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Catch up with all the latest news in the County with Finn Macdiarmid.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:25I'm Finn McDermott and here are your top stories on Friday 7th November.
00:30And then there were nine more reformed UK suspensions at Kent County Council, despite
00:36Leader saying it's business as usual.
00:38What I'd like to say to members of the press today is that this grouping is a warm sanctuary
00:43for people that have been expelled, mistreated, defamed or in general just basically abused
00:49by the leadership in there.
00:51Clothing crisis, Canterbury fashion retailer goes into administration.
00:55And Folkestone remembers poppy tributes laid along harbour ahead of Armistice Day.
01:00These are platforms that soldiers would have got on the train to go home on and it's a
01:05nice sort of tribute to those who didn't.
01:10But first tonight, County Hall has been rocked by yet more political chaos as legal threats
01:15and a fresh suspension threaten to overshadow full council.
01:18In their first six months, Reform UK have seen their majority halved, with nine councillors
01:23either being suspended, expelled or defecting.
01:27But the leader of the council is adamant that it is business as usual, as our local democracy
01:31reporter Oli Leder has been finding out.
01:34Expelled but not out for the count, that's the message from Bill Barrett and Robert Ford.
01:40Former reformers not only officially launching a new independent party, but announcing legal
01:47action to go with it.
01:49I'm currently taking legal advice regarding defamation of my character by Reform UK and KCC.
02:00At this point in time we're in advanced discussions with at least two additional members that
02:04may join the independent reformers.
02:07We don't know whether they will and we don't know whether they won't.
02:09What I'd like to say to members of the press today is that this grouping is a warm sanctuary
02:14for people that have been expelled, mistreated, defamed or in general just basically abused
02:20by the leadership in there.
02:21The news comes as fellow councillor Isabella Kemp announced she's taking the party to industrial
02:28tribunal after being dismissed from her role at Reform HQ last week.
02:33Her suspension from the party brings the number of councillors reform have lost in their first
02:39six months to nine.
02:42Now reform have lost half of their majority in just six months.
02:45I intend people placing bets on when the reform administration is going to collapse, whether
02:49it be Christmas or Easter.
02:51And they're just fighting with each other rather than getting to grips with the real problems
02:54facing people in Kent.
02:56The draft budget still has not been made public nor have decisions been taken on council tax
03:03rises.
03:04Is the infighting and legal action being taken making it harder for the reform administration
03:12to do their jobs?
03:13It's certainly annoying.
03:14I certainly wish it hadn't happened.
03:16I just want everybody to pull together as a team so we can get on with the really important
03:20work that we were elected to do, but no, if it's a distraction, it's been a very minor
03:24one.
03:25I dealt with it very swiftly and very decisively.
03:27It's done.
03:28It's finished.
03:29We move on.
03:30The reform leadership say they have to wait for the Chancellor's autumn statement at the
03:35end of the month before any firm financial decisions can be made.
03:41But after another week of chaos at County Hall, the road to financial and political stability
03:48has never looked longer.
03:50Olly Leader in Maidstone.
03:53Next, emergency services were called to report of a house fire on Lancaster Close in Newington.
04:00Fire crews arrived at 11 this morning to find the house billowing with smoke.
04:04The road was cordoned off as firefighters fought the flames.
04:08Police and paramedics were also on the site.
04:11The cause of the fire is currently unknown as an investigation is ongoing.
04:18Which is set to lose its long-serving Royal Mail Postal Delivery Office in a move that's
04:22been described as deeply concerning for residents.
04:26The company insists the closure of the site and relocation of operations to Canterbury will
04:31have no impact on customers.
04:33But residents and councillors who only discovered the plan when they saw the King Street building
04:37up for auction fear, it will lead to major inconvenience.
04:42Next owners of a nature reserve in Sheppey have revealed long-awaited plans for an almost
04:47half-a-million-pound event space.
04:50Gareth and Georgina Fulton, who run Elmley National Nature Reserve, say the project will boost the
04:55local economy and provide more jobs.
04:58Proposals had been in the works for the past eight years but were delayed due to several factors.
05:03Next, a clothing company operating from Canterbury has gone, oh sorry about that, and we can
05:09hear from them now.
05:11So it's got a huge glazed window looking over the landscape of the reserve, amazing views
05:17all across the south of the island.
05:20And it's kind of uninterrupted of water and grass and wildlife, so it's quite an amazing
05:24setting.
05:25So the building will be used for anything those events want to do, whether it's workshops,
05:31it's a party and, you know, it'll have a bar and things, or it might be a wedding ceremony
05:37for a smaller wedding or a winter wedding.
05:38It just gives us that option that if the weather closes in, we've got somewhere to go other than
05:45the very old barn, but, you know, we're quite lucky on Sheppey because it's one of the driest
05:50places in the country, so it doesn't tend to rain that often.
05:54Next, a clothing company operating from Canterbury has gone into administration.
05:59This is after failing to deliver customers' orders and refunds for several months.
06:04Ha are facing mounting pressure for more than a thousand customers' complaints.
06:08Well, here with me now to discuss this more is our reporter, Kristen Hawthorne.
06:13Kristen has more details about the company, the closure and its controversy.
06:18Well, Kristen, talk us through this story.
06:20Yeah, so like you said, the story centres on the Ha store, an online fashion and homework
06:25company run by Canterbury businessman Jack Lowe.
06:28A few years ago, it was really popular.
06:30I believe that the company started in 2011.
06:34But for months now, customers say they've been placing orders and never receiving them or waiting
06:38endlessly for refunds that never came.
06:40The company racked up nearly 3,000 one-star reviews on Trustpilot, with people calling
06:44it a scam and calling them absolute thieves.
06:47Kent Online, who'd been investigating the company for several weeks, eventually tracked
06:51down Mr Lowe, first to his company warehouse and then to his manor home nearby.
06:56He then, he told them supply issues with brands like Carhartt had caused delays, but insisted
07:01his business was legitimate.
07:03This is his warehouse that he was operating from.
07:06Despite that though, the company has now gone into administration leaving around 1,400 customers
07:12out of pocket.
07:13And that means anyone still waiting for orders or refunds won't get their money back from
07:16the company itself.
07:18I see.
07:19And tell us about what some of these complaints have said.
07:22Yes.
07:23So some of the complaints have said that we've got Harry Durges from North Devon, previously
07:28felt that the store was a trusted retailer.
07:31But after paying £36 for Carhartt Shorts on August 1, he was still waiting for their arrival
07:36three months later when Kent Online spoke to him on August 30.
07:41This is what their website actually looks like now, what you've just seen on screen.
07:45So the website's not even working now.
07:47You need like a password to get in.
07:50But Harry also said, after a string of emails to their help department, I'm no further along.
07:54I've been met with automated messaging saying there's been a delay.
07:58And I mean, I could read you some other ones, but this is basically the same thing that a
08:01lot of customers have experienced, that they keep saying, oh, your order's coming.
08:05We're getting feedback from Carhartt.
08:07But it just never, never arrives.
08:09Absolutely.
08:10And have Carhartt themselves, the company, said anything on the matter?
08:13They haven't said anything.
08:15And actually, since the, her company has went into administration, Kent Online tried to contact
08:20him yesterday, but he did not receive a response.
08:24And I just want to add that those people who may be still waiting for refunds, the administrators
08:29Maxwell Davies and Maidstone say customers should go directly to their banks or card
08:34providers to claim a refund through what's known as chargeback, because the company itself
08:39has been in serious trouble for a while, ending last year with losses of more than 170,000
08:45owing more money than it had in assets.
08:47I see.
08:48Well, hopefully all of these people get their full money back.
08:51Thank you so much for bringing us this story, Kristen.
08:53We'll have any updates if there are any to follow up with.
08:57And now we are going to bring you all your latest sports headlines from across the county
09:01with Jude Moulton.
09:02Let's have a look.
09:04The England striker Seb Palmer Holden is set to play his former rivals Bristol Rovers this
09:17Saturday in a bitter homecoming.
09:19The Jills play a sign from Bristol City in the summer and looks ahead to the game, hoping
09:23to add another goal to his tally following his finish against Newport County in the FA
09:28Cup last weekend.
09:29In an interview, the 21-year-old said, it's just another game for me at the end of the
09:33day.
09:34Where it is, doesn't matter.
09:35Wherever you play, I just try and do my best.
09:38In more Gillingham news, manager Gareth Ainsworth has confirmed that he will be at the game against
09:42Bristol Rovers, but doctors' orders mean he won't be on the touchline just yet.
09:48Recovering from open heart surgery, Ainsworth has returned to the club and begun overseeing
09:53training.
09:54He is reportedly buzzing to have returned, but has admitted it's going to be some time
09:58until we see him in the dugout.
10:00I've got to take it easy, the Jills Bloss admitted, and I've been really pleased to be
10:04back in and on the training pitch for the last two days.
10:08Let's hope Gareth has a speedy recovery and hopes to see him in the dugout soon.
10:12In some local martial arts news now, students from Canterbury's Canton Martial Arts showcased
10:17their brilliant skills at national championships in Ashford.
10:21The students made their mark, competing against more than 200 other martial artists from across
10:28the county, and in total 31 from their club were involved.
10:33Richard Wincott, Canterbury's senior instructor, said the performance levels were truly amazing
10:38and had such an exciting and supportive atmosphere.
10:42And finally, thousands gathered at Kent Cricket's Spitfire Ground for their annual firework show
10:47on Wednesday.
10:49The sold-out event were entertained by local bands, fire performances, and most importantly,
10:54a brilliant firework display.
10:57The action-packed event was hosted by KMFN's own Ben Pearce and Andy Walker, with guest appearances
11:03from the Kent Cricket's Foundation's captains and Marlowe's Panto favourites Ben Roddy and
11:08Phil Gallagher, who is also best known as Mr. Maker.
11:12Let's hope the spectators had a brilliant time there.
11:17Well, best of luck to the Gilles there, and congratulations to all those karate-loving
11:28kids from Canterbury.
11:30But it is now time for a break.
11:32Coming up, we'll be meeting Josh Colombell as he brings us all the latest stories from
11:37the world of business for this week's Business Roundup.
11:40We'll also be taking a quick peek into politics with a teaser of today's Kent Politics Show with
11:46Olly Leader, bringing you all the issues that matter to the people here in Kent, and a time
11:52to remember, as it is always around this time of year, as the Folkestone Poppy Project prepares
11:57for this year's Remembrance Day.
11:59We'll also, if you have any more information or you want to find any more information about
12:03that story we spoke to Chris and about, about the Ha Clothing Store, you can read more about
12:08that on Kent Online.
12:09And if you've been personally affected, you can, of course, reach us on our email or Kent
12:14Online as well.
12:15But we'll see you in just a few minutes for the second part of the show.
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16:00First in today's business roundup, a former Gillingham's doctor's surgery has been
16:04sold with applications submitted to convert it into six flats. The real-size
16:09surgery closed its services earlier this year with its patients now being
16:12transferred to Balmoral Gardens Clinic. The surgery was sold at auction for a
16:16staggering £360,000 with Medway planning permits being submitted to the
16:21council. Up next, an award-winning chef opens a Moroccan restaurant, Marrakesh
16:26cafe in the former Cardinals Cat Pub unit in Canterbury. The Indian chef was
16:32inspired by North African cuisine after recruiting a Moroccan chef at his
16:36previous restaurant, inspiring him to visit the country himself, culminating in
16:40his new restaurant in the Rosemary Lane unit. Following this, a fire broke out
16:45at a plastic manufacturing plant in Ramsgate last night with the facility
16:49bosses saying it will not stop them in their tracks. The blaze engulfed Flambeau
16:54Europlast in Manston Road at around 8.20pm, forcing staff to evacuate the site.
16:59Drone footage shows the flames erupting through the roof as six fire engines were
17:04sent to the scene to battle the inferno. The cause is still unknown.
17:08Finally, on today's roundup, the My Dentist practice and deal relocates to its new
17:13£1.3 million site in Broad Street. The My Dentist dental care provider has
17:18splashed out on a new site, moving all of their staff over and all appointments
17:23are now taking place in the new facility. The new practice has some 7,000 patients
17:28on its books with My Dentist area development manager, Natalie
17:31Williams saying, Our aim was to meet the needs of our patients and our team, here in deal,
17:38now and in the future. And feedback so far has been extremely positive.
17:43Now, don't forget, each Friday we have a new episode of the Kent Politics Show, looking at
17:55all the major developments from the past week. In this week's episode, Olly Leader was joined
17:59by Ashford Borough Councillor Dickon Spain and Dartford Borough Councillor George Holt.
18:04Here's a teaser of the show.
18:08Last week, the rail regulator made a landmark decision that will allow Virgin trains
18:13to operate continental train services. Now, we all know rival Eurostar hasn't stopped in Kent
18:19since March 2020, but it is renewed hope that a decision made by the Office of Rail and Road
18:25could change all of that. Well, joining me to discuss all of this is Labour Councillor Dickon Spain,
18:31the Deputy Leader of Ashford Borough Council and Councillor George Holt, the Conservative lead member
18:37for youth at Dartford Borough Council. And Dickon, I have to go to you first. You've been relentlessly
18:41campaigning on all things Ashford International and Ebsfleet International. Is this actually
18:48going to help bring services back?
18:50Well, it's a fantastic big step forward. So we're in a situation now where the monopoly
18:56that Eurostar has held for about 30 years now will be broken, which is great news. So we
19:02will get another service in. Obviously, there is commitment to Ashford and Ebsfleet, but there is
19:08a condition to that, and that is that the stations are reopened. So the next task really is to look at
19:15focusing on getting those stations reopened. We've got a fantastic commitment from Peter Lord-Hendie,
19:21the Rail Minister, who has said that the government will champion the reopening of those stations. So what we
19:27need to do is make sure that those words turn into actions. What can politicians here in the county
19:33actually really do on this? Well, I think what's really pleasing to see, Ollie, is the number of
19:38people have been working together on this, and it has been cross-organisational work. So borough councils
19:45like Dartford and Ashford have been working together with other organisations. Obviously, Bring Back Eurotrains,
19:52we've been working on this for two years. You've got Kent County Council have also pitched in as well, and a number of
19:58other organisations are all involved in it. And really, it's having a massively strong voice, putting forward
20:04the benefits of it. And that has actually, I think, really put government, certainly the Department for
20:11Transport, under a huge pressure to actually make sure that something happens. And I think you can see
20:16the benefits of that in terms of the commitment from Peter Lord-Hendie to actually champion the reopening of
20:21the stations. Keir Starmer talking about it in Prime Minister's Questions, and it's got cross-party
20:26support as well. So there's huge pressure, and that has benefited, I think, the whole campaign.
20:35And don't forget, you can keep up to date with all the latest stories from across Kent by visiting
20:39our website at cametv.co.uk. There you'll find all our reports, including this one by Chloe Brewster,
20:46revealing the 2025 Eden Bridge Bonfire Guy.
20:49Eden Bridge Bonfire Society has been around for over 95 years, and its celebrity guy has made it one of the
20:55most iconic firework night celebrations in the nation. Last year, the guy was Ticketmaster and the Oasis
21:01Brothers, swaying from the typically political guy choice.
21:03There were plenty of options for who was going to be the Eden Bridge guy this year, but for the people of Eden Bridge,
21:08the answer was obvious. It's Starmer, Starmer the Farmer Harmer, as seen on his badge on his chest just there.
21:14Now, there are other people in the running, including the name that's been on everybody's lips.
21:18We did have Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He came in a very, very close second. We had other nominations.
21:24I think people have suggested Angela Rayner, Andrew Tate, Rachel Rees. I love the fact that he's got
21:29the traditional Guy Fawkes hat and the frilly rough on, because it sort of brings the whole story
21:34round back to Parliament, which is what obviously Guy Fawkes was trying to blow up in the first
21:39instance. We feel that Keir Starmer's doing quite a good job by himself of sort of causing the
21:44destruction of it. The build begins from early October, with the caricature painted in the space
21:48of just 10 days. One artist has been in charge of painting the effigy for nearly 10 years.
21:53At the scale, it's definitely the biggest challenge, because I don't actually get to see it
21:58until you guys see it, so I'm seeing it with the whole world and I'm basically on the edge thinking,
22:04is it going to look okay? And if it isn't, then there's nothing I can do about it. So yeah,
22:09the scale of proportions of the body parts mainly is my biggest nightmare, but I think it looks all
22:17right. I took to the high street in Eden Bridge to get a feel for local reactions.
22:21It's good, it's good. That's brilliant. Who is it?
22:27No idea. No, I haven't. No, I haven't.
22:31Yes, it's a very good likeness.
22:36Yeah, it's really creative. I like the sausages on the head. It's a nice, nice touch.
22:42Oh, actually, that's really good this year. That's better than the last year. That's really good.
22:47As people here look forward to lighting up the bonfire on Saturday, we're sure Labour are hoping the
22:51upcoming autumn budget won't go up in smoke too. Chloe Brewster for KMTV in Eden Bridge.
22:59Great package there from Chloe. Always fun to see what the Eden Bridge bonfire guy looks like. But
23:04now let's have a look at the weather.
23:11Tonight, we can expect to see a cloudy evening with moonlit skies across the county and temperatures
23:15peaking at 14 in Dartford, cooling closer to Canterbury. Tomorrow morning brings partly cloudy skies
23:20all over Kent. Temperatures as low as 11 in Tunbridge Wells, increasing to 13 on the coasts.
23:24And into the afternoon, highs of 15 felt in Maidstone. Wind speeds heading eastward at seven
23:29miles per hour. And for the following days, clouds due to cover. Spots of sunshine appearing in light
23:34Monday showers expected. We end this Sunday with highs of 15 cooling to 14 in the new week.
23:39And now Dreamland have announced 90s legends Garbage and Skunk Anansi, clearly they must be good,
23:56will be co-headline a concert in Margate next year. Garbage released their debut album in 1995 and scored
24:03six UK Top 10 albums. So what do I know? With two Brit Award nominations. Skunk Anansi formed in 1994
24:10and only five years headlined at the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, making them the first black artists
24:15to headline in the festival's history. The two bands will perform on Dreamland's Scenic Stage
24:21on June 19th next year. Apologies, I'm just not a big music person, but they seem to be really good.
24:30Anyways, finally, as Remembrance Day approaches, those heading to Folkestone Harbour will see a
24:34moving tribute to the almost 10 million troops who sailed off from the seaside town to face World
24:40War Two. 800 poppies have been placed along the length of Harbour Station, which Maisie Walker has
24:45been to. The last sighting of home for millions of troops more than 100 years ago, Folkestone Harbour.
24:52This Sunday, we will celebrate Remembrance Day to honour and remember all those who have served
24:57and sacrificed their lives during World War Two. For the upcoming Remembrance Weekend,
25:03800 poppies have been installed along the length of Harbour Station as a tribute to the estimated
25:099.7 million troops that passed through Folkestone Harbour during the Great War. The symbol of the
25:15poppy is well known and well established. It carries a wealth of history and meaning with it. The red poppy
25:22became a symbol of remembrance after the 1915 poem In Flanders Fields, which was inspired by the flowers
25:29growing on the battlefields of World War One. I think they're wonderful. It's in many ways,
25:34it's a good place for them because these two platforms here, plus the one next to the quayside,
25:44these are platforms that soldiers would have got on the train to go home on and it's a nice sort of
25:50tribute to those who didn't. I think the display are really, really beautiful, really excellent
25:56the way it's been put out, especially for the remembrance because that's something that needs to
26:03be carried on and through for eternity really because it should never be forgotten what went on
26:13and the young boys and women that lost their lives during two conflicts so that we can walk free and
26:22speak freely and live the life we live. It should never be forgotten. I think overall, yeah, you can never
26:29do enough. Overall, I think, yes, as long as it's remembered, I mean, particularly on the Sunday
26:37Remembrance Day on the 11th, yes, but it must be carried on by everybody, not just certain people
26:46in society. It must be carried on as a nation, a national thing, a nationwide thing.
26:51I think it's vital to keep it going and I think we have successfully kept it going.
26:57You know, I don't see any reason why it should stop.
27:00Though the exhibit ends after Remembrance Sunday, the message of Lest We Forget will continue to
27:05resonate with those in the seaside town, from where so many would catch their last glimpse
27:10of the county and the country. Maisie Walker for KNTV, Folkestone.
27:16Well, that's all from me. See you next time.
27:30Vigiene
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