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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
00:28I'm Finn McDermott and here are your top stories on Thursday the 11th of December.
00:33Are you fine with more fines?
00:35A consultation launched to introduce more cameras on box junctions around Kent.
00:40I do feel like these things are just a printing press for local councils and governments to
00:45make a little bit more money from, you know, your normal person.
00:49Paralysed Pups, disabled dog charity in Canterbury, calls for support following a viral TikTok
00:54video.
00:55We aren't currently a very big charity, we are a small local charity and it is by supporting
01:01small local charities like us that helps drive charities like us to becoming a more well-known
01:07household name.
01:09Sheds and Sharing, a charity in Medway, are helping to tackle loneliness and to improve
01:13mental health.
01:14Getting out, meeting people, building stuff, we just have a lot of fun.
01:20Now for our top story this evening, yellow box junctions around Maidstone, Dartford and
01:34other towns in Kent could see automatic number plate recognition cameras installed.
01:39This is all in an effort by Kent County Council to tackle traffic congestion.
01:43A consultation was launched on Monday proposing the installation of the cameras at 12 different
01:47sites across the county.
01:49Now it is an offence to stop in a box junction and the council say they hope that fining drivers
01:53might help fight this poor behaviour.
01:56Our reporter Chloe Brewster has been down to Dartford to talk with drivers.
02:00Kent County Council has launched a proposed crackdown on drivers illegally stopping in yellow
02:05box junctions across Kent.
02:06They say new automatic number plate recognition cameras could help ease congestion and respond
02:11to widespread abuse of traffic regulations.
02:13Here at Junction 1A, just off the Dartford crossing, they're proposing four ANPR cameras to look
02:19over the yellow box junctions here.
02:21The council say it hopes that it will help clear up traffic in this area and help deter drivers
02:26from illegally stopping in the box junctions.
02:28But what do drivers in Dartford think of the move?
02:30What are your thoughts on that?
02:31Got a few tickets doing that, Matt.
02:34It'll help if you're stuck in that traffic and trying to get round and round about, but it
02:39won't solve the congestion problem.
02:41If they didn't keep in the yellow boxes, people at the round and back can go straight over.
02:46When you've been stuck in traffic for so long, you're trying to gain that extra yard, so you
02:49know, you maybe just think you can and then you don't, then you're like, please move forward,
02:55you know, get out of my way.
02:56You know, it's got to be a bit of common sense.
02:58You know, if you're the authority or whatever looking at it, you can see there's a lorry in
03:01front of you or a bus.
03:02You can kind of say, okay, then it was a mistake, but for people just sitting in a yellow box,
03:09then yeah, you deserve to be fined.
03:10I do feel like these things are just a printing press for local councils and governments to
03:16make a little bit more money from, you know, your normal person.
03:19It's a road traffic offence to enter a yellow box when the exit is not clear, and flouting
03:23the rules can result in fines of £70.
03:26But it's not just Dartford.
03:27Box junctions at 10 sites in Ashford, Canterbury, Maidstone and Fanet all could see new
03:32cameras installed.
03:33Justifying the proposed crackdown, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport,
03:38Peter Osborne, said,
03:40When drivers block yellow box junctions, it causes congestion and delays across local roads,
03:45disrupting daily journeys.
03:47We want to hear your views on our proposal to introduce camera enforcement at these junctions
03:51to help us make informed decisions that improve traffic flow and reduce delays for everyone.
03:57The consultation opened for public views on Monday and runs until February 3rd.
04:01You can share your views on the Let's Talk Kent County Council website now.
04:05Chloe Brewster for KMTV in Dartford.
04:08Last night, police were called to Swale Council offices in Sittingbourne after a debate about
04:15signing up to the City of Sanctuary scheme turned ugly.
04:18At least 50 people attended a meeting to hear the plans for Swale Council to join a nationwide
04:23scheme that would provide extra support for asylum seekers already placed in the borough.
04:27But during the meeting, councillors were heckled at, spit at and had an egg thrown from
04:32some listeners in the public gallery.
04:34After the meeting, one of the meds' toilets on the first floor was found damaged with taps
04:39left running.
04:40This led to flooding, which caused part of the ground floor ceiling to collapse.
04:44Here is what Kevin McKenna, the Labour MP for Sittingbourne in Sheppey, said today.
04:49Kevin McKenna.
04:50Thank you, Mr Speaker.
04:52I'm horrified to report to you and to the House as a whole that last night in Swale Borough Council
04:57there were violent scenes as people wearing balaclavas in the public gallery itself violently
05:04intimidated councillors.
05:06They were threatening them, pelting them with eggs and missiles from the gallery.
05:11Say no! We say no! We say no!
05:15We say no! We say no!
05:17We say no! We say no!
05:20We say no! We say no!
05:23This is an attack on democracy itself.
05:26This is an attack on free speech.
05:28This is an attack on my constituents.
05:31The building was so badly vandalised afterwards, with toilets flooded, lifts destroyed, it can't
05:36be used today and is not open.
05:38My constituents cannot access council services because of these actions.
05:43Our democracy is based on the ability to disagree with each other strongly, but never violently.
05:51I have to ask my honourable friend, the Leader of the House, what can be done here from the
05:59House of Commons for councillors and MPs across the country who are facing growing levels of
06:05violent intimidation?
06:06Mr Speaker, my honourable friend, speaks very powerfully of the appalling actions which have
06:14taken place. I join him in condemning the actions of those involved. I know, Mr Speaker, that you have
06:21done a great deal around the Speaker's conference on the security of MPs, candidates and elections, but this is
06:28also a priority for the Defending Democracy Taskforce, where we are now focusing very much not just
06:35on where the police can be increasingly effective when such incidents occur and where democracy
06:45is deemed to be under threat, but also to make sure that it is not just a question. There are plenty of
06:50examples, too many of examples of where MPs are intimidated, but it is where other local
06:55representatives are intimidated too, and it is simply not acceptable. So let me be very clear, those
07:04people, anyone involved in public life, should not be subject to harassment or
07:09intimidation for doing their job, and this House needs to stand united in sending out that message.
07:14Can I just say, as you bring me into that conversation, absolutely fully in what the Leader says,
07:20Operation Forward is the contacts that need to be made within the Constabulary. I would expect them
07:25to take over, and I would expect players who are embedded within Parliament who also connect to
07:31Operation Forward for local authorities, purely for councillors. That hotline is there to every police
07:37force in the country. So I hope that people respond accordingly to what I find an appalling
07:43situation, and an attack on democracy is not acceptable. I now come to turn the backbench
07:48committee, Bob Black.
07:49Next, we catch up with a local charity in Canterbury, Flory's Friends Rescue, who offer a home for
07:57disabled dogs to give them another chance at life. They recently received a generous donation from
08:02Ricky Gervais, but are still looking for ongoing help to support the animals in their care.
08:08Kristen Hawthorne went down and took some of the dogs that you can see here behind me for a walk earlier.
08:14Let's have a look.
08:21Christmas has come early for these dogs, after being featured in a viral TikTok video and receiving a large
08:28donation from Ricky Gervais for their care. But their lives have not always been filled with such joy.
08:33It's sad what's happened to them, but if this didn't happen to them, they wouldn't have such a good life.
08:36The lives they had before they came to us were probably a whole lot worse given the types of owners
08:41they had. So it's almost a bittersweet thing. The paralysis had to happen to them to have a better
08:45quality of life. And these dogs actually have a better quality of life than most four-legged dogs.
08:51Flory's Friends Rescue charity is one of a kind here in Kent, helping paralysed dogs with just one
08:57or two legs, get a second chance at life. We actually turn down about 20 dogs a week. We get
09:03so many 0800 trauma calls. We have a trauma line. We get hundreds of emails from people,
09:09either with their unwanted pet that's newly paralysed that they can't cope with.
09:13We have transfers from many charities. So, for example, Nelly was a transfer from another charity.
09:19They're not a paralysis specialist rescue, but they didn't want to euthanise her. So they transferred
09:23her over to us. And then we get a lot of referrals from the vets when they've got animals that come
09:31in abuse cases. They come from left, right and centre, basically. We're never short of intake.
09:36But unfortunately, with dogs, as soon as they become disabled, it's euthanasia immediately.
09:40Which, why should that be? Why can't dogs live disabled? Why can humans but not animals live
09:45disabled? It's just a matter of perception. And that's what we're trying to change as a rescue.
09:49The charity recently received a donation of £100,000, which they say will cover their vet
09:54bills for the next year. And why they say they're very grateful for this donation,
09:58more consistent community support is needed to protect the future of the dogs in the long term.
10:05So the donation we received off Ricky Gervais, it safeguards our future, basically. It safeguards
10:11the future of these dogs and the dogs that we're going to be taking in. But unfortunately,
10:15I know £100,000 seems an incredible amount of money to someone who doesn't work in rescue.
10:20£100,000 does not cover our running costs for a year. That covers our vet bills for a year. So,
10:26yes, Ricky Gervais has absolutely changed the lives of hundreds of paralysed dogs,
10:31but we really hope that doesn't put people off donating to us in future as we rely on community
10:36donations for the monthly donations to safeguard our future and the dogs' future.
10:41The fact that they're still dogs, they're no different from any other dog. They just don't
10:46have, you know, any rear legs and they have a wheelchair, but they're completely the same as
10:51every other dog. And sometimes I think people don't understand that they're still a dog and that,
11:00you know, they'll still do absolutely everything a normal dog does.
11:03So with Christmas well on its way, these Santa's little helpers are proving that two legs can be
11:08just as good as four. Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV, Canterbury.
11:16A great story there from our reporter, Kristen Hawthorne. Well, it's now time for a break,
11:21but after that, we'll be talking with the Labour MP for East Thanet, Polly Billington,
11:25who's going to be discussing the sale of the historical Memorial Hall in Broadstairs,
11:30including a campaign attempting to preserve the building that some members of the public
11:34are hoping is enough to ensure the preservation of that Memorial Hall. That is the Sarah Thorne
11:39Theatre, of course. As well as that, we'll be catching up with all the latest sports news here
11:43in Kent with a range of sports being covered, such as the latest Gillingham results. All that and more
11:50we'll see you in the next one after this short break.
14:50Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV. Now, Dame Judi Dench is back to campaign
15:19opposing the sale of Broadstairs Memorial Hall by Kent County Council. The hall is home to the Sarah
15:25Thorne Theatre, which the Oscar-winning actress is a trustee of, and is set to be put up for auction.
15:31Now, it was listed for disposal in 2024, and this decision has been upheld by the new reform-led
15:36council. I spoke with the Labour MP for East Thanet, Polly Billington, about the sale earlier.
15:42Well, thank you so much for joining us, Polly. First of all, I'm aware you have some of your own
15:47experience with community theatre. Could you tell us a bit about how the Sarah Thorne Theatre is so
15:51valuable to its community?
15:54Well, I know from my own experience as a child and as a young adult, how important the opportunity is
16:00to be able to explore different kinds of creativity and performing arts in particular. It gives you so
16:05much confidence, even if you don't end up doing it for a living. It gives you loads of skills that you
16:10can acquire, that you can use later on. But also, it's simply joyful for everybody of every age to
16:16participate in performing arts, either as a spectator or to take part fully, and gives you so
16:22many different skills. This isn't necessarily getting rid of the theatre, it is just a sale or an
16:27auction. But are you worried potentially then, if a private owner were to pick it up, that it would
16:32become less of a community asset and more of simply a thing of value, that someone could change as they
16:38will?
16:40I think I must pay tribute to Michael Wheatley-Ward, who runs the theatre, for managing to
16:45secure an extension of five years on the lease in order to be able to keep the theatre hopefully
16:51running under whoever is owning the property going forward. But the important thing is you retain
16:59the value of that property in the community in order to be able to provide a wide range of services.
17:04Up until recently, it was providing adult education services during the day.
17:09The council has cut that, the Kent County Council has cut that, and therefore they're saying that
17:14it's no longer viable. Services in communities like Broadstairs are important for lots of very,
17:20very, very good reasons. People enjoy those services and they benefit from them. They contribute to the economy and therefore
17:28are overall a good benefit to the community. I'm very disappointed that there is a risk to those services
17:36going forward, particularly the theatre services, because the education ones have already been cut,
17:40there's that theatre provision being cut and therefore no longer being available to the people at Broadstairs.
17:46I see. And do you worry that there might be a sort of falling dominoes effect where if we lose this
17:53community asset of the theatre, we could see other of Thanet's artistic community assets also lost,
17:58such as museums, art galleries, things like that? Do you worry that it's a slippery slope?
18:05We have an extraordinary amount of cultural and creative energy in Thanet. It's one of the reasons why I
18:11think we are very well placed to pitch for the city of culture across the country and bid for it as the
18:17island of culture, the isle of Thanet being an island of brilliant, brilliant culture. So I know that's one
18:25of the reasons why the Sarah Thorne Theatre is part of the fabric that makes sure that that creative and
18:31cultural energy has places to go and opportunities to flourish. Now, I know that there is enormous
18:37an amount of other assets. I hope that they will not be exposed and vulnerable to the cuts that
18:42reform our planning. But I also know that we need as a community to commit to making a big plan to make
18:49the most of our cultural and creative assets. And that's what I'm concerned about when I see something
18:55like the Sarah Thorne Theatre under such threat. Now, Dame Judi Dench has weighed in on the plans to sell
19:02the theatre. She says that she's horrified to see the space go up for auction and that the sale would
19:06put its future in jeopardy. How do you feel about getting support from such a renowned figure?
19:11It's absolutely brilliant to get the backing of somebody who's a national treasure and a global
19:15legend like Judi Dench. It points out that so many people, however successful they are in the world,
19:22understand that the start of the excitement about performance and theatre begins in places like
19:29Sarah Thorne. Who knows what untapped talent there is in Broadstairs and in in wider and in Thanet more
19:36widely that will be will stay untapped because they will not have the opportunities to be able
19:41to explore the performing arts in the way that the Sarah Thorne Theatre has enabled people to do.
19:47Now, I've heard Kent County Council councillors say Kent County Council isn't there to provide or run
19:53theatres. No, they're not. But they are there to make important decisions about how money is allocated
19:59to support communities to flourish and that is exactly what Sarah Thorne Theatre was enabling
20:04people to do. I don't want untapped talent to stay untapped and I want that potential to flourish and
20:11that's what Judi Dench and I both agree on. I see. Thank you so much for joining us, Polly.
20:18In a statement by Kent County Council, they said the agreement for a five-year lease is seen as a
20:22safeguard for the future of the theatre. They say the sale via auction is still going ahead and that it's
20:27statutory due to it no longer being used by KCC. Despite all this, the building has been identified
20:33as an asset of community value. Brian Collins, the deputy leader of KCC, said without a viable
20:38proposal, the council has no choice now but to move forward with the sale. Now, let's take a look
20:43at some sports news from across the county.
20:54Gillingham coach Gareth Ainsworth said he found a 0-0 draw on Saturday's game to be a better outcome
21:00than a 3-3 draw that happened on the 29th of November. Ainsworth has stated that he doesn't
21:05care if the game has no thrills or spills but, as someone who sets his team up to be organised,
21:11hard to beat. A 0-0 is definitely better than a 3-3. He went on to say that this no-score game shows
21:17how hard it is for the team to beat Gillingham and that draws are horrible because you'd rather win
21:24two and lose two than draw four points-wise. But performance-wise, you've got to give credit to
21:29the boys. They are hard to beat. Invicta Dynamos hosted Cardiff Fire on Saturday in NIHL South Division
21:361 after beating Stolen Devils 5-2 in the league last week. Victory heavy in the air, the Dynamos
21:43hope to continue to rake in the wins for the coming season. Next week, the Dynamos will be
21:47celebrating 40 years of hockey. Honouring their past, they will be making a tribute to the Medway
21:52Bears this weekend. They will face a double-header against Slau Jets, the team that's just above them
21:57in the table. It's a home game this Saturday against Cardiff Fire, although at the bottom of the table,
22:02still a formidable team. Despite winning their last five games, head coach Carl Lennon isn't taking
22:08anyone lightly. As for the upcoming games, he says, there's no question that Cardiff had some
22:14struggles through the start of the year, but they've got a solid netminder and they've got a
22:18few solid players and we have to respect that. Scott Porter declares his time as a football manager is
22:23over after a trophy-laden career. With a rich career of promotions, cup wins and FA Cup run-ups
22:31to the first round proper, yet admits his love for football management is gone. After 16 years of
22:37serving Kent clubs, Scott notes his discomfort with the changing nature of the game and has a need to
22:43focus on his personal life outside of football and spend more time with his family. Scott had a history
22:48of managing Highttown, Whistable Town, Hollands and Blair and most recently Lord Woods. Some of his greatest
22:55achievements were where he won the Kent league title at Hype and a promotion that came at Whistable
23:01during a table-winning season. Corey Miller for KMTV.
23:14Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all the latest stories from all over Kent at
23:18KMTV.co.uk. There you'll find many of our reports like this one.
23:23I think you can start preparing for Christmas discreetly from August.
23:30I don't like celebrating it until after my birthday, which is today. So in December is fine for me.
23:37October. I like it in December as well to start it, yeah, not too early.
23:42Yeah, same with me 12 days before. For many across Kent, Christmas comes but once a year,
23:49but for this store in Rochester, every day is Christmas Day. Times Christmas is the UK's
23:55largest Christmas store, opens seven days a week all year round and attracts thousands of people
24:00just on a weekend. From every tremendous fur you could wish for, to lights brighter than Rudolph's
24:06red nose, Time Christmas really slays it. People want that magic, so they're coming out,
24:12now and going a little bit crazier than they used to. We've had people travel from Scotland,
24:18we've had people travel from Wales, so we really are all over from people, so.
24:23The store is so enchanting that customers keep coming back for more.
24:27I come here actually quite often if I'm at work and I'm feeling a bit,
24:32then I just come in here and I absolutely love it. Just take my time walking around,
24:36listening to the music. It's just such a good feel good factor. I go back to the office and I feel
24:42great. It's local to me, I live here in the Medway Towns. It's just awesome, fantastic, it's seasonal.
24:50You know, what more could you say about, you go to other shops, there's a little bit of Christmas,
24:55but this is dedicated Christmas, Christmassy crib time. And even the big man himself had something to
25:02say. I've been doing Santa for all these years, this is probably my best ever venue,
25:08after doing parents, families, all the top toy stores and garden centres and all of that. This
25:15is the cream of the pie, this is. But what's driving all this Christmas spending? Chris Britcher,
25:22Kent Online's business editor, says the trend of earlier festive shopping is being fuelled by rising
25:27sales events. According to the Bank of England last year, the average family spent about an extra £700
25:32in December, which is obviously a significant spending uptick that's about 30% up on the
25:39normal months of the year. And, you know, as we all know, a lot of retailers are entirely reliant
25:45on that Christmas period to really boost their revenues and keep them ticking over during the
25:50quieter months. And with year round stores like Time Christmas keeping the festive spirit alive well
25:55beyond December, it's clear that for shoppers and businesses alike, the season of spending never truly
26:01melts away. Nayla Mehmed for KMTV.
26:07And today, we are seeing clouds sweeping across Kent, an average of 10 degrees. Tunbridge Wells
26:16will get a small drop to 9. Tomorrow morning, clouds remain across Kent, weather increasing to 11.
26:21Dover seeing a high of 12. And into the afternoon, clouds remain, as does the temperature in Dover.
26:26Everywhere else, up to 12 degrees. Tunbridge Wells at 11. And the outlook is rather plain. 12 degrees
26:32across the board. Some clouds over early in the week, with Sunday and Monday looking a bit overcast
26:38for Kent. Time for a short break. See you after a few minutes.
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29:59Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
30:15I'm Finn McDermid and here are your top stories on Thursday 11th December.
31:20Here at Junction 1A, just off the Dartford crossing, they're proposing four AMPR cameras to look
31:30over the yellow box junctions here. The council say it hopes that it will help clear up traffic
31:35in this area and help deter drivers from illegally stopping in the box junctions.
31:39But what do drivers in Dartford think of the move?
31:41What are your thoughts on that?
31:42Got a few tickets doing that much.
31:45It'll help if you're stuck in that traffic and trying to get round and round about, but it won't solve the congestion problem.
31:52If they didn't keep in the yellow boxes, people at the round of back can go straight over.
31:57When you've been stuck in traffic for so long, you're trying to gain that extra yard, so you
32:00know, you maybe just think you can and then you don't. Then you're like, please move forward, you know, get out of my way.
32:07You know, it's got to be a bit of common sense. You know, if you're the authority or whatever looking at it,
32:11you can see there's a lorry in front of you or a bus. You can kind of say, okay, then it was a mistake,
32:16but for people just sitting in the yellow box, then yeah, you deserve to be fined.
32:22I do feel like these things are just a printing press for local councils and governments to make a little bit more money
32:28from, you know, your normal person.
32:30It's a road traffic offence to enter a yellow box when the exit is not clear,
32:34and flouting the rules can result in fines of £70. But it's not just Dartford.
32:39Box junctions at 10 sites in Ashford, Canterbury, Maidstone and Fanet all could see new cameras installed.
32:44Justifying the proposed crackdown, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Peter Osborne, said,
32:51when drivers block yellow box junctions, it causes congestion and delays across local roads, disrupting daily journeys.
32:58We want to hear your views on our proposal to introduce camera enforcement at these junctions
33:02to help us make informed decisions that improve traffic flow and reduce delays for everyone.
33:08The consultation opened for public views on Monday and runs until February 3rd.
33:12You can share your views on the Let's Talk Kent County Council website now.
33:16Chloe Brewster for KNTV in Dartford.
33:19Now, internet safety for young people has been a long debated issue, with some schools here in Kent even going as far to ban phones in schools.
33:29But in Australia, they've banned social media for those under 16.
33:33We spoke with Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott on this earlier.
33:36I absolutely think that we should do it.
33:40And I think it's a great shame that the Labour government are refusing to do it.
33:45I think they're listening to big tech more than they're listening to parents who want it.
33:49There are so many risks attached to social media exposure and screen time,
33:54not just in terms of the physical well-being of people spending too much time on screens.
33:59There's also the concerns that I'm seeing around increased exposure to extortion,
34:04indecent sharing of images, predatory behaviour online.
34:08So I think we need to do everything we can to reduce the opposition for criminals
34:11to try and exploit our young people, as well as keep them safe online.
34:15The evidence is there.
34:16It helps improve physical and mental well-being.
34:19I'm disappointed the government won't follow suit and copy Australia's example.
34:22I see. And how do you think that Kent weighs up when compared to the rest of the country
34:28in terms of online abuse?
34:32I am working with Police and Crime Commissioners at the moment
34:35to try and understand the scale of this problem.
34:38We have a colleague of mine in Cheshire who is, like me,
34:41an advocate and passionate advocate of smartphone-free schools.
34:45We're both offering funding to schools in order to help them go smartphone-free.
34:49And I think we are slowly changing the narrative around what access we want
34:53our young people to have to social media.
34:56That's not to say that they don't need access to the internet,
34:59but the unrestricted access that they have to some of these social media platforms
35:04is causing them considerable harm, whether they realise it directly
35:07from what people it is they are trying to do to exploit them,
35:10but also the other consequences of the impact on their mental well-being.
35:14I see. And you mentioned unrestricted access there.
35:17Some opponents of this scheme have argued that rather than banning social media
35:21entirely for under-16s, there should be a more gradual approach,
35:24perhaps more education rather than simply a ban.
35:27What do you make of those arguments?
35:30I think we're long past those arguments, because if you're still exposing them to them,
35:34even for a limited amount of time, you are still exposing them
35:38to the potential consequences of having concerns about eating disorders,
35:44body image, stress, anxiety, as well as some of the other pressures
35:49that they come under for exploitation and abuse and sharing of images.
35:53So I think that if you're going to go some halfway house of allowing some time,
35:58but not all, I think you've either got to pick,
36:00you've got to do it properly or you don't do it at all.
36:02And my fear is the Labour government won't do this at all.
36:04I see. And even if the Labour government wanted to do this,
36:08do you think this would be a particular popular idea?
36:10Do you think it would be passed here in the UK?
36:12We've already seen the Online Safety Act restrict what young people can see online.
36:16So do you think this would be particularly popular with people,
36:19especially parents?
36:22Absolutely.
36:22If you look at the evidence of the smartphone-free childhood campaign,
36:26the number of people who are voluntarily signing up to do this
36:29and not buying their young people's smartphones and limiting their access
36:34to social media voluntarily, there's massive demand for this.
36:38My own work on online bullying and cyber threats to young people
36:43shows massive support amongst parents for limits to smartphones in schools
36:47and access to social media.
36:49Until that point in which the government is going to act,
36:52we do have to still continue to push this message.
36:55I would encourage anyone watching to sign up for the smartphone-free childhood campaign.
37:00There are support groups in Kent for like-minded parents who want to do this
37:03but need a bit of support from other parents in order to be able to achieve it.
37:08I see. You mentioned some of those surveys there.
37:11I have some numbers here.
37:11Last year's Youth and Parents survey revealed that 34% of primary children
37:15and 29% of secondary school children had been bullied online.
37:18Do you think a measure like this social media ban
37:21would be an effective way of dealing with online bullying,
37:23or do you think it would simply kind of bleed into real life?
37:25Well, we've always had it on both.
37:28We've always had it in real life and we've always had it online.
37:32I think if you reduce access to those options, then you will be able to reduce that.
37:37And I think the problem is probably a lot bigger than we actually realise
37:40because a lot of people do suffer in silence.
37:42They don't feel confident talking about it, even in an anonymous survey.
37:46And maybe sometimes they don't recognise the signs of it.
37:49So we need to give people the confidence to talk more about it,
37:52to be able to go through parents or teachers or guardians to talk to the police
37:57if they think it's necessary in order to raise their concerns.
38:01I think that it's probably the tip of the iceberg.
38:04And there are much bigger problems that we are seeing around mental and physical well-being
38:08and exploitation that we're just scraping the surface of.
38:11Across the UK, more than 33,000 people attend their local men's shed.
38:18These are places designed to boost connection, confidence and mental well-being,
38:22whether it's through music, gardening or electronics.
38:25With a quarter of men still less likely to seek support,
38:28these community spaces are becoming a lifeline.
38:31Our reporter Naila Mohamed went to see how they're making a difference right here in Medway.
38:35Across the UK, thousands of men are finding community in an unexpected place,
38:45their local shed.
38:47What might look like a simple workshop is actually a lifeline for many,
38:51offering friendship, purpose and a space to learn new skills.
38:56You put 12 blocks in a room and you ask them to talk about their feelings,
39:03six of them would leave the room immediately.
39:05And then the other six would try to find corners of the room.
39:09But if you put a broken lawnmower in the middle of the room
39:12and you ask those 12 guys to fix it,
39:16they'd crack on and they'd fix that lawnmower.
39:18But at the same time, within an hour,
39:20they'd all know each other's names.
39:21They'd know about what's going on in their lives
39:25and they'd be sharing information that they wouldn't do face-to-face.
39:30And that's kind of what happens here sometimes.
39:3288% of regulars feel more part of their community.
39:39And almost all say they've now made new friends by coming along.
39:43Getting out, meeting people, building stuff, it's...
39:50We just have a lot of fun, you know.
39:53I feel like I just come down for a cup of coffee and just chat.
39:57You know, that's nice.
39:59I'm not stuck indoors staring at four walls
40:03and I'm socialising with people as well
40:06and making friends and I'm gaining knowledge
40:10and I've got a bit of knowledge control that I can share.
40:14I was introduced to men in sheds as I was no longer able to work.
40:19It is good for me as it keeps me making things.
40:23It's an open environment where people can come
40:27and not be shackled by thinking,
40:32oh, well, this is a health service,
40:33this is a DWP thing where I've got to be here.
40:37Across the UK, one in three men say they don't know where to turn
40:41and half have struggled with poor mental health.
40:44Yet only one in four feel able to talk to friends.
40:48Here in Medway, Men's Shed is a place for people to talk,
40:51connect and create.
40:53And for many of the men who come here,
40:54it's not just a hobby space.
40:56It's somewhere they can open up,
40:58form friendships that they may not form elsewhere
41:00and share skills.
41:02And with loneliness and mental health crises
41:04continuing to rise across the UK post-COVID,
41:07it's sheds like these that are making a difference.
41:10Naila Mohamed for KMTV.
41:13Now it is time for a break,
41:14but after that, we'll hit the streets
41:16to find out what kind of festive games
41:18the people of Kent like to play.
41:20And as always, we'll be joined by our resident film expert,
41:23Chris Deasy, to talk about whether Die Hard
41:25is actually a jolly Christmas movie.
41:28Now, I am very opinionated.
41:29I don't think Die Hard is a Christmas film.
41:32You know, you have your classic Christmas films,
41:35The Grinch.
41:36It's all about Christmas.
41:37The genre is Christmas.
41:38But Die Hard, Lethal Weapon,
41:41I'm saying Rocky IV is included in there.
41:44They fight on Christmas Day,
41:45but let's save that for when Chris is here
41:47on the sofa with me to debate me.
41:48Well, see you after this short break.
42:02We'll see you after this short break.
42:03We'll see you after this short break.
42:04We'll see you after this short break.
42:05We'll see you after this short break.
42:06We'll see you after the short break.
42:07We'll see you after the short break.
42:08We'll see you after the short break.
42:09We'll see you after the short break.
42:10We'll see you after the short break.
42:11We'll see you after the short break.
42:12We'll see you after the short break.
42:13We'll see you after the short break.
42:14We'll see you after the short break.
42:15We'll see you after the short break.
42:16We'll see you after the short break.
42:17We'll see you after the short break.
42:18We'll see you after the short break.
42:19We'll see you after the short break.
42:20We'll see you after the short break.
42:21We'll see you after the short break.
44:52Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
45:15Now, residents in Dover say they're experiencing a shortage of festive spirit with a lack of lights and a wonky tree.
45:22The Dover Market Square Christmas tree was grown local to the area and does change colours, but its lean brings the wrong kind of attention.
45:30The town council have encouraged residents to put up their own displays as a cost-saving measure, but Doverians are simply not impressed.
45:37Business owners say the lack of festive decorations means there's not much to attract people to the town.
45:42Café owner Sandra Marlow described the absence of Christmas cheer as saying Dover is a Grinch town.
45:47Well, as we're rapidly closing in on the 25th, we thought we'd head out to round Kent to ask people about their favourite festive games.
45:56Charades probably. Yeah, old-fashioned charades.
46:03I don't actually play any games. I'm a bit of a bore, really, I suppose, at Christmas time.
46:07I just like to go down to the pub and have a couple of views with my friends.
46:09Anything that makes you laugh. Absolutely anything that makes you laugh.
46:16After our dinner on Christmas Day, after the King's Speech, we do play games.
46:20Oh, so we have this really funny game we've played a few times. It's don't say, um.
46:26So it's really hard because obviously we've all had a few drinks and we're on teams and you get like little challenge cards
46:32and you're not allowed to say, um, and every time someone says, um, you hit the bell, you hit the buzzer, and it's, yeah, it's absolutely hilarious.
46:39I like the ones about, uh, pop music, about the 80s, 70s and 80s music, quiz, pop quiz.
46:45I love Christmas. Christmas is a great time.
46:46Charades.
46:47And Monopoly.
46:48Monopoly. Cards, actually.
46:50Cards, yeah.
46:51Uno Extreme. It's, um, there's a lot more things to do in there, so you take a bigger hit.
46:56So if you get caught, you get a bigger hit. So it's more competitive.
47:01Monopoly. Uno.
47:05Now, remember, you can keep up to date with all the latest stories from all over Kent
47:08at cametv.co.uk.
47:10There you'll find many of our reports, like this one, where an investigation into local
47:15vape shops found that many of them are failing to provide a take-back scheme amidst a growing
47:19concern over battery fires.
47:22Apologies, that is the wrong video there, but I'm sure it'll be a great story nonetheless,
47:27like the ones you can find on our website. Let's have a look.
47:30The new old bakehouse in Broadstairs serves something more than coffee and pastries.
47:36Every week, the cafe hosts Bonkers Wednesday, where customers can come down to make music
47:45and some new friends.
47:48As well as coffee, this cafe is also known for producing a lot of friendship and music.
47:58I've been here for two years and I started off the Bonkers Wednesday as a little bit for
48:08the community and to bring a little bit of joy because there's a lot of doom and gloom in
48:14this world.
48:15These sessions aim to help elderly visitors overcome feelings of isolation, which can often
48:23come up later in life.
48:25They brought a lot of joy to my life. I came here on my own. I didn't know anyone. And
48:32there's seven or eight of us. We're really happy and friendly. We meet up every morning
48:39at eight o'clock and we just have fun.
48:43My wife died two years ago, so I was feeling down. And this has livened up my life. I come
48:51here, as I say, every morning. We all know each other. We all mucking together and we just
48:57have a lovely time and a laugh.
48:59I must say, it's a pleasure being down here. We've got a good team down here and Maria goes
49:04beyond and whatever it is, above and beyond, to please everybody. And I love it. And I love
49:12the moment. Oh, don't I cry!
49:14With winter already upon us, this group is determined to make sure the beat goes on.
49:22Henry Luck, for Kane TV, in Broadstairs.
49:26Great report there from Henry. Now it's time to take a quick look at the weather.
49:36And tonight we'll see clouds sweeping across Kent this evening, an average of 10 degrees.
49:41Tunbridge Wells, a small drop to 9 degrees. Tomorrow morning, some clouds remain across
49:45the county. Weather getting a bit hotter there. 11 degrees. Dover seeing a high of 12. Into
49:50the afternoon now, the clouds remain, as does the temperature in Dover. But everywhere else,
49:55getting slightly warmer. Tunbridge Wells at 11. And the outlook is a bit plain. 12 degrees
50:00across the board. Some clouds over early in the week, with Sunday and Monday looking a bit
50:04overcast for the rest of the county.
50:11Later on tonight, we'll be showing off a new episode of Kent Film Club. But before that,
50:18I'm joined by the presenter of the show, Chris Deasy, as we talk about things film and Kent
50:22related for this week. So, I don't know if you've heard this news, Chris. In an interview,
50:29Tarantino listed his 20 favourite films from the 21st century. Among them, There Will Be
50:34Blood, a very critically acclaimed film at number 5. He said it would have been a good
50:40chance of being number 1 or number 2 if it didn't have a big giant flaw in it. And he
50:43was referring to Paul Dano. Do you think these kind of criticisms are fair from actor to director,
50:49even when they haven't maybe worked on many projects together?
50:52That's a good point because I remember when Scorsese made The Departed and Tarantino was
50:57very critical saying, you know, Scorsese is a huge director, but he's doing a remake of a film
51:01that was made in another language a decade or two earlier. Now, the thing about Paul Dano is
51:06interesting because he played Brian Wilson in the Beach Boys film a few years ago. And I remember
51:12having a conversation with someone about this where it was said he actually looks the spitting image
51:18of Brian Wilson. So, of course, you know, it's the old expression about what's
51:23to one person, you know, meat or poison to somebody else. And I would say that you think of the long
51:29history of relationships between directors who've always used the same actors in their films.
51:35Uma Thurman, Kill Bill. I mean, you know, it's hard to imagine anybody other than Uma Thurman playing
51:40that part of Beatrix, The Bride in Kill Bill, and of course also in Pulp Fiction, for which she was
51:46Oscar nominated. You think of Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in Scorsese films. So I think
51:51a lot of people would disagree. But also it shows that Paul Dano brings a very almost otherworldly
51:56touch to this film. I mean, he's often very good at playing more psychologically unhinged characters.
52:01He's been one of the Batman films. So arguably, he's actually a very fitting role. He played the
52:06Riddler in that kind of genre. Absolutely. Do you have any favourite roles of his outside of
52:12There Will We Blood? You mentioned The Riddler there. Well, there was a film where he played,
52:15it was Ethan Hawke, and it was in 2004. And it was a film, Andrew Jolie is in it as well.
52:21And it's a serial killer film. But he plays a very young boy. And as I recall, he might either
52:27grow up to be Ethan Hawke, or he's in some way either the murderer, or somebody involved in it.
52:32And it's chilling, and you're watching him, and you're just thinking there's something here
52:35that seems out of place, out of sync, unhinged. So he plays that role beautifully. So he's one of
52:41those, and it's funny because he appears with Daniel Day-Lewis in They Will Be Blood. Daniel
52:45Day-Lewis won an Oscar for that role. And Paul Dano puts in a very different sort of performance,
52:51but it's a good counterpoint to Daniel Day-Lewis'. Absolutely. We're also going to go on now to
52:57Marvel's The Fantastic Four First Steps. It's reportedly had the quietest Disney Plus debut
53:02of any MCU title on the service. What's your reaction to this? Do you think, well,
53:07this film, it did quite well in the box office compared to maybe some recent MCU projects.
53:11Do you think this is a sort of a shifting tide after the en masse, you know, cinema
53:17attendances with the Minecraft movie? Do you think people are starting to come back to the cinema?
53:20Yeah, well, I think they are coming back to the cinema, for example, with the latest Knives Out film
53:26that's literally imminently about to be released on Netflix. But I've been in packed screenings of that film.
53:32I mean, I saw this in the cinema. If I'm honest, the first five minutes were really good. And then
53:36it got what I thought was into very good if you're into this kind of genre. But I've seen this many
53:41times before. So perhaps I'm not too surprised that it hasn't been as big a hit. It was premiered all
53:47the way through the summer. I forget its actual release date. I think it was in the summer,
53:51maybe in August. And I saw the trailer for months in advance. So it might be overkill,
53:56but often can happen. The opposite happened with Oppenheimer. I think I saw the trailer for Oppenheimer
54:01about 10 months before its theatrical release. But of course, it did phenomenally well. Other films,
54:06you see the trailers for weeks upon weeks, go to the cinema and find that it's just you in the auditorium.
54:11Absolutely. And obviously, Christmas is around the corner. And Love Actually, a complete staple,
54:18a cult classic. But I managed to find an interesting Kent connection. The vicar in Love Actually,
54:25that marries Juliet and Peter, was formerly a vicar for the Kent village of Ironsford. So I thought,
54:32with this new information, we're going to discuss what constitutes a Christmas film, and how did Love
54:37actually do it so well? Before we get into that, what do you like about this film? This film is so clever
54:43because it's a tapestry of so many different lives that intersect. Robert Altman has done films for
54:48years, which have always been full of different, you know, you have characters who say things here,
54:52say things there. And it's a multiplicity of roles, and it gels. This film is very similar. And of course,
54:58it's all about the run-up to Christmas. And you've got all the different character types,
55:02young people in relationships, somebody who's lost their parent, the aging rock star who says filthy
55:06things with Ant and deck, or Ant and or deck, I think he says. And of course, reprising almost the sort of
55:12role that he played in Four Weddings and the Funeral, you know, all those sort of almost surreal
55:16touches. Emma Thompson's performance in that film, when she realises her husband may have committed
55:22adultery over a Joni Mitchell CD. All of that there, it all comes together so well, and it's hard not to,
55:29at the end, the tears were rolling down my face. Okay, well, we haven't got much time left, but I'm going
55:34to give you a rapid fire of films that have any kind of Christmas connection. So Die Hard, for instance,
55:40Die Hard, do you think it's a Christmas film? Absolutely, Renewal Redemption. Okay, so you
55:44think Die Hard is a Christmas film. Next, Lethal Weapon. It is the same as Die Hard,
55:48said over Christmas. Yes, said over Christmas. In fact, the first scene is in a Christmas tree lot.
55:53Batman Returns. Oh yes, this one is, and it's paralleling the story even down to,
56:00there's even a Resurrection, which is more Easter motif. But yeah, there are definitely shades.
56:05It's much more implicit compared to Die Hard, but there are shades of Christmas in this film.
56:10Okay, we're going to get a bit more obscure now. In Bruges.
56:13Oh, that's a good question. Do they go to Bruges over Christmas?
56:15It is technically set in the holiday season. American Psycho. Multiple Christmas scenes.
56:21There are. I'd forgotten that. I remember seeing it in the summer at the cinemas.
56:26What do you think? Yes or no? I'm going to say no. I didn't pick it up when I saw it.
56:31Last, The Hateful Eight. Oh, well, it was very snowbound.
56:34Yeah, technically, technically. So it's Groundhog Day, and that's not Christmas,
56:38but the same themes of renewal and redemption. Okay, well,
56:41the debate continues, but that's all we have time for for now. Thank you so much for watching. See you soon.
57:01What does this challenge have?
57:08What is your name?
57:10What is your name?
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