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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Finn Macdiarmid.
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00:33Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV. I'm Finn McDermid and here are
00:38your top stories on Wednesday 25th March.
00:41History made, the first ever female archbishop has officially been installed in Canterbury.
00:47And I'll be joining you live to tell you all about the installation that's happened
00:50today.
00:51A vicious cycle. Second rented vehicle scheme hits Canterbury but bikes left abandoned within
00:57hours.
00:57I think it would be crazy if you were to hire one of these bikes and then dump it alongside.
01:02You have to fill the account and you have to go through that whole process.
01:04And this is surely amazing. England's more than 2,000 mile coastal path puts Kent on the
01:11map for hikers.
01:11You do get a lot of people just come through here and walk and not realise exactly what's
01:19here. The wildlife, the birds and everything. People do miss that.
01:34But first tonight, Dame Sarah Mullally was announced as the new archbishop back in October of 2025.
01:40But today at Canterbury Cathedral, she's been officially installed as the head of the Church
01:45of England. With more details, our reporter Nayla Mohammed joins us now live from Canterbury
01:50Cathedral. She's been there all day. So Nayla, what's the atmosphere been like in Canterbury today?
01:56It's been absolutely ecstatic here, Finn. We've had sun, we've had rain, we've even had a bit of snow,
02:03but it has not hindered people's excitement about the day. And you can see, you can't really see it
02:09because it's quite sunny. But Canterbury Cathedral is behind me, I promise. And history was made.
02:14Like you said, Archbishop Sarah Mullally was officially enthroned today. And this is really significant
02:21because she is the first ever female archbishop to be enthroned as the archbishop in the Church's
02:281,500-year history. And that's really, really significant. And earlier today, I spoke to Bishop Rose,
02:34who's the Bishop of Dover, who's also the first ever, she's the first ever black female bishop in the
02:40Anglican Church. And this is what she had to say. Oh, it is very, very important. Because, you know,
02:47when God made humanity, men and women, God said it was good. And then somewhere along the line,
02:55a few men sharing with some women saying, Oh, no, no, no, they're girls, they're women. No, no, no.
03:01And we are changing that. We're seeing that change. What I do want is for it to get to that
03:07place and
03:08time when we no longer say it's the first. And when we don't do that any longer, we will know
03:15that it's normal. But we've got to blaze the trail now. And that's what the first female
03:22Archbishop of Canterbury is doing. I see. And talk to us a bit about the process of the enthronement.
03:31Well, I was actually inside the cathedral during the installation process. And it's not something
03:36that I've seen before. So initially, the Archbishop has to knock on the door three times because she
03:40can't assume that she has entrance into the cathedral. It still has to be formally accepted
03:45for her to do it. And so when she goes in, she's then asked, she was then asked by three
03:49kids,
03:50why are you here? And she then had to say, I'm here because I'm Archbishop and I am going to
03:54serve
03:56God, essentially. And then the doors close. And that's when the process starts. But what a lot of
04:00people don't realize, there are two thrones that she needs to be enthroned on, not just one.
04:05The second throne, the cathedral, which is where cathedral gets its name from. And after the
04:10ceremony, after some prayers, she then went around to the butter market where she blessed
04:15the city of Canterbury through some speeches and some prayers in front of a massive crowd.
04:23Absolutely.
04:24You can see them on the screen now.
04:26Apologies, I've got to cut you off then, Ella. But as I say, an absolutely historic moment.
04:30Thank you so much for joining us.
04:33Next, we are bringing you news of the QEQM hospital in Margate, which reportedly waited
04:39two days before raising the alarm about the meningitis outbreak.
04:44The UK Health Security Agency was first alerted of the case by the Margate hospital on the afternoon
04:50of Friday, 13th March. This meant there was a delay in tracing close contacts of the patients
04:55and potentially identifying the wider outbreak. The BBC reported the hospital admitted it had
05:01missed an opportunity to alert the UK SHA sooner and said they waited until there was a formal
05:06diagnosis via a confirmed test. Fabersham and Mid-Kent MV Helen Whateley has said she's
05:11shocked by the revelation.
05:14Next, getting around Canterbury might now be easier thanks to Kent's first bike hire scheme
05:18launching yesterday.
05:19Beryl bikes operate across the country and this marks the city's second try with community
05:25vehicle schemes. After a Byrd e-scooter trial ended in 2022, the residents complained they
05:30were strewn across the streets. Although Canterbury City Council assured us on the day this wouldn't
05:35happen with the bikes, they were spotted abandoned outside of their designated parking bays just
05:39a few hours later. Megan Shaw took them for a spin to find out more.
05:43Commuting around Canterbury has never been easier. With the launch of Kent's first community
05:49bike hire scheme. From today there'll be a launch number of bikes that'll get up to 120 over the
05:53course of the next couple of weeks and the scheme is operated on a fixed parking bay basis so they'll
06:00be coming up to almost 30 parking bays implemented across the city centre and into the residential areas
06:07where people pick up the bike, go for a ride and drop it off back at any one of the
06:11parking bays.
06:12In practice, I wanted to see just how simple this really was, though I think I might have been a
06:17bit too short.
06:18Now, getting about on a beryl bike is fairly straightforward. You download the app, unlock the bike with a code
06:25and then you're away to go.
06:30As you can see, they're really quite fast and you're able to cycle from one end Canterbury to another in
06:35about 15 minutes.
06:37But this all might seem easier said than done. Residents might recall a trial in 2020 that left bird e
06:46-scooters strewn around the city.
06:48But the council at the time of the launch were confident that such a thing wouldn't happen again.
06:53I think it's a very different scheme to the e-scooters. I think you would be crazy if you were
07:01to hire one of these bikes
07:02and then dump it alongside. You have to fill the account and you have to go through that whole process.
07:07But I don't think we foresee those problems and their measures look really, really watertight for that sort of thing.
07:13Yet, come evening, the bikes have met a similar fate.
07:16And there's also a bigger issue around e-bikes, which has frequently made headlines over the past few years.
07:24Safety. Though Beryl seems confident that riders won't need to worry.
07:29Safety is the first and last line in any conversation associated with cycling and particularly hire bikes.
07:37We do absolutely everything we can to encourage safety.
07:40You do that in several different ways. First of all, we have a local-based operations team directly employed by
07:45Beryl.
07:46who are responsible for maintaining the assets. Keeping an asset really well maintained is the most important thing we can
07:52do in the first instance for safety.
07:55And then we have the opportunity to make as many refinements for the bike to fit the area where we're
08:01operating in.
08:02But while the council might be crossing their fingers in the hopes that the bikes won't be left to cause
08:07a nuisance like last time,
08:09I'll be waiting for a five-foot and under model before I can cruise the streets.
08:14Megan Shaw for Kame TV in Canterbury.
08:19Now, as always, on a Wednesday, we discuss the latest health news from Kent and the rest of the country.
08:24And news surrounding the meningitis outbreak is continuing to dominate the headlines.
08:28We'll also touch on some recent doctor strikes and the state of East Kent hospitals, which have been placed in
08:33a recovery program.
08:34Well, we'll be talking about all that and more with our health expert, Dr. Julian Spinks.
08:45Well, thank you so much for joining us, Dr. Spinks.
08:48First of all, we've been hearing news about the QEQM Hospital, which apparently reported the outbreak of meningitis later than
08:57it was able to,
08:58which apparently is in sort of opposition to the normal procedure of these kinds of events.
09:04Is that something you're familiar with? Tell us about what exactly this means.
09:07Yes, I don't think there's an easy way to sugarcoat this.
09:09On this occasion, they got it wrong.
09:11There are a whole list of infectious diseases that are called notifiable diseases.
09:16They're ones where they either can spread very easily or have very serious consequences.
09:20Meningitis is one of those.
09:22And I, as a GP, if I come across cases in that list, have to notify.
09:26And there's two versions.
09:27There's the routine notification where I'm supposed to do it online within three days.
09:31And then for things like meningitis, there's urgent, which involves making a phone call to the local part of the
09:37UK Health Security Agency.
09:39And that then allows them to start the process of watching what's happening around there,
09:44perhaps offering the antibiotics and the vaccines we've seen.
09:47So having that delay of a couple of days did push everything back and potentially allowed other people to get
09:54infected.
09:55I see. And I've been hearing from some people who have got the vaccine that they have severe pain in
10:00their arms after getting the vaccine.
10:02Is that normal? Is that a sign that things are working? Tell us about that.
10:05Yes, it's a very normal thing after almost any vaccine.
10:08The whole point of a vaccine is it's supposed to kid the body into thinking it's being infected.
10:13And there's an immune response. And that's what makes the arm go sore.
10:17Exactly the same way as you'll get redness around a spot or something like that where the immune system is
10:23reacting.
10:23So it's generally good news. I worry more about people who have zero effect after a vaccination.
10:29But, you know, if it is sore, do take simple things like paracetamol or ibuprofen.
10:34If it continues to get sore and is very swollen, then ring NHS 111 or contact your GP for advice.
10:41Absolutely. And this is a case where many will need a booster after this initial vaccine. Is that correct?
10:46Yes. Those who've had that first vaccine will need another one in about a month's time.
10:51We're working on what's going to happen, how they're going to get that.
10:55I can't tell you at this point because the plans aren't made up.
10:58But they do need to make sure they get that second dose because that will give them much longer lasting
11:03protection.
11:04And that's really what we want for the next few years.
11:06I see. Before we go, we've recently just heard news that there's going to be a six day strike by
11:12doctors next month
11:13after negotiations between the union and everyone else broke down.
11:17So just give us a brief sort of tell us about this. Is this something that you saw coming?
11:22I'm afraid I did. There's still a big gap between the government and the resident doctors used to be called
11:27junior doctors.
11:29And these are all the doctors up to becoming a consultant.
11:34So it's an awful lot of them. They fell way back from what they were 10, 15 years ago.
11:40There was a lot of restoration over the last couple of years, but they're still a way short.
11:45I see. Thank you so much for your time.
11:48That's all the time we have for now, but join us after this short break.
11:52We'll be talking for all your latest sports news and have the weather as well.
11:55See you in a few minutes.
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15:21Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
15:24A memorial bench plaque has been found 150 miles away from its hometown of Folkestone ending up on a Lincolnshire
15:31beach.
15:32The bench was torn from its uteril spot by Storm Goretti in January,
15:36being swept along the water and ended up on the east coast.
15:38Lisa and Neil Burnside, who discovered the bench,
15:41realised it had been created by the Sandgate Society
15:43and was dedicated to the memory of its former chairman, Geoffrey Edmonds.
15:46The Society are urging anyone who knew Mr Edmonds to come forward
15:49so his story and connection to the community can be remembered.
15:54And now let's take a look at your latest sports updates.
15:56Will Folkestone be able to win the Ithsmian League premiere this weekend?
15:59We'll also hear news of a Sheppard United striker set to return from a knee injury
16:03and more cricket news. Let's have a look.
16:15Folkestone will have their first chance to win the Ithsmian League premiere this Saturday,
16:18but manager Jay Saunders is concerned.
16:21The side are within six points of glory with last weekend's 2-0 victory
16:25at fellow promotion chasers Brentwood Town.
16:27He said, as a squad and management team, we haven't won anything yet.
16:30I would like to think sooner rather than later, we'll get it wrapped up.
16:33But Saunders is worried about Chatham Town and Averly because they keep winning.
16:38And he said, we can win the league on Saturday,
16:40but I don't see Chatham and Averly not winning many games between now and the end of the season.
16:45Next, title-winning Wittstable manager Jamie Coyle thinks the club's Ithsmian League return
16:50is merely one step in the right direction,
16:52as he expressed his pride at their title triumph.
16:55The Oyster men were crowned Southern County's East League premier champions
16:59when their ten men battled to draw 2-1 in a mid-week match at Rustall.
17:03Coyle added, it's been fantastic.
17:05We had real belief in ourselves that we could get the club out of step five.
17:08They've not only sealed promotion, but have done it in some style too,
17:11with matches to spare.
17:13Next, Sheppie United striker Dan Bradshaw is set to return from a knee injury
17:17before likely retirement.
17:19Bradshaw hasn't played for the Ithes since the turn of the year,
17:22but is set to be on the bench at Eastbourne Town on Saturday
17:24after recovering from a knee injury.
17:26The 35-year-old was talked out of retirement last summer
17:28by then-manager Kevin Watson,
17:30but maintains this will be his final campaign.
17:32He says that every year, he added,
17:34I think he's been saying that since he was 21,
17:36but he keeps going.
17:37That's according to joint boss Ian Batten,
17:39who's urged him to think carefully.
17:41Next, Kent Cricket's head coach Adam Hollyoak
17:44sees no reason why some young players can't represent England
17:46at a senior level one day.
17:48He handed first-team chances to Ben Dawkins,
17:51Corey Flintoff, who's the eldest son of England legend Freddie Flintoff,
17:54alongside 20-year-old Jaden Denley,
17:56who'd already been put into their senior setup
17:59the previous campaign last summer.
18:01Dawkins was also a part of the England under-19 side
18:03that reached the World Cup final
18:04before they were thrashed by India in February.
18:07He added, I think some of them will play for England.
18:09Of course, they've got a lot of work to do before that,
18:11but it's in their hands.
18:14And finally, two Medway and Dartford Valley rugby talents
18:17have been included in the England under-21 women's squad
18:20for a three-day development rugby camp featuring Canada.
18:23Amelia Williams of Loughborough Lightning
18:25and Trailfinders' own Jasmine Adonry,
18:27whose community clubs are Medway and Dartford Valley, respectively,
18:30are going to go to this three-day session in Berkshire.
18:33This will also see head coach LJ Lewis' side
18:36host the Canada under-21s.
18:37He said the group has shown real courage and leadership
18:40in how they've prepared towards the Six Nations.
18:42And that's all for your sports news.
18:54Now, a new footpath stretching around the entire coast of England
18:57was announced recently by King Charles,
18:59one location including the Hoo Peninsula.
19:01At more than 2,000 miles long,
19:03it's the longest managed coastal walking route in the world.
19:06So for the first time, walkers will be able to explore
19:08England's shorelines step-by-step in one long trail.
19:10Maisie Walker has the story.
19:13Wind in your hair, the sea on the horizon
19:15and the quiet hope that just this once,
19:18the walk might actually tire the dog out.
19:21King Charles has announced a new coastal footpath
19:23encircling the entirety of England,
19:25with a stretch running through Kent.
19:28The route allows walkers to reach the Isle of Grain
19:30on the tip of Hoo Pensilla.
19:32And some locals are loving the idea,
19:34hopeful that people can come to appreciate this place
19:37for its biodiversity.
19:39Simon Henderson, a local resident, dog walker
19:42and bird watcher, is excited that Hoo is included.
19:46He hopes the area's natural beauty will finally gain
19:48the recognition it deserves.
19:50I think it's great.
19:51I mean, I don't just dog walk down here.
19:53I do a lot of bird watching and photography as well.
19:56So it's a fabulous area.
19:59Very lucky to have it close to where we live.
20:02You know, I just encourage people to get out here
20:05and use it and see it for what it is.
20:07You know, you do get a lot of people just come through here
20:10and walk and not realise exactly, you know, what's here.
20:15You know, the wildlife, the birds, everything.
20:17You know, people do miss that, you know.
20:20Yeah, we already get quite a lot of walkers already.
20:23And, of course, the most famous walker we ever had
20:26was Mr Charles Dickens, of course.
20:29So, yeah, I believe that is the case.
20:31I think more people will want to walk this entire route.
20:34It might take them some time.
20:35It will probably take a couple of days
20:37just to do the peninsula
20:38because it's quite a large area.
20:42People don't realise how big it is
20:43until you get on the ground and start walking it.
20:45But how many people in Kent are ready to take on the challenge?
20:49Yes, absolutely.
20:50And I walk in all weathers anyway,
20:52but especially with weathers like this,
20:54Kent and England are the best places to walk.
20:56I definitely would,
20:57because I want to do that sort of thing for my charity as well.
20:59I'm sure it would be a wonderful experience,
21:01but it's just I haven't got the time.
21:03I would love to do something like that, though.
21:05Even a section of it would be great.
21:07Not now, no.
21:09Not at my age anyway.
21:12I know I won't be tackling all 2,689 miles myself,
21:16but I'll happily live vicariously through anyone brave enough
21:19to wander England's coastline.
21:22Maisie Walker for KMTV.
21:24Who?
21:28Well, it certainly looks like there's some really nice weather
21:31wherever you are around the county.
21:33I'm not much of a hiker,
21:33but it's good news for anyone who might be.
21:36We saw some stormy skies there.
21:38We've also seen a bit of snow,
21:39according to Nayla,
21:40when she was up at Canterbury Cathedral earlier.
21:43Well, with all that in mind,
21:44fingers crossed we'll be having some mild weather.
21:46Let's take a look.
22:17Let's take a look.
22:30As always, you can check out our website
22:32for more news like this story.
22:34A typically quiet nature reserve in the Kent countryside
22:37has recently found itself in the spotlight.
22:40It's because of a recent TikTok video that went viral,
22:43showing the visitor petting one of the Highland cotties.
22:46Since then, the site has seen hundreds of people
22:49hoping to do the same thing.
22:51But Kent Wildlife are urging people to rethink.
22:54Part of that video was her approaching the cows quite closely
22:57and at one instance sort of going to sort of pet them.
23:02And that isn't something that we advise.
23:05It's not part of our guidance around working with our livestock here.
23:07It is a public site.
23:09A lot of people use the site.
23:10But that TikTok went viral.
23:13And so we've seen a massive influx of people onto the site,
23:17especially at the weekends.
23:19Lots of families, lots of couples,
23:21lots of people coming to enjoy the Highland cows
23:23and take photos with them.
23:28So it all took off really
23:29because we obviously saw this video
23:32and we have also needed to sort of address
23:35how you interact with these animals on site safely.
23:37If you're coming to the Heathland to see the Highland cows,
23:40this is as far as you should be to get a picture.
23:43Otherwise, the animals can get quite distressed
23:45and it can have negative impacts on their grazing.
23:48Disturbance is a massive issue.
23:51Obviously, it's great people come down to experience it.
23:54But when we get people coming off the pathways,
23:58we're potentially stressing not just our animals,
24:00but also the wildlife additionally present on the site.
24:05The cows, if they keep getting pressure,
24:08will try and leave as best they can.
24:11But when you've got 500 people across an area
24:15of Heath like this,
24:17there's not always places for them to hunker or hide.
24:19While the viral video has brought many people to the reserve,
24:22one family said a different post online
24:25encouraged them to keep their distance,
24:27showing the impact social media can have.
24:30We saw videos, was it Facebook or TikTok?
24:32So on TikTok, yeah, and Vicky loves Highland cows.
24:36So we thought we'd come down, yeah.
24:39And what did you think about the TikTok
24:40when she started stroking the cow and everything?
24:43Oh, we didn't see that one.
24:44Yeah, so we didn't actually see that one,
24:45but we saw a post after that was just warning people
24:49not to get too close, which obviously is quite sensible.
24:52Yeah, stay away, don't touch them.
24:54Why do you think you wouldn't touch them?
24:56Well, they're wild animals, not to interrupt them,
24:59and obviously they can be dangerous as well.
25:01The Trust says that you shouldn't pet or feed the animals,
25:04including the ponies that are also on site,
25:06because it can contaminate biodiversity in the area
25:09and cause an over-dependence on humans.
25:11While Kent Wildlife are pleased about the interest
25:14in the animals and the site,
25:16they hope that getting up close is a fleeting trend
25:19with no lasting beef.
25:21Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV, Ashford.
25:26Next, a Maidstone mum of four
25:28has amassed more than 300,000 followers
25:30on her TikTok account
25:31after going viral for recording her daily life.
25:34But how do you get that virality
25:35and what do you do with the platform once you have it?
25:37To answer those questions,
25:38I'm joined by Tracy and her husband, Mark.
25:41Now, thank you both so much for joining us.
25:43First of all, tell us about where this all started.
25:46It started, I was embarrassed for social media.
25:50My young child opened an account.
25:52I put one video on.
25:54It went 30,000 followers overnight,
25:56and I thought, oh my God, I'm famous,
25:58and that's what kicked it all off.
26:00Absolutely.
26:00And how have you sort of found it since then?
26:02Was there one sort of spike of popularity,
26:04or did it happen over time?
26:05Yes, a very big spike with cheese.
26:07I was doing a sandwich, minding my own business,
26:10and then the internet said,
26:11what are you doing with all that cheese?
26:13And I said, Mark eats it,
26:14and it just went crazy.
26:16We can see that video now on the screen,
26:18the vid that made Mark the famous cheese king.
26:20Yes.
26:20Wow.
26:21I have to ask,
26:22do you have a favourite type of cheese, Mark?
26:23The stronger the better.
26:24Stilton.
26:25I haven't even heard of it.
26:26Wow, brilliant.
26:27Well, I think, unfortunately,
26:29that is all the time we have.
26:30Very quickly,
26:31but we'll be talking with you more on our socials.
26:34But yes, thank you both so much for joining us.
26:36That's okay.
26:36Thank you very much.
26:36I'll talk to you soon.
26:38Well, that is all the time we have.
26:41But like I say,
26:41you can check out our social media
26:42at kmtv underscore Kent
26:44for all our news,
26:45including about those who have a cheese addiction.
26:47All that and more are on our website.
26:50But thank you so much for watching
26:51and see you soon.
27:09Thank you so much.
27:14I say thank you to myheart.
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