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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Nailah Mahomed.
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01:02Left with no choice, stand workers strike as feud with Kent County Council continues.
01:08So this is not what our members want to be doing, they want to be in schools supporting the inclusion
01:13of the most vulnerable peoples in Kent.
01:15And finally, a dying dart. Maidstone Social Club holds competitions to keep the traditional Kentish dartboard alive.
01:24The league needs the pubs and the clubs, and the pubs and the clubs need the league to bring the
01:29income in.
01:59The package is rumoured to cost around £300 million.
02:02But the government says the tariff and VAT suspension is not guaranteed to pass savings on to the customer.
02:08So Chloe Brewster explains what this might mean for your wallet this summer.
02:12A campaign for life's little treats. That's a top line from the government's announcement for a summer of savings.
02:19The government say the proposals are designed to help families facing the cost of living crisis, as well as the
02:25economic challenges brought on by the war in Iran.
02:28One of the most notable things we can see from the government's announcement today is that reduction in VAT.
02:33That's going to come into effect from the 25th of June to the 1st of September.
02:37And we'll see a reduction from 20% down to 5% on certain children's activities.
02:42Now that includes quite a lot, that's taking out your child for a meal.
02:45It's also admissions tickets, so going places like theme parks, zoos.
02:49Although it's not guaranteed, the government says it'll be down to businesses to pass on those VAT savings to customers
02:55in their ticket prices.
02:56If a child, for instance, wants to go and meet their friends in the high streets or maybe pop to
03:01a cafe, that will make it a lot cheaper.
03:04Similarly, if you're a parent with a seven year old and you're looking to go to the cinema or go
03:08to a restaurant as well, it makes the equation a lot more cost effective to do that.
03:14There will be different people out there that will have different views on whether or not it should be going
03:18on this bill or that bill.
03:20But fundamentally, in my view, this is about supporting mums and dads and families to get them out over the
03:26August period.
03:27The other part is the access to free unlimited bus travel for five to 15 year olds and selected local
03:32bus services in August.
03:34Areva Buses is the main provider out of Chatham bus station here.
03:38And they told me this morning that because the announcement was so recent, they couldn't 100% confirm whether the
03:44trips would be free in August.
03:45But they did say if the scheme was to go ahead, as Rachel Reeves proposed, the operators would be likely
03:51to support it.
03:52I think what this new announcement will do is make sure that people with young children are able to get
03:58out and about and enjoy everything that Kent's got to offer this summer.
04:02We do need to work really closely with the government and Kent County Council to make sure that at busy
04:09times and in busy places, there are enough buses to get everyone where they need to be and home again.
04:15Because the last thing we want to do is see a sunny Sunday afternoon in Broadstairs or somewhere where everyone's
04:22trying to get on the last bus home and there isn't enough room for them.
04:26The government is estimated to have spent around 300 million pounds on this bundle of cuts.
04:31But are people in Kent actually going to see a difference to their wallets?
04:35Or if you have children and take buses a lot? Maybe.
04:39But we'll have to wait and see on the rest.
04:42Chloe Brewster for KMTV.
04:44So this summer we'll see cuts to bus fares and confectionery.
04:48But is this enough to support the cost of living crisis?
04:51Well, we went to Rochester to ask the public about their opinion following the announcement today.
04:56So I agree with the fact that they're trying to reduce tariffs on attractions and suites and stuff across the
05:02UK.
05:03And I understand how trying to enable that for children is a really good thing.
05:07And I like the fact they're trying to cut tax and allowing people to have free bus passes for the
05:12summer.
05:12I do think it should be more for like under 21s.
05:15Our economy has been in trouble, I think for two decades at least, and is only going in one direction.
05:24And I don't think tinkering with things like price of food or something like that. Supermarkets won't have it anyway.
05:31I think they're trying, but I think it's a little bit too late.
05:35I can see how the bus fares might be helpful for some families, but it needs to be more than
05:42that.
05:42I think the gestures of delaying the fuel tax, the free bus passes, price capping on food is a good
05:50gesture, but the issue is they're passing on the costs to the retailers.
05:55Out of all the parties, they are doing a very good job at trying to consider all of these things.
05:59But I think taxes need to be reduced significantly on a lot more things than just sweets and travel.
06:05Now, this week is Knife Crime Awareness Week organized by the Ben Kinsella Trust, combining policing, prevention and community action
06:13in a coordinated effort to tackle knife crime.
06:16And this year's campaign calls on schools, youth organizations, charities and other members of the community to commit to taking
06:23meaningful action to help keep young people safe.
06:25And we heard from Kent's police and crime commissioner about this earlier today.
06:30We have a violence reduction unit where our priority is tackling knife crime, particularly where it impacts upon young people.
06:38We have a very successful team in our violence reduction unit who have helped us achieve a 10% reduction
06:43in knife crime over the last couple of years, as well as significant drops in violent crime against young people.
06:51That's where we've been placing a lot of our focus.
06:53My main concern at the moment is the sustainability of the work that we are doing, because the government are
07:01about to cut funding for our violence reduction unit by one third.
07:04They're reducing a number of pots of funding which are going to hamper Kent police's efforts to tackle organized crime
07:11and violence.
07:12I am challenging the Home Secretary to reverse those decisions.
07:16But if we disintegrate those partnerships by withdrawing that funding, it will seriously hamper the efforts of professionals on the
07:22ground to maintain the really good progress that we've made.
07:26Now, vials of cocaine were found hidden in a sandwich bag inside the centre console of a drug dealer's Ford
07:31Fiesta in Tunbridge.
07:33Georgie Spassoff has been imprisoned after police caught him running drugs.
07:37You can see him on the screen now being arrested.
07:40Officers spotted the suspicious car parked near Cannon Lane at around 5.30pm on October 2nd last year.
07:46Checks revealed it was insured to an address more than 100 miles away.
07:50When approached, Spassoff was sitting in the driver's seat and couldn't explain why he was there.
07:54A search of the vehicle uncovered a hidden compartment above the centre console containing 30 small bottles filled with cocaine.
08:00The 39-year-old was arrested for possession with intent to supply.
08:06Now, visitors to one of Kent's largest nature reserves have been left shocked at plans to introduce parking charges.
08:12Kingswood in Chalwick has been popular with dog walkers for a number of years.
08:16But now, visitors are expected to pay a range of fees depending on the length of their stay.
08:21Bosses say that charging for parking is vital for maintaining forests across the country.
08:25However, drivers have expressed their frustration towards the new policy, with one describing it as over-the-top and very
08:32expensive.
08:33The policy is set to be enforced next month.
08:37And fed-up customers in Farisham have vented their frustration regarding youth's anti-social behaviour in pub gardens.
08:44The hosts of the Market Inn in Farisham say youngsters have been pulling up pot plants, throwing stones,
08:50climbing over furniture, intruding into bat and trap areas and even barging into customers.
08:55Tim Stowell called out the behaviour on the pub's Facebook page, urging parents to have better control of their children
09:01or they'll have to introduce an age-limited children 12 and above.
09:04While landlord Mark Revel says that he is sad to have to draw attention to the issue.
09:10A pair of builders who conned customers in Folkestone and Ashford out of more than a million pounds have now
09:16been imprisoned.
09:17Samuel O'Hanlon and Jack Sargent were convicted of multiple counts of fraud and money laundering following the eight-week
09:23trial.
09:24And David Brooks hoarsely has the story.
09:27Victims of two jailed cowboy builders say the warning signs were missed for years.
09:32As fraudster Samuel O'Hanlon, aged 45 from Folkestone, was jailed for 10 years.
09:37And Jack Sargent from Ashford, 28, sentenced to five years and nine months over a scam worth more than £1
09:44.3 million.
09:46Among the victims is 83-year-old Elizabeth Hennessy from near Ashford.
09:50It has been an absolute long running fire.
09:54Absolute shame that I had allowed it to happen and happen to my family and to my husband.
10:02She had hired O'Hanlon in October of 2020 to build a kitchen extension with a wet room
10:08so her husband Paul, whose health was deteriorating, could remain in the same home he had loved for 40 years.
10:15Instead the couple were driven out of their property for more than a year
10:19and O'Hanlon had failed to finish the renovation.
10:21Elizabeth Hennessy spoke out about her late husband's feelings.
10:25And he found it hard to believe that he had come face to face with just pure criminality.
10:35The unforgivable thing that he never got back to his home.
10:40He never understood or knew that we would get some form of justice in the end.
10:47In my daughter's words, he, this man, this criminal, ruined the last two years of my dad's life.
10:58Those were her words.
11:00Five years previously to the impact on Elizabeth and Paul Hennessy's lives, O'Hanlon was hired in April 2015 to
11:07repair Robert Davies' conservatory roof.
11:09The 82-year-old says the work was never complete and he eventually dismissed O'Hanlon later that same year
11:15after paying him more than £90,000.
11:18Mr Davies had contacted Trading Standards in 2015 and had stated that they were not helpful.
11:24And Mrs Hennessy was also unhappy with Kent Police's response.
11:28But in response to Mrs Hennessy's comments about the fraud team, Kent Police has issued an apology,
11:34with Kent Trading Standards Complex investigators manager Clive Phillips having praised the courage and resilience of all the victims who
11:42came forward,
11:43supported the investigation and gave evidence during the trial.
11:46The pair have now been imprisoned and both men must serve at least 40% of their prison sentences before
11:53becoming eligible for release on licence.
11:56David Brooks-Horsley for KMTV.
11:59And now it's time for a quick break, but we'll see you very, very soon.
15:25Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight.
15:29The Press.
15:29Now strike action has continued for the National Education Union following Kent County Council's failure to consult staff during the
15:36transition of roles back in-house in September last year.
15:40Members are saying that a lack of communication from KCC has continued and they are now left with no option
15:46but to strike.
15:47And today they held a protest outside the offices this morning.
15:50Mazie Walker has to report.
15:59Nearly four months ago, the National Education Union were here outside KCC protesting and
16:06today they're here again, still feeling cut off from the children that need them the most,
16:10isolated and as of this morning, complete radio silence from KCC.
16:15The dispute between the National Education Union and Kent County Council began last September
16:21after staff said they were not properly consulted when their roles were brought back under council
16:26control. This is day seven of strike action and we have been desperately trying to engage with KCC
16:33about the issues with this specialist teaching and learning service. We've tried to get ACAS to
16:38help mediate. KCC just won't engage with us. They don't want to listen to their employees, they don't
16:44want to listen to this staff body here and so we have no option but to continue taking strike action
16:49and this is a vital day. KCC have their annual general meeting today and so we're talking to
16:55all of the counsellors as they enter the building today to urge them to listen to their employees.
17:00Under the NEU, skilled teachers and specialists across Kent support children with special educational
17:07needs and disabilities. However, after nearly eight months, staff say they're still unhappy with the
17:12transition and want things returned to how they were before, with an estimated 9,000 children across
17:18Kent affected. The schools want the service that they had before. They want the bespoke training
17:24that they had before. They want the early identification and the support that they had
17:31before and that is being denied. And the reason it's being denied is because they don't believe that
17:37SEN actually exists. Sadly, as a service, we are deteriorating. People are leaving. People are
17:46despondent and they're fed up with the way that we're being treated and ignored. I reached out to
17:51Kent County Council for a response but have not yet received a reply. During a protest four months ago,
17:57they issued the following statement, saying the claims made against them were simply incorrect and
18:02were disappointed in the NEU's decision to use social media to misrepresent the situation. Although the
18:08turnout today was small, it doesn't reflect the broader support for the NEU. The group was few in
18:14numbers but strong in determination and focused on driving change. Maisie Walker for KMTV, Maidstone.
18:23And now let's take a look at the weather for the coming days.
18:32Well tonight will be a clear night across the county with temperatures reaching 20 degrees in Maidstone,
18:37Medway in Dartford. Tomorrow morning, sunny across Kent. Temperatures peaking at 16 degrees in Canterbury
18:43and Dover. However, temperatures will climb into the mid-20s going into the afternoon.
18:52And your outlook for the coming days. Expect temperatures reaching 30 degrees and plenty
18:57of sunshine going into the weekend and on Monday. Some lovely sun right there. Can't wait to see what's
19:04planned for a fine holiday.
19:12Well, a few sunny days coming up but how do you stay safe in the hot weather? Well, let's have
19:18a look
19:18right now. As we've just heard, summer has finally reached the UK. You can expect up to 30 degrees
19:24this weekend. Naturally, we all want to get out and enjoy the sun but you do have to stay safe
19:29in the heat.
19:30There's many ways to do this. The common ones are lots of water to stay hydrated, sitting in the shade
19:36when you can and lots of sun cream. But do remember to reapply every few hours. Portable fans can be
19:41a
19:41big help for staying cool as well as resting when you've been in the sun for a long time. Especially
19:45if you're doing activities, it's very important to take frequent breaks or even try and do them in the
19:50mornings or the evenings when the temperatures are a bit cooler. But the highest they do become is
19:55between 11am and 3pm. If you're spending a lot of the day outside, try and cover up with either a
20:01hat
20:01or thin layers to cover your skin. And to help keep your house cool, please close your windows and your
20:07curtains that face the sun. And a quick PSA for those on certain medications like antidepressants
20:13or beta blockers, be careful as they do make you warmer and harder to deal with the heat wave.
20:18But don't let this scare you. Enjoy the brighter days.
20:22And OneDartLeague and Maidstone are worried that with pubs across the country closing,
20:26it will mean an extinction of their beloved game, including Kent's traditional board. The Maidstone
20:31Kent double board dart league uses the traditional dart board that you can see behind me. It lacks
20:36trebles, meaning that the game values consistency rather than flashy plays. And Finn McDermott went down
20:42to try out the Kent board. Let's have a look. With pubs across the country closing, OneSocial
20:47Club in Maidstone are making sure their beloved way of playing darts survives with regular competitions,
20:52so the Kent tradition doesn't die out for good. The Kent dart board looks a little bit different
20:57than the standard one. It's missing the trebles and the ring around the bullseye, so the highest
21:01number of points is either the bullseye itself or the double 20. And you start the game from 301
21:06rather than 501, making it a much different game to play.
21:10To be a good double player, you have to be consistent, consistently scoring. But a lot of
21:17treble ball players that come along start to throw at double top all the time and the darts that go
21:23off
21:23the bull don't score, do they? So it's better to get 60-60-60 and be down to a finish.
21:30That's the more
21:32suited way of doing it, rather than throwing a double all the time.
21:37Now I am far from a darts pro, but let's see, can I play on a Kent darts board just
21:42as good as a regular one?
21:53Not quite, maybe I should consult someone who actually knows how to play on this board,
21:57and who better than someone who actually made it?
21:59So it starts with like a bullseye, and then I have a machine that's quite a hefty sort of press
22:05machine,
22:06and that creates the little wires that go from the bullseye to the outer ring.
22:11And by using that machine that creates the wires, I can then put down with just a simple hammer,
22:17and that's effectively it. I've got it down to an art. It doesn't take me that long, probably about an
22:23hour
22:24to do a board, but yeah, it's fun, and quite therapeutic at times.
22:30While the supply of the dart boards in Maidstone is keeping up with demand,
22:34pubs shutting their doors means taking down their boards, so competitions are responsible
22:38for keeping the traditional game alive. I used to be a landlord of the pub Dragoon,
22:44in Sanding Road in Maidstone, when there was many pubs playing Tuesday night dark, the Kent board.
22:52Unfortunately, the circumstances we're in, a lot of the pubs are closed, including my old pub.
22:57The league needs the pubs and the clubs, and the pubs and the clubs need the league to bring the
23:02income in.
23:02The league are hoping the knockout competitions and the explosion in popularity of the standard game
23:07will reach a new, younger generation of players. And while they haven't trebled attendances yet,
23:13the Kent board is certainly taking flight. Finn McDermid for KMTV in Toval.
23:19Now, a former Debenham shop is set to be adapted for high-quality modern town living,
23:24after council approval to redevelop the site. Folkestone and Hive District Council has greenlit
23:30the transformation of the Folker Building into 17 new flats with 32 cycles parking spaces and a new
23:37medical centre. Councillor Adrian Lockwood believes that these are the plans that everyone secretly hoped for.
23:42However, Councillor Nicola Keane criticised the lack of available parking.
23:47Councillors voted 11 to 1 in favour of the project.
23:52Now, a unique pottery studio combining craft with mindfulness has just celebrated its grand opening.
23:59Conscious Studio relocated to Pheasant Enterprises in Sheppie Way,
24:02due to growing popularity with the mayor of Swale cutting the ribbon. The studio opened 15 years ago by
24:09former yoga teacher Nicola Selby, who began pottering as a toddler, whilst going through 26 surgeries for
24:15arthritis, stage four fibromyalgia and thyroid issues. She added that mixing the art with yoga
24:20allowed worries and stress to disappear. She added that she's hoping the opportunity will allow the
24:24business to reach more people. And a Hollywood star was seen filming here in Kent. Javier Bardem was spotted at
24:33Whitstable Harbour for his latest project, Hello in Paris, with the site transformed into New York. Large crowds were seen
24:40at the
24:40nearby South Cay Shed in hopes of getting a look at the Oscar-winning actor. The romantic comedy, directed by
24:46Elizabeth Chomko, is loosely based on the novel that part was true about
24:50a fiercely independent landscape architect and crisis-ridden best-selling novelist. It's believed the production will be in Whitstable until
24:57tomorrow.
25:00And before we go, more than 6,000 inflatables, dozens of staff and hundreds of
25:05leisure seekers will be heading to the Strand Lido on the hottest day this year in Ginningham, and it takes
25:10a lot of work.
25:11Managed by Medway Council, the UK's only riverside title rule has been a summer staple,
25:15and local democracy reporter Oli Lido got a sneak peek. Water-cleaned, inflatables stacked, pumps at the ready.
25:24This is just a drop in the tidal pool of what Medway Council do every year to get the Strand
25:30Lido ready for the public.
25:33130 years on from when it first opened.
25:37This Lido has been here for generations, over a century, and this is the only saltwater riverside
25:45tidal Lido in the whole of Great Britain. It is one of the member Lidos that has made it to
25:52the
25:52historic Lidos of Great Britain. So it's got that rich history, and it's something so special that we have
26:00here in Medway. 32,000 people are expected here in the Lido across the summer. What work goes into
26:08making sure this place is in tip-top condition? We have 40 extra staff that we employ throughout the
26:17summer months that work solely on this site, and at the end of each day when you've had 900 people
26:25visiting. There's lots of things to clear up, tidy up. The changing rooms all need the cleaning again.
26:31It's a massive group effort. It's not one person. It's a lot of people over the course of the season
26:40and beyond.
26:41The pool is set to open this Saturday, and with a heatwave inbound, the Medway sports team is anticipating
26:48hundreds ready to cool down in these clear waters. And it will be up to them to make sure
26:55everything goes swimmingly. Olly Lieder in Gillingham.
27:00Now you've been watching Kent Tonight live on KMTV. We'll see you again tomorrow evening.
27:25of KMTV.
27:26of KMTV.
27:26of KMTV.
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27:28of KMTV.
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