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00:21Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live here on KMTV. I'm Megan Shaw and here are your top stories
00:27on Friday the 10th of July. Murder investigation opens into death of former Mason MP and TV
00:35personality Anne Widdicombe. 17 years of turmoil. Strood residents still struggling with sewage
00:41backup almost two decades later. So all my new flooring got flooded. Orbit's response to that
00:48was absolutely terrible. And a rough quarter final. Our newsroom dog Luna predicts how the three lines
00:55will perform this weekend. I think 2-1 England but Norway is very dangerous.
01:09But first our top story tonight. A 26-year-old British man has been arrested on suspicion of
01:16the murder of politician Anne Widdicombe. The former Mason MP was found with significant injuries
01:23in her home on Dartmoor in Devon. She was one of Britain's most recognisable and outspoken
01:29politicians long after leaving Parliament. She also found a whole new audience on television
01:35from Strictly Come Dancing to Celebrity Big Brother. And reporter Finn McDermid joins me now to tell us
01:43a little bit more. So Finn what is the update here? Well it's as you said there Meg. A 26
01:48-year-old man
01:49has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of Anne Widdicombe. The police have
01:54confirmed the white British national is in custody after the former MP was found dead in her home
02:00on Thursday after suffering what was said to be serious injuries. Currently it's not being treated
02:07as a terrorist incident and the police have added there's no information to currently suggest that
02:12it was politically motivated. Anne Widdicombe will be remembered locally here as a fierce
02:19Maidstone MP. We spoke to Rob Bailey earlier who was a reporter at the KM group and he spoke
02:25about how she was very decisive in her viewpoints. But she'll be remembered from the county round as
02:31well for her political work and for her appearances on national television shows like her appearances on
02:37Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother. In that sense she wasn't just a politician she was
02:43a celebrity as well so I can only imagine there have been a lot of tributes pouring in now.
02:49Absolutely. Whether you're in the political sphere or the entertainment sphere or you just know of
02:54Anne Widdicombe there's been plenty of tributes coming in from all corners of the country. Prime Minister
02:59Sir Keir Starmer has said that now is the moment to rise above any political differences following the
03:04news and he's also urged everybody to come together. He described Anne Widdicombe as a
03:11distinguished politician and her death as a significant loss. We also heard from the detective
03:17chief inspector Ilona Rosson. She said it's an extremely tragic incident and her thoughts are very much
03:23with the family and friends of Anne Widdicombe at this time. Kimmy Badenoch also spoke out, she spoke to
03:29the press via social media, calling it a nasty horrific attack and paid tributes to her friend,
03:36describing Widdicombe as a formidable politician who was very fun and never afraid to speak her mind.
03:42The management company of Anne Widdicombe have also spoken out saying they have the deepest
03:47condolences for her family and friends of it have asked that her family's privacy be respected at this
03:53time. Shibana Mahmood, the MP, has also said she's deeply saddened to hear of the death of Anne Widdicombe
04:01and Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, a party that Anne was once a part of, said that when
04:07Anne
04:07decided to stand for the Brexit party in 2019, it was a big moment and a huge boost, adding that
04:12the
04:12voters loved her. He added that she played a decisive role in getting Brexit over the line and she'll be
04:18missed by us all. And we actually have a piece talking about Anne Widdicombe's life that you can
04:24watch now. Former Maidstone MP Anne Widdicombe has died at the age of 78 and a police investigation
04:30has been launched amid fears that she was murdered. She represented the town in Parliament for 23 years
04:37after first being elected in 1987, soon becoming one of Britain's best known politicians. Even if you
04:44didn't follow politics, chances are you'd recognise her from television appearances on shows including
04:50Strictly and Graham Norton. But what do residents in Maidstone remember?
04:54She was a character. She was a formidable force. The whole issue of women about to give birth in prison,
05:06being handcuffed, and I think that was just an unacceptable, hard-line point of view to take.
05:17She was defending the indefensible there. Very outspoken, but at the same time what she said was
05:24Correct. So, yeah. I was really happy that she was our MP. After decades as a Conservative,
05:32she left the party in 2019 to join the Brexit party, later becoming a member of Reform UK in 2023.
05:40She'd tell it to you straight, even if it upset or offended you. And that is a quality sorely lacking
05:45in politics today. And I think we need more of it. So, God rest you, Anne. Thank you for your
05:52service,
05:53your inspiration, your patriotism, and your ability to tell it how it is. Sleep well, dear lady,
06:00and thank you for everything. I've met Anna a couple of times, but I've only had the pleasure to discuss
06:06and conversate with her just at once. And she was an absolute pleasure. Very witty, very charming.
06:12So, she will be missed by the party as a whole and other members nationwide, I'm imagining,
06:18from different parties. Her time as a Conservative MP, she was very positive, a really, really good
06:24performer. And you know, with her, and with some politicians, you see them in private and they're
06:30different in public. What you got with her in both private and public was before Anne Whittacombe.
06:35During her life, she was very outspoken and passionate, often sharing her views with the
06:40media. So, what was she like from the side of the newsroom? The one thing that we always,
06:45kind of, was on our minds, whenever Anne Whittacombe's number came up on our phones,
06:49or whenever we had to call her on a story, was just how fast she spoke. She had an incredibly
06:55fast mind.
06:56And no matter how good your shorthand was, you were never going to get down everything that she said.
07:02I think she revelled in that, actually. Known for her divisive politics,
07:05and sharp wit, whether you agreed with her views or not, there's no denying she made a
07:10lasting impact on her community. And while the investigation continues into the cause of her
07:15death, tributes continue to pour in from those who remember her. Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV.
07:22Armed police were seen in Rainham after reports of a man with a possible weapon acting threateningly.
07:29Police were called just before 2pm on Thursday to a property in Hempstead Road, where a 71-year-old
07:34man was arrested and an air pistol was seized. The road was shut between Hempstead Village Drive
07:40and the business park while the police attended, but has since reopened. Inquiries into the incident
07:45are ongoing. A report into care in Kent Hospitals has criticised William Harvey Hospital in Ashford,
07:53revealing an average of 27-hour-long waits. The report from the Care Quality Commission has been
07:59told to make urgent improvements after their unannounced inspection. During this, they found
08:04A&E was operating under severe pressure and overcrowding. One patient was seen having an
08:09abdominal scan in a corridor without a privacy screen being used. The trust must now provide
08:15the CQC with an action plan outlining how it will address the issues and improve outcomes for people
08:21using the service. Now, a strewed resident could soon be at the end of a 17-year-long journey to
08:29end the
08:30sewage back up into his house. Haru Esasimba has been complaining to his landlord, Orbit, for almost two
08:36decades about leaks and concerns he has about the safety of his home, and he's yet to have come to
08:42a
08:42solution, as I've been finding out. A near 20-year fight over a house riddled with sewage problems
08:50might soon be over. When it first happened, the water was coming streaming along here, up to the light.
08:57When we last spoke to Haru, he had taken his landlord, Orbit, to court and won after years of
09:03sewage leaks and blockages to his home in Strood. Settlement repairs were set to be fixed by April this year,
09:11but this never happened. NPS had fitted a faulty washer underneath the sink on November the 5th,
09:18half past 11 at night. That burst flooded the entire downstairs again, so all my new flooring got
09:25flooded. Orbit's response to that was absolutely terrible. I waited days for them to do anything.
09:32They eventually gave me an industrial dehumidifier that I had to leave on in the house for two weeks,
09:37non-stop. When his neighbour, who was dealing with the same problems, revealed that Southern Water was
09:43going to move his family due to contamination fears, the fight to get similar safety tests for
09:49Haru's family home began. My son, stomach issues. My daughter, stomach issues. My wife, stomach issues.
09:55My son has asthma, terrible breathing problems. And I'm not saying it definitely is that, but until they can
10:03provide those tests to say there's no airborne particles, there is no sewage underneath that's
10:09gone into the ingress, don't worry. If they can prove that's safe, fine. Since then, Haru has been
10:14passed on to a specialist team at Orbit and shuffled between temporary accommodation as he waits for
10:20results. But after 17 years of complaints, emails and phone calls, he's got little energy left for optimism.
10:28So there's been a shift. I can't lie, there has been a shift in certain things,
10:33which does give me some optimism. But 17 years of this, that optimism is extremely low. It's vapour.
10:43When we contacted Orbit, they acknowledged the settlement repairs took longer than promised,
10:49and confirmed that alternative accommodation had been arranged for Haru's family while water and
10:54air quality testing was in process. They apologised for any distress caused.
11:00It's now a waiting game for Haru and his family to see if 17 years of stress and persistence will
11:07be
11:07rewarded, or if it will all seem to have gone down the drain. Megan Shaw in Strewd.
11:14And that's all we have time for in this part of the show. But stay with us. Coming up, we've
11:19got plenty
11:19more. We'll brush up on the top sport headlines from across the county, including the latest updates
11:24from the Jills and Kent Women's Cricket. And we'll also see a report about a lay-born riding centre,
11:29which suffered a break-in earlier this week, where 50 saddlebags were stolen. The riding
11:34centre specialises in helping disabled people, so the community is helping the centre raise the money to
11:40recover. We'll also be giving you the weather for the weekend, but stay with us. We'll have all of that
11:46and more after the break. See you then.
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15:33Henry Lock has more.
15:35Laybourne Garange Riding Centre for the Disabled has been the victim of a break-in.
15:41Footage from a neighbour's CCTV showed a group of three getting onto the property just before
15:49midnight on July the 6th and stealing a large number of saddlebags.
15:55The footage can't be shown to protect the privacy of the resident, but it's clear the
16:00damage that's been left behind.
16:02Saddlebags can cost anything from £500 to £5,000 and over 50 of them were stolen from
16:11this riding centre.
16:13The charity is independently run and relies on donations to keep providing horse riding
16:20lessons for disabled and able-bodied riders.
16:24But the community has come to support the centre in its time of need.
16:29Purchasing horses is tricky enough as it is without people then helping themselves and
16:34taking what they want, especially from a charity. So yeah, it will make a difference, but we've
16:41been overwhelmed by people's generosity. We've already had so many donations of saddles. We've
16:46got a fundraising online which has raised over £5,000 already. So with one hand you see the
16:54worst of mankind, and on the other hand you see the best.
16:57A spokesperson for Kent Police says the gang left the scene in a silver car and that a full
17:04investigation is underway. They are also urging anyone with information and or footage to contact the force.
17:13A charity night is also set to take place at the Naval Bull in West Morling on Wednesday 29th July
17:23to help the centre recover even more.
17:27The centre and the community are determined to keep riding. Henry Luck for KMTV in Leybourne.
17:37A Kentish man has warned of beach dangers during the heatwave hitting the county after becoming stuck in the mud
17:44in Romney Marsh.
17:46James Downs and his 11-year-old son Oliver were digging for bait in St Mary's Bay when they become
17:52stuck in 80 metres from the shingle.
17:55Mr Downs says he's lucky to be alive after getting stuck up to his chest as he was wading back,
18:01but says his survival was largely down to his son.
18:04He's now calling on schools to invite the Coast Guard down to share safety advice to avoid something like this
18:10from happening again.
18:12And now let's take a look at the weather.
18:20Tonight, it's going to be a clear, warm night. Highs of 20 up in Dartford. Lows on the coast. Over
18:26there, 18.
18:27Into tomorrow morning, a bright Saturday. Not too hot, though. Highs of 23. Lows of 21. Bit of cloud in
18:33market as well.
18:34Into the afternoon, your highs, 26, 25. Again, coasts seem much cooler. And for your outlook, the rest of the
18:42week,
18:42some cloud coming in there. 27 on Sunday, 25 on Monday, 28 on the Tuesday. Bit of sun peeking through.
18:56And now for all your sports news around the county.
19:10First off, Gareth Ainsworth says his trip to Mexico was one of the greatest football experiences of his life and
19:16worth missing training for.
19:17The Gilles boss went to the Azteca Stadium to watch England's 3-2 win in the round of 16 before
19:23racing back to Kent in time for Tuesday training.
19:25He said, I cannot do the experience justice with words. I honestly can't. The feelings and the moments will be
19:31there with me forever.
19:32He wasn't the only Gilles figure to be at the World Cup with owner Brad Gallinson watching some of the
19:37games in New York.
19:39Maidstone United's new boss, Craig Fagan, will kick off the season at home to Farnborough.
19:44The Stones then have two matches against newly promoted sides, one being a new Kent derby against former Maidstone manager
19:50Jay Saunders,
19:51as he brings his Folkestone and Victor side to the Gallagher on August 18th.
19:55They'll also travel to Tombridge on September the 8th and host Billericke on Boxing Day, ending their campaign against Chesham
20:02in April.
20:03Now, Kent women's cricket coach James Hockley has praised Kent's women's team after they reached their first Vitality Blast League
20:10Two finals day.
20:11The horses won their last four group matches, with other results going their way at the weekend as well.
20:17Kent ended second in their group and will face Gloucestershire in the semi-finals at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens this Sunday,
20:23with the hopes of going all the way.
20:25Hockley said, we put ourselves in a position where we needed to win four in a row to give ourselves
20:30a chance to get to finals day.
20:33And staying with Kent's cricket, Premier League leaders St. Lawrence and Highland Court will be aiming to keep their top
20:39spot this weekend against Bexley.
20:42The side tops the Premier Division after beating Blackheath at the weekend, but is still all to play for, with
20:48St. Lawrence only 12 points ahead of Bromley in sixth.
20:51While the Canterbury team are flying high, they did suffer a 36 run, opening round defeat at Manor Way.
20:57Skipper Matt Hammond said, we were in a commanding position when we played them and we didn't get over the
21:02line.
21:03Now, over to Speedway and the Kent Eagles and Hastings Saxons will face off in the South East Derby.
21:09Leading the home offensive will once again be Edward Kennett.
21:13He forms a dominant-looking spearhead, along with former Kent favourite James Shanes.
21:18The Eagles have also brought in New Zealand champion Ben Wally, who impressed as part of the Mildon Hall Fenn
21:24Tigers.
21:25Eagles team manager David Graveling said, we're certainly looking forward to Sunday.
21:29Can't we win another trophy? We have two great-looking teams, so let battles commence.
21:35Chatham Town are set to face Charlton Athletic in a pre-season friendly on Saturday and plans to throw the
21:41doors open on their community day.
21:44Kevin Hick's side will face a squad representing the Championship Club, but before kick-off, fans will have local businesses
21:49and charities face-painting a Q&A session
21:52and can meet players from both the men's and women's teams.
21:55First team manager and chairman Kevin Hick is hoping the day will showcase what the club is all about,
22:01saying football has an incredible ability to bring people together, and this day is about far more than a pre
22:07-season friendly.
22:08And that is all for your latest sports news.
22:20A historic tapestry has made its way through Kent, returning to the UK for the first time in almost a
22:26thousand years.
22:28The Bayeux Tapestry arrived overnight with police escort through the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone and made its journey to the
22:34British Museum.
22:35The loan has been described as one of the most significant international museum loans ever undertaken between the two countries.
22:42French President Emmanuel Macron has also said the loan demonstrates what two countries can achieve when they join forces.
22:50A man has been charged after allegedly blocking a police van during an anti-immigration protest in Dover.
22:57The Pink Ladies' movement were on the streets of the town, first gathering at the Golden Lion pub,
23:03before marching to the seafront where speeches were made.
23:06Police also took flares from demonstrators at the gathering after new laws came into force,
23:11making it a criminal offence to possess them at protests.
23:14The demonstration has been promoted on social media with a poster declaring,
23:18The day America celebrate their independence, we will fight for ours on the beaches of Dover.
23:24A new £12 million water park facility in Who has opened?
23:30Kent Coast Holiday Park at All Hallows on the Hoon Peninsula unveiled the new facility in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
23:37Called the Lost Lagoon Water Park, it features a host of slides and facilities to keep families entertained and has
23:43an underwater adventure theme.
23:45Reality TV star Joe Swash helped with the opening.
23:48He owns a mobile home at the park alongside wife Stacey Solomon.
23:53Staying with sports, sort of, England's next big match in the World Cup is tomorrow
23:58and that means our newsroom hound Luna has once again been making her predictions.
24:03The three Lions face off against Norway at 10pm tomorrow
24:06and the pubs will be filled with punters waiting on beta breath to see if it's coming home or is
24:11England going home.
24:12Jess Lichford has been retrieving our Golden Retrievers' predictions for us.
24:19As everyone knows, England will face Norway tomorrow night in order to secure a place in the World Cup quarter
24:24-final.
24:25Here at KMTV, it is evident that many of our staff have been hoping for an easy win for England.
24:32But as always, we've been keeping a closer eye on KMTV's canine companion Luna
24:36to gouge whether her instincts can predict an England victory.
24:43With Luna finally out of the room, we have made sure to secure both teams' bowls with sufficient
24:48doggy incentives to ensure an unbiased decision.
24:55Now, let's see what she will choose.
25:01With an undeniable push towards England's bowl, the England squad's chances are looking pretty promising.
25:07But oh, what's that? A switch towards the opposing side? What a calamity.
25:12It appears that Luna has shifted her unwavering loyalty from Harry K9 to Norwegian Viking Erlen Howland.
25:19As seen in her prior prediction, Luna hasn't always been entirely correct with her choices.
25:31We've asked the people of Maidstone what their thoughts on tomorrow's games are,
25:35and whether these two can pair with Luna's.
25:41Are we going to win?
25:43Er, well, we're going to come up against the Vikings. So,
25:49Harland is going to be a difficult one to beat. So, but, but yeah, hopefully,
25:55hopefully we can, we can make it to the finals, maybe. So, we'll see.
25:59I think 2-1 England. But Norway is very dangerous.
26:04Is this another one of Luna's unreliable predictions?
26:07Or could it be a possible insight into tomorrow's match?
26:10We'll find out more on how faithful Luna's snout is tomorrow night.
26:16And that is all we've got time for this evening. But you've been watching
26:19Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV. There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
26:25Don't forget, you can always keep up to date with the latest news across Kent by logging on to our
26:31website, kmtv.co.uk. You can like us on your socials. But until then, we'll see you another time.
26:38Good night.
26:44Good night.
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