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00:28Hello and welcome to the
00:29Kent Tonight live here on KMTV. I'm Naila Mahamud and here are your top stories on Monday the 10th of
00:36August.
00:37The Desert of England. Environment Agency adds Kent to the growing list of areas in drought.
00:43And I'm here in Gillingham bringing you the latest on what this dry weather means for the environment here in
00:48the county.
00:49Calling for caution. Kent Fire and Rescue asked the public to help reduce grass fires.
00:55Prevention is best in these circumstances so there are several accidental causes of outdoor wildfires that we're seeing at the
01:02moment.
01:03And motors by the moat. Leeds Castle hosts a car festival and stunt show in their Maidstone grounds.
01:10So it's two days of lots of different cars that we have here. So lots of classic cars, super cars,
01:16cars from TVs and from movies.
01:18We've got military vehicles, we've got emergency service vehicles. There's really, yeah, any kind of car, we have it here.
01:33Kent is in drought. That's the decision from the Environment Agency as temperatures soar for yet another week.
01:41It joins more than half of the UK which have been in drought since the end of July.
01:44The unusually dry weather has meant farmers are having to harvest crops early.
01:49The risk of wildfires has increased and millions are living under water use restrictions.
01:54Chloe is in a park in Gillingham to tell us what the declaration means for the county.
01:59So Chloe, why are we talking about a drought today, of all days?
02:04Hi Naina. Yeah, so I'm stood at Great Lions Heritage Park in Gillingham.
02:08And I'm here because it's looking pretty brown. I don't know about you, but I'm used to seeing lovely green
02:12spaces.
02:13But here it's not as nice. That's because of that increasing temperatures that we've been seeing.
02:17This week marks the fifth heat wave since May.
02:21And overnight that heat alert for the rest of the week has gone from yellow to amber.
02:25And that's lasting all the way until Friday.
02:28But now why are we talking about this label drought?
02:30Well, in the last few minutes we found out that the National Drought Group, which is made up of the
02:34Met Office,
02:35the Environment Agency, different spokespeople from water companies and farming unions,
02:39they've decided that Kent is part of the people included in the drought.
02:46Before, in the end of July, it was about 50% of the country that was made up of that.
02:50Now it's about 71.3% including Kent.
02:53Now, the definition of a drought is somewhere where there's an extreme lack of water.
03:01And you can see that's very, very clear in the county.
03:03It's 1% of the long-term average rainfall in July that the county has seen.
03:07And some river catchments are recording exceptionally low flows with parts of the river mole having dried up almost entirely.
03:13It's clear to see that Kent's green spaces are seeing the impact of that.
03:17I spoke to a councillor in a Maidstone village at the end of last week
03:21who told me that she blamed South East Water for the lack of organisation in terms of keeping these spaces
03:26green
03:27and having this hosepipe ban in place.
03:31This area's very green, there's kind of farmland all around.
03:35You can see this field's kind of felt the effects of it a little bit.
03:38Very much so.
03:38How's the parish council feeling about trying to keep the green spaces kind of alive in this situation?
03:43We just can't. We just can't because obviously with the hosepipe ban,
03:48I think everybody knew that that was going to happen, especially with this prolonged spell of hot weather.
03:55But again, it goes back to the water companies for not having the foresight to be able to plan for
04:01all of this.
04:03Now, Chloe, we know it's been hot. We know it's been dry.
04:06But what does the label of being in drought actually mean for the county?
04:13Well, last year we actually managed to avoid being in drought.
04:15So if you were experiencing the heat and you thought it was dry then,
04:18this basically means it's officially dry.
04:21It's an exceptional level of dry weather and lack of rain.
04:24So all water companies have a statutory drought plan that they have to deal with drought.
04:29So what we've seen before is those temporary use bans that we've been seeing on the hosepipe bans in Kent.
04:34But now we've got that official label of drought.
04:36That kind of scales up the response.
04:38It means that water companies can ask for additional powers, including drought permits and drought orders.
04:44Drought permits temporarily modify water companies' licenses,
04:47which allows them to take extra water from the environment such as rivers.
04:50Drought waters mean they have even more control of that.
04:53They have to get sign-off from high up in the government.
04:55And it means that they can limit how other water companies use water resources.
05:00Southeast Water actually had that last year.
05:07But that was more focused around Sussex.
05:08We weren't in a drought, but there was still a low level of water in one of their reservoirs.
05:12That's why they had that water.
05:14Southeast Water though has been clearly struggling.
05:16Again, we heard from over the weekend there were another water outages across the county.
05:20We can hear from the CEO now.
05:22I'm really sorry for the disruption that you are all suffering this weekend with this significant interruption to your water
05:30supply.
05:32The reason that we're in this situation is because we had some maintenance work, critical maintenance work,
05:39that we had planned for later on in the next few days.
05:43But the recent power failures that have occurred across the region have meant that we've had to bring forward that
05:49work to this moment.
05:51And as a result of that, we've had to close the water treatment works and that's caused this interruption to
05:58your water supply.
06:02So those outages at the end of last week, those were due to the low water levels.
06:08However, the ones over the weekend were due to technical issues.
06:11So that's what that Southeast Water boss was apologising for just now.
06:15It's unclear that whether Southeast Water or indeed Southern Water or Thames Water for those living in Redway or Dartford,
06:20whether they will be applying for permits in this drought, we'll just have to see on that one.
06:25Well, thank you so much for bringing us the story so far, Chloe.
06:30And now with, as we said there, the drought, let's have a look at the weather for the coming days.
06:43Well, for tonight's forecast, it's looking like a clear and warm night across the county at 18 and 19 degrees.
06:48Heading into tomorrow morning, sky will stay clear, temperatures between 13 and 20 across the board, getting warmer closer to
06:54the south coast.
06:55The afternoon will bring warmer temperatures around 25 and 26 degrees in Tunbridge Wells,
07:00slightly cooler in the east with Margate and Dover at 21 and 22.
07:03And you're out for the coming days, an amber heat health warning has been put in place.
07:07So look after yourself as you have 27 degrees on Wednesday, highs of 30 on Thursday and highs of Friday.
07:21Now, since May, we have seen so many wildfires across the county.
07:25I'm sure many of you have seen on social media and on our sister company, Kent Online.
07:30Now, our reporter Kristen Hawthorne has done a recap of those fires since May and has also spoken to Kent
07:35Fire and Rescue about the fires and how we can prevent them in the future.
07:41This summer, outdoor fires is something that has become a familiar sight for those across the county, with the grass
07:47fires starting almost every day.
07:49Since the start of May, just in the county of Kent, dotted around, the fire service have attended to more
07:54than 300 accidental grass fires.
07:57But in July alone, they attended to almost 200 grass fires.
08:01But what is the difference between a grass fire and a wildfire?
08:04It needs to meet one or more of these criteria.
08:08So if it involves an area of at least one hectare, which is 10,000 square metres.
08:15If there are a sustained flame length of more than one and a half metres.
08:20Whether we have a committed fire engine resource of more than four fire appliances.
08:26Whether we have resources committed for at least six hours.
08:30And finally, whether there is a serious threat to the life, environment, property or infrastructure.
08:35Within the last two weeks alone, KMTV has already covered a number of outdoor fires.
08:41From a wildfire in Sittingbourne that saw around 40 firefighters in attendance.
08:44The first thing I noticed when I stepped onto the land itself is the fact that we've got some burnt
08:49out burrows as well.
08:51And at the top of the trees, we've got a lot of burnt leaves.
08:55So from the bottom of the ground to the top of the trees, we have damage here.
08:59To a grass fire in Chatham.
09:01Smoke was seen coming from the area shortly after 4.30pm.
09:04Then to a wildfire in the Isle of Grain, which saw 10 fire engines in attendance.
09:09The wildfire broke out in a field near West Lane.
09:13As we've been standing here, we've been able to see the source of that smoke.
09:16These red hot flames behind me that are eating away at this Isle of Grain field.
09:20Because of that, Kent Fire and Rescue are urging people to be extra cautious.
09:23Especially with another upcoming heat wave.
09:26Prevention is best in these circumstances.
09:28So there are several accidental causes of outdoor and wildfires that we're seeing at the moment.
09:33The first is discarded smoking materials.
09:36So we'd request that everybody ensures that cigarettes are correctly extinguished before disposing of them.
09:44Please never throw them from car windows, etc.
09:47We do see a number of fires alongside the motorway on the embankments.
09:52And also alongside verges and hedges at this time of year.
09:55And that's definitely something that can be prevented.
09:57And today, crews are tackling flames on a field near Discovery Drive in Ashford.
10:02With eight fire engines in attendance.
10:04With weeks of little rain leaving the ground very dry, it doesn't take much for a fire to hold.
10:10And as the risk continues, something as small as a discarded cigarette, barbecue or even a glass bottle
10:16could have much bigger consequences on the environment, public safety and wildlife.
10:22Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV.
10:25A man has died following a crash on a busy A road.
10:29Police, fire and paramedics were all called to the 826 Tonbridge Road in Maidstone
10:34at around 10am on Saturday, the 8th of August, to reports of multiple people needing medical attention.
10:39Ambulance crews treated four patients before being joined by an air ambulance which landed in a nearby park.
10:45A man in his 70s was pronounced dead at the scene and two were taken to hospital for further treatment.
10:50One was discharged at the scene.
10:52A wall outside a semi-detached property on Tonbridge Road had been smashed during the incident.
10:58An ongoing leak at a railway bridge has sparked concerns of yet more chaos for residents.
11:03Water has been seen gushing from the arches below Swanscombe High Street by commuters
11:07and was first reported more than two months ago.
11:10In this video clip shared with Kent Online, the leak can be seen from the station platform
11:14cascading down onto a grass verge adjacent to the track and signals.
11:18According to Thames Water's website, the latest leak by the station, first reported on 3 June,
11:23remains under investigation and an engineer was sent.
11:26They said, if the engineer confirms a leak, we'll start planning on how to repair it.
11:30We prioritise repairs based on the size, complexity and location of the leak.
11:36Now it's time for a quick break, but don't go anywhere because coming up,
11:40I'm chatting to reporter Megan Shaw about families who have claimed relatives were left without dignity
11:45by a crumbling NHS social care system.
11:48That and so much more after the break, so don't go anywhere.
11:51We'll see you very soon.
12:03We'll see you soon.
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15:17Hello and welcome back to Kentonite live here on KMTV now well I'm now joined by Megan
15:29to tell us a bit about some families concerns about some care homes so Meg what are the details
15:34I understand it's a really hefty investigation of course so Kent of Kentonite have been conducting
15:40an investigation not into care homes but to social care so where care has been brought to
15:44people's houses that's been provided by Medway Community Health Care and Medway Hospital
15:50and that was triggered by Chantal West getting in contact with Kentonite after her grandmother
15:56Joyce Fitzjohn died at Medway Maritime Hospital on October the 4th she suffered with dementia which
16:01progressed alongside the decline of her physical health and she was assigned nurses from Medway
16:06Community Health Care and they were supposed to visit her every three days and change bandages on
16:11her the wounds on her legs you should be able to soon see some pictures of her there she is
16:15this
16:16was the late Joyce her family however said that this health care these health providers didn't show up
16:21every three days should they they said they would often not show up or arrive late or not change
16:27their bandages for up to eight days and her family claimed that they watched her decline in physical
16:32state until she's eventually hospitalized her granddaughter Chantal described her she said
16:37she was strong she was proud she taught me respect resilience and the importance of family
16:42at the end of her life she became a woman I barely recognized not because of dementia alone
16:48but because of the failures of the system that was supposed to care for her so Chantal and her
16:53family felt that Joyce wasn't cared for properly and that was responsible or at least a contributing
16:59factor to her dying in Medway Maritime Hospital and I'm aware this may have happened to quite a few
17:05other people as well but what has been the response of the Medway Community Hospital group of course so
17:10when contacted Medway Community Care the interim chief nursing officer Caroline Bates
17:18she said we are sorry to hear about these concerns and understand that change appointments can be
17:23worrying for patients and their families she said our priority is always to ensure patients receive
17:28safe and appropriate care at the right time and our teams prioritize care based on clinical need and
17:33urgency these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and are carefully risk assessed to support this
17:40she says we've introduced a clinical urgent hub to help identify and respond quickly to patients with the most
17:45immediate needs well thank you so much for bringing us the story Meg
17:53up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging onto our website kmtv.co.uk
17:58there you'll find all our reports including this one about how St John's Church in Chatham
18:04has been transformed into a temporary indoor mini golf course inspired by some of Kent's most iconic
18:09bridges let's have a look St John's Church in Chatham is making connections one bridge at a time
18:15a temporary mini golf course inspired by bridges across Kent has been set up inside the church in
18:21partnership with the Rochester Bridge Trust so the course is absolutely huge extending past the doors
18:27just behind the camera and all the way up to the windows just over there and to my right is
18:32actually
18:33a room for kids to learn more about the engineering that goes into these bridges children can also
18:39learn about the history of each bridge before or after taking on the course where some of them are based
18:44on well-known local crossings including Rochester Bridge with our adventure golf we have every hole
18:50is themed around a different bridge so every bridge then kind of it brings their acknowledgement about
18:56the the different types that are out there because there's so many different varieties and on the sheet
19:02it's got a little bit of about the bridge as well there's a massive shortage in civil engineering
19:06we as a bridge company as a bridge trust we want civil engineers for the future
19:10um so again it's a nice way of linking of bridging the knowledge organizers say it's more than just
19:17mini golf they hope it gives families something free to enjoy in the heart of Chatham during the summer
19:23holidays while helping to ease the pressure on parents as the cost of living continues to rise
19:29i mean i think as a parent myself most parents will associate with that sense of kind of trepidation at
19:38the
19:38start of a six-week holiday and think how are we going to keep our children entertained how are we
19:44going to end this holiday still being friends and with an amicable situation in our house thankfully
19:49every year that seems to go better than expected but actually to approach that long summer holiday
19:55with limited financial resource and maybe kind of lack of transport and access to other opportunities
20:01um and resources is is even more intimidating and is it even more challenging the course is open until
20:09saturday it's free to play and it's one of the crossings where taking your time is all part of the
20:14fun maizey walker for km tv chatham now one of our sister stations kmfm has announced that 12.8 tons
20:24of food
20:24were donated to this year's tons of tins campaign which is a brand new record for them
20:29while also 15 000 pounds was also donated through its just giving page the campaign launched on the
20:356th of july and over the past few weeks people across the county have been busy dropping off a
20:39range of non-perishable food items these donations will help food banks replenish vital supplies so i
20:45spoke to rob bills from kmfm who was involved in tons of tins earlier today but tell us a little
20:50bit
20:51about the campaign how did it all start so four years ago we um we were just looking around what
20:57was
20:57happening in kent and one of the main issues the holes if you like was some of the funding
21:03and some of the donations starting to drop away at food banks so we were kind of like well look
21:09what
21:10if we used some of our power some of our contact lists some of our phone books some of our
21:15friends
21:15collected tins and money and then start delivering them to food banks that are in need and that was
21:21four years ago where the first first tons of tins was like under six grand fast forward four years
21:30and we were really close to hitting um 13 tons so it was uh yeah it quite quite a mad
21:37little campaign
21:38that started as just something that we thought we could do to give back to a minority a real small
21:43amount of food banks and now uh blink and it's become like a massive operation well we've seen that
21:50you were originally meant to support 19 food banks but as you said you've been able to extend that so
21:54roughly how many food banks will these donations be going to so it's exactly 25 uh it's 25 in total
22:02we're able to add six more um as you can imagine lots of people get in touch when they heard
22:07it on
22:07the radio going or how can we be added to it how can we um how can we be a
22:11part of it so we we were
22:13hoping that we would have a surplus we weren't expecting quite the amount of surplus that we had and how
22:19does it feel to to break your record and what do you think that means to the people here in
22:23kent who
22:23may need these donations it's a it's a really tough one because we do this and we do our our
22:31tin our toy
22:32appeal at christmas and we've learned over the years that whilst it's great to be able to go on the
22:39radio
22:40and go hey look what we did this massive amount actually just doing something is more important
22:49than doing nothing everything has just increased like four years ago when we were buying tins of
22:54baked beans we were we were paying somewhere in a region of color 18 19 pence and even with the
23:00deals
23:00and offers that we've got today we're like 10 pence more and that doesn't sound like a lot but when
23:05you're ordering 15 and a half thousand pounds worth of food it really is quite a lot you know
23:10we went to one of the food banks that their food stocks like their shelves and everything were
23:15almost bare and the lady said to us this what you've delivered today will keep us open for another two
23:22weeks well thank you so much for joining us today rob well congratulations there to kmfm now motors by the
23:29moat sees the grounds of lead castle in maidstone transform into a racetrack vintage car show and
23:35a supercar rally all rolled into one the event is in its third year returning from the pandemic and
23:40is hoping to put the pedal to the metal to draw in a car loving crowd all stunts in this
23:46piece were
23:46done by professionals and should not be attempted now finn mcdermid went down to the trackside to
23:51find out more let's have a look at the report
24:15here at leeds castle they've swapped battlements for bentleys five places for ferraris and palace rooms
24:20for porsches they've brought along plenty of shiny cars to come and look at and some experts to
24:25drive them to so the event's called motors by the moat so it's two days of lots of different
24:30cars that we have here so lots of classic cars supercars cars from tvs and from movies we've got
24:36military vehicles we've got emergency service vehicles there's really yeah any kind of car we
24:41have it here so we have around a thousand cars across the two days or a thousand vehicles across
24:45the two days plus music plus entertainment plus f1 carts that the kids can drive around
24:51so it's a day full of activity for everyone the event has been going on for years but had to
24:56stop
24:56for the pandemic so the organizers wanted to make sure that after some time away they could get right
25:00back on track with some stunts to rev up the excitement so uh terry and um and lee and we've
25:07got uh uh clumsy as well who's our uh ukrainian uh motorcycle stunt rider as well that's great fun
25:13we all trust each other we all know each other from having done shows here before so i've been having
25:17some
25:18uh some some interesting conversations and uh and throwing oranges we didn't expect him to be able
25:24to catch the orange today uh new gag with celery and we've got a couple of gags coming up for
25:28the later
25:29show as well so really enjoying my time here in kent today well it wasn't just stunt drivers and
25:34supercars enjoying the spotlight with some iconic cars from films like thelma louise james bond and just
25:40about any film set in new york even driving here you get people taking photos driving down the motorway
25:46and yeah no it's been it's always a nice it's a great place to visit and you know the people
25:51here
25:51are quite respectful of the cars it's nice i run the car club so our club's called motion picture
25:57motors which is on top of the taxi topper um we all have replica film cars or cars that have
26:03been in
26:04some sort of tv series and things like that so yeah but we booked in we were here last year
26:09we thought
26:10we'd do another year here so yeah so leeds castle had a real range of different types of cars whether
26:16you enjoy burning rubber or browsing bentleys finn mcdermid for km tv in maidstone
26:23well that looked like a very fun day but in the meantime it's time for another quick break but take
26:29but coming up we'll be taking another look at the recent announcement that kent is officially
26:33in drought our reporter chloe brewster will be joining us live to talk through what this means
26:37for the county we'll also take a look at all the recap of the fires wildfires that happened across
26:42the county since the start of may all that and more we'll see you very soon do not go anywhere
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30:27Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live here on KMTV. I'm Naila Mahamud and here are your
30:32top stories on Monday 10th August.
30:35The Desert of England, Environment Agency adds Kent to the growing list of areas in drought.
30:42And I'm here in Gillingham bringing you the latest on what this dry weather means for the environment here in
30:47the county.
30:48Calling for caution, Kent Fire and Rescue asked the public to help reduce grass fires.
30:54Prevention is best in these circumstances so there are several accidental causes of outdoor wildfires that we're seeing at the
31:01moment.
31:01And motors by the moat. Leeds Castle hosts a car festival and stunt show in their Maidstone grounds.
31:09So it's two days of lots of different cars that we have here. So lots of classic cars, supercars, cars
31:15from TVs and from movies.
31:17We've got military vehicles, we've got emergency service vehicles. There's really, yeah, any kind of car, we have it here.
31:32Kent is in drought. That's the decision from the Environment Agency as temperatures soar for yet another week.
31:39The county only received 1% of the long term average rainfall in July.
31:43And it joins more than half of the UK which have been in drought since the end of July.
31:47The unusually dry weather has meant farmers are having to harvest crops early.
31:51The risk of wildfires has increased and millions are living under water use restrictions.
31:56Our reporter Chloe Brewster is in a park in Gillingham to tell us what the declaration means for the county.
32:02So, Chloe, why are we talking about a drought today especially?
32:07Hi Nayla. Yeah, I'm in Great Lions Heritage Park in Gillingham.
32:11And you can see just behind me how brown and miserable the grass looks.
32:15And that's because of a severe lack of rain, although we're not lacking any wind today as you might hear.
32:20This week's temperatures mark the fifth heat wave this year.
32:23Overnight, the warning for this week went from yellow to amber.
32:26That's going to be all the way until Friday evening.
32:30But why are we talking about drought specifically?
32:32Well, a few minutes before this show went out, we found out that the National Drought Group,
32:37which is made up of the Met Office, government officials, water companies,
32:40they've decided to add more areas into what are considered the official drought areas.
32:46So before, back in July, it was around half of the country was in official drought.
32:50That didn't include Kent.
32:51Now Kent has apparently been added to this list.
32:55That brings the country to 71.3% in drought.
32:59The county actually only received 1% of its long-term average rate of drought in general.
33:05It also means that some river catchments were having exceptionally low flows,
33:10with parts of the river mole having dried up almost completely.
33:14It's clear to see though that it's not just the rivers that are struggling,
33:18it's the grass now that are struggling here.
33:19Here in Medway there isn't actually a hosepipe ban,
33:21yet we're still seeing how much the grass is impacted.
33:24I was in a village in Maidstone talking to a parish councillor telling us
33:27she'd blame South East Water for some of the issues they've been having with their grey and brown scenery.
33:34There's a hosepipe ban and you know this area is very green, there's kind of farmland all around.
33:39You can see this field's kind of felt the effects of it a little bit.
33:42Very much so.
33:43How is the parish council feeling about trying to keep the green spaces kind of alive in this situation?
33:48We just can't. We just can't because obviously with the hosepipe ban,
33:52I think everybody knew that there was that was going to happen,
33:56especially with this prolonged spell of hot weather.
34:00But again, it goes back to the water companies for not having the foresight to be able to plan for
34:05all of this.
34:07Now, Chloe, we know it's hot and we know it's dry.
34:10But what does a label of in drought actually mean for the county?
34:15So the label of drought isn't just something we can show off and be like,
34:18yep, it's definitely dry here.
34:20It's something that water companies can actually use to apply for more support.
34:24So all water companies have a statutory drought plan to deal with droughts,
34:28for example, temporary use bans done with hosepipe bans we're seeing in South East water supplied areas.
34:34Being officially declared in drought though adds additional power to water companies.
34:39They can ask for permits and orders to allow more flexibility to managing water resources
34:43when there's an exceptional shortage of rain like we're seeing at the moment.
34:47Drought permits temporarily modify water companies like this.
34:50It basically means they can take extra water from waterways such as rivers.
34:54Drought orders go a step further.
34:56That means that they can have a bit more control over what other water companies do,
34:59kind of go up the pecking order when it comes to priority.
35:03One of those orders was granted to South East water last year at the Ardingly Reservoir.
35:07It reached a minimum level of 17% use water capacity but that ended in June
35:11so we haven't got one currently on at the moment.
35:15It was at the end of last week actually that South East water had outages across Kent
35:18around Major Zone actually saying that the water levels had dropped due to higher uses.
35:23There was also more outages over the weekend although this was due to a technical issue.
35:26We can hear from South East water CEO now about him apologising for issues that he's experienced over the weekend.
35:33I'm really sorry for the disruption that you are all suffering this weekend with this significant interruption to your water
35:42supply.
35:43The reason that we're in this situation is because we had some maintenance work, critical maintenance work,
35:50that we had planned for later on in the next few days.
35:54But the recent power failures that have occurred across the region have meant that we've had to bring forward that
36:00work to this moment.
36:02And as a result of that we've had to close the water treatment works and that's caused this interruption to
36:09your water supply.
36:12Now it's unclear whether South East water or indeed Southern water or Thames water for Medway and Dartford
36:18will apply for such drought permits or orders.
36:21But we do know for sure the drought will be lasting for a little bit longer.
36:24So while we have no rain we do have plenty of wind though.
36:27Thank you very much for bringing us the report Chloe.
36:31Now in July alone Kent Fire and Rescue attended 197 accidental grass fires, 12 of which turned into wildfires.
36:39With dry conditions continuing and another heat wave underway firefighters are urging people to take extra care outdoors
36:46and how they discard, discard sorry rubbish.
36:49Kristen Hawthorne has been taking a look back at the amount of grass fires since May and has this report.
36:55This summer outdoor fires is something that has become a familiar sight for those across the county
37:00with the grass fires starting almost every day.
37:03Since the start of May just in the county of Kent dotted around
37:07the fire service have attended to more than 300 accidental grass fires.
37:11But in July alone they attended to almost 200 grass fires.
37:15But what is the difference between a grass fire and a wildfire?
37:18It needs to meet one or more of these criteria.
37:22So if it involves an area of at least one hectare which is 10,000 square metres.
37:29If there are a sustained flame length of more than one and a half metres.
37:34Whether we have a committed fire engine resource of more than four fire appliances.
37:40Whether we have resources committed for at least six hours.
37:45And finally whether there is a serious threat to life, environment, property or infrastructure.
37:49Within the last two weeks alone, KMTV has already covered a number of outdoor fires.
37:55From a wildfire in Sittingbourne that saw around 40 firefighters in attendance.
37:59The first thing I noticed when I stepped onto the land itself is the fact that we've got some burnt
38:04out burrows as well.
38:05And at the top of the trees we've got a lot of burnt leaves.
38:09So from the bottom of the ground to the top of the trees we have damage here.
38:13To a grass fire in Chatham. Smoke was seen coming from the area shortly after 4.30pm.
38:19Then to a wildfire in the Isle of Grain which saw 10 fire engines in attendance.
38:24The wildfire broke out in a field near West Lane.
38:27As we've been standing here we've been able to see the source of that smoke.
38:30These red hot flames behind me that are eating away at this Isle of Grain field.
38:34Because of that Kent Fire and Rescue are urging people to be extra cautious.
38:37Especially with another upcoming heatwave.
38:40Prevention is best in these circumstances.
38:43So there are several accidental causes of outdoor wildfires that we're seeing at the moment.
38:48The first is discarded smoking materials.
38:51So we'd request that everybody ensures that cigarettes are correctly extinguished before disposing of them.
38:57Please never throw them from car windows etc.
39:01We do see a number of fires alongside the motorway on the embankments.
39:06And also alongside verges and hedges at this time of year.
39:09And that's definitely something that can be prevented.
39:12And today crews are tackling flames on a field near Discovery Drive in Ashford.
39:16With eight fire engines in attendance.
39:18With weeks of little rain leaving the ground very dry.
39:22It doesn't take much for a fire to hold.
39:24And as the risk continues something as small as a discarded cigarette, barbecue or even a glass bottle.
39:31Could have much bigger consequences on the environment, public safety and wildlife.
39:36Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV.
39:40Now we've seen droughts and we've seen wildfires.
39:42But let's have a look at the weather for the coming days.
39:50And for tonight's forecast it looks like a pretty cooler night.
39:5318, 19 degrees across the county.
39:55Some clear skies into tomorrow morning.
39:58Highest of 20 there in Turnbridge Wells and in Margate.
40:02Into the afternoon will bring warmer temperatures around 25 and 26 degrees in Turnbridge Wells.
40:07Slightly cooler in the east with Margate and Dover at 21 and 22.
40:10And your outlook for the coming days.
40:12We do have an amber heat health weather warning.
40:14So look after yourself as we have 27 on Wednesday and highs of 30 on Thursday and Friday.
40:25A man has died following a crash on a busy A road.
40:29Police, fire crews and paramedics were all called to the A26 Tombridge Road in Maidstone
40:34at around 10am on Saturday the 8th of August to reports of multiple people needing medical attention.
40:38Ambulance crews treated four patients before being joined by an air ambulance which landed in a nearby park.
40:44A man in his 70s was pronounced dead at the scene.
40:47Two were taken to hospital for further treatment and one patient was discharged at the scene.
40:51A wall outside a semi-detached property on Tombridge Road had been smashed during the incident.
40:57Two people have been seriously injured in a crash on the A299.
41:03Police closed the new thanetway between the Minster and Moncton roundabouts near Ramsgate at around 12.30pm
41:09with an air ambulance landing in the area shortly before 1.30pm.
41:12Both sides of the carriageway were closed but have since reopened.
41:16An ambulance service spokesperson says three patients were assessed and treated while one was airlifted to a London hospital.
41:21The remaining two were taken to a local one for further treatment.
41:28Now it's time for a quick break but don't go anywhere because coming up I chat to reporter Megan Short
41:32about families who have claimed their relatives were left without dignity
41:35and shadows of their former selves by a crumbling NHS social care system.
41:40They say they fear for elderly persons who have no one to fight for their best interests.
41:45All that and so much more. Don't go anywhere because we also spoke to Rob Wills from KMFM about their
41:50latest Tons of Tins campaign.
41:52So don't go anywhere, we've got some very exciting stuff. We'll see you soon.
42:16We'll see you soon.
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46:51Well, thank you so much for bringing us the story, Meg.
46:55Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all the latest stories across the county by logging on
46:59to our website
47:00where you'll find more reports like this one.
47:02St. Johns Church in Chatham is making connections one bridge at a time.
47:07A temporary mini golf course inspired by bridges across Kent has been set up inside the church
47:13in partnership with the Rochester Bridge Trust.
47:16So the course is absolutely huge, extending past the doors just behind the camera and
47:20all the way up to the windows just over there and to my right is actually a room for kids
47:25to learn more about the engineering that goes into these bridges.
47:29Children can also learn about the history of each bridge before or after taking on the
47:34course, where some of them are based on well known local crossings, including Rochester
47:39Bridge.
47:40With our adventure golf, we have every hole is themed around a different bridge.
47:44So every bridge then kind of brings their acknowledgement about the different types that are out there
47:50because there's so many different varieties.
47:52And on the sheet, it's got a little bit about the bridge as well.
47:56There's a massive shortage in civil engineering.
47:58We as a bridge company, as a bridge trust, we want civil engineers for the future.
48:02So again, it's a nice way of linking, of bridging the knowledge.
48:07Organisers say it's more than just mini golf.
48:10They hope it gives families something free to enjoy in the heart of Chatham during the
48:15summer holidays, while helping to ease the pressure on parents as the cost of living continues
48:20to rise.
48:20I mean, I think as a parent myself, most parents will associate with that sense of kind of trepidation
48:29at the start of a six week holiday and think, how are we going to keep our children entertained?
48:35How are we going to end this holiday still being friends and with an amicable situation
48:40in our house?
48:41Thankfully, every year that seems to go better than expected.
48:43But actually to approach that long summer holiday with limited financial resource and maybe
48:50kind of lack of transport and access to other opportunities and resources is even more intimidating
48:57and is even more challenging.
48:59The course is open until Saturday.
49:01It's free to play and it's one of the crossings where taking your time is all part of the fun.
49:11And one of our sister stations, KMFM, has announced that 12.8 tonnes were donated for this year's
49:17Tons of Tins campaign, a brand new record for them, while £15,000 was also donated through
49:22their Just Giving page.
49:23The campaign was launched on the 6th of July and over the past few weeks people from across
49:27the county have been busy dropping off a whole range of non-perishable food items.
49:31These donations will help food banks replenish vital supplies, they say.
49:35So I spoke to Rob Wills from KMFM who was involved in Tons of Tins earlier today.
49:40But tell us a little bit about the campaign, how did it all start?
49:44So four years ago, we were just looking around what was happening in Kent and one of the main
49:51issues, the holes if you like, was some of the funding and some of the donations starting
49:56to drop away at food banks.
49:58So we were kind of like, well look, what if we used some of our power, some of our contact
50:04lists, some of our phone books, some of our friends, collected tins and money and then
50:09start delivering them to food banks that are in need.
50:12And that was four years ago where the first, first tons of tins was like under six grand.
50:18Fast forward four years and we were really close to hitting 13 tons.
50:24So it was, yeah, quite a mad little campaign that started as just something that we thought
50:31we could do to give back to a minority, a real small amount of food banks and now blink and
50:37it's become like a massive operation.
50:39Well, we've seen that you were originally meant to support 19 food banks, but as you said,
50:44you've been able to extend that.
50:45So roughly how many food banks will these donations be going to?
50:49So it's exactly 25, it's 25 in total, we're able to add six more.
50:55As you can imagine, lots of people get in touch when they heard on the radio going, oh, how
50:59can we be added to it?
51:00How can we, how can we be a part of it?
51:03So we, we were hoping that we would have a surplus.
51:05We weren't expecting quite the amount of surplus that we had.
51:09And how does it feel to break your record?
51:12And what do you think that means to the people here in Kent who may need these donations?
51:16It's a, it's a really tough one because we do this and we do our, our tin, our toy appeal
51:23at Christmas.
51:24And we've learned over the years that whilst it's great to be able to go on the radio and
51:31go, Hey, look what we did this massive amount, actually just doing something is more important
51:39than doing nothing.
51:40Everything has just increased like four years ago when we were buying tins of baked beans,
51:45we were, we were paying somewhere in a region of color, 18, 19 pence.
51:50And even with the deals and offers that we've got today, we're like 10 pence more.
51:54And that doesn't sound like a lot, but when you're ordering 15 and a half thousand pounds
51:58worth of food, it really is quite a lot.
52:01You know, we went to one of the food banks that their food stocks, like their shelves and
52:05everything were almost bare. And the lady said to us, this, what you've delivered today will
52:11keep us open for another two weeks.
52:13Well, thank you so much for joining us today, Rob.
52:16Well, congratulations there to KMFM. Now Motors by the Motor Seas, the grounds of Leeds Castle
52:21in Maidstone transform into a racetrack, a vintage car show and a supercar rally all rolled into
52:26one. The event is in its third year returning from the pandemic and is hoping to put the
52:31pedal to the metal to draw in a car loving ground. All stunts in this piece were done
52:36by professionals and should not be attempted. And Finn McDermid went down to the trackside
52:40where to find out more. Let's have a look.
53:04Here at Leeds Castle, they've swapped battlements for Bentleys, fireplaces for Ferraris and palace
53:09rooms for Porsches. They've brought along plenty of shiny cars to come and look at and some
53:13experts to drive them to.
53:15So the event's called Motors by the Moat. So it's two days of lots of different cars
53:19that we have here. So we have lots of classic cars, supercars, cars from TVs and from movies.
53:24We've got military vehicles. We've got emergency service vehicles. There's really, yeah, any
53:29kind of car we have it here. So we have around a thousand cars across the two days or a
53:33thousand
53:33vehicles across the two days. Plus music, plus entertainment, plus F1 carts that the kids can drive
53:39around in. So it's a day full of activity for everyone.
53:42The event has been going on for years, but had to stop for the pandemic. So the organisers
53:47wanted to make sure that after some time away, they could get right back on track with some
53:50stunts to rev up the excitement.
53:52So Terry and Lee, and we've got Clumsy as well, who's our Ukrainian motorcycle stunt rider
54:00as well. That's great fun. We all trust each other. We all know each other from having done
54:04shows here before. So I've been having some interesting conversations and throwing oranges.
54:12We didn't expect him to be able to catch the orange today. New gag with celery and we've
54:16got a couple of gags coming up for the later show as well. So really enjoying my time here
54:20in Kent today.
54:22Well, it wasn't just stunt drivers and supercars enjoying the spotlight with some iconic cars
54:26from films like Thelma and Louise, James Bond and just about any film set in New York.
54:31Even driving here, you get people taking photos driving down the motorway and yeah, no, it's
54:36always a nice, it's a great place to visit. And you know, the people here are quite respectful
54:41of the cars. It's nice.
54:43I run the car club. So our club's called Motion Picture Motors, which is on top of the taxi
54:48topper. We all have replica film cars or cars that have been in some sort of TV series and
54:55things like that. So yeah, we booked in. We were here last year. We thought we'd do another
54:59year here. So yeah.
55:01So Leeds Castle had a real range of different types of cars, whether you enjoy burning rubber
55:06or browsing Bentleys. Finn McDermid for KMTV in Maidstone.
55:12And quickly now before we go, this week marks 25 years since Dogs Trust Canterbury's re-homing
55:19centre near Whistable opened its doors. Emma Milne from BBC's Fets in Practice series cut the
55:25ribbon back in 2001. Plus Strictly and Towie star Pete Wicks adopted his dog Eric from the
55:31very same centre, which now has 40 kennels and can accommodate up to 70 dogs and puppies.
55:37One resident still looking for a new home is Dexter. He's a three and a half year old
55:42Collie Cross who comes with bundles of personality and enthusiasm, loves learning, enjoys being active
55:48and is happiest when he has some people to spend time with. So could Dexter be the one for you?
55:53And now we'll be taking another quick look at the weather for those who missed it.
56:02A quick forecast tonight. It looks like a cooler evening. 18 and 19 degrees across the county. Some
56:07clear skies heading into tomorrow morning. Highs of 20 in Margate and Tunbridge Wells. Lows of 14
56:13here in Medway. Heading into the afternoon. It does pick up a little bit. 23, 24 degrees, 25 in
56:20Tunbridge Wells. A bit cloudy with some sunny skies throughout. We do have an amber heat
56:24health alert. So we've got 27 degrees on Wednesday, 30 on Thursday and Friday. So do look at yourself
56:29and keep safe.
56:41Now you've been watching Kent tonight live here on KMTV and we'll see you again tomorrow evening
56:45for more news across the county. See you then. Goodbye for now.
57:01Bye for now.
57:02Bye.
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