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Catch up with all the latest news across the county with Kristin Hawthorne.
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06:22It's the only region in Kent holding local elections, and the last chance to head to
06:28the polls before local government reorganisation, but will Tunbridge Wells succumb to a reform
06:36wave which has already hit most of the county.
06:40In the last local election, the Liberal Democrats took control of Tunbridge Wells' current councils
06:45from the Conservatives, so I went down to the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells to see if the
06:51Liberal Democrats still seem to hold that swing.
06:54I'm an undecided voter, but I do support the local independents. They have the independent view.
07:04We are going for Green Party.
07:06Green Party?
07:08Yeah.
07:08Do you normally vote them?
07:09No, it's my first time, but I don't know why we love them, but we love them.
07:13Who's got your vote?
07:15The Lib Dems.
07:16There are always things that could be improved, but yeah, they are the best council for me.
07:21I'm either going to vote for Lib Dem as a tactical vote to sort of keep the other parties out,
07:27or I might vote Green, which is more morally where I align with.
07:32For me, I've always sort of, in the last two years or so, the local elections in particular
07:39always skewed more towards Lib Dem in this particular area.
07:42I will, I think I'll vote Lib Dem. I usually do. I definitely won't be voting reform.
07:50I'm so fed up with people in power that shouldn't be in power, because they're not worth anything
07:56in my book. And there's too many rules and regulations, and I think the small businesses
08:01is just too much.
08:03Local elections have a historically low turnout, but will pioneering earlier weekend voting,
08:11as well as Kent local politics recently being under the spotlight off the back of Cliftonville,
08:18spark more residents to get involved in grassroots politics?
08:23Megan Shaw in Tunbridge Wells.
08:26Well, sorry for those technical difficulties at the start there, but joining me now is Megan Shaw.
08:33Megan, you mentioned Tunbridge Wells trial weekend polling. Can you tell us more about this?
08:38Of course, yeah, I mentioned it in the report, but I didn't really expand on it.
08:40So the early polling trial was the weekend just gone.
08:43Tunbridge Wells residents could vote in their local elections on the Saturday or the Sunday,
08:48which was a new pilot. It was led by the government and it involved just four councils across the country.
08:54They were alongside Tunbridge Wells, Cambridge, Milton Keynes and North Hertfordshire.
08:58And that was kind of an initiative led by the government to try to boost turnout for local elections.
09:04Last year in the 2025 local elections, it was just 34%.
09:08We can compare that to turnout in general elections. In 2024, that was just under 60%.
09:13So much less people vote in their local elections.
09:17And it was alongside, people could pop along, you know, if they're working, if they're working tomorrow,
09:22they could have gone to the polling booth at the weekend.
09:26And what do the local elections mean for Kent and the rest of the country?
09:30So the local election at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is the only local election in Kent.
09:35And it's just one third of the council that is being contested.
09:39And that's because the council elects its councillors on a rolling cycle.
09:43So roughly a third of the councillors are elected each year for three years.
09:48And then there is a year with no borough elections.
09:51And on a national scale across England, Scotland and Wales,
09:55these elections are the biggest ones we've seen since the 2024 general elections.
09:59In England, millions are going to be headed to the polls tomorrow to vote on 5,000 seats across 136
10:07local councils and six mayors as well.
10:09And again, in Kent, they're kind of important.
10:13I mean, we've seen Kent County Council in Kent has kind of been a litmus test for reform governing councils.
10:19So tomorrow on Friday when we get those results, we'll see if people have seen Kent County Council, how it's
10:24run.
10:25Has that impacted how they might vote for their own council outside of Kent as well?
10:28All right. Thank you so much.
10:32Breaking news now.
10:33A huge emergency presence has descended on Sandgate following a medical incident.
10:38Emergency services were called to the High Street in the village between Hive and Folkestone in response to a medical
10:44incident, as was said.
10:46Fire crews attended shortly after 1.30pm today.
10:49Four fire engines, a hype vehicle and a technical rescue unit arrived to assist paramedics in the High Street near
10:55the Royal Norfolk Hotel.
10:57Police were also in attendance.
11:01A suspected shoplifter has been arrested after a violent incident at a Tesco Express in Gilliam.
11:07Police were called to the Tesco Express on Pier Road at around 9.30pm on Monday when a man had
11:12reportedly tried to steal some alcohol.
11:14The man allegedly smashed bottles, took cigarettes from behind the counter and threw coffee jars at staff members.
11:22Officers searched the area and the suspect who fled on foot was found and arrested near the Medway tunnel about
11:28half an hour later.
11:29Michael Clough was subsequently charged with burglary, common assault and criminal damage.
11:36The 36 year old was bailed to appear at Medway Magistrates Court in August the 18th.
11:45Now it's time for a quick break but we have much more coming up.
11:49We'll be joined by Etli Reynolds who will be providing information surrounding the PSPO in Ramsgate and surrounding areas.
11:56All of that and more to come in just a few minutes. We'll see you then. Bye bye.
12:25We'll see you then. Bye bye.
12:40Bye bye.
13:09Bye bye.
13:40Bye bye.
14:10Bye bye.
14:38Bye bye.
15:06Bye bye.
15:25Welcome back to Kent Tonight.
15:27Now, steps are put in place to help tackle a surge in antisocial behaviour seen in Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate.
15:34Counselors have agreed to a four week consultation on plans to impose public space protection orders.
15:40And Etli Reynolds joins me now with more information.
15:43Etli, what is a PSPO?
15:46So it stands, it's a critic council implemented measure to stop antisocial behaviour by restricting specific activities in a defined
15:56public area.
15:57And now this can include things like alcohol consumption or aggressive behaviour.
16:01Now, yeah.
16:04And what will follow the four week consultation?
16:07So the vote for the consultation happened last Thursday.
16:10And following that, following this, the plan is to consult with the local chief officer of police, the police themselves,
16:17the crime commissioner and including lots of other people apart of the community,
16:21such as people who own homes or people who own land in the areas affected by some of this antisocial
16:27behaviour, which we can actually see on screen now.
16:29Councillors will then discuss the consultation results before creating a plan for the PSPO.
16:36And it said that there will be a focus on alcohol related antisocial behaviour and public urination and defecation.
16:44And what would happen under these new plans?
16:46So police and authorised council officers will be able to require individuals to stop drinking alcohol when they're already involved
16:54in a disorder or causing antisocial behaviour.
16:57Those who do not comply will be subject to enforcement action.
17:02And this can include things such as on the spot fines and court action.
17:07Officers will also be able to require the surrender of alcohol from individuals.
17:13So if somebody is deemed to be too inebriated, they can ask them to surrender the alcohol they are drinking.
17:18And what have councillors said regarding the recent antisocial behaviour?
17:22A lot of them have expressed kind of a disgust towards the antisocial behaviour.
17:28Labour councillor Heather Keane described evidence that was submitted as shocking,
17:33adding this is not the way we want the towns to be experienced by residents, visitors and businesses.
17:39Green councillor Rebecca Wigg commented saying local people and community groups are affected on a daily basis,
17:45adding that the only losers in this situation are the community.
17:49The impact of not having a PSPO has been terrible on our communities.
17:54And these new plans actually come after a previous attempt to introduce sweeping powers,
18:00including things such as the swearing ban, which were abandoned last September.
18:05All right, very interesting. Thank you so much, Etli.
18:09Time for a quick look at the weather for the rest of the week.
18:18A cloudy night this evening followed by some light rain with temperatures across the county of about 11 degrees.
18:23Then into tomorrow morning we have lows of 10 degrees and Dartford highs of 12 in Canterbury.
18:28Wind speeds quite low, so it might be quite warm.
18:31And then we've got cloudy skies, a bit of rain across the county into the afternoon tomorrow.
18:36Wind speeds picking up just slightly.
18:38Then we will have cloudy skies again, 19 degrees on Friday.
18:42Cloudy skies, no sun on Sunday, 21 degrees though.
18:45And then back to 19 on Sunday, cloudy skies.
18:54Canterbury Pride will be returning to Danejohn Gardens for the city's 10th anniversary of the celebration.
18:59This comes after the park finally reopened after year-long renovation.
19:03Leading up this year's line-up are Big Celebrity Big Brother winner and RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Courtney Act,
19:11as well as Natasha Hamilton and Atomic Kitten.
19:14It plans to showcase some of the best emerging LGBTQ plus talent Kent offers with performances from the likes of
19:22singers, drag artists, dancers and more.
19:26And now let's catch up with all your latest business headlines with Foree Ede Oye.
19:38Folkstore's popular Wetherspoon pub, the Samuopeto, is set to close its doors on May 26th for a massive £552,000
19:44refurbishment.
19:46The seven-week project will see the historic former Baptist church transformed with a brand new bar, updated decor and
19:52essential repairs to its high iconic ceilings.
19:55While the pub will miss most of the World Cup, it is scheduled to officially reopen its doors to the
20:00public on July 16th.
20:01During the closure, all local staff members will be temporarily redeployed to other nearby Wetherspoon venues.
20:08The range is looking to sell a portfolio of 10 stores including its large outlets in Ashford as part of
20:14a major £67 million sale and lease back deal.
20:17Despite the sale, there is no risk of the Ashford site closing as the retailer will immediately sign a 15
20:22-year lease to continue trading there without any break clauses.
20:25Real estate giant CBRE is managing the sale, which includes six sites in England as well as locations in Wales,
20:31Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.
20:34The company plans to use the capital raised from this move to fund further store expansions across the business.
20:39After 20 years of building a local following, Greystone's Reynolds Ice Cream is expanding from a single van into a
20:45brand new permanent dessert parlor and coffee shop.
20:47Owners Graham and Jenny Reynolds famously started the business by swapping their family's BMW for an ice cream van to
20:52support their six children.
20:53The new venue is part of the £1.5 million changing tidal coastal development and will feature indoor and outdoor
21:00seating with stunning seafront views.
21:02While the shop opens imminently in Greystone, the couple's popular van will move to a permanent spot at the Folkstone's
21:08Harbour Arm.
21:09EDF Energies has vacated a two-storey building at Ashford's Eureka Business Park as part of a strategic shift, leaving
21:15another large unit empty on the estate.
21:17The office, which previously housed over 25 technical staff linked to Dungeness B, has closed with all staffs relocated to
21:23the main Rimney Marsh site.
21:25While no jobs were lost in the move, the departure adds to existing vacancies within the Kennington business area.
21:30The site's featuring eight buildings continues to struggle with unoccupied units.
21:44And finally, on one of the biggest nights in fashion rivaled this Monday in New York City, did you know
21:50one of the most iconic looks was crafted here in Kent?
21:54One garage from Lyd had a part in creating Kim Kardashian's metallic look for this year's Met Gala.
22:00The man behind the shiny orange exterior and his sister joins me now.
22:05So, Martin, tell me all about how this started and when you first heard about it.
22:09We've got a lovely picture of you here behind with what she was wearing.
22:12That's right, yeah.
22:13So tell me all about it then.
22:14Right, I was approached by these two guys, turned up, and they said, do you recognise us?
22:23I've repaired a car for them in the past.
22:25I said, yes, I do recognise you.
22:28And they said, would you be able to paint something for us?
22:32And they explained it was a breastplate, it would be all ready for me to paint, etc.
22:41And could I just put the top coat on?
22:44And I said, yeah, not a problem at all, you know.
22:47And they showed us it, and they said they've still got a little bit more work to do to it
22:55before it's ready for me.
22:57And, yeah, there's some pictures of her being, yeah, I see that now.
23:04And they presented it to me the next day to be painted.
23:09And I saw a few little imperfections, so I had to correct them before,
23:15and then I had to re-primer it before spraying the top coat and lacquer on top of that to
23:21make it shine even more.
23:23And that's basically what we did. We was asked to turn it over within 24 hours.
23:29So I did have to cancel some work to be able to do that.
23:34But we managed to do that no problems, didn't we?
23:37And, yeah, so off we went, and the very next day they turned up with it.
23:43They said they'd been working till 2am in the morning to get it ready for me.
23:49And, like I say, I saw a few imperfections.
23:51So I said to them, it's going to take longer than I guessed I would take to do it.
23:57And, obviously, I had to do all these little imperfections and spray it for them, have it ready by the
24:05end of the day.
24:06And they brought it to you by hand, didn't they?
24:08They brought it to us by hand, yes.
24:10It was only in the back of their car and handed it to us, but they were very, very careful
24:15with it.
24:16And they obviously told me to be very careful with it as well.
24:20All the time I was working on it, it was on a fresh towel on a table and worked around
24:27it like that, yeah.
24:28And how did you react to the fact that you were the one that was being chosen to sort of
24:32do this work?
24:35Yes, that was surprising.
24:36They said it was for a very famous, they explained that they were artists.
24:41They do a lot of costumes for other TV shows, et cetera, and bits and pieces, which I was unaware
24:52of.
24:54And that's how they thought of me when they needed something painted because I think they deal mainly with materials
25:01and leather for costumes, et cetera.
25:04But this was a bit different for them.
25:06They needed something painted and I don't think they're experienced painters.
25:11So they thought of me because I had done previous work for them.
25:16Yeah, it's quite a long travel to take, really, isn't it?
25:18Yeah, yeah, that's right.
25:19And to be honest with you, I just took it in my stride.
25:22I didn't charge overcharging for it.
25:25I was unaware and I treat every job the same anyway.
25:30So, yeah, just charged accordingly for the hours I worked on it, et cetera.
25:36And, yeah, I didn't go sticking loads of money on it because I knew it was for a celebrity or
25:41anything.
25:42And your sister here, Nikki, beside you, maybe quite a fan of Kim Kardashian, maybe more so than Martin.
25:47What was your reaction to when you found out that it was for her?
25:49To be honest, we originally thought maybe it was for Madonna because we wasn't told, first of all, who it
25:54was for, just that it was for a famous celebrity.
25:57It was only when they picked up the breastplate they revealed who it was for, but we had to keep
26:01quiet for two weeks.
26:02So that was quite hard, wasn't it?
26:05Yeah, they didn't even tell us what event it was for, did they?
26:08My daughter-in-law-to-be, she's a great fan and my daughter, too.
26:12So, yeah, we actually stayed up to watch the Met Gala, too.
26:17So it was, yeah, crazy to see her wearing it.
26:21And it was like, wow.
26:23Yeah, I'm sure.
26:24And did it look maybe as good in the photos as you'd hoped, Nikki?
26:27Oh, it looked better.
26:28It was amazing, wasn't it?
26:29It looked great when we'd done it.
26:30She really looked stunning.
26:33And, yeah, we might be a bit biased saying that because, obviously, you sprayed it.
26:38But, yeah, it was amazing.
26:40Really, really nice to be a part of something so big.
26:43It's just crazy, phenomenal, isn't it?
26:45Yeah.
26:46Excellent, excellent.
26:46Well, it was lovely to hear from you.
26:48Okay.
26:48And hopefully we'll be getting more in the future.
26:51Yeah, that's right, yeah.
26:52Excellent.
26:53Well, you've been watching Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
26:56Thanks so much for watching.
26:57Bye-bye.
27:08Bye-bye.
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