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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Kristin Hawthorne.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
00:27I'm Kristen Hawthorne and here are your top stories on Wednesday the 15th of October.
00:33Light at the end of the pier, toll money could bring back Gravesend-Tillerbury ferry crossing.
00:38Of course we want to make sure that the lower Thames crossing benefits people in Gravesham,
00:43I know that it will.
00:45Prices on the rise, new figures reveal Medway house prices have increased almost five times
00:50more than the rest of the South East.
00:52This is as a result of us not meeting our housing targets for new builds.
00:57It's also a result of us not having a local plan in place.
01:01And home and mostly away, football fan and fundraiser walking to every stadium arrives at Gillingham.
01:07I'm on day 74, here at Gillingham is ground 71, I think it's 1,600 miles.
01:14Our top story tonight, toll cash for the new lower Thames crossing could bring back the beloved Gravesend-Tillbury ferry.
01:29The service, which boasted more than 100,000 journeys a year, ended in spring 2024 after Thunock council pulled its funding.
01:39The chancellor who's been visiting the Dartford crossing told local democracy reporter Olly Leder that she wasn't ruling out its return.
01:46Here's Olly's report.
01:47Here's Olly's report.
01:48An empty pier stretching off into the Thames.
01:51A quiet reminder that this was once a bustling connection point for ferry services between Gravesend and Tilbury.
02:01The ferry service has been out of action since the spring of last year after Thurrock council pulled its funding.
02:10Essex-based Clive Robertson was one of the regular users of the ferry.
02:16He says it's never been harder to see his friends on this side of the river.
02:23We are upset and put out.
02:25I've travelled round this morning on a bus.
02:28Probably took me about the best part of one and a half hours because you have to change buses two or three times.
02:33It was so convenient, so, so convenient for people, whether you did use it three times a year or three times a week.
02:40But there is renewed hope that the Lower Thames crossing designed to ease Dartford congestion and create another transport link across the river could be the answer.
02:52With Gravesend MP Dr Lauren Sullivan spearheading a campaign for toll money on the upcoming infrastructure project to be used to secure the long term future of the service.
03:05It really needs to deliver for our local economy, our local people.
03:12We've got businesses around the area that have people that work for them that are going across all the time using this crossing now because they can't use a ferry crossing.
03:22Dr Sullivan has floated the proposal with the Treasury and while there was no commitment to bringing back the ferry,
03:30when we caught up with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, she didn't rule it out.
03:35Of course, we want to make sure that the Lower Thames crossing benefits people in Gravesham.
03:40I know that it will and I know that that investment into the local area will have benefits.
03:45We'll work through the details both with Lauren but also the local council and local people.
03:50But we want this project to work for the people who are hosting the infrastructure and that's people in Gravesham.
03:55The proposal is still early days. The £10 billion crossing isn't expected to wrap construction until 2034 with all details still under consideration.
04:10So currently we're putting together those plans as to how you could take a toll from the crossing and then put it into private finance.
04:18That's got a couple more years to run, probably till 2028.
04:21So lots of thoughts and we need to make sure it's a sort of community focused, local.
04:27But for businesses struggling with lower footfall, that wait is still too long.
04:33Jan Savva manages Duelist Creations.
04:38He said they considered closing the business after ferry services ceased operating.
04:45I worry every year when we renew the contract and everything, you think about it twice.
04:50It's not popular anymore. Before it was quite busy. Now it's quiet.
04:56You can realise something is wrong.
04:58Work is ongoing to find prospective operators and get the ferry back up and running.
05:03But despite positive signals from on high that progress is being made, for many, it's still far too slow.
05:12Olly Leader in Gravesend.
05:15And just before we went live this evening, I spoke with Dr MP Lauren Sullivan about this further.
05:22Dr Lauren Sullivan, thanks so much for joining us this evening.
05:25How committed do you think the Chancellor and the government is in restoring the ferry?
05:30So what we when I spoke with Rachel Reeves earlier this week, she knew and she spoke about how the impacts of the lower terms crossing and the potential benefits that will come from this hugely significant infrastructure project need to be led by the people of Graysham.
05:51Many thousands of people have got in touch with me about the restoring this Gravesend Tilbury ferry service.
05:57And it's really now about how we can all work together to ensure that that service starts again.
06:02If you were to put a percentage on it, what is the likelihood of you think the ferry service coming back?
06:07Would it be 50 50 or 60 40?
06:09I am always an optimist, so I would definitely go on a glass half full side of things, but I am I'm more confident and more hopeful than I think I've been in a while.
06:23It's a case of look, if we can get the long term funding commitment from a small amount like one penny in the pound of the tolls to supporting Tilbury ferry service when it when the low terms crossing is open.
06:39That in, you know, seven or eight years time, if we can get a small amount of that locked in, that would be give such confidence to local businesses that and local councils that they can step in for this little bit until then.
06:53So in order to see that the ferry service is sustainable.
06:57So I am very hopeful, I'm optimistic, but I know that there's still some work to do and I need to work and bring together businesses as well as councils to really see how we can reinvest in the Tilbury Gravesend ferry.
07:10And if it was to come back and which it sounds like it likely might, how much might would it cost for the set up and run?
07:17So that is that's in debate at the moment.
07:21So the private businesses that have spoken to me that operate ferry businesses say that it's not financially viable without some public kind of subsidy, depending on how much public subsidy we can we can find and offer together will depend on the level of service.
07:41Now, we know that the Thames Clipper ferry service is is looking to do a service from Gravesend to London on a regular service.
07:51We know that the trials have been really successful in Gravesham.
07:54And so is there a way that we can add into that link into that, but also, you know, find find that money.
08:02So it will depend on how frequent that ferry service is.
08:06I'd obviously like to see it how it was before.
08:09But equally, you know, what what can we start with?
08:15In Medway have skyrocketed compared to the rest of the southeast.
08:22That's according to data released from the Office for National Statistics.
08:26While the average price rise in the region has been 1.2% in the past year, in Medway that figure is at 5%.
08:33It comes as Medway Council aims to build more than 1,600 homes per year to reach their 2041 target.
08:40We've been getting the thoughts from Medway residents about the local property ladder.
08:45For youngsters nowadays, they just can't afford to get onto the property ladder.
08:50You need a certain amount of deposit.
08:53You've got lots of new houses going up.
08:57But London's social for people that can afford.
09:02Rent prices are just astronomical.
09:05Sounds dreadful.
09:07It might not affect me so much, but our children within the next couple of years
09:11might be starting to look for a home in this area.
09:14So, yeah, I don't fancy their chances.
09:16More social housing, maybe.
09:19Like pricing.
09:21Affordable pricing for houses.
09:24Like youngsters that want to get onto the property ladder to try and help them.
09:28Like some banks they do.
09:31Like different schemes.
09:34But it's just not enough.
09:36They're all stretched.
09:37I think everyone would acknowledge that.
09:38But I think there does need to be additional support for people who
09:43can't afford to live in their own homes at the moment.
09:46And, you know, for opportunities to be present to them,
09:49they will have to have additional support.
09:51Well, you've already seen that Daisy's joined me now.
09:54So, you're here to tell us a little bit more.
09:56So, to start us off, what is Medway's plan to get those struggling onto the property ladder?
10:01Yeah.
10:02So, as mentioned earlier, the Medway Council has a target of building over 24,000 homes by
10:082041.
10:09And this is over 1,600 homes per year.
10:13The development locations have been proposed in three different areas.
10:17So, 40% new homes planned for regeneration and waterfront sites in urban areas.
10:23Around 30% will be developed in rural areas, particularly near villages and near the Hu
10:29Peninsula.
10:30And another 30% will be built on suburban locations as well.
10:34The council have a Medway development company, which they are using to regenerate urban brownfield
10:39sites.
10:40And this next to us here is an example of this.
10:43And opposite this as well, they are currently building new homes from what was an empty building.
10:49But this site here is what they're saying people are already residing in there and living in there.
10:55But Medway Council also have a pledge to increase social housing for its housing strategy, which
11:00are aiming for 2030, where they aim to increase council-owned affordable homes and to help meet
11:05the demands that are rising.
11:08And why, I mean, what does Medway Council say about that price increase?
11:13Well, as we'll just go over the figures again.
11:16So, across South East, its housing prices have increased the last year 1.2%.
11:21But here in Medway, in the last year, they've increased 5%.
11:24Now, I spoke with the portfolio cabinet holder earlier this week about this.
11:30And she spoke to us about the OneMedway plan.
11:33And obviously, they haven't had a local plan for many, many years.
11:37And these all proposed sites are going through.
11:39So, when I was speaking to her about that, she mentioned that.
11:42But she mentioned it's important that we have housing for everyone, because a lot of people
11:47that already may have housing here in Medway might be happy for the increase, because increase
11:52in value, no worries.
11:53We'll cut you off.
11:54We'll have more after this break.
11:55We'll cut you off.
11:56We'll cut you off.
11:57We'll have more after this break.
11:58All right.
12:00Bye.
12:01Everyone went through.
12:02I'll see you in the next couple of recents.
12:04We'll put you on a topic.
12:05Okay.
12:07Bye.
12:08We'll be there for next days to this week.
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15:17Now, a man in Dartford who pushed a woman down the stairs
15:20and punched another during a rampage at a party
15:22to mark his release from prison is back behind bars.
15:26Shane Doyle had only been out of custody for a short time
15:29when he attended a gathering in Lundale Road
15:32on the town's fleet estate.
15:35Kent police were called to the property at around half eight
15:37in the evening on the 8th of February
15:40after Doyle had assaulted two women and a man
15:43before kicking and spitting at officers responding to the incident.
15:47Kent police have today released this footage of the arrest.
15:52Right, further arrested for assaulting a man from Tamerka.
15:55Time is 20.48.
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16:27Next, footage has been released showing the moment police stopped
16:31far-right activist Tommy Robinson at the Folkestone Eurotunnel terminal.
16:36The 42-year-old, who was charged under his real name, Stephen Yackley-Lennon,
16:40is standing trial at Westminster Magistrates Court for refusing to give the pin
16:45for his mobile phone to officers during the stop.
16:47He has pleaded not guilty.
16:50Robinson said he was driving his silver Bentaya to the Spanish tourist hotspot
16:54of Benidorm when he was stopped by officers.
16:57Police were suspicious of what they called his vague replies about what he was doing
17:01and demanded access to his iPhone under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, the court heard.
17:07The act gives police the power to stop anyone passing through a UK port to determine whether
17:13they may be involved in acts of terrorism.
17:16But now, here's Etli Reynold with all your sporting headlines.
17:27First up, Hythetown manager Ira Jackson has ruled out a playing return after hanging up his boots.
17:37The 28-year-old said the reason he's decided to stop is because he realised he didn't want it anymore.
17:43He revealed he wasn't happy with what he was seeing on the pitch after four successive defeats.
17:49He went on to say that he no longer has the spark to play.
17:52Jackson was speaking after a Kent Senior Trophy home defeat by Sutton Athletic on Saturday.
17:59The cannons were described as their own worst enemy and Jackson believes some of the side
18:03aren't ready for the level.
18:05He said a few choice words were given to the boys after the game and changes will be made
18:09because there's lots of performances that haven't improved.
18:13Hyth are in the Southern County's East Premier Division at Beersted on Tuesday at 7.45.
18:18And continuing with football, Dover Athletic manager Jake LaBelle said players who haven't
18:25had much game time stood up and made themselves known in their one-all draw with Horsham.
18:31Forwards Ruben Soares Jr. and Francis Manpolo have been out injured and Roman Charles Cook
18:36was on international duty with Granada.
18:39LaBelle said it couldn't have been a worse time to pick up a few injuries, but it proved
18:43the depth in the squad.
18:44He added that the Horsham result was probably fair and that it showed their togetherness.
18:50And looking at rugby, Gravesend lost with the last play of the game with a 26-24 defeat
18:56against Brighton in Regional 2 South East.
18:59The match was in the Kent side's favour as they were leading 24-7, but the lack of discipline
19:05gave Brighton the chance to bounce back.
19:08At first, the home side were struggling and it took them 25 minutes to score their first try.
19:12In response, Gravesend's Josh Barnes crossed the try line.
19:16As the second half started, Gravesend scored three unanswered tries.
19:21Brighton then scored their fourth try when the Kent side were down to 14 men and fly-half
19:25George Bruce suffered an injury.
19:27Following this, the side received a yellow card and Brighton were able to secure the win.
19:32Gravesend are now in sixth and will play at home this Saturday against Sutton and Epson.
19:36That's all your sports headlines for today.
19:47Now, keeping with sport, football fans have been known to travel far and wide to support their club.
19:53But Gillingham's hosted a fan on quite the adventure.
19:57Xavier Wiggins is hoping to become the first person to walk all 92 professional football clubs
20:02in just 92 days.
20:05Priestfield Stadium marked his 71st stadium on his journey, which has seen him walk more than 1,600 miles,
20:12all to shine a light on the community work that football clubs do.
20:15Then McDermott went down to Priestfield to find out more.
20:17How much do you love the beautiful game?
20:21Enough to walk 1,600 miles, the equivalent of 61 marathons every day for more than two months?
20:27No, me neither.
20:28But that's what one football fan, Xavier Wiggins, is doing,
20:31walking across the country to each of the 92 professional stadiums in 92 days.
20:36And if he succeeds, he'll be the first in history to complete the challenge,
20:39and he's just arrived at Priestfield, making it his 71st stadium,
20:43all to highlight the work that football clubs do for their community.
20:45I'm on day 74, here at Gillingham is ground 71,
20:51I think it's 1,600 miles, about three and a half million steps,
20:58and I'm doing it specifically to shine a light on the good stuff that football is doing,
21:04because they're not bankrolled by the football clubs,
21:06whether it's the Manchester United Foundation or Gillingham,
21:09they're not bankrolled, they're standalone charities,
21:11and they need the support of the community,
21:13because they're supporting that community as well.
21:16If I were to go up to a random football fan on the street and ask them,
21:19how is your club doing at the moment,
21:20they might tell me about the growing injury list,
21:22their concerns with the new manager,
21:24or maybe last Saturday's result away.
21:26But what Gilles and Xavier are keen to change
21:29is they want people to be more aware of the charity and community efforts
21:32that their clubs are doing off the pitch.
21:34There's community programmes going on,
21:36and that's working with a variety of different entities around the community.
21:41As Xavier mentioned, whether that's kids' football,
21:43where we want to create a lasting habit of enjoying physical activity
21:47and have a lifelong association with the national game,
21:50whether it's in schools encouraging positive behaviour
21:53and fulfilling their potential through the educational routes,
21:56or it can be a real positive impact on bringing communities together
21:59that need a bit of support with actual mental health
22:02or various other challenges in their life,
22:04and football can bring those people together.
22:06The Gillingham Foundation are still in the process of applying for charity status,
22:10but are focusing on their community efforts,
22:12including holding a yearly grassroots youth football tournament at Priestfield.
22:16Xavier's got 21 football clubs left to go after the Gilles,
22:19and so far he's raised more than £13,000 towards his £20,000 goal,
22:24all going to football-based charities.
22:26He'll be ending his walk at Plymouth's Holm Park,
22:28which would make him the first to visit the 92 stadiums in 92 days.
22:32Finn McDermott for KMTV in Gillingham.
22:39Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all our latest stories across Kemp
22:43by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
22:46There you'll find all the reports, including this one,
22:49where we hear from volunteers from Nourish Food Banks in Tunbridge Wells
22:53as demand for support increases while they face a decrease in donations.
23:01Bags, packed and ready to go.
23:05Nourish Food Banks deliveries have served the community for over a decade,
23:09but their future is far from certain.
23:13Every day, drivers come here to this warehouse
23:15and collect these food bags behind me
23:17to deliver to needy residents across Tunbridge and Tunbridge Wells.
23:21However, with the cost of living hitting food banks across Kent hard,
23:25there's concerns whether services like this can continue.
23:28The amount of food going out to customers is going up.
23:32The amount of donations we're getting in is generally going down,
23:35which is probably a sense of what's happening in society at the moment.
23:39The future looks unsure, I think.
23:42I think we've been in the position before where donations have been low,
23:47demand has been high, but we've always kind of known there might be light at the end of the tunnel.
23:53I think for the first time, I'm unsure.
23:56But this is just one part of a larger problem.
24:01According to the charity Trussell Trust, food bank demand is growing across the region,
24:06with one in eight households in the south-east now experiencing food insecurity,
24:10a statistic driven by poverty.
24:12Low income is one of the main drivers as to why people are accessing support from food banks.
24:20It could be individuals or families who are just perhaps who are receiving universal credit,
24:26but for whom universal credit isn't enough.
24:29We're calling for the government to reverse the two-child limit
24:33and also to up-rent renters' allowance in line with the local housing allowance as well,
24:40because we're seeing that as a big factor with increasing rents
24:44for people across the south-east, across the Kent in particular.
24:48As for comment, the government said,
24:50we are determined to tackle the unacceptable rise in food bank dependency.
24:54While food bank use went down last year, we want to do more.
24:58In addition to extending free school meals
24:59and ensuring the poorest children don't go hungry in the holidays
25:02with one billion pounds to reform crisis support,
25:05our Child Poverty Task Force will publish an ambitious strategy later this year.
25:09But keeping the shelves full requires us all to give a helping hand, or a can.
25:15I do believe that if everybody donated something small,
25:18that would keep us going, and other food banks.
25:21Alfie Rowe for KMTV in Tunbridge Wells.
25:24Now, just before we go, let's take a quick look at the weather forecast.
25:38The chillies start for the most of Kent this evening,
25:41with wind speeds of up to 19 miles per hour through Medway.
25:44Into tomorrow morning then, we've got 13 in Dover,
25:4811 up in Dartford, and then wind speeds of 5 and 8.
25:52Then, tomorrow afternoon, we've got 15 degrees all over,
25:56apart from 14 degrees in Royal Tunbridge Wells.
25:59And then, on Friday, we've got 14 degrees, cloudy skies,
26:0315 degrees on Saturday, partly cloudy skies,
26:05and then some rain and 15 degrees on Sunday.
26:16Well, it's time for a quick break now,
26:18but coming up, we will take another look at our top stories.
26:22With the Gravesend to Tilbury Crossing, possibly on the cards,
26:25his Ali leader had the report,
26:27and spoke to Chancellor Rachel Reeves
26:29and Gravesend MP Dr Lauren Sullivan.
26:32We'll also be hearing from neighbouring MP Jim Dixon for Dartford
26:36and Tunbridge MP Tom Tugendhat,
26:38who have both been speaking in Prime Minister's questions earlier on.
26:42And as temperatures continue to chill,
26:45we'll have a member of the Royal Society
26:47for the Prevention of Accidents joining us to talk about it.
26:49All that and more after the break.
26:51We'll see you then.
32:37You.
32:41for them that are going across all the time uh using this crossing now because they can't use
32:46a ferry crossing dr sullivan has floated the proposal with the treasury and while there was
32:52no commitment to bringing back the ferry when we caught up with the chancellor of the exchequer
32:59she didn't rule it out of course we want to make sure that the lower thames crossing benefits
33:04people in uh gravesham i know that it will and i know that that investment into the local area will
33:10have benefits we'll work through the details both with lauren but also the local council and local
33:15people but we want this project to work for the people who are hosting the infrastructure and
33:19that's people in in graveship the proposal is still early days the 10 billion pound crossing isn't
33:27expected to wrap construction until 2034 with all details still under consideration so currently
33:36we're putting together those plans as to how you could take a toll from it from the crossing and
33:42then put it into private finance that's got a couple more years to run probably till 2028 so
33:48lots of um thoughts and we need to make sure it's a sort of community focused local but for businesses
33:54struggling with lower footfall that wait is still too long jan saver manages julis creations he said they
34:04considered closing the business after ferry services ceased operating i worry every year when we renew the
34:12contract and everything you think about it twice it's not popular anymore before it was quite busy and now
34:19it's quiet you can realize something's wrong work is ongoing to find prospective operators and get the ferry back up and running but
34:28despite positive signals from on high that progress is being made for many it's still far too slow
34:37ollie leader in gravesend tonight dartford mp jim dixon said he is hopeful that the spending that
34:46the funding in the spending review will finally fix damage to galley hill road in swanscombe the one
34:51billion pound development scheme announced earlier this year is aimed to tackle deteriorating roads bridges and
34:57other public infrastructure but mr dixon says galley hill road has yet to reap the benefits of the
35:03transport structure fund the road collapsed in 2023 and has caused ongoing disruption for the local
35:09community speaking in prime minister's questions he also took aim at the conservative opposition for
35:14misspelling britain in their recent annual party conference thank you mr speaker this government is
35:22renewing britain's for the benefit of the leader of the opposition that's b r i t
35:36this government is renewing britain's infrastructure after 14 years of neglect and nowhere is this more
35:42clearly needed than in the a 226 galley hill road in swansuper in my constituency which collapsed more than two
35:50years ago with no fix in sight. Would the Prime Minister agree with me that the announcement
35:56of the Transport Structures Fund in the spending review shows that under this Government we
36:01are ending the Conservative decline and getting on with fixing broken roads like Galley Hill?
36:06The Prime Minister is right. The party opposite let roads crumble after years of
36:10uninvestment. We are building infrastructure that working people rely on. That is £1 billion
36:16to repair bridges tunnels and flyovers across the country and £92 billion in major road
36:21and rail upgrades. Mr Speaker we're rebuilding Britain. They can't even spell it.
36:26Also speaking in Prime Minister's questions was Tunbridge MP Tom Tugendhat who confronted the
36:34Prime Minister on the collapsed Chinese spy prosecution. The case involved allegations
36:39that a British parliamentary researcher had passed information to Beijing but the trial
36:45fell apart amid complaints amid claims of political interference. Former Security Minister Tugendhat
36:51questioned whether ministers or officials had influenced the decision to prosecute. Claims
36:56the Prime Minister denied. The lines that we've heard from the Government in recent days have
37:02been a conflation of fabricated stories trying to set up straw men and knock down things that
37:09have not been said. The real question in this whole debate is whether or not the DPP charged legally and properly.
37:19If they did then the OSA is valid and all this talk about the National Security Act that I introduced
37:25is completely irrelevant. If they did not why is he not charging his successor with abuse of power?
37:31Well we know the reality Mr Speaker because although he has answered the question about evidence
37:37the real question is what political direction did this Government give to their officials before they went to give evidence?
37:47Absolutely none. Absolutely none. I will also tell him this. I was the Chief Prosecutor for five years. I can say in that five years, which included three years of
38:01the Coalition Government, when we were taking difficult decisions on MPs expenses, not once, not once was I subjected to political pressure of any sort from anyone. That is the tradition in this country. It's a proud tradition. It's one I uphold as Prime Minister, just as I upheld it when I was Director of Public Prosecution.
38:21Next, as temperatures drop across Kent, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has warned people to be careful when using hot water bottles.
38:29It comes during National Burn Awareness Week, with the number of serious burns related to the use of hot water bottles doubling since 2019.
38:38So joining me today to tell us more is the Society's Head of Policy, Adrian Simpson.
38:43Adrian, thank you so much for joining us this evening.
38:46It's National Burn Awareness Day and the Royal Society has reported that the number of burns related to water bottles has raised by 11% between 2023 and 2024.
38:58Why is this and is it quite a big concern?
39:01Oh, it's absolutely a massive concern. As the temperatures are dropping, we are going into our cupboards now and getting out these hot water bottles.
39:08And sometimes we're not actually looking to see how old they are. At the Royal Society of Prevention of Accidents, we've been very keen on educating the public around how they can tell how old their hot water bottle is.
39:18Because as you say, the numbers of accidents have actually increased or actually doubled over the last five years.
39:25So we're seeing more and more of them every single year. So we're really advising the public to do is actually have a look and see how old your hot water bottle is.
39:33There is actually a way you can do that by looking at the neck, what is called the Daisy Wheel.
39:39So it's actually a little one here that I've got in front of me here. So for example, we might be able to see it, but it's there.
39:45And what it actually says, it actually says the year it was manufactured. It also says the month and actually even the week as well.
39:50So you can actually tell how old it is. So perhaps if it's been in your cupboard a while, you're taking out the first time, take a look, see how old it is.
39:57And if it looks like it's past its best days, throw it away and get another one.
40:03If people maybe have quite an old water bottle that maybe that's rubbed off or the top of it's came off, how can people maybe tell that they need to replace it?
40:10Well, you look at it and you'll see things like signs of wear, you'll see that perhaps the cap doesn't fit on it quite as well as it used to.
40:18You can take a look at it, it looks a bit tatty, but the best way definitely is the Daisy Wheel on there.
40:22And they actually are quite difficult to rub down, so they do last quite a long time, the Daisy Wheel's on there.
40:28So you will get to tell for quite some time.
40:30I mean, sometimes we see some that are 20, 30 years old.
40:33Sometimes they get handed down from generation to generation.
40:36They sometimes a bit of an heirloom sometimes.
40:39So it really is important that you do check to see how old it is.
40:43And also check it every time you use it.
40:45Whenever I top mine up, I always make sure that it doesn't look like it's worn down, that it looks like it's in a good condition.
40:51It's certainly something I don't want to explode in during the middle of the night.
40:55And are we supposed to put boiling water in our hot water bottles or is it just hot water?
41:00We recommend that you, once you've boiled the water, is to leave it for a bit of time,
41:05between maybe sort of five to ten minutes to ensure that the water has actually cooled down.
41:09Because a lot of time injuries are caused by the steam rising or sometimes it will be the water bubbling back up.
41:16So if you pour it in too quickly sometimes, especially with very hot water, it will just spew out the top of it.
41:21And that can lead to some pretty serious burns.
41:23Yeah.
41:24Sometimes people might recommend sort of holding the nozzle sideways and filling it up that way.
41:29Yes.
41:30Definitely not.
41:31We always say hold it up like that.
41:33It's a straight up.
41:34And then just pour it in.
41:35So nice and slowly.
41:36And definitely don't do it straight away, straight after the water is boiled.
41:39Let it cool down first.
41:41Okay, fabulous.
41:42Very interesting.
41:43Thank you so much, Adrian.
41:46That's all we have for this part of the show, but we'll have plenty more after this short break.
41:50We'll see you then.
41:51Bye-bye.
42:11Bye-bye.
42:12Bye.
42:41Bye.
42:42Bye.
43:11Bye.
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45:13Hello, and welcome back to the final part of the show on Kent Tonight on KMTV.
45:18Now, house prices in Medway have skyrocketed compared to the rest of the South East.
45:23That's according to data released from the Office for National Statistics.
45:27While the average price rise in the region has been 1.2% in the past year, in Medway that figure is at 5%.
45:34It comes as Medway Council aims to build more than 1,600 homes per year to reach their 2041 target.
45:41We've been getting the thoughts from Medway residents about the local property ladder.
45:46For youngsters nowadays, they just can't afford to get onto the property ladder.
45:52You need a certain amount of deposit.
45:55You've got lots of new houses going up, but none social for people that can afford.
46:03Rent prices are just astronomical.
46:07Sounds dreadful.
46:08It might not affect me so much, but our children within the next couple of years might be starting to look for a home in this area.
46:15So, yeah, I don't fancy their chances.
46:18More social housing maybe, like pricing, affordable pricing for houses.
46:25Like youngsters that want to get onto the property ladder to try and help them.
46:30Like some banks they do, like different schemes.
46:36It's just not enough.
46:37They're all stretched.
46:38I think everyone would acknowledge that.
46:40But I think there does need to be additional support for people who can't afford to live in their own homes at the moment.
46:47And, you know, for opportunities to be present to them, they will have to have additional support.
46:53Now, multi-million pound redevelopment plans for Herne Bay have been accelerated with Canterbury City Council now submitted new application documents.
47:02Financial constraints meant the plans had to be redesigned earlier this year, but the new paper's application will revamp the derelict Travoli amusements into six flats with commercial ground floor space.
47:15If accepted, the scheme could unlock a government grant of more than half a million pounds for replacing the old arcade before March of 2026.
47:25But now, for Bake Off fans, a spoiler warning, so make sure you turn away for a few seconds.
47:32Ainsford very own Leslie Holloway has unfortunately become the latest name to leave the tent.
47:38The 59-year-old hairdresser had a tough week in the show's first ever Morine Week.
47:43It was close for the Kent resident, but her wedding-themed French ice cream cake was not appreciated by judge and fellow Kent resident Paul Hollywood.
47:52But now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all our latest stories across Kent by logging onto our website kmtv.co.uk.
48:00There you'll find all the reports, including this one, about Boki, the first European brown bear to ever undergo life-saving brain surgery and his miraculous recovery a year later.
48:13It isn't every day you celebrate one year after having brain surgery, and Boki the bear made no bones about commemorating.
48:21It's right here where Boki the bear has lived for almost two years, and thanks to life-saving brain surgery, he has the chance to live many more.
48:29Young Boki, who is almost four years old, was the first European brown bear to undergo brain surgery after frequent seizures revealed he had a condition that filled his brain with spinal fluid.
48:41One year on, he has made a miraculous full recovery, and his keepers are amazed the trailblazing operation went so smoothly.
48:50This is massive for us and for Boki, so this is a year on since he had pioneering brain surgery to treat his hydrocephalus, and he was the first brown bear to ever be diagnosed with hydrocephalus, and he was the first brown bear to ever have brain surgery.
49:03So to get him recovered from all of that, and to go a full year on from that is absolutely amazing, and he's doing so well right now.
49:11He's happy, he's healthy, he's back to himself, he's climbing trees, he's swimming, he's playing with the other bears, he's digging, he's doing everything he's supposed to be.
49:19And how did he celebrate? With a cake, made of sweet potatoes, seeds, nuts and dog biscuits, which went down a treat.
49:28Boki is preparing to enter Torpo, a lighter form of hibernation, for the second time in his short life, and has gained weight in preparation, all signs of a healthy bear.
49:39Boki was taken in by the Wildwood Trust after his family rejected him, but quickly found a home in Kent, with the two other bears that live there.
49:48Brothers Scruff and Fluff. Although the surgery itself was novel, treating and caring for sick animals is something the Wildwood Trust is no stranger to.
49:58In fact, the zoo's own vet, Elliot Simpson-Brown, anaestheticised Boki himself. Animal Behaviour Management Officer Becky is confident about Boki's future.
50:09He is back to his usual self, he's back to being cheeky, active, climbing his trees, doing all the things he did before.
50:16We're still monitoring though, we're not saying, that's it, done, end of. We're still keeping a close eye on him, but for everything that we were doing for him before, he doesn't need his medication anymore.
50:26So, all things going to plan, there shouldn't need to be any future surgeries, unless there might be a blockage with the shunt or something like that. We'll keep an eye out and that will happen.
50:35The future might be uncertain for Boki, but for now, he seems more than happy to have his cake and eat it.
50:42Megan Shaw for KMTV in Herne Bay.
50:46Now, here's Etli Reynolds with all your sporting headlines.
50:51First up, Houth Town manager Ira Jackson has ruled out a playing return after hanging up his boots.
51:07The 28-year-old said the reason he's decided to stop is because he realised he didn't want it anymore.
51:14He revealed he wasn't happy with what he was seeing on the pitch after four successive defeats.
51:19He went on to say that he no longer has the spark to play.
51:23Jackson was speaking after a Kent Senior Trophy home defeat by Sutton Athletic on Saturday.
51:29The cannons were described as their own worst enemy and Jackson believes some of the side aren't ready for the level.
51:35He said a few choice words were given to the boys after the game and changes will be made because there's lots of performances that haven't improved.
51:43Hithe are in the Southern County's East Premier Division at Beersted on Tuesday at 7.45.
51:50And continuing with football, Dover Athletic manager Jake LaBelle said players who haven't had much game time stood up and made themselves known in their one-all draw with Horsham.
52:01Forwards Ruben Soares Jr. and Francis Manpolo have been out injured and Roman Charles Cook was on international duty with Granada.
52:09LaBelle said it couldn't have been a worse time to pick up a few injuries, but it proved the depth in the squad.
52:15He added that the Horsham result was probably fair and that it showed their togetherness.
52:21And looking at rugby, Gravesend lost with the last play of the game with a 26-24 defeat against Brighton in Regional 2 South East.
52:30The match was in the Kent side's favour as they were leading 24-7, but the lack of discipline gave Brighton the chance to bounce back.
52:38At first, the home side were struggling and it took them 25 minutes to score their first try.
52:43In response, Gravesend's Josh Barnes crossed the try line.
52:47As the second half started, Gravesend scored three unanswered tries.
52:51Brighton then scored their fourth try when the Kent side were down to 14 men and fly-half George Bruce suffered an injury.
52:57Following this, the side received a yellow card and Brighton were able to secure the win.
53:02Gravesend are now in sixth and will play at home this Saturday against Sutton and Epson.
53:07That's all your sports headlines for today.
53:10Now, this week, Gillingham hosted Xavier Wiggins, who's hoping to become the first person to walk all 92 professional football clubs in 92 days.
53:28Priestfield Stadium marked his 71st stadium on his journey, which has seen him walking more than 1,600 miles,
53:35all to shine a light on the community work that football clubs do.
53:38Phil McDiarmid went down to Priestfield to find out more about Xavier's journey.
53:43How much do you love the beautiful game? Enough to walk 1,600 miles, the equivalent of 61 marathons every day for more than two months?
53:52No, me neither. But that's what one football fan, Xavier Wiggins, is doing, walking across the country to each of the 92 professional stadiums in 92 days.
54:01And if he succeeds, he'll be the first in history to complete the challenge, and he's just arrived at Priestfield, making it his 71st stadium,
54:08all to highlight the work that football clubs do for their community.
54:11I'm on day 74. Here at Gillingham is ground 71. I think it's 1,600 miles, about three and a half million steps.
54:23And I'm doing it specifically to shine a light on the good stuff that football is doing, because they're not bankrolled by the football clubs,
54:32whether it's the Manchester United Foundation or Gillingham, they're not bankrolled.
54:35They're standalone charities, and they need the support of the community, because they're supporting that community as well.
54:42If I were to go up to a random football fan on the street and ask them, how is your club doing at the moment?
54:46They might tell me about the growing injury list, their concerns with the new manager, or maybe last Saturday's result away.
54:52But what Gilles and Xavier are keen to change is they want people to be more aware of the charity and community efforts that their clubs are doing off the pitch.
55:00There's community programmes going on, and that's working with a variety of different entities around the community.
55:06As Xavier mentioned, whether that's kids' football, where we want to create a lasting habit of enjoying physical activity
55:12and have a lifelong association with the national game, whether it's in schools encouraging positive behaviour
55:18and fulfilling their potential through the educational routes, or it can be a real positive impact on bringing communities together
55:24that need a bit of support with actual mental health or various other challenges in their life, and football can bring those people together.
55:31The Gillingham Foundation are still in the process of applying for charity status, but are focusing on their community efforts,
55:37including holding a yearly grassroots youth football tournament at Priestfield.
55:41Xavier's got 21 football clubs left to go after the Gilles, and so far he's raised more than £13,000 towards his £20,000 goal,
55:49all going to football-based charities.
55:51He'll be ending his walk at Plymouth's Holm Park, which would make him the first to visit the 92 stadiums in 92 days.
55:57Finn McDermott for KMTV in Gillingham.
56:05Great report from Finn McDermott there, but now you've been watching Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
56:11There's more news made just for you throughout this evening at 8pm, so don't forget to come back then.
56:16Now don't forget you can always keep up to date with the latest news across the county by logging on to our website,
56:21kmtv.co.uk. There you can also keep us on your social timelines by liking us on Facebook and following us on TikTok.
56:30And if you have a story you think we should be covering, then get in touch.
56:34We also have a series of special programmes, Invicta Sport, based in Kent, and Kent Field Club,
56:39which you can watch throughout the week or catch up on on our website.
56:42But from me, for now, have a very good evening, and we'll see you soon. Bye-bye.
56:51Bye-bye.
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