor with increasing rents for people across the south-east,
35:48across Kent in particular.
35:50As for comment, the government said,
35:52We are determined to tackle the unacceptable rise in food bank dependency.
35:56While food bank use went down last year, we want to do more.
36:00In addition to extending free school meals and ensuring the poorest children don't go hungry
36:03in the holidays with £1 billion to reform crisis support,
36:07our Child Poverty Task Force will publish an ambitious strategy later this year.
36:11But keeping the shelves full requires us all to give a helping hand.
36:15Or a can.
36:16I do believe that if everybody donated something small, that would keep us going.
36:22And other food banks.
36:23Alfie Rowe for KMTV in Tunbridge Wells.
36:26Well, Alfie Rowe joins me now.
36:32Alfie, we've reported on food banks in the past.
36:35What would you say makes this one different?
36:37We've reached something of a perfect storm in terms of supply and demand when it comes to food banks.
36:43On the supply side, we've had a recent economic downturn, which has increased poverty.
36:48And as we saw in that piece, that's the number one reason leading to this rise in food banks.
36:53Just to give one stance on this, there's been a 56% rise in food parcels given to families with children
36:59across the southeast region in the past five years, something Trusted Trust called a major wake-up call.
37:05On the supply side, we have shrinking budgets all across the board.
37:08The cost of living has hit everyone.
37:10And for this reason, people are less inclined to give to food banks.
37:14The result?
37:15Food banks are struggling on the ground daily, as we saw in that report.
37:18Definitely some startling numbers there.
37:20What can be done to resolve this?
37:23It's tricky because food bank dependency reflects deep-seated economic issues which don't have simple answers.
37:30I did reach out to Kent County Council on this issue to comment, but they declined, saying they don't run food banks
37:36and they're not responsible for managing the government's benefit system, so they didn't feel well-placed to do so.
37:41I did also reach out to the national government, as we saw there, but a lot of their plan hinges on a delayed child poverty task force strategy.
37:49But this strategy was delayed and was meant to be in the spring.
37:52However, there's been some ideas floated, perhaps scrapping the two-child benefit cap and increasing renter's allowance,
37:58as was mentioned by the Trust of Trust representative in that report.
38:01But we will just have to wait and see until the final poverty strategy is released to find out what they really will do.
38:07I see. Thank you for bringing us the details on this story.
38:10Next, the party is over.
38:12That's the claim made by several North Kent councillors who have defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK.
38:18It coincides with the Tory party conference, where senior Conservatives have been laying out plans to bring the party back to power.
38:24One of those who defected is Robbie Lammas, a Medway Conservative who was an advisor in the Rishi Sunak government
38:30and a former advisor to the previous Chatham and Aylesford MP, Tracey Crouch.
38:36Now, our local democracy reporter, Ollie Leder, has been covering this story and caught up with him earlier to find out exactly why he jumped ship.
38:44Let's have a look at that story now.
38:48As Conservative councillors have been jumping ship to Reform UK.
38:56There was an issue that took place locally where I felt I was not supported in standing up for our flags being flown locally.
39:02One of those who has switched sides is Robbie Lammas, a Medway councillor and former advisor in the Rishi Sunak government.
39:11But there will be some people in Princes Park Ward who voted for a Conservative councillor.
39:16And to those people I say I'm truly sorry.
39:19There's nothing I can do to change that.
39:20But I do speak to people.
39:22I live in the ward I represent.
39:24I'm part of the community here.
39:26And a lot of people have been encouraging me to go to Reform.
39:29I mean, I've had four people contact me this morning saying, I'm very encouraged by what you do.
39:33I want to do the same.
39:34How can I do it?
39:35So, potentially, the reform group could become a sizeable opposition force here at Medway Council?
39:40It's possible.
39:42However, specifically on Medway Council, there are quite a lot of considered seasoned, experienced councillors who have been in the party for many years.
39:49And many of which are looking forward to retiring at the end of this term.
39:52So, I don't think you'll have that seismic shift on Medway.
39:55But I do think you'll see one or two come over before too long.
39:57The move has not gone unnoticed.
40:00Conservative group leader George Perfect says that Lannas should reflect on his own part in the mistakes of the previous government.
40:08And warning that rather than focusing on themselves, they should be focused on providing a strong, credible and effective alternative to the Labour Council in Medway.
40:19But none of that takes away from the rise of reform in a traditionally conservative county.
40:25Olly Lieder in Medway.
40:30And quickly, before we go, the music icon Madonna paid a visit to Kent this weekend, seeing several art galleries.
40:37Maybe she's not a material girl that we might thought she was.
40:41The star checked out the Carl Friedman Gallery and Tracy Eamon's TKE Studios in Margate.
40:48Artist Jose Campos said Madonna came to visit me at my studio yesterday.
40:52I couldn't believe it. Such an amazing experience.
40:56Now, some of our viewers might know she has visited the county before at a Seven Oaks School Music Festival.
41:02She also appeared at Radio 1's Big Weekend at Mote Park in Maidstone.
41:06That was all the way back in 2008.
41:09Well, it looks like that's all the time we have, but just for this part of the show.
41:15Coming up after the break, we'll be speaking with Kent's Fire and Rescue to see how we can be safe as we enter the colder months.
41:22Whether it's lighting candles, fireworks, bonfires, we'll go through all the safety tips to make sure you're staying warm and safe.
41:29We'll also be taking a look at the newest arrival to hit the stage next month with the Dear England play playing at Marlowe in Canterbury.
41:37That's part of its national tour.
41:40We'll also be hearing a little bit from the actor who plays Gareth Southgate.
41:43Quite an unusual role.
41:45That's all we have time for. I'll see you in just a few minutes.
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46:13Yeah, well-organised ones where all the right safety measures are in place to keep people as safe as they can be.
46:19I see.
46:20And what should people do?
46:21Especially we see a lot of fireworks around this time.
46:23How can people make sure they're practising that fun safely?
46:26I think there's information on our website that people can go to, but I think if you're buying them, obviously from an accredited supplier as well.
46:34Is that a concern?
46:35Do you ever have people who maybe get into accidents or incidents because they've used maybe bootleg or not official fireworks?
46:44No, I think we're quite fortunate.
46:46We don't see that kind of injury as we once used to.
46:49So it's more about let's keep people on that kind of safe pathway as such.
46:55So if things are nice and safe, let's keep doing that.
46:58Keep attending those programmed events and keep people really as safe as they can be.
47:03I see.
47:04And going to indoors for a moment, people might be using more electric devices, heaters, blankets, especially as we get into the coldest season.
47:12How can people make sure that they're staying safe indoors as well as outdoors?
47:16Yeah, I think it's that time of year when it gets a bit cold, people reach for the electric blanket and we'd say before using it, have to check for any wear and tear, see if there's any damage at all.
47:26And if there is, yeah, please don't use that.
47:28And also, I guess it's the time where the electric heaters come out as well.
47:32So again, check those before use.
47:34Don't put them near any flammable materials at all.
47:37And also when they're not in use here, please turn them off.
47:40And then I guess as it gets colder and lighting, there is a requirement to sometimes use candles.
47:45So we'd recommend electric candles, but if you do and are going to light candles, make sure they're in a nice proper holder, not on top of a flammable surface.
47:53And again, please don't ever leave them unattended.
47:56I see. And as we get into this colder season, are there ever any concerns with people using too many of these electric devices and potentially short circuiting their fuse box or anything like that?
48:06I think the kind of the safe adage would be one socket and just one plug that's nice and safe.
48:12I guess also there's a bit of open fires.
48:15We always recommend they're swept every year and also swept if they're not being used for a long time.
48:20So it's against all the nice safety bits of advice.
48:24Help people live as safely as possible in their home, especially as we are drawn into the winter months.
48:30Absolutely. And I know myself when when I'm driving during the winter months, you can get a lot more fog on your windscreen and the roads can become a bit slicker.
48:38Do you have any advice for anyone who might be making long distances over this period just to make sure that they're driving safely as well?
48:44Yeah, I think the first one for me is that do you really need to make that journey? Is it that important?
48:49And if you do, is your car roadworthy? Are your lights so clear? Are they all working? Do you know the route?
48:56In case of a breakdown, have you got the safety bits in your car, which could be lighting, some warm clothes, high-vis vest?
49:02Is your mobile phone charged? Have you got a charger?
49:05And you're absolutely right, where the conditions change, you might just think about increasing your stopping distances and planning your route.
49:11So beware of those temperatures, the icy conditions and adjust your driving accordingly.
49:18Last from me, I read on the Fire and Rescue website that you've mentioned that this can be a time where those who might be a bit more isolated, a bit more vulnerable, need our attention and just to be checked up on.
49:31Is that something that you advise, even though it's not specifically fire safety related? Can you tell us a bit about that?
49:36Oh, no, that's a really, really good point where if someone knows of someone that they know they live alone or perhaps elderly, when the weather changes and people are kind of kept indoors more, there's that increased isolation.
49:48So if people can check on a neighbour or someone that lives alone, are they as safe as they can be? Have they got smoke detectors? Have they tested them?
49:56Is there anything they can do to help that person feel safer in the home and less isolated? So, yeah, absolutely recommend that.
50:02It's all about looking after the people within the community.
50:05Now, don't forget, you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
50:12There, you'll find all our reports, including this one, about Thanet District Council's decision to back out of auctioning a section of Piedmont Park.
50:20In the centre of Broadstairs lies Piedmont Park, nestled between the High Street and the Town Hall.
50:27At just over 12,000 square metres, it has been the focus of discussion and dispute over the last few months.
50:34Thanet District Council, just last month, had their own planning application to create four properties rejected and just last night had further plans to the park shelved.
50:44Well, the council have got a depot which has been unused for several years now and they wanted to sell it off.
50:52They need to sell assets to raise money. The trouble with this asset here is that it hasn't got its own access.
50:58So what they did was they put up part of our park as part of the access road, which is completely, you know, not right.
51:04The intention here was to auction this land off, but that would also include the stretch of pavement accessing the depot.
51:11This raised the concern of campaigners and councillors who thought the access road would be at risk of being developed, disrupt wildlife or cost a small stretch of Precious Park.
51:22Just behind me is the abandoned council depot that last night, Thanet District Council voted to decide not to sell.
51:30As an environmentalist, we're always trying to protect the environment and Thanet has some of the lowest tree coverage in the whole country at between four and five percent. So every tree needs protection.
51:43The Facebook group, Friends of Piermont Park, has been a focal point of community rallying.
51:49I guess I was sort of influential in helping to bring everybody together and, you know, we designed some posters and we ran around and we talked to people and we put stuff out on social media and we wrote to all the councillors.
51:59And, yeah, that's me.
52:02A spokesperson from Thanet District Council confirmed the Cabinet's verdict with the decision subject to call in.
52:09Putting the depot on the disposal list does not mean, however, that the council intend to do so, but opens the possibility in the future.
52:18For campaigners, they are adamant the battle is not over.
52:22As it is still possible the depot could be disposed of in the future, the sights are set on what kind of facility the depot could become.
52:30I'd like it to come to the town council. The town council are the natural residents, representatives to own that. And I'd like it to be used by the community.
52:41Megan Shaw for KMTV in Broadstairs.
52:45It's now time to take a look at the weather.
52:52Tonight, we'll see a cloudy evening with the moon visible in parts of the south of the county, temperatures of 14 degrees up in Dartford.
53:00Then into tomorrow morning, we will have some slower wind speeds, four and six miles per hour, temperatures of 14 and 13.
53:07Then into tomorrow afternoon, 16 for most of the county, unless you're in Canterbury and Margate, more cloudy skies.
53:14And here's your outlook for the rest of your week. Bright sunny skies on Thursday, the cloud coming in on Friday,
53:19and some sun re-emerging just in time for the weekend, temperatures dropping to 16.
53:30Now for football fans here in Kent, watching their local side or the national team can often be filled with drama.
53:36And for visitors to Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre next month, it will be football that takes centre stage.
53:42The critically acclaimed play, Dear England, tells the story of Gareth Southgate's tenure as the Three Lions manager.
53:48It'll be coming to the county as part of its national tour.
53:51Maisie Walker has been speaking to the stars of the show and joined me in the studio now.
53:56So I suppose my first question, we know it's about England football, but what exactly is the play about? How does it take place?
54:02Right, yes. So it's a fictionalised account of the struggles and triumphs of the England men's football team,
54:09which is coming to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury next month.
54:13But the play is about more than just the game of football.
54:17It's about the pressures of elite sport and how Southgate actually helped to change notions of masculinity on the England team.
54:25The play begins during a time when, well, the football kind of delivered nothing but a pattern of loss for England.
54:32And the new manager, Gareth Southgate, knows he needs to open up his mind and face the years of hurt to take his team back up through the ranks.
54:41But what's quite interesting is that while the writer's first version of Dear England finished with Harry Kane missing a penalty against France at the World Cup in 2022.
54:54But since he's now updated it to take account of England's ultimate loss to Spain in the final of the Euros in 2024.
55:02I see. And playing Gareth Southgate is a bit of an unusual role. How exactly does an actor prepare for that?
55:09Well, I did speak to the actor earlier.
55:11Well, as with any play, the starting point is always the script and what I always go back to as well.
55:19But obviously with a character, you know, as written in the page, when it is based on someone who's in the public eye and is very well known, there's a lot of footage of him.
55:30So, you know, I could I was able to watch a lot of Gareth Southgate press conferences, footage of him sort of on the touch line of football games or delivering lectures.
55:43And and yeah, sort of try to get a sense of vocal patterns and the way that he stands, the way he walks, the way he talks.
55:52And then, of course, you've got the other things that sort of get put on top of that, like teeth instead of false teeth and other bits of makeup and hair and a waistcoat.
56:04Well, thank you so much for bringing us this news from the side of the stage.
56:08You've been watching Kent tonight live here on KMTV.
56:13There is, of course, more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
56:16And don't forget, you can always keep up to date with the latest news across your county by logging on to KMTV.co.uk.
56:23You can also keep us on your social timelines by liking our Facebook and following us on TikTok.
56:28And if you have a story that you think we should be covering, then please don't hesitate to get in touch.
56:33We also have a series of special programmes in Victor Sport based in Kent and Kent Film Club, which you can watch on our website.
56:39But from me for now, good night.
56:41Good night.
56:42Good night.
56:46Transcription by CastingWords
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