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00:27Hello and welcome to
00:29Kent Tonight live here on KMTV. I'm Finn McDermott and here are your top stories on Wednesday
00:34the 18th of February. Tackling illegal tobacco. Medway Trading Standards
00:40orchestrate £600,000 raid. Most shops, almost all shops in Medway play by the rules. Those
00:48that don't play by the rules must suffer the consequences of that and I'm really pleased
00:53that that's been the case. Everyday obstacles. Disabled Fabersham resident speaks out on
00:58accessibility here in Kent. There's a lot of places I can't go to.
01:05And giant killers. FA Cup visits Chatham Town Women's ahead of their record breaking round
01:10of 16 match against Birmingham.
01:12But I thought it is just going to be any other game and then I think if we can calm
01:17any nerves
01:17and just make sure that it is as normal as every other Sunday is for us then I think that's
01:21the best chance of putting us in.
01:31But first tonight. Almost one and a half million illegal cigarettes have been uncovered in Medway
01:36as part of a Trading Standards and Kent Police operation. Tobacco was found hidden in deep
01:42fat fryers with sniffer dogs being deployed to find the illegal product. Our local democracy
01:47reporter Oli Leda has been following the details of the operation. A deep fat fryer stuffed with
01:53illegal tobacco discovered during a Medway Trading Standards operation with Kent Police that took
02:01around £650,000 of illegal products off the streets. If you have a shop that is selling illegal tobacco,
02:10it's a fair assumption that they may also be either participate in another illegal activity
02:15or they might not be as careful as they should be in terms of who they sell those products
02:21to. So really important from a public health perspective in Medway that we make sure that
02:27the law around tobacco sales are enforced properly. This was the K9 crack team that were deployed
02:35as part of the raid helping to uncover nearly 1.5 million illegal cigarettes that were seized during
02:44the operation alongside nearly 150 kilograms of hand rolling tobacco and more than 1000 illegal vapes.
02:54Those responsible now face the prospect of prosecution and potential fines of up to £10,000. When it comes to
03:04selling illegal products, there's clearly no place to hide. Oli Leda in Medway.
03:11Next, Kent Police have come under scrutiny for failing to provide the full details of a Thanet teacher's
03:16criminal history. Mark Slade, who has recently been convicted for numerous historic child sex crimes,
03:23was fired from his role at Dame Janet Primary School in Ramsgate for slapping a student in 2009.
03:29Despite this, when Slade attempted to return to teaching in 2020, his enhanced DBS certificate did
03:35not clarify his earlier assault charge was against a child. This omission has been called into question
03:40by the parents at St Crispin's Infant School, where Slade worked at the time of the arrest.
03:44Kent Police has confirmed its DBS unit considered the matter in 2020 and said that on assessment the
03:50decision was made not to disclose additional context due to the time elapsed since his conviction
03:55and a lack of further offending.
03:58Next, an investigation is opened following a fire that broke out in a property along Small High
04:03the Road in Tenterdon. The fire service were called to the home at 1.30 in the morning on February
04:0917th
04:10and are now treating the origin of the fire as suspicious. The power network disconnected the
04:14home's electricity and after around 17 hours of fighting, it was eventually extinguished at around 6.30 in the evening.
04:20Although the damage to the property is extensive, there has been no report of injury.
04:27Next, a disabled resident in Kent says everyday journeys are still far from accessible.
04:32Sarah Jane from Fabersham, who uses a mobility scooter, says uneven pavements and narrow paths
04:37can make even simple trips stressful and sometimes frightening.
04:41She's now speaking out to raise awareness and cause for change.
04:44Kristen Hawthorne met her in Fabersham High Street to see how difficult things really are.
04:49I did it, but it's not suitable.
04:53Sarah Jane lives in Fabersham and uses a mobility scooter.
04:57She recently travelled to London as part of a national challenge organised by the Spinal Injuries Association
05:02to highlight barriers disabled people face when travelling.
05:06Well, I think I might have to sort out the journey. Not easy.
05:12One of the most tricky bits was I'd ring different stations to find out if the lift was working.
05:17Because obviously without the lift, I couldn't do it.
05:21And they'd say, oh yes, it's working today, but it wasn't working yesterday.
05:27We can't guarantee it. More than one station said that to me.
05:31The main problem on the train was the bit where you get on.
05:36I think it's called a vestibule.
05:39I've got two big poles in the middle.
05:43In my opinion, they need to have one of those vestibules, especially for wheelchairs and scooters,
05:51where there aren't two great poles in the middle.
05:54Despite these difficulties, she says the trip itself went well,
05:57but wants to raise awareness of what everyday journeys are like closer to home.
06:02For a lot of people, going to get a train or going to get coffee can be quite easy.
06:06But for people who need to use a wheelchair or a scooter,
06:09Sarah Jane says that those journeys require a lot of forward planning and can be quite scary.
06:14Coming up here, as you saw, the cobbles, a lot of cobbles, which aren't helpful.
06:21This is a better scooter than the one I had before.
06:23It's a bit more sturdy.
06:25So it can manage the cobbles, but I don't like it.
06:28So I'm always worried I'm going to tip over.
06:31There's not many shops I can get into.
06:33She says uneven pavements, narrow routes and blocked dropped curbs
06:38can make navigating parts of the town difficult and sometimes unsafe.
06:43That bit is a bit raised before the glass bit.
06:46And I was coming past you and it tipped me up that way.
06:50It probably didn't, but it felt as if it was.
06:53That's when I get nervous.
06:56I didn't like that.
06:58Charles Gibson of Faversham Town Council said the authority is taking steps
07:02to improve accessibility across the town.
07:05He said Faversham Town Council is working to make the town more accessible
07:09for people walking and wheeling.
07:11A list of new dropped curbs has been drawn up, pending funding from Kent County Council.
07:16Further plans aim to improve access to the town centre,
07:20including reducing parking while safeguarding the town's historic character.
07:25Kent County Council have been approached for a statement.
07:28Although she spoke positively about Faversham,
07:30Sarah Jane hopes that she will be able to help improve accessibility,
07:34not just for her, but for others across Kent facing similar challenges.
07:39Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV, in Faversham.
07:43And now Jesse Jackson, one of the world's pioneering figures for the civil rights movement,
07:48passed away at 84 years old yesterday.
07:50The protege of Martin Luther King helped pave the way for the rights of black people
07:54and other ethnic minorities from everyday life to politics.
07:58Did you know he also met the Medway African and Caribbean Association in 2007 to talk about his work?
08:04Well, we spoke to the association's chairperson, Carol Stewart, all about the amazing experience.
08:10I'm aware that Jesse Jackson actually visited the association back in 2007.
08:16Can you tell a bit about what that meant to you and to the wider group?
08:20So we actually went to see him.
08:23He was in London.
08:25He was invited by, I think it was Operation Black Vote at the time,
08:32to try and encourage black people to register to vote at that time.
08:38And so the young people of MACA were doing a project on black heroes.
08:44And when we heard Jesse, you know, Jesse Jackson was going to be in the country,
08:49I just thought, you know, so I wrote in to him and told him, told the,
08:53wrote into the organization, sorry, and told them what we were doing,
08:58just to see if there was an opportunity.
09:01Didn't think for one minute they were going to say yes.
09:03So I was, you know, we were totally bowled over when we got a letter back saying,
09:07yes, you know, you can have an audience with Jesse Jackson.
09:10And, you know, you just, it's not something that you say no to.
09:14So we took a number of young people along.
09:18There was a television news company that followed us there, the whole experience.
09:24It was really, really exciting.
09:27And the young people had questions that they asked of him as well.
09:31And he was just so lovely.
09:34And, you know, it talked about like sort of believing in yourself and, you know,
09:38and, and, you know, doing your best.
09:42And, you know, one of the young people asked about whether there'd ever be a black president
09:46in his lifetime or black prime minister.
09:49Little did we know that like a couple of years later,
09:51we'd have America's first black president, President Barack Obama.
09:56And I was so happy for for Jesse Jackson to be alive, to say that happen, because he probably never
10:03thought it would ever happen in his lifetime.
10:08I see. And as you mentioned, Jesse Jackson was involved with Martin Luther King and all that era of the
10:16civil rights movement.
10:17Can you tell us a bit about your memories, maybe growing up, how Jesse Jackson was talked about in black
10:22and Afro-Caribbean spaces?
10:25It wasn't talked about in schools, which I think is one of the sad things about, you know, the curriculum
10:30here here in this country.
10:32And that's one of the things that MACA has fought really hard to to fight in terms of, you know,
10:39diversifying the curriculum.
10:41And so that that young people in the wider community have a more accurate picture of society, that they understand,
10:50you know, the just the positive contribution that diversity brings to this society.
10:56So getting a more balanced view. So growing up, you know, I remember one of my research projects at school
11:04was was about Dr. Martin Luther King.
11:07And I remember like sort of reading about him and Jesse Jackson and all of them, Malcolm X, you know,
11:14Marcus Garvey.
11:15And it really helped to shape who I am in terms of, you know, consistently fighting for for the civil
11:23rights and for the diversity.
11:26It's shaped who I am today, shaped who I was back then and shaped who I continue to be.
11:32And I think it's it's important that everybody gets to learn about not just Reverend Jesse Jackson's story and contribution,
11:42but Dr.
11:43King and so many other people that fought for civil rights and human rights.
11:49Well, that's all the time we have for now.
11:51But join us in just a few minutes. We're discussing all of the news for you here in Kent.
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15:17Kent tonight. Now we're going to be taking a look at all your health headlines from across the
15:21country. From more than 3,000 pharmacists who've signed a letter to the health secretary warning
15:26him that pharmacies will close around England without an uplift in funding. So we'll also be
15:32looking at taking, we'll also be taking a look at National Heart Month and with heart disease
15:36remaining a leading cause of death. The British Heart Foundation have been emphasising that every
15:41heartbeat counts and we'll be going over some daily productive habits that can help. So we'll
15:47be talking to our health expert, Dr. Julian Spinks.
15:56Thank you so much for joining us, Doctor. First of all, as I mentioned there, up to 63% of
16:02community
16:02pharmacies in England are at risk of closing. How important is it for the government to potentially
16:07reverse the long underfunding there's been in this industry? I think it's very important, to be honest
16:12with you speaking as a GP who depends on the local pharmacies to dispense drugs but also to give
16:19advice and these days to treat patients as well. And the pharmacies that are at greatest risk are the
16:24independent pharmacies who often are the ones that are more likely to go the extra mile to help people
16:29who may not be able to get down to them by delivering and so on. Pharmacies, you just get the
16:36impression
16:36you go in because I go in and get my tablets and so on. But they're a vital part of
16:41the safety checks because they
16:42look at the prescribing I'm doing and they're making sure that people aren't getting drugs that either interact or are
16:48not
16:48safe for them. And with things like Pharmacy First, which is the scheme where you can go to your pharmacist
16:53before you go to a GP,
16:55that can actually reduce our workload. For example, women between the ages of 60 and 64 can now go direct
17:02to a pharmacist to get
17:04prescriptions for things like urinary tract infections. About 98% of pharmacies in Kent and Medway are signed up to
17:10that scheme.
17:11I see. And what struggles are pharmacies going through, aside from the financial behind the scenes we've already talked about,
17:18what are some of the other struggles that pharmacies might be experiencing at the moment?
17:21Well, they are faced with the increased demand like the rest of us. The amount of prescriptions I hand out
17:27has gone up dramatically
17:28and that's because we're now trying to deal with diseases before they become severe. A lot of preventative work happens.
17:35So every time I put someone on a statin to lower their cholesterol, that's more work for the pharmacist to
17:40dispense,
17:41although they're getting paid for it. But they are challenged financially in a very big way because for some drugs,
17:47actually the amount they're reimbursed is less than the cost of the drug to them. So they lose money on
17:51every prescription.
17:53Likewise, it's difficult for small pharmacists to compete against supermarkets and so on.
17:57For some of the items that people used to buy from pharmacies, like nappies and other things, over-the-counter
18:02remedies,
18:03they can get cheaper at supermarkets and so they can't actually balance and mitigate some of the reduction in the
18:09income they have
18:10to do with medication by selling those products.
18:13I see. We're going to move on now. It's also National Heart Month. Can you give us any lifestyle advice
18:18or general health advice
18:19that we can be doing to make sure we're staying healthy in our hearts?
18:23Really, I mean the two key things I'm always talking about is healthy eating and exercise.
18:30Because those two things make a big difference. Having a proper balanced diet, keeping the fat levels down,
18:37avoiding all these ultra-processed foods, will make a difference because there is, to a certain extent,
18:43what goes into your body affects how things are. And if you fur up your arteries, you're more likely to
18:47have heart disease.
18:49Exercise is also incredibly important. Exercise will reduce the amount your arteries fur up.
18:54They'll actually make your heart fit because every time you make your heart race, it's actually getting fitter.
18:59And the rest of your body is also fitter and muscles that are sort of toned up will actually put
19:05less demand on the heart
19:06than ones which are out of condition. So if we do all of those things, then you have a chance
19:11of avoiding getting heart disease later on.
19:14Finally, particularly if you have a family history of heart disease, going on to your doctor getting your cholesterol checked
19:19to see whether we need to be perhaps putting on medication for it.
19:23I see. Thank you so much for your time.
19:32Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging on to
19:36our website,
19:37kmtv.co.uk. There you'll find all our reports, including this one about the country's oldest roller coaster.
19:43That's in Margate, which is at risk of closing.
19:46Dreamland in Margate has been an iconic Kent tourist destination for decades,
19:50with its distinctive scenic railway ride being one of the first to catch your eye.
19:54Opened in 1920, the rider's grade two star listed the oldest roller coaster in the UK and one of only
20:01eight scenic railways in the world.
20:04It's been through a lot, though. Multiple arson attacks and a derailing have been major incidents in the ride's history.
20:09But now a new threat has been made against its future, this time by the park operator themselves.
20:15While I never had the pleasure to ride the scenic railway for myself,
20:19I've seen hundreds of comments from people from Margate and from further afield who say coming here is one of
20:24their fondest memories.
20:25Made of nine, I've been going on the scenic railway, enjoying the rattles, the noises and just the general thrill
20:33of the roller coaster.
20:33It's just amazing. Not everywhere can go and ride a 102-year-old roller coaster.
20:38You know, it's special. It really is special.
20:41I always say that as a theme park, you could actually get rid of all the other rides as long
20:46as you had the scenic railway because of the heritage.
20:48And it's part and parcel of people coming on holiday, part and parcel of coastal history.
20:56The decision to retire the ride, Dreamland say, was made alongside Historic England and Planck District Council.
21:01But councillors here told me this wasn't something they were consulted on.
21:04I've heard that people travel from abroad to go on this specific roller coaster because it's got that sort of
21:08national and international significance as such an old roller coaster.
21:12I hope that if we can get some more oversight into it, we can apply some pressure.
21:17It's really difficult because now it's privately owned.
21:19The council doesn't actually have any control over decisions that get made there.
21:23But I think the outpouring of, well, the outcry about it, hopefully we can put some pressure on for them
21:29to keep it open.
21:30They've had so much money over the years. Looking back to like 2015, £15 million was spent rebuilding the railway.
21:37I think it's just part of our working class seaside heritage.
21:40We didn't want public money to go to Dreamland in 2015 to turn it into a music venue.
21:46We wanted to keep our heritage assets.
21:47We just need some honesty from Dreamland.
21:50Eddie Kemsley, where are you? Please come to Scrutiny.
21:54I know you're going to try and stop. You're going to say we're a private company. We don't need to
21:58come to Scrutiny.
21:59But in fact, public money went into Dreamland and there should be accountability because of that.
22:04A spokesperson for Dreamland said it is committed to finding a new long term plan to reinvent the ride and
22:10for it to be enjoyed by future generations in a fresh way.
22:14But for many people here, they're hoping the scenic railway has not yet made its final journey.
22:19Chloe Brewster for KMTV in Margate.
22:23Next, there's a yellow weather warning in place for different parts of the county for the coming days with some
22:28heavy rain and flooding expected.
22:30Our reporter Chloe Brewster is out in the elements at the moment.
22:34Chloe, where in the county is worse going to be affected by these weather warnings?
22:40Well, actually, I'm at the moment out in Medway.
22:42Medway is actually one of the only areas that isn't affected by the yellow weather warning, but it is a
22:48little bit rainy out here.
22:49So it's actually going to be affecting from Maidstone across the south coast down to Dover, even along to Tunbridge
22:55Wells.
22:55And that's affecting the whole of the south coast in the UK.
22:59The weather warning suggests heavy spells of rain, which could lead to some flooding and disruption for travel today and
23:05for tomorrow.
23:06The weather warnings will see spray and flooding on roads.
23:10That might mean longer journeys for people, disruption on public buses and trains.
23:16Also, there might be a few flooding to homes and businesses, although this isn't something to be hugely worried about.
23:21The Met Office has said that although it is hardly likely that we will see a lot of rain, there
23:25is going to be a low impact.
23:27So not huge harm on people here.
23:3010 to 20 millimetres of rain is expected widely with strong east to north easterly winds accompanying the rain.
23:37So make sure you're holding on to your hats for the next 20 days.
23:41Absolutely. And can you tell us about how long these warnings are in place for?
23:47So they will be lasting until 8am tomorrow morning, but obviously don't go heading to the beach or anything like
23:55that.
23:55I'm sure the weather will still stay pretty poor around those times.
24:00Yeah.
24:02I see. I bet you're very pleased that the weather isn't too bad here in Medway.
24:07But for those who are in some of the more worst affected areas of the county, what recommendations have the
24:12Met Office put in place?
24:16So the recommendations. So obviously, don't panic. Of course, this is only a little bit of rain.
24:22But just for people who are driving regularly, just make sure you're leaving a longer stopping distance between you and
24:27the car in front, planning your journeys, making sure you're not parking your car in any flood risk areas.
24:33So don't go parking next to a river or anything.
24:35Also, just making sure you have dipped headlights, saving time for your journeys and just be wary of wet roads
24:41and give yourself more time to react.
24:44I see. And tell me, are weather warnings becoming more frequent across the county around this time of year?
24:51Well, definitely for most people around the county, they've noticed the amount of rain that's been really regular.
24:58It's an exceptionally soggy start to 2026.
25:01But I checked out some of the facts on the Met Office and this is going to get a bit
25:04scientific.
25:04So you've got to bear with me here.
25:06The Met Office say it's a result of repeated bands of rain swept in from the Atlantic, leading to increasingly
25:11saturated ground, traveling disruption and a general sense of sogginess.
25:15So say the jet stream several miles above the Earth has been stronger and positioned further south than we typically
25:23expect this time of year, which means more rain, more winteriness.
25:29Sorry. In the short term, unsettled weather will continue for a while, although the trend is subtly shifting.
25:35But down black to planet Earth, let's check out the weather for here in Kent.
25:46So we are expecting rain going into tonight and the early hours of Thursday with temperatures sitting around five degrees
25:53across the county.
25:55The skies are looking drier going into tomorrow morning with temperatures at highs of seven in Dover and six elsewhere
26:00in the county.
26:01Much of the same tomorrow evening with slightly higher temperatures of seven for most of the county.
26:06Now for our outlook for the rest of the week, Friday will be cloudy with highs of 10 and we'll
26:11see similar weather across the weekend with highs of 11 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday.
26:21That was Chloe Brewster battling the elements there.
26:24Well, it is time for a quick break, but do stay tuned as we'll be taking a look back at
26:29our top story.
26:30Almost one and a half million illegal cigarettes have been uncovered in Medway.
26:34We'll also be taking a look at the police and council crackdown in Rainham.
26:38That's all concerning antisocial behaviour involving e-scooters and e-bikes.
26:44Props to Chloe there.
26:45Feels like she's always the one going out, battling the wind, battling the rain, no matter the weather.
26:49Well, that's all the time we have.
26:51See you just after this short break.
27:35Here is one of the few tough times we have today in early today.
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30:28Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
30:32I'm Finn McDermott and here are your top stories on Wednesday, the 18th of February.
30:37Tackling illegal tobacco, Medway Trading Standards orchestrate £600,000 raid.
30:43Most shops, almost all shops in Medway play by the rules. Those that don't play by the
30:49rules must suffer the consequences of that and I'm really pleased that that's been the
30:54case.
30:55Everyday Obstacles, disabled Fabersham resident speaks out on accessibility here in Kent.
31:01Fabersham has got some, there's a lot of places I can't go to.
31:04And giant killers, FA Cup visits Chatham Town Women's ahead of their record breaking round
31:10of 16 match against Birmingham.
31:13By the way it's just going to be any other game and then I think if we can calm any
31:17nerves
31:18and just make sure that it is as normal as every other Sunday is for us then I think that's
31:22the best chance of putting us in.
31:34Now for a look back at our top story this evening. Almost one and a half million illegal cigarettes
31:40have been uncovered in Medway as part of a Trading Standards and Kent Police operation.
31:44Tobacco was found hidden in deep fat fryers with sniffer dogs deployed to find the illegal product.
31:50Our local democracy reporter Oli Leder has been following the operation's details.
31:55A deep fat fryer stuffed with illegal tobacco discovered during a Medway Trading Standards
32:02operation with Kent Police that took around £650,000 of illegal products off the streets.
32:11If you have a shop that is selling illegal tobacco, it's a fair assumption that they may also
32:17be either participating in other illegal activity or they might not be as careful as they should
32:22be in terms of who they sell those products to. So really important from a public health
32:28perspective in Medway that we make sure that the law around tobacco sales are enforced properly.
32:35This was the canine crack team that were deployed as part of the raid, helping to uncover nearly
32:431.5 million illegal cigarettes that were seized during the operation. Alongside nearly 150 kilograms
32:52of hand rolling tobacco and more than 1000 illegal vapes. Those responsible now face the prospect of
33:02prosecution and potential fines of up to £10,000. When it comes to selling illegal products, there's
33:10clearly no place to hide. Oli Leder in Medway.
33:15Next up, police and the local council were forced to crack down on anti-social behaviour at a sports centre
33:21in Raynham. A councillor for Raynham North, George Perfect, said that people have raised significant
33:26concerns about the gatherings at the skate and car park late at night. The local community say it can be
33:32intimidating to see large groups on motorbikes and e-bikes when you're trying to go about your daily
33:36business. The council are now working with the police to identify and take some positive action whilst
33:41encouraging anyone affected to make a formal appeal. We heard from them earlier.
33:46Yeah, I think there are significant concerns that people have got regarding the skate park at Cosington Park
33:52and some of the other surrounding parts of Cosington. Some of the challenges that I think residents have
33:56been experiencing very recently has been, as I say, some anti-social behaviour. The recent Raynham Town Centre
34:01forum meeting, this came up very recently, which was attended by the police and the local beat officer who holds
34:07a
34:07regular surgery in the ward and I know has also had some of these concerns raised with him and I
34:12know both
34:12him and some of the other members of the frontline beat officer team have been out and dealing with
34:18anti-social behaviour. It's really important this stuff's reported to support the intelligence-led policing
34:22that we have, particularly now in Medway, to be able to eradicate and deal with some of these challenges.
34:28Next, residents have come together to campaign for the return of their community centre in Limingge.
34:33Once described as the heart of the village, the now-shut building in Everest Court served as the base
34:38for an Age UK day centre. More than 20 campaigners expressed their disappointment and voiced their
34:44concerns over plans to build flats. But an FHDC spokesperson said,
34:49while there is merit in their proposals, we feel the need for housing is far more significant
34:53and have suggested alternative of nearby venues for their use.
34:58I'm here to support all the volunteers that work at Age UK and the ones that really want to join
35:06because we have lost so much community-wise, socially and for mental health.
35:14It was a very popular centre for people who live on their own and since that's gone,
35:19Age UK have moved out, we really haven't got much left in the village.
35:23We are very limited where people can meet socially and it's having an impact in the village
35:27and the thought of bringing more people who are on their own into the village is just going to increase
35:32this
35:32and social isolation is such a big issue in this area.
35:36A lot of old and young people came to visit and we just haven't got nothing here now.
35:43You know, the community are looking to us to do something and we are doing our best but unfortunately
35:48we are coming up against the council. It is a big issue and we want to get it resolved
35:52because we care about our village, we care about the people that live here.
35:57Now the Office for National Statistics has said today that inflation rates have dropped to 3%.
36:02This marks a fall from 3.4% in December but these figures are still above the Bank of England's
36:082% target.
36:10Leo Thorpe breaks this down more.
36:12The UK's inflation rate is at its lowest in nearly a year.
36:16As of December 2025 rates sat at 3.4% but in January this year it fell to 3%.
36:24The Office for National Statistics marked the fall in January as the lowest rate since March 2025.
36:32But what does this actually mean?
36:34Well, inflation is the rate at which general levels of prices for food and services rise over time.
36:40And though this is the lowest rate of inflation since March last year, prices are not coming down.
36:45Instead, they are simply rising at a slower pace.
36:49Economists are expecting inflation to fall further in the coming months.
36:52This is because the government is set to cut household energy bills from April.
36:57So though this fall in interest rates will help the vast majority, some may have to wait more time to
37:02feel the change.
37:03Leo Thorpe for KMTV.
37:06Well, I'm pleased to say we're now joined by Professor Richard McManus, a Professor of Economics from Canterbury Christchurch University.
37:14Thank you so much for joining us, Professor.
37:17First of all, for anyone who doesn't know too much about economics, what does this recent drop in inflation rates
37:23actually mean?
37:25Well, as Leo's report just mentioned, even though inflation is coming down, prices are still going up.
37:31So effectively, all it means is that the rate at which prices are going up is slowing down.
37:36So if you're on a fixed income like a pensioner or something like that, or anyone really, it's still above
37:42the target rate of 2%.
37:45It is due, you know, we can kind of track some of these things ahead of time, particularly around petrol
37:51inflation, which is coming down today.
37:52It is due to fall further in the coming months, which might then lead to some easing of the interest
37:56rate in the future.
37:57But it still very much means that inflation is more than we'd like.
38:01But it does mean that at least prices are not going up nearly as much as they were in the
38:06past.
38:07I see. And what are some of the reasons that we are seeing this drop?
38:12So a big reason is petrol coming back.
38:15Obviously, it was a big reason for the spike back in 2022 as a result of the war.
38:22We also seen food inflation come back down again.
38:26And I think a lot of it's just coming through the easing of supply chain pressures and sort of energy
38:33prices coming a bit more back down to earth.
38:37Service prices are still going up by 4.4%.
38:39I mean, when we talk about inflation, we're talking about sort of what people, the average person spends their money
38:44on.
38:44But of course, nobody is average. So the main drivers today were coming from food and fuel.
38:50But yeah, there's a big basket of goods that goes into these calculations and not everything has been going up
38:56as slowly as everything else.
38:58I see. And this drop in inflation rates, do you predict that this is going to improve?
39:04Are we going to get closer to that 2% that the Bank of England are hoping for?
39:09Yeah, so we would expect more sort of lower costs due to fuel, as Leo's package sort of reported on.
39:18And some of the measures the government took in the most recent budget should also kind of ease pressures on
39:24fuel costs and energy costs coming into the home.
39:27It's very much strongly anticipated that inflation will be much closer to its target rate 2% within the next
39:34year, but possibly more optimistic forecasts think even sooner.
39:38I see. And there's lots of negative press around the economy at the moment with things like the cost of
39:43living or poor employment rates for graduates.
39:46Is this a good sign for our economy overall?
39:52Well, it'd be nice to say yes. I think in general, the biggest impact on our cost of living has
39:57been the lack of productivity growth in the last 20 years or so.
40:01Medium real income, so the incomes for the middle sort of household, the average household have only grown since 2008
40:09by 7% as a result of the recent budget,
40:12which has sort of seen further increases in taxes and fiscal drag, it's anticipated that real incomes will only rise
40:19by about sort of 0.4% over the course of annually, 0.4% annually over the course of
40:24this parliament.
40:25So I think it's better news than not, but certainly it's not a rosy picture as yet.
40:31And yesterday we had unemployment rise to its to its largest rate in a long time.
40:35So I think it's calming, but certainly not all the news is good news.
40:41I see. And can you shine some light on why exactly the Bank of England are aiming for this 2
40:46% margin?
40:47What is it about that number that they really want to hit? Why that specific number?
40:52So this is as a result of giving Bank of England the sort of independent right to set interest rates.
40:58It had to come up with a sort of target rate.
41:012%, the main thing is stability. What we'd really like is stability.
41:04And before COVID, we had 2% quite nicely.
41:08What stability provides is it means that people can anticipate.
41:12So if you're going into wage negotiations and so on.
41:14But 2%, we kind of think sort of keeps the economy trickling along a little bit.
41:18So people see their wages rise, even though maybe in real terms, they're not.
41:22It keeps us away from potentially leading into deflation and it just allows the economy to function a bit more
41:28smoothly.
41:30Economists debate it, if I'm honest with you, but we probably don't want to discuss that too much here.
41:34But the level is, you know, almost all countries focus on 2% to 3%.
41:40But realistically, it's just the stability and getting back to 2% would hopefully represent a period of kind of
41:47sustained stable price prices.
41:49I'm so sorry. I'm going to have to cut you off there. Thank you so much for joining us.
41:55That's all the time we have. See you in just a few minutes.
41:57Great.
53:15And that's all the sports news for today.
55:45I mean, I feel like I just
55:47just tickle and she's at
55:48the end of the rest so it's just
55:50always there in right positions.
55:51Yeah, we're always told we know where
55:53each other are, so since younger as
55:55well, and she's just carried on.
55:58Well, here it is, the FA Cup.
56:00The top prize it's what the
56:01Chats have been gunning for throughout
56:02the qualifying rounds and now for the
56:04first second and third rounds but this is the deal breaker this is the one they will be heading up
56:10to
56:11birmingham to see if they can beat the blues and get one step closer to the trophy it might be
56:15physically close to them now but they are getting ever closer with every single win and while they're
56:21off in birmingham back home here in kent the whole county will be rooting for them finn mcdermid for
56:26kmtv in chatham well that is all the time we have you've been watching kent tonight live here on kmtv
56:33as always there's more news made just for kent throughout the evening and don't forget you can
56:37always keep up to date with the latest news across our county by logging on to kmtv.co.uk but
56:43as i say
56:44that's all the time we have good night
57:06you
57:08you
57:10you
57:11you
57:12you
57:13you
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