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Catch up on all the latest news from across the county with Meghan Shaw.
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00:28Transcription by CastingWords
00:30Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:34I'm Megan Shaw and here are your top stories on Friday the 3rd of July.
00:38Out and about.
00:40Our reporter joins Kent Felice on a patrol around Chatham to tackle anti-social behaviour.
00:45Flagged down by a member of staff because two youths came in, one of them tried to ask for a
00:52cigarette.
00:52Saved by the bell.
00:54Green Fire Station set to remain open despite previous plans for closure.
00:58No doubt chatted to the other members on the fire authority and said,
01:02yeah, OK, we accept the argument for grain and we need to review it and we're going to work with
01:06them.
01:07And Olympian takes over.
01:09Women's volleyball team gets a new top coach.
01:13So I do think within the season, I think Victor will be on the map.
01:17Within the two seasons, people are going to want to come to this club.
01:29But first, our top story tonight.
01:32It's been a month since Kent Police started their Clear Hold Bold scheme to tackle anti-social behaviour around the
01:38county.
01:39But we wanted to see it in action.
01:41So our reporter Naila Mahamud joined them on a patrol around Chatham High Street,
01:45an area of high anti-social behaviour, to see what the scheme is all about.
01:49Let's have a look.
01:50An aggressive suspect, children trying to buy cigarettes and a dodgy package.
01:57Who knew that this is what I'd witness in just one hour with Kent Police.
02:03In 2025, 755 anti-social behaviour incidents were reported in Chatham Central and Brompton Ward.
02:12So Kent Police launched the Clear Hold Build scheme one month ago, starting in Chatham.
02:19It's a place-based partnership approach for actually solving some of the issues that are affecting our town centres.
02:24And here in Medway, we started off and we're focusing on the Chatham Town Centre.
02:28What I'm really excited about is actually focusing on some of the root causes of serious unorganised crime,
02:34anti-social behaviour and those environmental factors that really affect the enjoyment for those who visit, work and reside within
02:40Chatham.
02:41So I wanted to know how the Clear Hold Build scheme actually worked.
02:45So right now, I'm on a patrol with Kent Police, going through Chatham High Street on how the scheme actually
02:49works.
02:50And joining with me now is PC Styles.
02:52So when you're out on a patrol, what kind of things are you actually looking out for?
02:57So we do get a lot of rough sleepers in and around the town centre that cause ASB issues.
03:04So we basically try and keep an eye on them, make sure they're not breaching any of the conditions or
03:07their community protection notices.
03:09How often is it that members of the public will flag you down?
03:12We do get flagged down quite regularly.
03:13We're just a visible presence, so people are aware that we are here.
03:18But it didn't take long for me to see the first bit of action.
03:21We got flagged down by a member of staff because two youths came in, one of them tried to ask
03:26for a cigarette.
03:27Obviously the staff, knowing it's illegal, they refused.
03:30The kids became verbally abusive towards them.
03:32With Clear Hold Build, zero tolerance with ASB and stuff like that, clearing the kids out.
03:38And just been flagged down by a member of public, saying they might have seen someone with some dodgy package
03:44that we're going to hopefully try and cut off now.
03:46We went to investigate the dodgy package, but when we arrived, there was nothing there.
03:51But it wasn't long until the police got flagged down again for the events in this video, which went viral
03:57on social media.
03:59Other police were already on scene, but we were called in as backup.
04:04Sometimes the most unexpected thing can happen and you may need to roll out a van, put the blue lights
04:09on and head back to a scene, which is exactly what's been happening here.
04:12The 51-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of intentional strangulation, racially aggravated assault, common assault and criminal damage.
04:23And with my time on patrol over, officers say these are the kind of daily incidents they're working to reduce
04:30as the Clear Hold Build scheme gets underway.
04:38The delivery driver has avoided prison after killing a pedestrian with her vehicle.
04:44Rosie Hansen was travelling more than 50 miles per hour on a 40-mile-per-hour road in Shearness when
04:49a car mounted the pavement and hit 27-year-old Ryan Phillips.
04:53He'd been on his way to celebrate passing his apprenticeship.
04:56You can see him there now.
04:57Despite previously pleading not guilty to a charge of causing death by careless driving, in May, she admitted the offence,
05:04as well as a second charge of causing Mr Phillips' death while uninsured.
05:07She was handed a suspended sentence of 16 months, as well as a three-year driving ban.
05:13A car was captured and gulfed in flames on a busy road in Maidstone.
05:18This video shows thick black smoke billowing into the sky as fire crews fought to control the flames.
05:24That incident happened on the junction between Farley Lane and Tunbridge Road in Maidstone at around 7.20pm yesterday.
05:31Kent Fire and Rescue crews were breathing apparatus and used a hose-reeled jet to extinguish the fire.
05:37There were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is not yet known.
05:43Now, the Grain Fire Station on the Hoot Peninsula, despite being previously marked to be closed, has now been taken
05:51off the list, according to Kent Fire and Rescue Service.
05:54And are now joined by our reporter Tim Foster to tell us a bit more about this.
05:59So, Tim, we've been following this story, you know, for a couple of months now, but, you know, people who
06:04are just kind of jumping in now, take us back.
06:05How did the story start?
06:07Well, it actually began with an accidental email sent out revealing that nine stations across Kent were going to be
06:12closed.
06:13Now, for most of Kent, that was sort of by the by, but for the peninsula especially, it meant that
06:19only the Hoot Station would remain open for the entire peninsula as both Cliff and Grain were going to be
06:24closed.
06:25Absolutely.
06:26And I can imagine there was probably quite a big public reaction to that then, Tim.
06:29Yeah, there were a great many protests actually that happened with firefighters, families and even union reps turning out to
06:34protest this decision.
06:35And when the news came through that the station was going to be saved, the public were quite understandably very
06:41happy.
06:42And I spoke with some of them today.
06:43I'm extremely pleased that it's going to stay open because the villages around here need the by station.
06:51If they close it, our nearest by station is strewed.
06:57Personally, I was sort of overjoyed because we're such a small, isolated community.
07:01There's so much building going on that we're sort of really sort of stuck for a lot of sort of
07:08like essential services.
07:10And to start cutting back at this stage is just absolutely ludicrous.
07:14We've got a refinery out here, a power station out here.
07:18We've got gas tanks for gas storage all out here.
07:22If anything like that goes wrong, we are cut off.
07:27So that gentleman there touched on why fire stations and I suppose fire safety is quite a big deal on
07:33the Hoon Peninsula.
07:35Yeah, well, I mean, for starters, there's only one road in and out of the Grain town.
07:39And as you mentioned there, you have the BP's Aviation Import Terminal and Grain's Liquid International Gas Import Terminal,
07:47both of which are listed by the Health and Safety Executive as coma sites, which is major hazardous industrial infrastructure
07:54areas.
07:56And the fact that there's also, I believe, a power plant, there's also Thamesport there.
08:01There really is a great hazard when it comes to fire risk.
08:04And you spoke to a local councillor a bit more about this, didn't you?
08:07Yes, I spoke with councillor Chris, sorry, Chris Spalding, sorry, from the Medway Council about what he had done to
08:16exact this change.
08:18I went through all the paperwork, I looked at it, I put a lot of submissions in.
08:21But ultimately, I was very well backed up by the four members of Medway Council who sit on the fire
08:26authority.
08:27And indeed, most of the members of the fire authority themselves, regardless of whether they are Medway or KCC.
08:33I'm lucky to have a good working relationship with a lot of them.
08:36Kent Fire and Rescue have looked at a lot of the figures that we've put in, no doubt chatted to
08:41the other members on the fire authority and said,
08:44yeah, OK, we accept the argument for grain and we need to review it and we're going to work with
08:48them.
08:49Now, with that hot weather we've been having, have you considered skipping the foreign holiday this year and spending time
08:54on Kent's beaches instead?
08:56Well, we spoke with Helen Glover to tell us why you should give that a go.
09:00I think there are loads of reasons that we should be thinking about a staycation.
09:04I think that, number one, it can be less expensive.
09:08So it's kind of a good choice if you're thinking financially, staying close to home is a good idea.
09:13But then also just the fact that I think sometimes we don't appreciate what we've got on our doorstep and
09:17we don't know what's out there.
09:18So it's a really good chance to explore that.
09:22Absolutely. But at the same time, people, you know, they've kind of picked their favourite places they like to go
09:27in the UK, whether that's here in Kent or somewhere like Cornwall, and they keep returning back.
09:32So why do you think that is rather than, I suppose, exploring new places?
09:37You know, I think we are creatures of habit and we know what we like.
09:40And if it works, we can see good reasons why we go back time after time.
09:44So I think a really good place to start is by thinking about those places that you love and just
09:49going a little bit further afield.
09:51It's not about having to go the far end of the country and start there.
09:54It's kind of going, what could I find just that little bit further away?
09:58If you're looking at a map, you might see a picture of a forest.
10:01You didn't know a forest was there.
10:02So you just go from the place that you know and find that or a lake or a river.
10:07And then you kind of start to explore from the places that you feel comfortable with.
10:12Absolutely. I suppose you might say that a lot of us Brits aren't very adventurous.
10:16I say that's the opposite to you.
10:18Obviously, you're a two time Olympic champion.
10:20You're married to a very famous wildlife presenter and explorer.
10:24So what would you suggest as those first steps of maybe being a bit more adventurous with the places we
10:30might choose to holiday?
10:33I think if you find somewhere that intrigues you, excites you, but has something that you know you love.
10:39So if you like wild swimming, find somewhere where you can find some lakes or rivers.
10:43If you like camping, look for the campsites.
10:47If you like being near a city so you can go and do city things, have a look there.
10:51And everything will be there on the map and you'll be able to find your way around with that.
10:56So I think it's using, it's like not turning away from technology because of course phones are important.
11:01Of course technology is important.
11:03So using technology and then going, now let's look at the map and see if we can do it a
11:07different way and find the secret spots,
11:09find the places that maybe people don't go to as standard.
11:12We are Kent-based, but I won't be biased in your answer here, Kellen.
11:16But what's your favourite staycation in the UK, would you say?
11:21I've got to say this, staying down in Cornwall was pretty lovely, especially this time of year.
11:26But I need to get to Scotland as well.
11:28I think there's places in Scotland that only 2% or 1% of the population has ever even been
11:33to.
11:34So I want to make sure I get the sleeper up to Scotland at some point.
11:37But I have to say that Kent is beautiful as well.
11:39You know, everywhere has those areas that even when you live there, sometimes you don't know even exist.
11:45So you might, if people come and visit you for holiday, you might send friends there, but you don't think
11:50to go there yourself.
11:52And that's all we've got time for now, but stick around.
11:55It's coming up after the break.
11:56We've got plenty more.
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15:19live here on KMTV. Now, could you cycle all the way to Belgium? And what about in a heatwave?
15:26Well, for the Royal British Veterans Enterprise, this was their reality last week, as over 30
15:32veterans took the gruelling journey from Aelstrom to Ypres, reaching their destination on Sunday.
15:37The challenge was to raise funds for ex-service people and was also how two veterans who hadn't
15:42seen each other in 23 years bumped into each other again. I was joined by Lisa Cooksley-White
15:47earlier to tell me how it all went. One of them signed up. Obviously, I think they were friends
15:53on Facebook that you don't really talk to. And the other one signed up and then they realised.
15:58And then that's it. 23 years. You would not have thought they hadn't seen each other for 23 years,
16:03the way they were acting together. It was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I think there was a few
16:07tears along the way as well, because obviously it's an emotional bike ride. Yeah, it's absolutely
16:13amazing. And that wasn't the only reunion that was happening either. Steve Hammond, who is one of our
16:20ambassadors here, he actually met up with somebody they hadn't seen for 55 years they used to go to
16:25school with. And they didn't realise that they would both be there either. So yeah, it was quite
16:30an emotional weekend. Yeah. So this was for RBVE, the Royal British Veterans Enterprise. So we're the
16:36village in Aylesford. Well, the headquarters are in Aylesford. We're a national charity.
16:40We have two factories here in Scotland where we produce road signs. But our main aim is to
16:46empower veterans. That's our main aim. And we do that by building homes, creating jobs and
16:54providing them with community. And that's what they're lacking in. You know, we find that the
16:58camaraderie on this village and also in our factories is just, it's just amazing. And it gives people
17:04purpose. Are there any other kind of highlights from that bike ride you'd like to share? Some of the
17:09best moments. Yeah, so many, so many. Yeah, I mean, obviously we had extreme heat on the
17:16Friday. That was quite a big deal to work with, which was okay, because we went through the
17:23Kent countryside. But then when they got to Dover, they had the massive hill to get up, which
17:28they all did brilliantly. And then ended up in the pub in Dover waiting for the ferry to
17:34go across. So day one was really hard because of the heat, but everyone was in such good
17:39spirits. And then day two was a little bit more thoughtful because we went to the cemeteries
17:44and we ended up with Tynecott, where they all grouped together. And then what they do is
17:50they all group together and then they ride it as one mass party down into Meningate by the
17:58actual Meningate. It looked amazing. Absolutely amazing. There's 30 odd cyclists. It was brilliant.
18:04Now, don't forget, you can keep up to date with all our latest stories on our website,
18:08all together now, kmtv.co.uk. You can see more reports just like this one, where our community
18:13reporter, Henry Luck, was there at the start of this journey.
18:22This is just the start of the journey for this year's Tommy Ride cyclist, who will be cycling
18:29all the way to France's Meningate. This two-day challenge allows volunteers of the Royal British
18:38Veterans Enterprise to raise vital funds for the charity.
18:43So we put it towards our village. So there could be numerous things. So we build communities,
18:48we create jobs and we provide homes. So it will go to all those different areas to keep our
18:55veterans safe and empower them.
18:56Because of the ongoing heatwave, the team are taking off earlier this year and have planned
19:03more breaks than usual. For the bikers, who have the support of loved ones, it's all about
19:10friendship and taking in the amazing and important sights of the journey.
19:17It's very. Some of the guys that we're riding with here today, I know personally from the village.
19:23It's going to be quite an emotional experience.
19:27At the end of the ride, we always go for the last post of the Meningate and I always lay
19:33a
19:33wreath for the lads that never came back. I was on the Sagal Had and the Falklands and I lost
19:3842 comrades. So it's always nice to pay my respects for the lads that never came back.
19:44And, yeah, it's very daunting, but it's worthwhile.
19:49While the heatwave may present an extra challenge, it's definitely not stopping this team from
19:56helping the RBVE. Henry Luck for Kane TV in Ellsford.
20:03You might have heard that pop singer Taylor Swift has been rumoured to marry fiance and LFL star
20:09Travis Kelsey today in a lavish ceremony in Madison Square Garden at New York City.
20:14It's a far cry from Kane, but it got us thinking it came to be, where would your dream wedding
20:20venue be? There's a lot to offer here in the county from Stately Homes to beachfronts and
20:24Jude Moulton joined me earlier to talk tying the knot.
20:28Obviously, there's a lot of people at home. A lot of viewers might be really invested in
20:32this, watching as it perhaps unfolds as we learn more and more. But tell me, Jude, why
20:36is it such a big deal?
20:38So after they announced their wedding or their engagement, sorry, in August 2025, you know,
20:44they've been very secretive about the upcoming wedding. And, you know, with many rumours that
20:49it's happening today as well, like in the massive Madison Square Garden, as you can see on the screen
20:54there. And it seems like a massive event, not even just a wedding, an event, almost a thousand
21:00guests are rumoured with some massive names. I mean, Dua Lipa, you've got Shatabrina Carpenter,
21:04even Graham Norton's going to be there. So it seems like a very, very big thing going on.
21:09Absolutely. And I suppose normally when you think of a wedding location, you might think of a church,
21:13maybe even a stately home. But clearly, that's not the case here, is it?
21:17I mean, not at all. I mean, Madison Square Garden is the Wembley of America. I mean,
21:21big events occur there all the time, from sporting events, concerts, the like. It's
21:26absolutely massive. And it seems more like a dream than a wedding. I mean, I asked actually
21:31people in Rochester today what their dream wedding would look like, and it would probably look a bit
21:34different than this. Well, I guess it would be by the pool in Cyprus, where I did get married three
21:40years ago. If I was to get married, I would say my most favourite place to get married would be
21:47probably in Barbados, definitely. Sea, sand, just a beautiful view. Yeah, what can you paradise,
21:54isn't it? And all those kind of opinions put forward there were very far from Kent. But if
21:59we're thinking local, Jude, where are the hotspots to get married in our county?
22:02I mean, Kent has an abundance of options, too many to name, actually. But with its massive estates and
22:09manor houses, and even hotels, there are plenty of options for you to get married in Kent. I mean,
22:14it's so versatile. They have the lovely countryside to the beachside towns where you can get married
22:19there as well. It'd be a brilliant option if you want to get married a bit closer to home,
22:23especially if you want to have a lot of family there. It might be a bit of an easier travel
22:26option.
22:27So, and also, it's a great alternative to more luxurious options. It might be a bit cheaper as well.
22:32Absolutely. We've definitely heard Taylor Swift's ideal wedding, but what would yours be?
22:36For me, I would love to be abroad as well, unfortunately, and not in Kent. But abroad would be
22:42amazing. Somewhere like Switzerland on the Alps, as I do do snowboarding, so it would be quite a cool
22:47thing to look at the views up at the top of the mountain. Thanks so much. If I were to
22:51get married
22:52in the studio, would you all watch? Well, everyone's laughing at me, but let's take a look at the weather.
23:03It is going to be a warm evening tonight. Highs of 19 in Dartford. Lows of 16, quite mild in
23:10Ashford and
23:10Tunbridge Wells. Into tomorrow morning, temperatures heating up slightly. Highs of 20, lows of 19. Cloud
23:15remaining across the county until the afternoon, where the cloud still remains. Highs of 25 and
23:22lows of 24 down in Ashford and Dover. Your outlook for the rest of the week. Temperatures are set
23:28to climb. We've got a yellow heat morning this weekend. Highs of 31 on Monday and then dropping
23:36down to 28 on Tuesday. Now Invicta Volleyball women's team are hoping to break into the top divisions of
23:47the sport here in the UK and have brought in a former Olympian to help coach the side. They're
23:53currently competing in the third division and held trials ahead of the next season.
23:57Famit Dermid put his height to the test and reported on this. Invicta Volleyball's women's team
24:03currently compete in the third division of the National League, but they have aspirations of
24:07playing at the top level here in the UK, the Super League. And to achieve that goal,
24:12they've brought in a new coach, Nathan French, who once competed for Team GB at the 2012 Olympics
24:17and has also played abroad. I do have high ambitions for my Division 3 team. The female,
24:22I do think we're going to push to Division 2 within the season. I'm also looking to execute and win
24:27in the Shield. So I really want to win silverware this year, along with the men's. The men's have,
24:34you know, unfortunately they didn't get across to Division 1 this year. That is going to be the
24:38ambition. Anything short of Division 1 for the following season, you know, that's what we're
24:42pushing for. And then it's that Super League structure. So I do think within the season,
24:48Invicta will be on the map. Within the two seasons, people are going to want to come to this club.
24:53Today marks the tryouts for the next season, which sees returning players and new faces trying to
24:58earn a spot on the roster. Now, Invicta Volleyball is a performance team, so a player is only guaranteed
25:04one season of play. After that, they have to come back here and try out with everyone else.
25:09And as you've seen, there's a real range of ages. There's some younger players who come to the
25:13tryouts with aspirations of one day making the heights of the first team. I think it's really
25:19inspiring to have someone that's played high level before to help people like us learn and play and
25:24maybe even get to that level in the future. And I think, especially if he's experienced stuff like
25:29this before, it really helps you to know that you're doing okay when he tells you you're doing okay.
25:33His tips and stuff like that really will help you and benefit you in the future.
25:37I feel privileged. Like, I don't think it's every day you get such an experience.
25:41And I feel like it's a once in a lifetime thing and I'm really happy to be here.
25:46Despite the fact that everyone's competing for the same spots, there's a good atmosphere among the
25:49players. Well, we've got a mixture definitely of cultures and ages. So you've got people from
25:54Eastern Europe, you've got English people, you've got people who played professionally for several
25:58years previously, you've got people who are juniors and at the beginning of their career. So
26:02it's nice to see a mixture from various heights, various ages, various countries, I suppose,
26:09and nationalities. Yes, different experiences. It's always very nice to have younger players.
26:14They're very energetic and it's very interesting for us to be with them and
26:21yeah, I mean, it's just the cool environment and we feel welcome here. Whether it's a former Olympian
26:27giving advice or a large group of players helping each other, it's looking like Invicta Volleyball
26:31are setting themselves up for a strong season. Finn McDermid for Kame TV in Maidstone.
26:38I really hope we get some shots there of Finn giving it a go as he's often likely to do.
26:43But
26:43alas, you've been watching Kent's Nightlife here on Kame TV. That's all we've got for now
26:48until 8 p.m. so tune in then. Good night.
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