- 6 weeks ago
Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Kristin Hawthorne.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to Kentonite live on KMTV. I'm Kristen Hawthorne and here are your top
00:26stories on Monday the 20th of October. Crisis at County Hall, four reform UK councillors suspended
00:33after Kent County Council leak. This is obviously a setback on a political journey. Know their names,
00:40Rochester vigil for children killed in Gaza. If this was happening in the UK you'd want people
00:46from around the world to also you know feel for us and raise their voices for us. And pedal to the
00:53metal we go behind the scenes of a new 41 million pound copper recycling plant in Northfleet.
01:00It's putting Gravesham, Northfleet is part of Gravesham, the borough of Gravesham,
01:04it's putting them on the map yet again. But first tonight, defections could be on the cards as Reform
01:12UK has suspended four Kent County councillors from the party amid allegations of infighting.
01:18It comes after a video was leaked during the weekend showing disgruntled backbenchers
01:23and Kent County councillor Lyndon Kim-Carran swearing about colleagues who did not agree
01:28with decisions that she's made. There are also reports that the KCC leader could face a motion
01:33to dismiss in the coming weeks. Olly Leader has more.
01:38Four suspensions and suspicion in the halls of Sessions House.
01:43The fallout from a leaked meeting obtained by The Guardian last week that laid bare the infighting
01:51in divisions between Reform UK backbenchers and the Kent County council leadership.
01:58Sometimes I will make a decision that might not be liked by everybody in the group.
02:04But I'm afraid you're just going to suck it up, OK? Because I am the democratically elected
02:10leader. Physically isn't time at this stage. So what we've done...
02:13I'm not asking you to run through everything. I'm just asking you...
02:17But you are. That's exactly what you're asking me to do.
02:19No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
02:20There was as much fury in the aftermath as on the Zoom call.
02:24A message sent to the Reform group by the leader Lyndon Kim-Carran slammed the people who did this
02:31as cowards with no political future and a day later four members of the group were stripped
02:38of the whip, including Paul Thomas, the man at the heart of the leaked call.
02:45An investigation is currently being undertaken which I'm fully cooperating with. I expect
02:50to be exonerated from all charges, at which point I will welcome back into fold and continue
02:56the great work that I've been doing, chairing committees and working for my local residents.
03:01This is obviously a setback on a political journey. However, I would reassure the local
03:08residents that voted for me, I am still working tirelessly.
03:12But the opposition say the leader's position is now untenable.
03:17These things are shocking. I've never seen anything like it from this level of politics,
03:22particularly the content of the policies where members of her own group have not been consulted,
03:28haven't had any input in the policy that's come forward. And it's not just the reform
03:33group that's having to suck it up. It's the whole county.
03:35There are rumours that a motion to dismiss Lyndon Kemp Caron as leader could be on the table,
03:42or even potentially defections.
03:46Well, I would simply say to you that it's very early days at the moment. Obviously,
03:52contacts have been made. I would be foolish to say otherwise. But at the moment, no decisions
03:59have been reached or made. Six months on from the May elections, the sunshine for reform UK at KCC
04:06has disappeared. And with a budget to set in the coming months, it's not going to clear up any time
04:13soon. Oli Lieder in Maidstone.
04:17Well, Oli's been covering the story and joins me now with more. So what have the other councillors
04:23that have been suspended said?
04:24Well, for them, when I spoke to them, they said it's all been a pretty tough day. The ones that did
04:29want to speak. Oliver Bradshaw was no comment. Bill Barrett didn't want to say anything at this
04:34stage either. Maxine Fothergill, she was actually supposed to chair a transport appeal hearing
04:41earlier today, but she actually couldn't because the whip was taken away from her. She was visibly
04:46distressed. She was quite upset. She said she's done nothing wrong. And she says that she had her
04:53laptop taken away. Well, that is what Harry Rayner, the conservative group leader said. But she said she
04:57to get in contact with solicitors seeking legal advice about this situation. Well, we heard from
05:03Paul Thomas there that he is cooperating with the investigations being undertaken by Reform UK,
05:10by the party, but he is still not a member. He has been suspended, but he's continuing his council
05:17duties as all four of these councillors are. And then what about Reform UK themselves? What have
05:22they said anything through the day? Well, they've been pretty tight-lipped. I did approach
05:27a few of them throughout the day. The Chief Whip, Maxwell Harrison, didn't respond to my phone call.
05:31Brian, the deputy leader of Kent County Council, didn't respond when I asked him what he had to
05:38say about it. He didn't want to comment either. Obviously, for them, there's a lot of internal
05:42processes going on. I can understand potentially why they don't want to speak. They don't want to
05:46impact any ongoing investigations. We've heard nothing either, well, I haven't personally,
05:52from Lyndon Kamkaren, the leader that's been engulfed in all of this. Obviously, we've seen
05:57her quite ferocious letter to members over the weekend, warning them that they are being
06:03investigated and that this is bringing the party to disrepute. That's what Reform are really worried
06:08about. It's bringing the party into disrepute. Lyndon Kamkaren says in that video call that KCC
06:14is the shop window into which many people will view reform ahead of the next election.
06:20So it is something that's going to have a big impact on perception here in Kent.
06:25And then just quickly, what do you think the future could look like? Do you think
06:28this is going to affect Reform UK quite deeply? Well, that's the thing. We don't really know if
06:33it's one of those political rows that blows over in a couple of weeks' time. We don't know if this
06:38will be potentially a fatal blow. These are the sorts of questions that many people will be asking.
06:45Obviously, this video has been widely circulated throughout Kent, so it is going to have a big
06:50impact on the electorate. Thank you, Ollie. Now, demonstrations have taken place in Rochester,
06:56led by UKIP and a stand-up to racism counter-protest. A little more than a dozen UKIP supporters,
07:03including KCC councillor Amelia Randall, marched through Rochester to protest against the government
07:10and immigration policy. The planned route was disrupted by the larger stand-up to racism
07:15counter-movement, including Labour councillors and MPs Lauren Edwards and Neshabakan. Many Kent police
07:22attended, managing to keep the opposing groups separate. Next, an inquest into a dad of four killed
07:31in a motorcycle accident found that Mark McGowan died from multiple injuries sustained in a traffic
07:36collision in Shatterling. The 38-year-old was on his way to work on a motorbike and,
07:42having overtaken traffic, collided with the car on the A257 Roman Road. The inquest,
07:48held at Oakwood House in Maidstone, found the sandwich-based Mark and the driver of the car were
07:53not under the influence of any substances and not using mobile phones. His widow, Catherine McGowan,
08:00said he lived life to the fullest. Next, residents at an estate in Ebbsfleet claim they have been
08:07paying thousands of pounds for a playground facilities that don't exist. Those at Ebbsfleet Cross Estate
08:14have collectively paid more than £2,000 to property management estate first port since 2022,
08:21for a play area which is currently consisting of just a single log on some grass. A sign outside the
08:27playground reads, we hope that you enjoy this play area. Some residents are asking to be refunded,
08:33while First Port have said that the play area and surrounding fencing have been designed and
08:38implemented by the developer. And our next headline this evening, a vigil's being held in Rochester to
08:46remember the thousands of Palestinian children who've been killed in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
08:51With the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas at a fragile point, members of different faith groups
08:57across Medway gathered to commemorate the young children who've died in the past few years. Alfie Rowe has more.
09:07These are the faces of just a few of the children in Gaza whose lives have been cut tragically short.
09:13But when the full list of victims is so long, it's difficult to convey the scale of the tragedy.
09:21Residents in Medway, however, are trying to do just that. Over an eight-hour period, attendees in this room
09:28behind me will read out the names of a portion of the over 20,000 children who have been killed since Israel
09:34began its offensive in Gaza over two years ago following the October 7th attack. Specifically, they'll read the names of
09:405,000 children under the age of five who have died. So we want to restore some of that dignity that they
09:47weren't given and also to honour and remember them as individuals and not just as numbers reported in
10:00statistics. So we're reading out their full names and the age at which they were killed. We need to
10:06humanise the children that have been killed. So we want to restore that dignity to them.
10:13If this was happening in the UK, you'd want people from around the world to also, you know, feel for us
10:19and raise their voices for us. So I think it doesn't matter that it's not us who are actually being
10:28affected by it. Like we know we're not being bombed or anything, but it doesn't matter. We are still human
10:34beings. We are still seeing people around the world dying. Held in Rochester Cathedral, the event brings
10:41together people of different backgrounds and faiths to remember some of the youngest victims of a
10:46conflict which has killed over 68,000 Palestinians and more than 1,100 Israelis. At the cathedral, we
10:53remember every single day in our prayers those who are victims of war, violence, terrorism. We remember
11:01every day those who were taken hostage, you know, and who have been the victims in Israel. And we pray for
11:11the hostages and their families. We've been doing that. This is not just pray for one group. But I think
11:17it's important to remember those who are caught up in violence for no reason of their own. And these
11:24are children that we're particularly remembering today. Though a ceasefire has been announced in Gaza,
11:28concerns remain about whether it will hold. But thousands of miles away in Medway, the hope is
11:34simple. No more bodies to bury and no more names to read out. Alfie Rowe for KMTV in Rochester.
11:45We'll be back in a few minutes with more news. See you then.
11:58See you then.
12:28.
12:31.
12:32.
12:34.
12:36.
12:38.
12:39.
12:40.
18:05It's part of a bit to keep up with the demand of recycled materials and we'll breathe new
18:07life into industrial north Kent, according to Gravesham's Mayor.
18:11I went along to find out more.
18:14As global demand for recycled material grows,
18:18Britannia Refined Metals in Northfleet has unveiled its new £41 million investment
18:23into the UK's circular economy.
18:26This is the system that prioritises the reuse of materials and elimination of waste.
18:32The site aims to recover copper and other important materials
18:35from everyday items like fridges, microwaves and mobile phones.
18:39There's a lot of value in the urban waste.
18:41And the urban waste is very crucial for us to be able to recycle materials
18:46and to feed it into the metals stream.
18:49By doing this and being able to value the metals, we can create a closed economy.
18:56The plant was officially opened by the Mayor of Gravesham, Councillor Jenny Wallace,
19:00before tours of the facility began.
19:03She says that the benefits of the site is more than just its recycling capabilities.
19:07I mean, already it's brought local employment,
19:10but there's going to be more local employment, which is so important.
19:14And it's putting Gravesham, Northfleet is part of Gravesham, the borough of Gravesham,
19:19it's putting them on the map yet again.
19:21And it's very important because we've got so much heritage
19:25and we've got so much in the way of industry and so much to offer.
19:29And we want more people, more growth, because that's the other thing, growth.
19:33It's bringing growth to us.
19:34But how does it all work?
19:36So what happens here at this facility is we take in copper-bearing waste.
19:41It then passes through a series of samplers and shredders.
19:47The shredders make the material into a uniform size
19:49and the samples take calculated cuts
19:52for us to be able to create a representative sample of the material.
19:57That sample from here goes down to a second facility,
20:01which is on our BRM site,
20:03where the material is passed through various furnaces
20:07to create another sample, a smaller sample of the original.
20:11That we use to value the material, the waste.
20:14With capacity to handle around 25,000 tonnes of metal a year,
20:19this new plant puts Kent at the heart of the UK's push
20:22towards a more sustainable metal industry.
20:25Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV in Northfleet.
20:30Sports headlines from across the county with Finn McDiarmid.
20:33First off in your sports news,
20:45folks in Invicta pulled off an unlikely win
20:47at their new 3G pitch, despite being a man down.
20:51Striker Joe Piggott scored the first goal at the new pitch
20:53in front of more than 1,300 fans,
20:56managing to level the score to all.
20:58Manager Jay Saunders believes the new pitch
21:00will bring a positive impact on the new generation
21:02and bring more younger audiences to watch the match.
21:05Invicta will face off with Lewis
21:06in the Isthmian League Premier in their next game.
21:10We can actually hear now from striker Joe Piggott.
21:14Yeah, no, fans were really nice to me.
21:18Yeah, nice round of applause,
21:19which I wasn't really expecting.
21:22Obviously, it's 10 years ago.
21:23I think it's 10 years ago now.
21:25So, yeah, no, great memories.
21:26And it was a massive day in my career.
21:29And, yeah, thankful, really.
21:30But overall, yeah, pretty disappointed with the result.
21:36Yeah, first half was really disappointing
21:39to concede three goals like we did.
21:44Yeah, it's like breathing in asbestos, to be honest.
21:48But, yeah, no, second half was pretty positive.
21:52I thought we could have nicked another goal to make it 3-2.
21:56But, yeah, the fourth goal was an absolute killer.
21:58I think it was like a triple deflection or something like that.
22:01Yeah, overall, a disappointing day.
22:03But a lot of positives to take from the second half, I think.
22:06And it's a T20 blast from the past for Kent cricket fans
22:11as former player and Kent legend Darren Stevens rejoins the county side
22:14as the new bowling consultant.
22:17After claiming 864 wickets in his three-decade-long career starting in 1997,
22:22Stevens then departed from the team at the end of the 2022 season.
22:25So far in his player retirement, he's taken on assistant coaching positions
22:29as well as an informal consultancy role with Kent men's first team.
22:33He's now working closely with the other coaches,
22:35Sam Faulkner, Jahid Ali and head coach Adam Hollyoak starting from the 2026 season.
22:42And it's an unfortunate turn of events for rugby fans
22:44as Canterbury Rugby Club faces a loss in their National League 2 East match
22:48against Old Albanian.
22:50They started strong with a try from No. 8, Tyler Oliver,
22:52but their lead was short-lived as the Old Albanians ramped up their speed
22:56and secured two more tries before the first quarter.
22:59Despite the Albanians' poor discipline, costing them penalties and a yellow card,
23:03Canterbury were unable to break through as Joss Celci sealed the victory with a seventh try.
23:08Even with their best efforts, the game ended with a score of 43-31 for Old Albanian.
23:14And that's all we have for the Sports News. See you soon.
23:22We'll see you soon.
23:26Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all our latest stories across Kent
23:33by logging on to our website at khmtv.co.uk.
23:37There you'll find all the reports, including this one,
23:40with the RSPCA encouraging people to consider adopting larger dogs this Adoptober,
23:46as the charity is facing record numbers of dogs in its care at the Laybourne Animal Centre.
23:52Maisie Walker has more.
23:53Can you hear that?
24:01It's the sound of dogs that have been abandoned, abused and neglected,
24:05all looking for one thing, a brand new start in a loving home.
24:10This month is Adoptober, a time to raise awareness as the RSPCA faces a significant challenge.
24:16The Laybourne Animal Centre near West Mauling is currently overwhelmed,
24:20the charity caring for a record number of dogs.
24:24So the aim of it really is to try and raise awareness of adoption as a concept
24:29and try and get some of our animals that need adoption, that need homes,
24:35in front of the public that might be available to take them home and provide them homes.
24:41Adoption is really at the centre of what we do.
24:44It's really why we do what we do.
24:45So all the animals that come into the centres have come from cases of cruelty or neglect and the ultimate aim for us is to find them a forever home that they can then live a happy and normal life.
25:02We've got 40 dogs at the moment at this centre, ranging from large to small and some of them are available for rehoming and some of them aren't.
25:12Recent data from the RSPCA shows that larger breeds can wait up to seven times longer than smaller dogs to be adopted.
25:20Elsa arrived at RSPCA care back in February but came to Laybourne in July and has been looking for a home since August.
25:27Despite Elsa's age, she's very energetic but, be aware, she is very affectionate.
25:34Huskies feature in the top 20 breeds of dogs which wait longest to find a home.
25:39A pet behaviour expert at the RSPCA said,
25:42we desperately need adopters now more than ever so we can continue to rescue and care for the animals who need us.
25:49Maisie Walker for KMTV, West Morling.
25:57Time to take a look at the weather.
26:06Tonight, Kent will see overcast skies with lows of 12 over in Tunbridge Wells and Medway.
26:11Temperatures are similar over in Dover and Dartford.
26:14And then into this evening, into tomorrow morning, sorry, we have a span of 11 and 12 degrees and clear skies.
26:20Then into tomorrow morning, we have gales of 12 and 15 degrees, 15 across the board.
26:27Then on Wednesday, we have rain, 14 degrees.
26:31Thursday, partly cloudy skies and rain, 11 degrees.
26:34And then on Friday, back to a bit of sun and 12 degrees.
26:43And that's all we have for this part of the show.
26:45We'll see you in just a few minutes for more.
27:15We'll see you in just a few minutes.
27:45We'll see you in just a few minutes.
28:15.
28:45.
29:15.
29:17.
29:19.
29:21.
29:23.
29:25.
29:27.
29:29.
29:31.
29:33.
29:35.
29:37.
29:39.
29:41.
29:43.
30:07.
30:08Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
30:11I'm Kristin Hawthorne and let's take a look at the top stories for today.
30:17Crisis at County Hall, four reform UK councillors suspended after Kent County Council leak.
30:24Know their names, Rochester vigil for children killed in Gaza.
30:29And pedal to the metal, we go behind the scenes of a new 41 million pound copper recycling plant in Northfleet.
30:36But our top story this evening.
30:39Defections could be on the cards as Reform UK has suspended four Kent County councillors from the party amid allegations of infighting.
30:47It comes after a video was leaked during the weekend showing disgruntled backbenchers and Kent County Council leader,
30:53Lyndon Kim Cairn swearing about colleagues who did not agree with decisions that she's made.
30:58There are also reports that the KCC leader could face a motion to dismiss in the coming weeks.
31:03Olly Leader has been finding out more.
31:05Four suspensions and suspicion in the halls of Sessions House.
31:11The fallout from a leaked meeting obtained by The Guardian last week that laid bare the infighting and divisions between
31:21Reform UK backbenchers and the Kent County Council leadership.
31:26Sometimes I will make a decision that might not be liked by everybody in the group.
31:32But I'm afraid you're just going to suck it up, OK?
31:37Because I am the democratically elected leader.
31:39Physically isn't time at this stage.
31:41I'm not asking you to run through everything.
31:44I'm just asking you.
31:46But you are.
31:47That's exactly what you're asking me to do.
31:49There was as much fury in the aftermath as on the Zoom call.
31:53A message sent to the Reform Group by the leader Lyndon Kim Cairn,
31:58slammed the people who did this as cowards with no political future.
32:03And a day later, four members of the group were stripped of the whip,
32:08including Paul Thomas, the man at the heart of the leaked call.
32:13An investigation is currently being undertaken, which I'm fully cooperating with.
32:18I expect to be exonerated from all charges, at which point I will welcome back into the fold
32:24and continue the great work that I've been doing, chairing committees and working for my local residents.
32:29This is obviously a setback on a political journey.
32:33However, I would reassure the local residents that voted for me, I am still working tirelessly.
32:41But the opposition say the leader's position is now untenable.
32:45These things are shocking. I've never seen anything like it from this level of politics,
32:50particularly the content of the policies where members of her own group have not been consulted,
32:57haven't had any input in the policy that's come forward.
33:00And it's not just the Reform Group that's having to suck it up, it's the whole county.
33:04There are rumours that a motion to dismiss Lindenkem Caron as leader could be on the table,
33:11or even potentially defections.
33:14Well, I would simply say to you that it's very early days at the moment.
33:20Obviously, contacts have been made. I would be foolish to say otherwise.
33:25But at the moment, no decisions have been reached or made.
33:29Six months on from the May elections, the sunshine for Reform UK at KCC has disappeared.
33:36And with a budget to set in the coming months, it's not going to clear up any time soon.
33:43Oli Lieder in Maidstone.
33:45Well, to tell us a little bit more about that, Oli joins me now.
33:50So, what have other councillors that have been suspended said?
33:53Well, there's been four of them. We heard from Paul Thomas there.
33:57He was the man that got most of the flack in that video that we saw from The Guardian.
34:03We did reach out to Oliver Bradshaw. He didn't want to comment, as did Bill Barrett,
34:08who he had on the Kent Politics show just last week.
34:12He didn't want to comment either. He was away at the time.
34:15But the person that's most visibly upset today is Maxine Fothergill.
34:20She was supposed to be chairing a transport appeal hearing earlier today.
34:24She couldn't because the whip was suspended.
34:27She was quite visibly upset. She says she's seeking legal advice.
34:31She says that she's innocent, that he's done nothing wrong.
34:35And Harry Rayner, the Conservative group leader we saw in the piece,
34:39he said he even saw her laptop being taken away.
34:42So, this is a very serious thing that Reform are doing here.
34:46This is quite serious, the lengths they're going.
34:49But most of the people we spoke to today feel that they are innocent,
34:53that they are cooperating with the process.
34:56But, obviously, it's still early days.
34:58And then, just quickly, what have Reform UK said throughout the day?
35:02Have they said anything?
35:03The answer is not really that much.
35:05They sent us a statement earlier in the day.
35:07They said the four members they suspended have brought the party into disrepute.
35:11But when we tried to approach Lyndon Cameron, Maxwell Harrison, the Chief Whip, we didn't get a reply.
35:18Now, it's understandable.
35:20We've heard a lot from political parties when internal investigations are ongoing.
35:24They don't want to say that much in case they prejudice any investigation.
35:29So, we can understand it from their perspective, but they haven't commented yet.
35:33And, obviously, with those rumours circulating, I wonder when they will put their heads above the parapet, as it were.
35:40It's very interesting. Thank you, Oli.
35:42Next, a vigil has been held in Rochester to remember the thousands of Palestinian children who have been killed in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
35:50With the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas at a fragile point, members of different faith groups across Medway gathered to commemorate the young children who have died in the past few years.
36:00Reporter Alfie Rowe went to the ceremony.
36:03These are the faces of just a few of the children in Gaza whose lives have been cut tragically short.
36:12But when the full list of victims is so long, it's difficult to convey the scale of the tragedy.
36:19Residents in Medway, however, are trying to do just that.
36:23Over an eight-hour period, attendees in this room behind me will read out the names of a portion of the over 20,000 children
36:31who have been killed since Israel began its offensive in Gaza over two years ago following the October 7th attack.
36:37Specifically, they'll read the names of 5,000 children under the age of five who have died.
36:42So we want to restore some of that dignity that they weren't given and also to honour and remember them as individuals and not just as numbers reported in statistics.
36:59So we're reading out their full names and the age at which they were killed.
37:04We need to humanise the children that have been killed.
37:09So we want to restore that dignity to them.
37:11If this was happening in the UK, you'd want people from around the world to also feel for us and raise their voices for us.
37:20So I think it doesn't matter that it's not us who are actually being affected by it.
37:27Like we know we're not being bombed or anything, but it doesn't matter.
37:31We are still human beings.
37:32We are still seeing people around the world dying.
37:36Held in Rochester Cathedral, the event brings together people of different backgrounds and faiths to remember some of the youngest victims of a conflict which has killed over 68,000 Palestinians and more than 1,100 Israelis.
37:51At the cathedral we remember every single day in our prayers those who are victims of war, violence, terrorism.
37:59We remember every day those who have been, who were taken hostage, you know, and who have been the victims in Israel.
38:08And we pray for the hostages and their families.
38:11We've been doing that.
38:12This is not just pray for one group.
38:15But I think it's important to remember those who are caught up in violence for no reason of their own.
38:22And these are children that we're particularly remembering today.
38:25Though a ceasefire has been announced in Gaza, concerns remain about whether it will hold.
38:30But thousands of miles away in Medway, the hope is simple.
38:34No more bodies to bury.
38:36And no more names to read out.
38:38Alfie Rowe for KMTV in Rochester.
38:41Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all our latest stories across Kemp by logging on to our website, KMTV.co.uk.
38:50There you'll find all our reports including this one, Megan Shaw did, looking at charity called Models for Heroes, encouraging veterans to take up a new hobby of painting, meeting others with similar lived experiences,
39:03and finding new meaning and purpose.
39:07What do helicopters, glue and military veterans all have in common?
39:12They can all be found in Models for Heroes sessions, which allows veterans to distract themselves, focus on something meaningful and find comfort in shared experiences.
39:22Founded in 2017, the charity hosts two sessions in Kent, one in Ginningham and the other in Aylesford, which sees attendees create and paint their own models.
39:33A recent collaboration between the Canterbury-based Agora Models, a company specialising in museum-grade model kits, has donated these to veteran groups in support of World Mental Health Day next week.
39:46Models for Heroes is a support group for military veterans and emergency personnel and their group revolves around making models, assembling model kits and building dioramas.
39:59But why models? A study in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy found creative hobbies boost mental wellbeing and focusing on a personal project creates a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
40:11People get so much out of it. I can't sort of emphasise that enough.
40:17It's, you know, guys that maybe for the first time have come out and, you know, interacted with a group of ex-service personnel.
40:29And it's not long before, as I say, the banter starts. But it's great. It's almost like a steam valve releasing all that pressure that's been built up. And it does help so much.
40:47And increased wellbeing is not the only benefit on offer here.
40:50As you can see here, these are super fiddly, but they're great for improving dexterity. I'm really struggling here, but these guys are much better than me.
40:58For some, Models for Heroes sessions have been a lifeline.
41:02I'm a veteran in the military of 17 and a half years in the Royal Engineers and I suffer with PTSD and it helps no end. Unfortunately, I've been to some dark places and I know the benefit of this because, as I said, it pushes all the nasty thoughts to the back of the mind.
41:28As long as places like these continue to offer support for veterans, the war against loneliness wages on.
41:36Megan Shaw for KMTV in Jenningham.
41:40That's all we have until the next few minutes, but we will be hearing from this year's Love Island alumni, Angel. So don't go anywhere. We'll see you then. Bye-bye.
41:58Bye.
41:59Bye.
42:28.
42:58.
43:28.
43:58.
44:00.
44:02.
44:04.
44:06.
44:08.
44:10.
44:12.
44:14.
44:16.
44:18.
44:20.
44:22.
44:24.
44:26.
44:28.
44:30.
44:32.
44:34.
44:36.
44:38.
44:40.
44:42.
44:44.
44:46.
44:48.
44:50.
44:52.
44:54.
45:06.
45:08.
45:09Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
45:12Now a new 41 million pound recycling plant with the capacity to process 2.5 Eiffel Towers worth of copper has opened in Northfleet.
45:22It's part of a bid to keep up with the demand of recycled materials and will breathe new life into industrial North Kent according to Gravesham's Mayor.
45:30I went along to the event to find out more.
45:34As global demand for recycled material grows, Britannia Refined Metals in Northfleet has unveiled its new 41 million pound investment into the UK's circular economy.
45:44This is the system that prioritizes the re-use of materials and elimination of waste.
45:52The site aims to recover copper and other important materials from everyday items like fridges, microwaves and mobile phones.
45:58There's a lot of value in the urban waste and the urban waste is very crucial for us to be able to recycle materials and to feed it into the metals stream.
46:08By doing this and being able to value the metals, we can create a closed economy.
46:15The plant was officially opened by the Mayor of Gravesham, Councillor Jenny Wallace, before tours of the facility began.
46:21She says that the benefits of the site is more than just its recycling capabilities.
46:27Already it's brought local employment but there's going to be more local employment which is so important.
46:33And it's putting Gravesham, Northfleet is part of Gravesham, the borough of Gravesham, it's putting them on the map yet again.
46:41And it's very important because we've got so much heritage and we've got so much in the way of industry and so much to offer.
46:49And we want more people, more growth, because that's the other thing, growth, it's bringing growth to us.
46:54But how does it all work?
46:55So what happens here at this facility is we take in copper-bearing waste.
47:00It then passes through a series of samplers and shredders.
47:07The shredders make the material into a uniform size and the samples take calculated cuts
47:12for us to be able to create a representative sample of the material.
47:17That sample from here goes down to a second facility which is on our BRM site
47:23where the material is passed through various furnaces to create another sample, smaller sample of the original.
47:30That we use to value the material, the waste.
47:34With capacity to handle around 25,000 tonnes of metal a year,
47:38this new plant puts Kent at the heart of the UK's push towards a more sustainable metal industry.
47:44Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV in Northfleet.
47:47Now, Kent-born Love Island star Angelique Swift has spoken out about her experiences opening her very own beauty salon in Maidstone.
47:57Better known as Angel, she appeared on the recent series of Love Island.
48:01She told us how representing Kent and giving personalised treatments to customers is important to her.
48:07Have a listen at what she had to say.
48:09I'm representing Maidstone, representing Kent and that's why I definitely like to showcase the salon.
48:16So, it's always been a dream for me to have my own salon and to have Angel Face and just to have a place where people can come, feel relaxed, feel beautiful.
48:28That is exactly what we do here.
48:30Really good atmosphere here and it's very friendly, warm and we have very personal consultations with you.
48:37If you've been outside today, you'd be well aware of the rain. Let's see if it will continue.
48:41Okay, tonight temperatures are ranging from 12 to 13 across the board, wind speeds of 11 and 17.
48:54Then tomorrow morning we have 11 and 12 degrees across the county.
48:59It looks like clear skies as well.
49:00Then in the afternoon, again, clear skies span of 14 degrees but mostly 15 across the county, wind speeds of 12 and 15.
49:08Then on Wednesday, we've got rain, cloudy skies, 14 degrees.
49:12Thursday, partly cloudy skies, 11.
49:14And on Friday, clear skies and 12.
49:23And now for a recap of your sports headlines from across the county with Finn McDermott.
49:27Well, first off Folkton and Victor pulled off an unlikely win at their new 3G pitch despite being a man down.
49:44Striker Joe Piggott scored the first goal at the new pitch in front of more than 1,300 fans, just managing to level the score two goals to two.
49:53Manager Jay Saunders believes the new 3G pitch will bring a positive impact to the new generation and bring more younger audiences to watch the match as well.
50:00Invicta will compete against Lewis in the Isthmian Premier at their next match.
50:05And in more sports news, it's a T20 blast from the past as former player and Kent cricket legend Darren Stevens rejoins the county side as their new bowling consultant.
50:20After claiming 864 wickets in his three decade long career starting in 1997, Stevens departed from the team at the end of the 2022 season.
50:31So far in his player retirement, Stevens has taken on an assistant coach position for the Essex Women's Tier 1 team as well as a consultancy role with Kent men's first team.
50:39He's now working closely with bowling coach Sam Faulkner, batting coach Jaheed Ali and head coach Adam Hollyoak starting from the 2026 season.
50:47Now apologies to rugby fans as it's been an unfortunate turn of events as Canterbury Rugby Club doesn't manage to win against Old Albanian in their League 2 East match.
50:58The game started with a strong try from number 8 Tyler Oliver but their lead was short-lived as the Old Albanians ramped up their speed and secured two more tries before the first quarter.
51:08Despite the Albanians' poor discipline costing them penalties and a yellow card, Canterbury were unable to break through as Joss Skelsey sealed the victory with a seventh try.
51:17Even with the side's best efforts, the game ended with a score of 43-31 to Old Albanian.
51:24That's all for your sports news.
51:26Finn is also the presenter and producer of Invicta Sport and joins me now to tell us all about the upcoming show.
51:43So Finn, I'll let you lead the conversation on this because I don't know too, too much. Sport isn't really my forte so can you update us on what's been happening in the past week?
51:51Well, if you're a Gillingham fan, it's been a tough few games. We've gone, I think it's last four games, we had three losses and one draw so it was a bit difficult and the recent game was of course away to Grimsby Town.
52:05Any fan of any League Two side will tell you that Grimsby Town away is a tough match, especially when you go without two players.
52:12The Gillingham side got two red cards, which is just rare for football in general to see that. One was a straight red, especially rare for defender Romeo Hutton.
52:23And in other words, a second yellow for Johnny Williams in the second half. The game ended 1-0 to Grimsby Town, which I think is a scoreline that many Jills fans will be happy with that it wasn't more.
52:33It was a very dominant game, 78% possession, can't say that without tripping over my words, like some certain strikers.
52:4178% possession, which from Grimsby Town, so completely dominated there. And yeah, obviously, it's a different squad that we're seeing at the moment with Gareth.
52:51Gareth Ainsworth away from the touchline after his surgery and the assistant manager taking up the field.
52:57But it's been a very interesting week for all sorts of Kent football. Folkston and Victor had a 4-1 victory.
53:03I believe Ebbsfleet had a 2-1 victory. So there have been some success stories in terms of football from across the county.
53:10And are you going to be discussing that on tonight's show?
53:13Yeah, we will be. As always, we'll be taking an in-depth look at all of our football news, whether it's the highlights.
53:19We're going to have a look, I believe, at the Dartford game where they won 4-1 against Potters Bar.
53:25And we're also going to be just showing your scores, obviously, from around the county.
53:29We'll also have more of your cricket news, rugby news, and we're also going to be taking a special in-depth look at the sport of lacrosse.
53:35Do you know much about lacrosse?
53:36No.
53:37OK.
53:38Tell me a bit about it.
53:39Well, lacrosse, it's sort of like American football.
53:41OK.
53:42It's played in quarters.
53:43What's interesting about it is instead of having a ball you throw, the ball is held in these sort of sticks with nets on the end.
53:50Of course. And if you walk about a uni campus, you'll always see people with one of them, won't you?
53:53Yeah, sticking out of a sports bag, yeah.
53:55Fun fact, they come in three different types and the biggest one is called a spoon, but they're just colloquially known as sticks.
54:01So, yeah, we'll be discussing that, we'll be discussing how that's played, what it's like to play, apparently it's a very physical contact sport.
54:07So, yeah, all that and, of course, more on Invictus Sport.
54:11And would you, I mean, say for somebody like me who doesn't really like sport, would you say that they wouldn't be interested in the show?
54:17Or do you still say that it's worth a watch?
54:19I think it's worth a watch. Sport is very broad.
54:21We're also taking a look back at a story I did recently about a mechanical horse that was installed at a disability horse riding school.
54:28And that one, it has sport in it, it contains sport elements, but it's also about a young person's journey to find accessible sport and improve her mental health.
54:37And so, sport's a real wide-ranging thing. At the end of the day, it's not always about a scoreline, it's about the people involved and the fans.
54:45And, yeah, I mean, it is very interesting and I suppose it's not really just football results and things like that.
54:52There is a lot more to sport than people would really imagine. I mean, you did go to a dancing competition recently as well.
54:58I did. I did go to a dancing competition. It was the International Dance Festival that they held in Medway.
55:03I believe it was 10,000 dancers over six days.
55:06And I spoke to two young Ukrainian children who told me the difficulties of training in Ukraine, obviously, with the war going on and everything.
55:13So, yeah, sport, it's about human lives, really.
55:16And, yeah, it's not always about a scoreline, even though I like to talk about the Jills.
55:21Yeah, win or lose, I love to talk about the scorelines. But, yeah, like you say, it's about the people.
55:25So, yeah, you can check out all of those stories on the show right after this.
55:29Fabulous. And do you have a guest?
55:31Yeah, we'll be joined by Corey Miller. He's the one talking us through lacrosse.
55:35Of course.
55:36So, yeah, he joins me on the sofa. I think it's the first time I've had a guest taller than me, except when we interviewed an NBA player.
55:41So, yeah, all that and more. I have to say, lacrosse, it's such a strange one.
55:47I've tried a few strange sports in my time. I've tried underwater hockey.
55:50That's it, I was going to say.
55:51Yeah, that's one I always like to talk about. I've played American football.
55:54But I think I might try giving lacrosse a go soon.
55:57But apparently, like I said, a contact sport. I'm no stranger to sports injuries.
56:01I used to play Sunday League. I got concussions. So, yeah, it's an interesting one.
56:07So, yeah, I think Corey mentioned he fractured his thumb, but did it all with a smile on his face.
56:11So, must be something good about it, right?
56:12Yeah, fabulous. Sounds like a great show.
56:15So, that will be on after this show this evening at half six.
56:20Had to check the time there, half six.
56:22But no, you've been watching Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
56:25There's more news made just for you throughout the evening,
56:28including the sports news we've just talked about.
56:30And then again, we'll be back for a bulletin at 8pm.
56:33All that and more throughout the evening. So, we will see you then. Bye-bye.
Be the first to comment