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00:30Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:35I'm Finn McDermott and here are your top stories on Friday, the 26th of June.
00:39Sun shuts services.
00:41Heatwave across Kent closes schools, delays trains and bans hosepipes.
00:46Because I've got a, I'm not a good lower back, picking up heavy watering cans is quite difficult.
00:53So I suppose that's the thing that worries me.
00:55And new lead, witness comes forward in post office miscarriage of justice case.
01:00Well I started to read the article and the first thing that struck me was the photograph.
01:07And Panama Predictions newsroom dog Luna makes her call about England's last group stage game at the World Cup.
01:23Now no matter what's making up your headlines, there's only one thing on everyone's minds and that's the heat.
01:29The temperature has broken records for June for the third day in a row.
01:34And down in Whitstable, where locals are still remembering losing their water supply,
01:38they've now been hit with a hosepipe ban by South East Water.
01:41Although it won't be enforced until the 3rd of July, the company are urging residents to comply straight away.
01:47Our reporter Megan Shaw went down to the coastal town to find out more.
01:50It's the latest in a long line of water restrictions across the county,
01:56as temporary hosepipe bans have been introduced by South East Water,
02:01covering Sevenoaks, Snoddland, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, Faversham, Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay.
02:09This means that residents in these areas cannot use hosepipes for watering gardens,
02:15washing cars or patios, or for filling swimming and paddling pools.
02:20South East Water have explained that this is due to the high temperatures.
02:24But it's this when residents need hosepipes the most.
02:28Well, I think that people should stop using hosepipes.
02:30I haven't used one all year because we've set up with six waterbots here
02:35and we managed to capture that downpour of the storm a few days ago
02:39and they filled up and we've still got water.
02:42So I'm watering all the plants in pots.
02:45But for Margie, who is 61 with back pain, her hosepipe allows her to water her large garden without injury.
02:53The car thing doesn't bother me, but it's more the garden.
02:59So because I've got a, I'm not a good lower back,
03:04picking up heavy watering cans is quite difficult.
03:07So I suppose that's the thing that worries me more than anything
03:11is having to fill up watering cans and move things around.
03:13I feel very unhappy with South East Water.
03:18Now, if you remember, it was only a month ago
03:21where the residents of Whitstable didn't have any running water.
03:25Now that a hosepipe ban is in action,
03:28could this mean that further water issues are to come
03:31for those on the seaside town?
03:33South East Water may have learnt their lesson
03:36from several water failures,
03:38explaining that these restrictions are preventative.
03:40They say they completely understand
03:43why everyone reaches for the hose
03:45when the weather gets this hot.
03:48It's natural to want to enjoy our gardens and cool down,
03:51and we know how frustrating it is to hear
03:53that restrictions are coming into place.
03:57The previous heatwave in May caused distress and disruption
04:01for residents and businesses
04:03who had no water to drink or wash with.
04:06And perhaps the hosepipe is a small price to pay
04:10to ensure the taps stay running throughout a hot summer.
04:14Megan Shaw for Kame TV in Whitstable.
04:20And now let's take a look at your weather forecast.
04:29Well, tonight it's looking like highs of 24 degrees in Dartford,
04:33lows of 20 in Ashford, with a clear night ahead.
04:35Tomorrow morning, not too hot,
04:37an average of 24 degrees across the country.
04:39Practically winter compared to what we've been seeing recently.
04:42In the afternoon, we'll be seeing an increase in temperature,
04:44highs of 30 degrees, lows of 27 down there in Dover.
04:48And for your outlook, we'll be expecting temperatures of 24 on Sunday
04:51with clear skies, a cloudy 23 on Monday
04:53and a few clouds on Tuesday.
04:55Temperatures of 23 degrees.
05:07And after five days of the heatwave,
05:09today marked the final day.
05:11Earlier, we had reporter Megan Shaw discussing
05:13that hosepipe ban that's going across most of Kent.
05:16But it's not just water that's being restricted.
05:18Southeastern Railways has told people
05:20they should only travel today if absolutely necessary.
05:23And extra strains have been placed on the ambulance service,
05:25who say they've had more call-outs as the heat rises.
05:28Naila Mohamed joins me now with more on this.
05:30So, Naila, talk to us a bit about these disruptions.
05:34What are people experiencing?
05:35So, starting off with Southeast Coast Ambulance Services,
05:38they have today declared a critical incident,
05:41which means they are under intense pressure, essentially,
05:44to do the job they're supposed to do.
05:46So, just in this last week alone, with the heatwaves,
05:48they've had an increase of 20% to 30% of calls.
05:52That's an increase of 30% from last week, for example.
05:55And obviously, a massive change from last June as well,
05:58where temperatures weren't this hot.
06:00They say that Wednesday and Thursday were their busiest days.
06:03And this last week alone, they've had over 3,700 calls.
06:08And earlier today, I spoke to Adam Strever,
06:10who is the head of resilience over at Southeast Coast Ambulance Services,
06:15about why this is happening.
06:17We can hear from him now.
06:20That's Adam Strever.
06:21Let's have a listen to exactly what he's going to tell us.
06:25Oh, apologies.
06:25It seems we don't have that.
06:27Let's move on, because it's not just ambulances, is it?
06:31No, it's not.
06:32So, earlier today, there was a blaze at a home in Bowton and Dublín.
06:37The three support vehicles in attendance,
06:39dozens of firefighters,
06:41and this fire was believed to have been caused just by a fence
06:44catching a light at the moment.
06:46I see.
06:46We do actually have that video.
06:48Let's have a listen to what Southeast Coast Ambulance had to say.
06:52It essentially means that we're experiencing extreme operational pressure
06:56and our ability to deliver normal service is significantly compromised.
07:01So, we're under quite significant demand at the moment.
07:04We are prioritising our response to our most seriously ill and injured patients.
07:10Those contacting us with less serious conditions will experience some longer waits.
07:15And tell us about the travel side of it
07:17and the disruptions people have been facing there.
07:19So, Southeast Railways have said that it is only travel if absolutely necessary,
07:23and a lot of residents are not very happy about this,
07:25and we actually spoke to some residents earlier today,
07:28so we can hear from them now.
07:31The trains get very hot, and not all of our trains have air conditioning.
07:35So, in the inner London area, our networkers don't have air conditioning,
07:38and when we do have air conditioning,
07:40we do see problems when it gets extremely hot of that working,
07:44and we also get failures on the trains.
07:45We can also get issues with our track,
07:48and we can have defects on the track as well when it gets significantly hot.
07:55Now, with parts of the county experiencing temperatures up to 36 degrees today,
08:01more than 10 schools have decided to close for students' safety.
08:04Several schools have students working remotely.
08:06Others are offering early pick-up times to avoid that afternoon heat,
08:10including Tunbridge Grammar,
08:11the John Wallace Academy in Ashford,
08:13Highworth Grammar School for Girls,
08:14and in Rochester, both the Gordon Children's Academy
08:17and All Faiths Children's Academy are shut.
08:19The full list of schools can be found on Kent Online.
08:24And we now have, as you heard there, some schools were closed.
08:28There was one school, Maidstone Grammar for Girls,
08:30that actually managed to stay open,
08:31thanks to the fact they held classes
08:33inside their old World War II bunkers beneath their school.
08:37Let's have a quick look.
08:40When we're constantly hearing about climate change
08:42and extreme weather forecasts,
08:44watching the news can feel quite dystopian.
08:47During the current heat wave,
08:48a number of schools in Kent have had to close.
08:51But one school in Maidstone has found a historic way
08:54of dealing with the futuristic problem.
08:56So we all know that it's been very, very warm this week.
08:59Everybody's wearing dresses and shorts.
09:00But the girls in this school have been able to wear their PE kits.
09:03But possibly the most exciting part of their week
09:06is the fact that they've been able to have lessons
09:08in World War II tunnels in order to cool down.
09:11What's it been like this week going to school when it's so warm?
09:14Like, it feels like you're going to melt.
09:19It feels way colder, like, down here.
09:21I know a few people from other schools that are, like, hot as well,
09:25from, like, being at school because they don't have air conditioning
09:28and then they're, like, all having to bring in their fans
09:31and it's, like, just hot.
09:33And how much colour, when you walk down the stairs,
09:35how much colour do you think it is in here than it is in school?
09:37Oh, a lot cooler.
09:39Just really cold down here compared to up there.
09:41I think it's really cool because they did, like, similar things down here.
09:45They also had all their lessons down here
09:46and it's also really nice to get away from the heat outside.
09:50It's easy to wonder why schools are closing.
09:53But stepping inside, you realise just how warm it can get
09:56and how expensive air conditioning would be to cool an entire building,
10:00making the tunnels a vital asset here.
10:03This week, we've used it for what we never thought we were going to use.
10:07They are so cool and it's just been a fantastic place
10:10for our students to go down and have lessons.
10:12When it's so hot, we don't have generally air-conditioned rooms
10:16and so we've had maths lessons, we've had languages lessons,
10:19we've had food technology lessons, we've had RS lessons,
10:21we've had our whole range, English lessons.
10:24It's been a real experience for the young people to cope with the heat
10:28but also to learn about history in situ
10:31and also to develop their resilience, dealing with a different context.
10:35It's been a positive from a very hot week.
10:37Not only do the students get a chance to cool down, but the teachers as well
10:41and today they took the opportunity to learn more about what it was like in the past.
10:46It's a massive relief. It's been lovely.
10:48I've never been down in the tunnels before so it was a bit of a treat for me.
10:51I feel it's a real quirky part of working at MGGS that we have that
10:54so it's been a real privilege to be able to teach down there and enjoy the cold air.
10:59So we were learning about rations in World War II.
11:02The students were given a kind of list of the food they'd have for a week.
11:07They were then creating their own recipes.
11:10They had to be a bit creative and learn how to stretch those rations out
11:13to last them for an entire week.
11:15With heatwaves expected to become more common,
11:17these tunnels are no longer just part of the school's history.
11:20as they could become part of how it keeps pupils learning in the future.
11:25Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV, in Maidstone.
11:29Well, not everyone has a World War bunker to retreat to
11:32and if you want to hear about how other people are coping during this heatwave,
11:36you can check out more of our coverage on our socials on TikTok and Facebook.
11:40We've got a short break coming up now,
11:42but we'll be to bring you more stories from around Kent,
11:45including a story about a miscarriage of justice case
11:48that has a new witness that adds to the trial.
11:52Let's take a look at that after this short break.
11:54See you in a few minutes.
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15:18Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
15:22Now, you might remember that about two weeks ago,
15:25Simon Edgecombe appealed for help in his 40-year fight to clear his name
15:29after being imprisoned following a post office prosecution.
15:32Well, in a shocking new lead, a former paperboy has come forward
15:36with a memory of the old post office that Simon says
15:39could support the account he's given for decades, helping him in his appeal.
15:43Kristen Hawthorne met them both in front of what used to be that post office.
15:47What he says in that article is true.
15:51Two weeks ago, we heard from Simon Edgecombe.
15:54He says he went to prison for almost a year
15:56after being wrongly prosecuted by the post office in the 1980s
16:00over money he says was payment for a van.
16:04Have you ever had money from the girl in the sub post office?
16:07To which my honest answer was yes, I have.
16:10It was an honest response and one Simon has carried with him
16:13as he tries to make sense of what happened more than 40 years ago
16:16with no one to help check his memories or back up what he believes to be true.
16:21That is, until Michael Baker came into the picture
16:24after reading the article on Kent Online
16:26looking for people who might know what happened.
16:29The more I read the article, the more my sort of chin sort of hit the floor.
16:33When I see the picture of the post office and it being in Reynon Road
16:38I recall that I was a paperboy there during the time.
16:42His memory of the old post office is significant.
16:46He says he remembers money was taken from the till
16:48something which supports Simon's version of events
16:51that he's been telling for years.
16:53Yeah, I mean because it was my first ever job
16:55I remember it really well because I tell my children now the story
16:59of how much I used to earn which at the time was 50p around
17:04and I had a savings book.
17:07It had a blue plastic cover
17:09and so sometimes I was paid directly from the till
17:13but also when I was saving on other occasions
17:16I'd be paid from the post office till
17:17because I would recall that I'd get my money
17:19and then sometimes hand some of it back.
17:22I can recall being paid like that
17:24so for me it would be easy to see how there would have been a mix-up
17:28when they're between the two different tills.
17:31As the pair recounted their memories of standard procedures at the time
17:35it came as a relief to Simon
17:37as for the first time it felt like he had someone on his side.
17:41Previously I've had no evidence to present to an appeal court about an appeal
17:45apart from my recollection
17:47and of course appeal courts
17:50they would like independent evidence
17:53and I've had none.
17:55But this is not the end of the story.
17:57If somebody else can come forward within the next four or five weeks
18:01perfect
18:02if they had some association
18:04if they received money from there
18:06if they were a milkman
18:07if they worked with a milkman
18:09if they were a paperboy, papergirl
18:11window cleaner
18:12anything such as that
18:14that received money from the post office.
18:18As Simon continues to fight for justice
18:21now with Michael by his side
18:22the appeal goes on for anyone else
18:25who can help piece together
18:26what actually happened.
18:28Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV
18:30Reynham
18:32Just a warning for this next story
18:34it may not be suitable for younger viewers.
18:36The family of a young woman
18:37whose body was found at Folkestone Warren
18:39said they are still critical of Kent police
18:42despite the fact the inquest has ended.
18:44A coroner at Oakwood House in Maidstone
18:46acknowledged there were unanswered questions
18:48over the death of Leah Daly.
18:50The hearing lasted eight days
18:52and the jury eventually decided
18:53her death was due to misadventure
18:55due to cocaine and alcohol intoxication.
18:57It also covered how drone footage of the scene
19:00was deleted in error.
19:01In a statement the family said
19:02they were critical of the efficacy
19:04of the police searches
19:06and subsequent investigation
19:08into the circumstances of her death.
19:12Yesterday an East Kent van driver
19:14became a surprise hero
19:15when he helped police officers
19:16catch a criminal.
19:24From the officer's camera
19:26we can see the driver
19:27pulls up alongside him
19:28on Tivoli Road
19:29and tells him to jump in.
19:31The two managed to catch up
19:32to the fleeing suspect
19:33and he was arrested soon after.
19:35He was one of two arrested
19:36in connection with the incident
19:37and the victim was taken to hospital.
19:39The member of the public
19:40has been thanked for his actions
19:41and recommended a commendation
19:43by Kent police.
19:46A Stansted pub is on the market
19:48after claims a campaign group
19:49didn't respond to an offer to buy it.
19:52The Black Horse was once
19:53a thriving village pub
19:54but was shut in 2024.
19:56Since then locals made a campaign group
19:58to try and keep it running.
19:59In April the owner
20:00Victoria Collier
20:01offered to sell the pub
20:03and some land to the group
20:04but says they didn't respond
20:05and it was put up for sale.
20:07The group then objected to this
20:08but no further updates
20:09have been added to their site.
20:12The Royal British Veterans Enterprise
20:14has hosted its annual
20:15Tommy Bike Ride.
20:16The event sees a team of cyclists
20:18travelling from RBVE's
20:19Ellesford Village
20:20to the Menin Gate in France.
20:22The entire journey is expected
20:23to take around 150 miles
20:25and raise funds
20:26to support veterans.
20:27Our community reporter
20:28Henry Luck has more.
20:35This is just the start of the journey
20:37for this year's
20:38Tommy Ride Cyclist.
20:40who will be cycling
20:42all the way
20:43to France's Menin Gate.
20:46This two-day challenge
20:47allows volunteers
20:49of the Royal British Veterans Enterprise
20:52to raise vital funds
20:54for the charity.
20:56So we put it towards our village
20:57so there could be numerous things
20:59so we build communities
21:01we create jobs
21:02and we provide homes
21:04so it will go to all those
21:06different areas
21:07to keep our veterans safe
21:08and empower them.
21:09Because of the ongoing heat wave
21:11the team
21:13are taking off
21:14earlier this year
21:15and have planned more breaks
21:17than usual.
21:18For the bikers
21:19who have the support
21:21of loved ones
21:22it's all about friendship
21:24and taking in
21:26the amazing
21:27and important sights
21:29of the journey.
21:30Some of the guys
21:31that we're riding with
21:32here today
21:33I know personally
21:35from the village
21:36it's going to be
21:37quite an emotional experience.
21:40At the end of the ride
21:41we always go for
21:42the last post
21:43of the Menin Gate
21:44and I always lay a wreath
21:46for the lads
21:47that never came back.
21:48I was on the Sir Galahad
21:49and the Falklands
21:50and I lost 42 comrades
21:52so it's always nice
21:54to pay my respects
21:56for the lads
21:56that never came back
21:57and yeah
21:58it's very daunting
22:00but it's worthwhile.
22:02While the heatwave
22:03may present an extra challenge
22:05it's definitely not
22:07stopping this team
22:08from helping
22:09the RBVE.
22:12Henry Luck
22:12for Cain TV
22:14in Ellsford.
22:16In who?
22:17The Nightingale
22:18could be watching
22:19history repeat itself
22:20with new homes
22:21proposed for
22:22Chathamdon Barracks
22:23a site where development
22:24has previously been refused
22:26over concerns for the bird
22:27with new planning laws
22:28put up in place
22:29to speed up
22:30that building process
22:31could the landscape
22:33start to change?
22:34Our reporter Daisy Page
22:35has been exploring
22:36whether there can be
22:36a balance between
22:37housing and nature
22:38in a new feature
22:39airing today at 7pm.
22:41Here's a preview.
22:42If birds aren't doing well
22:44then we're potentially
22:44in trouble as a species
22:45ourselves.
22:46There is a demand for homes
22:47but we need to be careful
22:48where we place housing.
22:50You've got this pressure
22:51for us to deliver
22:52on all our homes.
22:53The government has a huge target
22:55of 1.5 million new homes.
22:57The Planning and Infrastructure Act
22:592025
23:00become law to speed up development.
23:02Planning and Infrastructure Act.
23:04But what does that mean
23:05for our county?
23:07In who one of its most important species
23:09is once again under pressure?
23:12With Lodge Hill
23:13it's the most important site
23:14in the entire country
23:15for nightingale
23:16which is a red listed species
23:17that's suffered an 80 to 90% decline
23:20in the last 50 years.
23:21Most places you're lucky
23:22just to have one or two
23:23or three single males
23:24but here we've got nearly 200.
23:27In terms of nightingales
23:28I think they're on the increase
23:30having said that
23:31we still have that
23:32delivery of homes
23:34that we're under pressure to do.
23:36Homes England says
23:36protecting nature
23:37and building new homes
23:39doesn't have to be
23:40competing priorities.
23:42The core of conservation
23:43and saving nature
23:44is not stopping development
23:46the core of it
23:47is just making good decisions
23:48about what we do with land
23:50and where we put things.
23:51But can there really be a balance?
23:53One developer is working
23:54towards a greener future.
23:56Whereas most developments
23:57are regulated to achieve
23:5910% biodiversity net gain
24:01as a business
24:02we're committed to 15%.
24:04The estate here
24:05shows a potential future
24:06for both housing
24:07and the environment
24:08to coincide
24:09but with everyday housing
24:11demand increasing
24:12who will be left
24:13calling for home?
24:20Catch that just after this show.
24:22Now one of Kent's
24:23oldest independent businesses
24:24in Maidstone and Canterbury
24:26will mark its 90th anniversary
24:28this year.
24:30Lenley's Home
24:31is a furniture store
24:32that was started
24:32by childhood friends
24:33Leonard Watts
24:34and Stanley Adset
24:35in 1936.
24:37Lavina Watts
24:38runs the store
24:38and believes that the brand
24:39has survived this long
24:40because it's a family business
24:42and customers appreciate
24:43the personal touch.
24:44Viewers may remember
24:45a fire in 1983
24:46that caused 2 million pounds
24:48of damage
24:48but now the new owners
24:49say they're able to look back
24:51on what started
24:51as a small shop
24:53and has evolved
24:53with the times.
24:57It's becoming tradition
24:58our newsroom pundit
25:00and dog Luna
25:01who's not actually this big
25:02has made her predictions
25:03for the England squad
25:04out in the States
25:05at the World Cup.
25:06They'll be facing Panama
25:07and so far Luna
25:08wrongly thought that England
25:09would lose to Croatia
25:10and Ghana.
25:11Well Luna
25:11let's see what you thought
25:12this time.
25:13Let's have a look.
25:14Tomorrow
25:15England are playing
25:16against Panama
25:16Panama lost against Ghana
25:18who England drew with
25:19Tuesday evening
25:20and here is Luna
25:22once again
25:22losing 2-0 to predictions
25:24but there's always time
25:25for a comeback
25:26and
25:28she's finally chosen
25:29England for the win
25:34she's a star on the pitch
25:35when it comes to food
25:36a real Harry canine
25:37you could say
25:40Luna's been training
25:41for the World Cup herself
25:42as you can see
25:45she's really following
25:46in the footsteps
25:47of Jordan Hounderson
25:48and Jordan Stickford
25:51but the people in Rochester
25:53share Luna's optimism
25:54England might win
25:55so what school are you thinking
25:58England
25:58I don't know why
25:59but I'll go for England
26:00I'd hope England wins
26:02to be honest
26:02Any score on predictions?
26:052-0
26:07yeah
26:08seems fair
26:10England all the way
26:11England without doubt
26:12I don't want to be cliche
26:14and say it's coming home
26:15but
26:15we might do a good one
26:17this time
26:18I'd like to see England win
26:20and I'd like to see England win
26:21but you never can tell
26:23can you?
26:24so
26:24let's say
26:272-1
26:28to England
26:28with Luna finally backing England
26:30anything is possible
26:31let's see if they can retrieve the win
26:35you've been watching
26:35Kent Tonight
26:36live here on KMTV
26:38as always
26:39there's more news made
26:40just for Kent
26:40throughout the evening
26:41and don't forget
26:42you can always keep up to date
26:43with the latest news
26:44on our website
26:45but that's all the time we have
26:46thank you so much for watching
26:47goodbye
26:57bye
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