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00:30Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV. I'm Chloe Brewster and here are your top stories on
00:36Friday the 24th of July.
00:38Ready, set, go. We test shoppers on food prices in shops today.
00:43How much do you think a pint of milk costs these days?
00:4668p.
00:47Very specific.
00:481.60.
00:49Buy election shock as Reform UK win third seat on Medway Council.
00:54It is a conservative world. It is the heart of negative world. A crown jewel if you want.
00:59And Reform today has taken that from them.
01:01And a fond farewell to a lollipop lady serving a Chatham school for three decades.
01:07She helps us get across the roads and when we're in a rush to school, she makes our school runs
01:13quicker.
01:23But first, our top story tonight. In 2006, a branded loaf of bread set you back just over a pound.
01:31Today, that's almost at two pounds, hardly the best price since sliced bread.
01:35The new Prime Minister has told his cabinet that this is a cost of living government.
01:40But if prices still damaging pockets, can people accurately guess how much daily essentials cost?
01:45We sent our reporters Megan and Kristen down to Rochester to find out.
01:50This week, the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, said to his cabinet that this would be a cost of living
01:56government.
01:57He's already announced a flurry of policies aimed at lowering everyday expenses.
02:02And that's why we're on the streets of Rochester today.
02:04Ask residents what they think the average price is of some of your everyday essentials.
02:09We went to a budget supermarket and bought bread, eggs, milk, tea, chicken, sanitary towels and washing up liquid.
02:18All for under the price of ten pounds to see what essentials someone could get on a budget.
02:24We then displayed the products and asked people passing by in Rochester if they could guess the price
02:29to see whether people under or overestimate the cost.
02:33In six months, we'll come back and see if there's been any changes.
02:37Whether that be in people's guesses or the prices of the products themselves.
02:42How much do you think a pint of milk costs these days?
02:4468p.
02:45For a specific?
02:47£1.60.
02:48For the milk?
02:49Milk, yeah.
02:49What about the bread?
02:51£1.40.
02:54£15.
02:55£16.
02:56£16.
02:56They cost just under a tenner.
02:58Oh!
03:00God.
03:0230 to 40p.
03:03I reckon just shy of 20.
03:07How are you, don't you?
03:08£16.
03:08£16.
03:09That's more than £16, surely, right?
03:10No, wait, wait, wait, wait.
03:11It's £20.
03:13£25.
03:14£19.85.
03:16£3.00, £2.00, £1.50, £2.00, £2.00, £1.50, £2.00, £2.00, £1.50, £2.00.
03:23How much do you think, in the UK, six eggs are?
03:28Well, I have to say it in pound or can I say it in euro?
03:32You can say it in euro if that's what you know.
03:35Well, you pay about probably three or four euro.
03:39So it will be like £5.00 then.
03:45Now, Meg, the cost of living crisis isn't anything new.
03:48Why is it important today?
03:49Well, as we mentioned there, Andy Burnham, the new PM in the UK, told his cabinet this
03:55would be a cost of living government.
03:57Of course, it's no secret.
03:59It's nothing new.
04:00The cost of living, you know, the rising cost of living, some people call it a cost of living
04:04crisis, has been around for a while now.
04:06And it's definitely something that people care about.
04:09A YouGov survey found that Labour members felt the cost of living should be Andy Burnham's
04:13biggest priority.
04:15You can see that on the screen there.
04:16That ranks higher than the NHS, the economy and defence.
04:20And another YouGov survey from January this year found that tackling the cost of living
04:25was British voters' second most prioritised issue from the government.
04:30Among centrist and left-wing voters, it's their biggest priority.
04:35So across all parties, across everyone in the UK, it's something on their minds.
04:40Now, you can see the stuff that we bought today from the budget supermarket.
04:44We've also got the prices behind us on screen.
04:46Something I was surprised about while watching your report was how people were really overshooting
04:51the prices.
04:52Why do you think that is?
04:53Well, of course, I'm not an economist.
04:55I can't really give a properly mathematical answer.
04:58But I think the cost of living is something we hear about all the time.
05:01It's something we might talk about with our friends and family.
05:04We might switch on the news.
05:05We might hear about it.
05:06We might often hear about inflation figures.
05:09And I think people are aware that, you know, everyday life is really more expensive.
05:13A lot of people do feel squeezed.
05:15Perhaps when they look back to their life 20 years ago, they might think, you know, times
05:19are harder than they were.
05:20I think that has caused people to overshoot.
05:22I mean, there was one young man who thought this small bunch of items would be £40.
05:28Amazing.
05:28Thank you so much for joining me, Meg.
05:31Speaking of Burnham's new cost of living goals, we discuss his newest policies and what his
05:36premiership means for Kent in today's Kent Politics Show, where our presenter, Megan Shaw,
05:40was joined by two Canterbury City councillors, Labour leader Alan Bulldock and Dan Watkins of
05:45the Conservatives.
05:46Here's a sneak peek.
05:47It is a bit odd that Andy Burnham came to Kent, his first visit as Labour leader.
05:53He spoke to Kent representatives, Kent politicians, he mentioned the Tilbury Ferry, and yet did
05:59not speak to Kent's local media, who have a direct pipeline with, you know, people of
06:03Kent.
06:04I'm sure you're getting an opportunity.
06:06I mean, to be honest about it, I think it was a pretty whistle-stop term, if you want
06:10to know, probably only about an hour and a half.
06:12I've totally only just been, if you like, endorsed by the Labour Party just a few hours
06:17earlier.
06:19I'm pretty sure you're going to get your opportunities, but probably that was not the time and place
06:23to be barraged by loads of local journalists who want to know.
06:28We're here.
06:29I'm here.
06:30Your local politicians are here.
06:32We're always happy to talk to media.
06:34I suppose when someone puts so much of one region into their brand, then, you know, if
06:39you're in the other region, you know, we're in the South, you do wonder if he's going to
06:45be listening so much to voices just from within his own part of the country, you know, his
06:50power base, if you like, that when the difficult decisions come, and they surely will come for
06:56Andy Burnham, then at the margin, we might get overlooked.
07:00But, um, I don't think that the manifesto hinders the one iota, it's the delivery of
07:06the big pictures, the one you talked about, you know.
07:08They're the things that you need to work on, and all of that is in the manifesto, all of
07:12that is covered, and all of it is just pieces of work that need to do to repair this country
07:17after 14-plus years of decline, basically.
07:20Would you support one, or again, do you think it's a distraction?
07:24In what sense, Megan?
07:26Would you support a general election?
07:28No, I wouldn't, because it's just yet another big distraction.
07:34Now, if you missed the full episode before the show, you can log on to our website,
07:37kmtv.co.uk, or you can catch it again at 8.30pm this evening.
07:42Now, in other political news, Reform UK have won their third Midway Council by-election
07:46in the heart of a Tory stronghold.
07:48Coxton, Hallingham, Riverside has been a Conservative ward since it was created in 1998, but a new
07:55right-wing party on the block say this is just a sign of things to come.
07:58Local democracy reporter Olly Leder was working into the early hours in the morning for this result.
08:04And I therefore do declare that William Burbill has been duly elected as councillor for the ward.
08:11Congratulations.
08:14Decades of Tory dominance at an end in a Midway Council seat that has been blue for nearly 30 years.
08:22For weeks, campaigners have been out in the rural communities of Coxton, Hallingham and Riverside,
08:31fighting a by-election sparked by the death of Conservative councillor Phil Filmer.
08:38But with a margin of more than 100 votes from their nearest electoral rivals, it was Reform UK that managed
08:47to secure victory, their third by-election win in the five towns.
08:52It is the heart of Conservative in Midway.
08:55They've had this ward for over 20 years.
08:57This is a Conservative ward.
08:59It is the heart of Midway.
09:00It's a crown jewel if you want.
09:01And Reform today has taken that from them.
09:04And that sends a very clear message that no seat will be safe from Reform in Midway.
09:08Turnout for this by-election was unusually high.
09:11More than 37% of the electorate cast their ballots.
09:17That's more than it was back in 2023.
09:20An election where the Green Party were less than 50 votes away from getting their first councillor in Midway.
09:28Having now come third in this more recent race, by quite some distance, is this a sign the party is
09:36losing steam?
09:37So I think there is a big reform growth, which we recognised last year in the by-election.
09:43So we're not surprised.
09:45It was really how many people came out.
09:49We're all surprised, aren't we?
09:51The turnout was incredible for a by-election.
09:54And that was in reform's favour.
09:56And I think that aligns with the activity that we've all had in the ward.
10:00For Labour and the Liberal Democrats, Caxton and Hauling was always going to be an unlikely electoral prospect.
10:07But for the Conservatives, who still managed to get more than 700 votes, the loss will be much more bruising.
10:16Especially with the local elections planned for next year across North Kent.
10:22Olly Leader at Midway Park.
10:25Residents near Folkestone Racecourse say they're furious that plans to use the site as an emergency holidaymaker car park weren't
10:32shared with them.
10:33Yesterday we reported the abandoned site had been earmarked by the government as an overflow car park if there were
10:39traffic issues at the port of Dover.
10:40It means for nearby residents an additional 1,000 vehicles during the busy summer months.
10:45Residents called the situation a nightmare, saying they felt completely left in the dark.
10:50A Kent and Medway Resilience Forum spokesperson said the site would only be used for tourist traffic and to handle
10:55extreme periods of congestion and that work is already underway.
11:00A major housing development in Tainham has been left half unfinished after the builder pulled out.
11:07The almost 300-home Frognall Place development first started construction in March 2024, but soon stalled with drone footage showing
11:14the half-built junction.
11:15Now Chartway, the company responsible for the road network, community allotments and the sports pavilion, has quit partner company Moat,
11:23which will be building the 298 homes, says they'll be looking to find a new partner and will be providing
11:28nearby residents with regular updates as their plans progress.
11:33That's all we have time for in this part of the show, but after the break, we'll be taking a
11:37look at how petty theft is causing havoc for one Rochester shop owner, who says he hopes the council and
11:42police would take the issue much more seriously.
11:45We'll also learn about the heartwarming story of a much-loved lollipop lady who will be retiring after decades on
11:50the job.
11:51We'll also be hearing from Maya, a community icon who runs free shops and will soon become a degree holder.
11:56See you soon in a minute.
12:30We'll see you soon in a minute.
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15:19Welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
15:22Now, shoplifting is a blight on many shops,
15:24but what is the impact on small shop owners?
15:27£10 here, £20 there, and the losses add up.
15:30Kent police say that between 2024 and 2025,
15:34theft cases rose by 9.1%.
15:36That's why Kristen Hawthorne went to meet a Medway shopkeeper
15:39who says enough is enough.
15:42Everyone has seen it, but no one is raising their voice.
15:45On this whole road, like if you see on Delz Road,
15:47there are three shops, which is our shop, Laundice and Co-op.
15:51If you ask them personally, they will just say like,
15:54yes, we have, we have, feel the same thing what I have felt.
15:58This shopkeeper says that shoplifting has become a constant problem
16:02at a store during the summer.
16:04Although this shop has eight CCTV cameras dotted around the store,
16:08that doesn't seem to be enough of a deterrent
16:10to stop the children from stealing ice cream and sweets.
16:13The owners here have been here for 15 years,
16:16and they say the problem is continuing to get worse
16:19and there's no solution put in place to prevent it from happening.
16:23Every year they come, every year they, you know,
16:26try to steal chocolates and, you know, sweets, like, you know,
16:32which gives a deep impact on our business
16:34because we are a family-run small business.
16:36Basically, it started on 17th of July,
16:38and that was on afternoon when my dad was here present
16:43and that happened three o'clock
16:45and all of a sudden, like, a group of kids,
16:49which is like eight to ten kids come in my shop
16:52and started nicking my sweets and lollies and all, like, you know,
16:57which is unfair to us, like, you know.
16:59While luxury items like ice cream and sweets are being taken,
17:03essential items like laundry detergent is also a target.
17:06And he says he wants to see more action from the police.
17:10No, they didn't came instantly.
17:13They have just given me a reference, crime reference number,
17:17and they have just given an online portal
17:18which you're going to fill your forms, details initially.
17:23And after filling that details,
17:25they're going to make a crime investigation, like, you know,
17:27but police didn't come straight down.
17:29In a statement, Kemp Police said that when the business owner
17:32reported the incidents, he was requested to submit relevant CCTV footage
17:37via an online portal to assist identifying the suspects.
17:42Officers have since visited the store, spoken to the victim,
17:45and inquiries are underway in the local area.
17:48We are determined to tackle retail crime in Medway
17:51and will pursue all available lines of inquiry
17:54to track down offenders and bring them to justice.
17:57Small items being stolen from a local shop
17:59may not seem like much of an issue,
18:02but when it keeps happening over and over,
18:04it can affect local high streets on a wider scale
18:07by affecting operating costs, forcing stores to close
18:11or making a community less welcoming.
18:14Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV in Rochester.
18:18Now it's time for the weather.
18:26Today was around 24 degrees, a bit cooler this evening,
18:30a bit cloudy as well.
18:31Going into the weekend, the sun's coming out.
18:33What a beautiful map that is.
18:35Sun is totally out.
18:36It's getting warmer into the afternoon as well.
18:39It's heating up to around 28 degrees in Medway
18:41and made it a bit cooler around the coast.
18:44The wind has also calmed down after the last few days.
18:46Going into next week, it's teased us a bit there.
18:49So Saturday and Sunday are looking warm,
18:51but getting a bit cooler again into the start of next week.
18:53Hopefully it'll heat up again though.
19:02Next week marks the start of a series of graduation events
19:05for University of Kent students.
19:07The ceremonies will celebrate all they've achieved,
19:09but will also mean a new selection of honorary graduates
19:12will receive an accolade too.
19:14From embellished Olympians to a posse of comedians,
19:16one familiar face on the channel will also be receiving an honorary degree.
19:20Maya from Maya's Community Support Centre.
19:23We spoke with her earlier.
19:24And tell our audience a little bit about what you do then.
19:28So I know that what's the reason why you have been given this privilege
19:32to be an honorary graduate?
19:35Well, my name is Maya.
19:37I'm a founder of the Free Shops.
19:39Free Shop is a pre-recycling centre.
19:42It's a bridge between poverty and waste.
19:46It brings communities together.
19:48It helps a lot of people in need.
19:50And also it's a really environmentally friendly project.
19:54It was difficult when I just opened,
19:56when I said Free Shop,
19:57people say what that is,
19:58but now it's more easier.
20:00They know what it's all about.
20:01It's about helping people in need
20:03without expecting anything in return.
20:04And what's the last few years been like for you?
20:07I know kind of your campaign has kind of got wider and wider.
20:11I know that you're expanding at the moment with different Free Shops.
20:14Can you tell us about that?
20:17Well, when people realised what Free Shop is
20:19and how big its impact on poverty aspect,
20:23everyone was begging me to open Free Shops everywhere.
20:26But physically I can't do it myself.
20:27So I decided to open a company called Free Shops Training Academy
20:33where I train community champions or existing charities
20:37from all across UK.
20:38I train them how to open and run sustainable Free Shops
20:42and help their communities and reduce the waste.
20:45And you've kind of become a bit of an influential figure in Kent.
20:48What does it mean to kind of have this
20:50as a recognition of what you've done?
20:54I'm not.
20:56I'm one of those who's struggling.
20:57Maybe that's why it's all so successful
21:02because I'm not on my own, because we do it all together.
21:05I'm one of them.
21:07I'm always, I always were.
21:09And these awards and recognition,
21:12King's Awards and Changemaker of the Year,
21:15everything else, nothing changed me.
21:17I'm still saying Maya.
21:18I love being in my food banks.
21:20I love hugging people in need.
21:22I love crying with them and I love laughing with them.
21:26I'm not influential figure.
21:28Some people call me community leader.
21:30I'm not even that.
21:30I feel like I'm mother of four of my kids,
21:34my own kids, mother of my volunteers
21:36and the people in need.
21:38And this award I want to dedicate to everyone
21:42who couldn't make it,
21:43who've been through struggles in their life.
21:45And for those who are still fighting,
21:47for those like me who refuse to give up,
21:50who doesn't take no as an answer,
21:53who's looking for solutions.
21:56And choose hope rather than hate.
22:01Congratulations again for Maya there.
22:04Now, Rochester Airport is welcoming back
22:05a family fun day in air display
22:07for the first time since 2015.
22:09Families are invited to Medway on August 1st
22:12to see a variety of static aircraft
22:14and watch performances and demonstrations
22:15by various groups.
22:17Isabel Graham joined me in the studio earlier
22:19to discuss the event further.
22:21So thank you for joining me.
22:23What can families expect from this event?
22:25Well, families can expect, alongside food and drink,
22:28a number of performances and demonstrations
22:30at the event from various groups,
22:33including the opening act
22:34by the Jump Dogs Parachute Display Team,
22:37who will be kicking off the event.
22:39Other demonstrations will take place
22:41throughout the afternoon,
22:42including the Invicta Horses Sensor 172 Formation,
22:46display the last dogfight,
22:48the Storch Second World War reenactment
22:51and a unique UK First featuring the pits special
22:55alongside the Spirit of Kent Spitfire.
22:58And what are the funds from this event being spent on?
23:02You know, Rochester Airport,
23:03it's not one of the major airports,
23:05so why is it happening here?
23:07Well, the 25% of the net proceedings
23:10are being donated to the air ambulance charity
23:13Kent Surrey Sussex.
23:16So 25% will be donated to the charity.
23:19The airport director, Ben Spears,
23:21say that they are delighted to host the event
23:23and bring aviation action back to Rochester
23:26for the local community.
23:27Jet Bean Coffee and Invicta Aero Club
23:30are sponsoring the event
23:31with the co-owner of Jet Bean Coffee
23:33and co-founder of Jet Bean Rochester,
23:37the airport's specialty coffee shop,
23:39Honour Kingsley Smith,
23:40having a special connection with the air ambulance
23:42as her grandfather,
23:43who inspired her passion for aviation,
23:45was one of the founders of Rochester Airport Limited.
23:48So what is the air ambulance charity all about?
23:51The air ambulance charity
23:52runs the air ambulances in the local area
23:55and one of their bases in Rochester,
23:58which the charity's chief executive,
24:00David Welch, explains will make this event
24:01particularly meaningful.
24:03The charity relies on the generosity
24:05of its supporters to keep the services running
24:07with 91% of their funding
24:09raised through charitable donations.
24:11Thank you so much.
24:13And finally, this week was the end of term
24:15for many schools across Kent,
24:17but it was also the end of one lollipop lady's time
24:19keeping children safe at Maudine Primary.
24:22Karen Jones picked up the high-vis back in 1993
24:25and has been part of the school community ever since.
24:28This week, local democracy reporter,
24:29Olly Leda, went and visited her.
24:38After 32 years,
24:41it was always going to be an emotional goodbye.
24:45But for Chatham lollipop lady, Karen Jones,
24:49a robe-themed rendition of Let It Go
24:52by hundreds of pupils here at the Maudine School
24:56was utterly unexpected.
24:57Yeah, I am feeling emotional
25:00because I wasn't expecting anything like this.
25:02The nice things are when I see the children
25:04that used to be here
25:05and they're bringing their children.
25:07You know, it's nice to know
25:09that they still want to come back as well.
25:12Yeah, no, it is.
25:14Every day is a highlight day, really.
25:16It's little wonder, gifts and gratitude
25:19were in equal measure
25:21for the dinner lady turned warden of road safety.
25:25And she's that starting point every morning.
25:26She's building up those relationships
25:28with new people, new families all of the time.
25:31They know her by name
25:32and she knows them by name.
25:34And it's also making sure our children are safe.
25:36Heron Way and Swallow Rise are getting busier
25:38and she ensures that they are safely crossing
25:40before any accidents happen.
25:43And she's been there doing it for generations.
25:45Karen has been a pillar of the community.
25:49The children here will be sad to see her go.
25:52She's not just known as the lollipop lady.
25:55She's also a caring dinner lady.
25:58And she, every day, I go up to her
26:01and all the other dinner ladies
26:03and make sure she's OK.
26:04And she makes sure that everyone else is OK.
26:07And she really puts care into our school.
26:09On the roads, she helps us get across the roads.
26:12And when we're in a rush to school,
26:14she makes our school runs quicker.
26:17How do you feel about her going?
26:19It's a really bad loss for the school.
26:21I feel like the school will be different,
26:23especially on the playgrounds.
26:26Tears and smiles all round.
26:28One thing is for certain, though,
26:31whoever picks up the lollipop stick next
26:34will have big shoes to fill.
26:37Holly Leader at the Mordeen School.
26:41What a lovely story there.
26:42Now, you've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
26:45There's more news made just for Kent
26:47throughout the evening.
26:48Catch you soon.
26:49Goodbye.
27:10Bye.
27:12Bye.
27:20Bye.
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