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00:20Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:24I'm Finn McDiarmid and here are your top stories on Friday 5th June.
00:28Butchers burgled thousands of pounds worth of produce stolen from an independent shop
00:32in Chillum.
00:33Some of the meat we had to throw away, lots of hundreds of stuff of meat we had to throw
00:39away.
00:39Running out of options, Gillingham family appeals for help as their pet battles a life-threatening
00:44disorder.
00:45And it knocks you for six.
00:48It really knocks you for six because you feel so helpless.
00:53And Made For You students at Five Acre would promote their new kitchen cafe by handing
00:58out free cookies in Maidstone.
01:00So the cookies have been made by our students in the Made For You commercial catering space,
01:05but that's only been made possible by the incredible generosity of the Count Crosser Foundation.
01:20Some breaking news for you, an inquest has opened into the death of a boy who drowned
01:25while swimming in a lake during the recent heat wave.
01:28George Kaku, who was 15, was swimming with friends in what's known locally as the Dipping
01:33Lake near Gallyhill Road in Northfleet on Wednesday the 27th.
01:37After seeing him not come back up to the surface, his friends called 999 just before 3pm.
01:42Police, a marine search unit and Kent Fire and Rescue crews and paramedics were at the
01:46scene.
01:47He was found a few hours later and pronounced dead at the scene.
01:50The coroner, Katrina Hepburn, adjourned the full inquest for a full hearing on September
01:5428th at Oakwood House in Maidstone.
01:58And for our top story tonight, a butcher's in Chillum has increased its security after thieves
02:03broke in and stole thousands of pounds worth of meat.
02:05Stour Valley Game and Butchers says they're trying to get back to business as usual, but
02:10the break-in has left staff and customers shocked.
02:12Kristen Hawthorne has the story.
02:19Smashing up an independent shop.
02:21These men were caught on camera breaking CCTV after they broke into Stour Valley Game and
02:27Butchers moments before they stole thousands of pounds worth of meat.
02:49So to give you a quick rundown of events, on that night at about 9pm, the two men came
02:55from the back of the building and jumped over the fence where they went to the back of the
02:58Butchers. When they were there, they spent three hours smashing a three-foot wide hole into the
03:03building and then entered inside for about 40 minutes, where they stole thousands of pounds
03:08worth of meat and poured bleach all over the floor and the areas that they touched, as well
03:13as the produce that they didn't take.
03:14I think with what they've took, which runs into the thousands, it's the price of meat.
03:21Is it the cost of living crisis to sell it on?
03:23But whoever's done it must have had, because they've nicked a lot of stuff out of the freezer
03:27as well, it was obviously, yeah, to sell on.
03:30I can't see it being for anybody's own consumption, the amount they took.
03:34So, yeah, I just think it is the price of meat now.
03:38So, it's high-value products in the building, it's a quick hit, I suppose, isn't it?
03:44Some of the meat we had to throw away, lots of hundreds of stuff of meat we had to throw
03:49away and then, yeah, we had to spend about three hours trying to redo all the orders,
03:5421 orders, all within three hours, two hours, just so they could go in time for the driver.
04:00For regular customers, the break-in has come as a shock.
04:03I think it's outrageous. I really do. I think it's really sad. It must have been so difficult
04:07for them. I mean, where I am in Greenwich, they're stealing meat all the time and Waitrose
04:12and Marks and Spencers and they go in there and they know that no one can really do anything.
04:18In a statement, Kemp Police said they received a report of theft from a business in Ashford Road,
04:23Chillum. It is alleged that at around 11.30pm on the 27th of May, 2026,
04:28a quantity of cash and produce was taken and criminal damage was caused to the shop.
04:34Inquiries into the circumstances are continuing and anyone with information should contact Kemp Police.
04:41The shop has now upped its security with the hope that what happened here will not happen again.
04:46But for this independent butcher, the break-in was not just a loss of stock,
04:50but a reminder of the pressure small businesses are facing. Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV, Chillum.
05:00A mum has been arrested after attacking a motorist in a road rage incident in Gillingham.
05:05Michaela Young was behind the wheel of her Mercedes at Prince Arthur Road when she got into an altercation
05:09with a motorist ahead of her. This led to her getting out of her car and attacking the driver
05:14while shouting racial abuse at them. Police soon arrived and arrested her. She then went on to
05:20allegedly racially abuse some of the officers, spat and scratched at one. She's now facing a 12-month
05:25community service as well as multiple fines and an 18-month driving ban.
05:31A true crime documentary set in Deal is set to air this weekend, inspired by a Kent Online story
05:37that relaunched the investigation. The vanishing of Debbie Griggs follows the story of a woman who
05:42disappeared from her home in Cross Road in 1999 and whose killer was put in prison 20 years after
05:48she went missing. Chloe Brewster joins me now to discuss the case and the documentary. So,
05:53Chloe, give us the basic facts of this case.
05:55Yes, so Debbie Griggs, who we can see behind us there, she went missing in 1999 from her family
06:02home in Deal. She was a nurse, she had three children and unfortunately after she went missing,
06:08she wasn't found for another 20 years. It was actually 20 years later that without a body having
06:13been found, her husband Andrew was sentenced to 20 years in prison or life sentence for a minimum
06:21term of 20 years. It was not until October 2022 when specialist officers, acting on a tip-off,
06:28actually by Andrew, her husband's son, when they excavated the back garden of a property that Andrew
06:35had moved into in Dorset and in there they found Debbie's remains. We can see some of the clips from
06:40the documentary on screen now. Tell us a bit about that documentary.
06:46Yeah, so it's coming out on Sunday. It's going to be on Skycrime at 9pm and that will kind of
06:53follow
06:53all aspects of the case of the story that led up to Andrew's arrest, the body being eventually
06:59discovered and also how Kent Online all tied into that, which is quite interesting. Tell us a bit
07:03about that. How exactly does Kent Online relate to this story?
07:06Yes, so as I mentioned, Andrew, her husband, was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 but it was
07:13actually in 2015 when her case was reopened and her case was reopened because Kent Online actually
07:19posted an article about unsolved criminal cases in Kent and Debbie's family actually came across this
07:27article and was surprised to see that Debbie's name wasn't on the list and now this list was given
07:35to Kent Online by Kent Police. The Kent Police, you know what, good spot, she's not on the list,
07:40we should reopen the case and decided to go into this warehouse, reopen those files back out of storage
07:47and treat it as a live case. Once again, you can see those storage boxes on screen now.
07:56So they reopened the case and eventually, as they say, her husband was arrested and then later her
08:02body was found again so it's clearly a story that has been going on for more than 20 years and
08:07more
08:07and more information kept coming out. This is what this documentary is going to show. It'll be a two-part
08:12documentary, it'll be titled The Vanishing of Debbie Griggs and actually Kent Online is mentioned by name
08:18in that documentary so if you want to catch it, go ahead and do so. Amazing, thank you so much
08:22Chloe.
08:24A Gillingham family have taken to online fundraising after their beloved dog JD was
08:30diagnosed with a rare condition that needs specialist treatment. Julie Catchlove first
08:34realised something was wrong when her dog began having nose bleeds and was later found to have IMTB,
08:40a life-threatening condition with large treatment coughs. So warning before you watch this piece,
08:46it does show the dog with some bare patches of skin and in what looks like some distress. Our reporter
08:55Maisie Walker has the story. We lost my dad less than three months after I got married. He died here
09:03and
09:04something was missing but I also wanted to say thank you to my husband. He'd always wanted a dog. We
09:09found JD,
09:11brought him home because his eight-week date was the anniversary of my dad's passing. He's actually
09:18named after my dad. JD quickly became a much-loved member of this Gillingham family, helping to bring
09:24some comfort during a period of grief. But in November 2021, he was rushed to the vet with repeated
09:31nosebleeds, where his condition was beyond their care and referred him to a specialist for £3,000.
09:38He was later diagnosed with IMTB, a life-threatening condition where the immune system destroys
09:44platelets, starting a long battle with ongoing treatment costs. Since then, JD has been in and out of
09:51veterinary care and has recently suffered another relapse. So this is JD. He's just returned home
09:56after spending some time in intensive care, but the costs have gone beyond his insurance cover now,
10:03so owners are asking the community for some help. JD's insurance does not renew until the end of July
10:10and his latest hospital stay is expected to cost more than the £10,000 of cover available,
10:16but he still needs ongoing treatment. So Julie and her husband Robert are asking people to help by
10:22donation. He is my child. I can't have kids. We can't have kids. We're not lucky enough to be able
10:28to have kids. Our hand was dealt that way and other circumstances mean other paths are currently open
10:35to us to have that opportunity to give that love. These are my children. These are my everything.
10:43I think. And when they're hurting, and I hurt as well. And then to see how she was deteriorating as
10:51well,
10:52because she was missing him. And I started getting scared that was she going to go before he come home?
11:00And then was I going to lose both of them? People giving their hard-earned money when we're dealing with
11:05all of this? That's going to allow me next week to make sure he's got his blood test.
11:13Because this has taken everything we've had.
11:16Julie's family are calling for greater awareness of the disorder, saying it could help save lives.
11:21Now, despite everything, JD continues to fight on, surrounded by his family's love.
11:27And for Julie, that's what matters most.
11:30Maisie Walker for KMTV, Jingham.
11:34Well, that's all we have for this part of the show. But we'll be back in just a few short
11:40minutes with
11:40more of the news from across the county. Thank you so much for watching, and we'll see you in just
11:45a few minutes.
12:15We'll be back in just a few minutes.
12:55You
13:28You
13:58You
14:25You
14:51You
15:09Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV. Now, a care home in Gillingham for adults with
15:15SEND and mental health needs is set to close after a number of failings were reported.
15:20This new report, following one in April, found residents at Rock House were not being fed nutritious meals,
15:26with one saying they hadn't had a hot meal for a week.
15:29The Care Quality Commission also reported that staff weren't always compassionate or respectful when supporting people,
15:34including one incident where one care home worker acted racially abusive towards a resident.
15:39According to the operators, Pure Care, the home will close on 6 July to review, reset and redesign the service.
15:46Five Acre Wood took to Maidstone's High Street today to spread the word of their new cafe, Made For You,
15:52as well as hand out some cookies made in their new kitchen.
15:55The £25,000 culinary suite was funded by the Costa Foundation.
15:59It'll mean that their students can gain work experience that'll help them in their future employment.
16:03I went down to Fremlin Walk to find out more.
16:06Anyone passing through Fremlin Walk in Maidstone today might have been greeted with a surprise free cookie
16:11from students of Five Acre Wood that were baked in their new commercial kitchen.
16:16This was funded by the Costa Foundation and it means the school students can get more work experience,
16:20whether that's in a kitchen or interacting with the public.
16:23It gives them the skills to go into real life work.
16:27A lot of our youngsters really want to get jobs and we can prepare them for the work.
16:34And things like catering, we also have a cafe, so barista waiting on the cafe, we also have a shop
16:43as well.
16:44So serving in the shop, all of those things, all of those jobs, give them those real life experiences.
16:49Now the cafe is called Made For You and they've brought cookies that are made for the people of Maidstone.
16:55But it's not just about spreading the word of the new cafe, it's also about improving their oracy skills
16:59and making sure they can become more employable in the future.
17:03So the cookies have been made by our students in the Made For You commercial catering space,
17:09but that's only been made possible by the incredible generosity of the Costa Foundation.
17:15And let's put this in context, only 5.1% of adults with a disability, with a learning disability,
17:21that are known to their local authority are in paid employment.
17:24With projects like this and thanks to the Costa Foundation, we're going to change that
17:28and we're going to change the life stories of our young people.
17:30The Costa Foundation have started supporting more local education courses here in the UK,
17:35transitioning from more global projects.
17:37The Costa Foundation has been funding education projects across the world
17:41in coffee-grown communities for the last almost 20 years.
17:44And the past year we decided to bring our charity Closer to Home
17:47to fund some UK projects, one being 5 Acre Wood here.
17:51So we have just funded a renovation of a kitchen space within 5 Acre Wood School
17:56which will allow children and young people to access life skills
18:00that they can take into work and work around.
18:03For the students of 5 Acre Wood, the new kitchen lets them develop their skills
18:06in a supportive environment and allows them to grow their confidence,
18:09one cookie at a time.
18:11Finn McDermid for KMTV in Maidstone.
18:14With around 500 fish and chip shops closing every year across the country,
18:19one sitting-born chippy has managed to stay open for three decades.
18:22The Marino Fish Bar at London Road was opened back in 1996
18:26and today is marking National Fish and Chip Day.
18:29And Joe Crossley went down to the store to find out their secret to their success.
18:34Let's take a look.
18:35Across the country, the iconic fish and chip shop is struggling to survive
18:39with 500 of them closing every year.
18:43But Marino Fish Bar in Sittingbourne is bucking the trend
18:46as it marks three decades in business.
18:50Owner Andreas Matiu, a third-generation Cypriot chippy boss,
18:54told us how they have kept the business alive after opening in 1996.
19:00I think it's fantastic.
19:02I mean, you know, we've been here 30 years now.
19:06Started off with my dad and obviously now me.
19:10We have to adapt the way our menu.
19:13You know, back 10, 15 years ago, we used to sell a lot more fish and chips,
19:18whereas now we sell the same amount of burgers as we do fish and chips
19:23or, you know, we sell, we've got our Greek menu as well,
19:26which we sell a lot of.
19:27So it's all about adapting in this business.
19:29But the Marino story started 30 years before Andreas's dad,
19:34George Matiu, opened the London Road Eatery.
19:37The late Peter Macaulayas started it in 1966 with a shop in Margate.
19:44My granddad, he moved over in the 50s, was working in Birmingham,
19:48various restaurants, takeaways, mainly cooking.
19:54And then, yeah, he opened up his first shop in Margate.
19:57He moved down from Birmingham, opened up his first shop in Margate in 1966.
20:02And, yeah, he was very busy.
20:05I mean, Margate at that time was one of the best places to go in the UK.
20:09You know, stories that I heard and old videos that I've seen and, you know.
20:14So, yeah, he was very successful in Margate.
20:18Andreas is currently waiting for the 22nd of June,
20:21when his shop could win three awards in the English Fish and Chip Awards 2026.
20:28But, yeah, we've been put up for the Best Menu Award,
20:32Best Dining Fish and Chips,
20:34and the Best Fish and Chip Shop in the South,
20:36which is absolutely amazing.
20:39We've never entered anything like this before.
20:42And, yeah, we're just so grateful to all of our customers that have voted for us.
20:47Joe Crossley for KNTV.
20:50And now, let's take a look at the weather.
20:58Well, this evening, it's looking like quite a mild one.
21:0214 degrees up in Dartford and Medway there in Margate as well.
21:05Tomorrow morning, it's looking like a little bit cooler.
21:0813 there in Dartford and Medway.
21:10Some showers coming down as well and some high wind speeds.
21:13Tomorrow afternoon, it's pretty much the same.
21:15Can't comment much about the temperature, that rain remaining throughout.
21:19And here's your outlook.
21:20Start ending the weekend with some cloud.
21:22Rain returning on Monday.
21:24Tuesday, some of that cloud coming back.
21:26Starting on 21, cooling down to 18 degrees.
21:37Now, cycling Tom from Canterbury is setting off on an immense challenge
21:41that spans at least 23 countries and over 300,000 kilometres.
21:47This challenge will last around two to three years.
21:50Tom's doing it to raise funds for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young
21:53while riding on a wooden bike across the globe.
21:55And he's here with me now to tell me more.
21:58Thank you so much for joining us, Tom.
22:00Obviously, there's the wooden bike there behind you.
22:02First of all, I have to ask, what's the significance of the bike being wooden?
22:05Thanks for having me on.
22:08So, I wanted something different, basically.
22:10I think lots of people, believe it or not, have cycled around the world.
22:13And I wanted something a little different to make it a bit more unique
22:16and a bit more talkability when I meet people along the way.
22:19I see.
22:20And, I mean, what I was hearing there, two to three years, that's such a huge commitment.
22:24Tell us a bit about the journey you'll be going on.
22:26Yeah, it's a long time.
22:27Really, really lucky to get the opportunity.
22:28But it's one I didn't want to miss.
22:33Yeah, it's going to be one to two to start with.
22:35We'll see how it goes.
22:36It all depends on how I manage my budget, manage my energy levels, my morale.
22:41But, you know, I'll take it day by day, week by week,
22:44and hopefully I can make it last over a year and we'll go from there.
22:47Absolutely.
22:48We can see some photos of you doing some of your cycling.
22:50How have you been training for this?
22:51This starts, I believe, in five days.
22:53Is that right?
22:54Yeah, good knowledge, Finn.
22:57To be honest, like, being as fit as I've ever been isn't my biggest concern.
23:01I think you don't need to be as fit to do the whole thing on day one.
23:04You just need to be fit enough to start.
23:06So as long as I can hit day one and be okay,
23:10from there my fitness and my strength will build day to day.
23:12I see.
23:13And the audience wouldn't have seen this,
23:14but during some of those pieces we saw,
23:16we were frantically moving the bike around.
23:19I mean, you must have a lot of trust in this bike.
23:22Have you ridden it much before?
23:23Or tell me a bit about the bike itself.
23:25Yeah, it's a good question.
23:26I think when you hear the words, wooden bike,
23:30you think, oh, you think Frankenstein's wooden bike.
23:32You think it doesn't really sort of give a feeling or an image of a normal bike,
23:37shall we say, but it really is.
23:39It's gone through all the same testing as any other bike,
23:41and it offers actually more comfort than the typical bike.
23:45Fully, fully, fully trust there.
23:46There's no reason to doubt it.
23:48And really looking forward to getting some proper miles in on it.
23:52Amazing.
23:52And tell us a little bit about the cause you're cycling for,
23:55cardiac risk in the young.
23:56Tell us a bit about that.
23:58Yeah.
23:58So it's something that I feel really connected to
24:02because about four years ago,
24:05let me say, cardiac risk in the young estimates
24:08around 12 people every single week in the UK
24:12will unfortunately lose their lives due to unknown cardiac issues.
24:17And I was one of them.
24:18The only difference was I woke up.
24:21I was cycling my bike.
24:22I was fit.
24:22I was healthy.
24:23And I ended up passing out while riding.
24:25I had no idea that I had this hidden heart condition.
24:27Cut forward to today,
24:28and I've had a few operations, and I'm in a good way.
24:31So I feel really connected to their mission.
24:33I feel like I could have been unlucky.
24:35And the only reason I am here or I'm in a position to do this
24:38is because how I see it is complete luck.
24:41So I'm really on a mission to drive the fundraising.
24:45If anyone, I've had so many donations already.
24:47If anyone wants to donate, I'd be really, really grateful.
24:49You just search cycling Tom on justgiving.com.
24:52So head to justgiving.com and type in,
24:54actually, no, cycling Tom or Tom Williamson,
24:56either will work.
24:57And you'll find my page,
24:59and any support I get would be really, really good.
25:01Amazing.
25:02Have you got any specific monetary goals in mind,
25:04and how far are you towards that?
25:05Well, when I set up my page, I put £500.
25:08I thought, no, no one's interested.
25:09I didn't want to put the pressure on anyone.
25:11And you just don't know how it's going to be received.
25:14And naturally, you just play it safe.
25:15But I've been blown away.
25:17So many people, Finn, have come and donated.
25:20And I'm, like, absolutely blown away with it.
25:22So I'm actually at, like, 95% of my current target.
25:25Of course, I really want to stretch that as much as possible.
25:27So hopefully, with your viewers,
25:29they might be able to get involved
25:30and get me to the 100% of the current target.
25:33And then I might review it.
25:34But, yeah, so far, so good.
25:36Amazing.
25:37And tell me about the specific points
25:38you're going to be hitting on your journey.
25:39Is there a sort of, obviously, around the globe,
25:41in my head, I can't even picture that.
25:43So what's the kind of specific start point,
25:46end point, middle point?
25:47Can you just talk us through the route?
25:48Yeah.
25:49I mean, the route isn't a massive concern for me overall.
25:51Of course, it's a big consideration.
25:53But I think it will evolve naturally.
25:56It's the people you meet, the weather, your energy levels.
25:59But I have the key points mapped out.
26:01So I'll start in the UK, obviously.
26:03And then I will head to Turkey.
26:05And I'll stop in there for a few weeks to recoup.
26:09And I'll keep doing that.
26:10So the next one will be Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia.
26:14So how I get between those two, like, those sort of points,
26:17is it is a rough idea.
26:19But there isn't an absolute, I have to do this,
26:21have to do that.
26:22Because you set yourself up for failure there.
26:24Because things will change along the way.
26:26I see.
26:26Well, that's all the time we have.
26:27Thank you so much for joining us, Tom.
26:28No worries.
26:29Thank you for having me.
26:31Well, you've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
26:34More news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
26:36But that's all the time we have.
26:37Thank you so much for watching.
26:39And we'll see you soon.
26:40Goodbye.
26:41Goodbye.
26:46Goodbye.
26:47Goodbye.
26:47Goodbye.
26:47Goodbye.
26:53Goodbye.
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