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Catch up with all your latest news from across the county with Chloe Brewster.
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01:02I'm very worried that nothing will happen and some of these people will be coming month
01:09on month on month.
01:10Feeding the soul, fundraisers take on one of Kent's newest pilgrimage routes.
01:15They're walking for a long way each day, at least an hour to school, many of them, sometimes
01:20two hours to school.
01:21So we're really walking in sympathy with them.
01:36First tonight, Kent Police has launched a murder investigation following the death of a man
01:41in Maidstone.
01:42Finn McDermid was on Knight Rider Street earlier to bring you the latest.
01:47Thank you so much for joining me, Finn.
01:49Can you just give me a picture of what the street you were standing on was like yesterday?
01:55Sure thing, Chloe.
01:56It was a very, very different scene.
01:58Right now, you can only probably hear the patter of rain on my microphone.
02:02But last night, the sounds would have been those of police sirens as they lined up here on Knight
02:07Rider Street, responding to an incident that they said was reports originally of an assault
02:12at a property here on the street at around 10, sorry, 20 past 10.
02:16That's according to Kent Police.
02:17A man in his 40s was found with injuries, they said, consistent with stab wounds.
02:22He died while being treated by paramedics at the scene.
02:26A man who's 26 and a woman who's 22 were arrested at that scene as part of a murder investigation,
02:32the police have told us.
02:33And as I say, it's a very different scene here.
02:35You wouldn't know that anything had actually occurred, any incident.
02:38Well, it's obviously going to be a worrying time for residents who live near the area.
02:42Can you tell me what are going to be Kent Police's next steps?
02:48Sure thing, Chloe.
02:49Well, it's interesting you mentioned the residents there.
02:50I've been speaking to some of them as they have passed me by.
02:53Some even don't know that this happened right here on Knight Rider Street.
02:56It's not a particularly long street, but people simply haven't heard of what's happened last night.
03:01So at this stage for us and for our viewers, all we can really do is wait to hear the
03:06next stages
03:07of that investigation.
03:08We do know now about that 26 and 22-year-old.
03:11But aside from that, we don't have much other information.
03:14And we simply have to wait for Kent Police to continue with their inquiries and their
03:18investigations until we know more.
03:20Sure.
03:21Thank you so much, Ben.
03:21I'm sure we'll bring more updates as the week continues.
03:26Kent Police has released a new image of a woman as part of a 30-year-long investigation
03:31into the death of a newborn baby.
03:33The child, who is named Baby April, was found dead in Ashford in 1995.
03:38And police have been investigating the case ever since.
03:40Our reporter Sophie Denny joins me now to discuss the latest developments in the case.
03:45Now, why are we seeing this new image now?
03:48Yeah, so we can see the image there on the screen.
03:51It's a computer-generated image of a woman who detectives believe might have information
03:56related to Baby April's death.
03:58So she was seen visiting the graveside of Baby April in Bybrook Cemetery back in June this year.
04:05And police say that she appeared to be distressed, and so they now believe that she could have
04:10information which might help them find out what happened to Baby April, who was found
04:15over 30 years ago now in Ashford.
04:18The woman's described as white in her 40s, no taller than 5'7", and as you can see,
04:23she's got grey hair.
04:25And they also believe that she was carrying two bags, one of which had a floral pattern on it.
04:30Now, the police have provided a statement.
04:33The Detective Chief Inspector, Neil Kimber, said that Baby April was named, as we can see
04:38on the screen there, after the month she was born, and that despite ongoing enquiries,
04:43they've never been able to find her true identity or parents.
04:46And they added that it is important to find the truth behind this tragic story, and they
04:51believe that this woman on the screen could assist them in finding out what that truth is.
04:57For those who don't recall the story of Baby April, can you tell me what actually happened there?
05:03Yeah, so we don't know much about what happened to her, but what we do know is that she was
05:08found dead at Singleton Lake on the 3rd of April in 1995.
05:12We can see it on the screen right now.
05:14And she was estimated to be no more than one week old.
05:17She was found wrapped in a Kleenex tissue bag inside a Motor World bag, which we can see
05:23there as well, and was laid to rest at Kennington's Bybrook Cemetery in February 1996, sorry,
05:30so just under a year after she was found.
05:33Now, detectives believe she died of asphyxiation, which is suffocation, but beyond that, they've
05:39not really been able to find any relatives, any parents, even with DNA testing, so her case
05:45really goes unsolved, which is why this image is so important.
05:49And just quickly, what's the likeliest update in the investigation?
05:53Yeah, so they investigated nearly 4,000 people at the time, couldn't find any relatives at
05:59all.
06:00Her body was exhumed in May 2011 to get a DNA profile, but that didn't come up with any
06:06matches either, so we still don't really know what happened.
06:10Thank you so much, Sophie.
06:12A report into a Kent prison has found that drugs and homemade alcohol are among a number
06:17of problems facing inmates.
06:19It found that HME Rochester has made notable improvements over the past year, but that
06:24challenges remain.
06:25The amount of drugs recovered over the year fell by 26%, but the report also said that illicit
06:31substances may have been manufactured within the prison's walls, using materials including
06:36toilet cleaner and rat poison.
06:37The Independent Monitoring Board also raised concerns about the 12% of inmates who leave
06:42prison without accommodation, putting them at risk of homelessness.
06:47A former Kent police officer who worked in counter prostitution has been banned from the profession
06:52after it emerged he had contacted sex workers himself.
06:55Phone data showed a pattern that PC Bonnet, based in Maidstone, made contact while he was on
07:00leave.
07:02He recently retired after 20 years of serving with Kent police.
07:05PC Bonnet had previously denied the allegations, but a police misconduct hearing today concluded
07:10that he was guilty of gross misconduct and would have been sacked had he not already retired.
07:16Maidstone Homeless Care say they have seen a sharp increase in the number of people using
07:20their services in the past month alone, saying that services in the county are at capacity.
07:25This comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced £10 billion of funding for social and affordable
07:29housing, which missed out Kent.
07:31Nayla Mohamed went down to see them.
07:32Plans for more than 70,000 social and affordable housing have been announced by Miniters to be
07:38built across England over the next 10 years.
07:41The latest data shows almost 13,000 houses were on the housing registers for local authorities
07:46across the county.
07:48Of this, almost 75% face high priority needs, like homelessness.
07:54For one person, getting social housing has been a struggle they know all too well.
07:58They have asked us to remain anonymous.
08:01Life just kind of, you know, just got too much for me really.
08:04A few triggers that made me homeless and using places like this hub where I'm at the moment
08:09to kind of survive.
08:11I use this place daily for my showers, for kind of breakfast and lunch and kind of just
08:15some dialogue with people.
08:17It's been difficult.
08:17It's been a difficult kind of rollercoaster actually over the past few months, especially,
08:21you know, especially with the winter months approaching as well.
08:25None of the funding or housing has been allocated to Kent or the South East just yet.
08:29And there were concerns that Kent may have been forgotten about.
08:33I mean, it's shocking.
08:33I mean, it's absolutely, of course it's shocking.
08:35I mean, a pot of money is a pot of money, right?
08:36You know, I don't know how these guys kind of divvy up, how they budget it.
08:39But, you know, there's got, you know, it needs to be evenly kind of processed throughout,
08:43you know, whether it's going to be London, whether it's going to be Kent.
08:45My money is part of that pot, you know, essentially, you know, it's like I put thousands
08:49of my tax money into it, you know.
08:50So for someone like me who's had a little bit of bad luck, you know, I think it would
08:55help me hugely, you know, just to, you know, just to get some visibility.
08:58Maidstone has some of the highest rates of homelessness across the entire county.
09:03I mean, just in this charity alone, Alan says they've seen an increase of 18 people in
09:07the past month requiring their services, a figure that he says is shocking and reflects
09:12the state of the county's crisis.
09:14We've got so, so many people that need housing at the moment and there's nowhere to put them.
09:21We need social housing so these people can actually go into renting like that.
09:28Because that's all they want.
09:29They just want a roof over their head.
09:31And social housing will help them.
09:33With services reaching capacity and no funding inside of the foreseeable, Alan says there's
09:38a chance the charity might run dry.
09:40I'm very worried that nothing will happen and some of these people are becoming month
09:47for month for month because they've got nowhere to go.
09:50And it's so wrong.
09:52So, so wrong.
09:53While ministers say this is just the start of a wider scheme for more social and affordable
09:58housing, those in Kent who need the housing are left wondering, when will it be their turn?
10:03Nayla Mahmed for KMTV in Maidstone.
10:07Folkestone and Hive MP Tony Vaughan has stated his support for a petition demanding that
10:11crimes motivated by prejudice against women and girls should be treated as hate crimes.
10:16Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate, the Labour MP welcomed a change to the law, which
10:20means crimes driven by hostility towards someone's sex will be treated more seriously.
10:25However, he says there is further to go to combat violence against women and girls.
10:29You can hear from him now.
10:30The misogyny constrains women's daily freedom, safety and willingness to participate fully
10:36in education, work and public life.
10:40And I welcome the important progress made by Section 145 of the Crime and Policing Act.
10:46Legislation must equally be matched by properly trained police, prosecutors and safeguarding
10:52professionals and judges, meaningful support for those who come forward, and enforceable
10:57action by online platforms against the abuse and radicalisation they too often enable.
11:04We, of course, cannot wait until hatred escalates into the most serious offences before we act.
11:10We must recognise misogyny where it is present, challenge it wherever it appears, and make clear
11:16to every woman and girl that the law is on her side.
11:20I hope the Minister will set out how the Government will build on this important legislative framework
11:25so that women and girls, including students in Folkestone Hyde and Romney Marsh, can live
11:30and study and participate in a public life free from harassment, intimidation and misogynist
11:37abuse.
11:37Now it's time for us to take a quick break, but don't go anywhere because we still have plenty
11:41of news to bring you.
11:42We'll be talking about a new initiative from Kent Police and the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner
11:47which would see schools offered lockable mobile phone pouches for cheaper.
11:51We'll hear from fundraisers who will take on one of Kent's newest pilgrimage routes to
11:55raise money for a charity which provides hot meals to children around the world.
11:59All that and more after this short break.
12:00See you then.
12:21We'll see you then.
12:51We'll see you then.
13:23We'll see you then.
13:49We'll see you then.
14:21We'll see you then.
14:53We'll see you then.
15:35We'll see you then.
15:43We'll see you then.
15:45A new agreement, which is being led by the police and crime commissioners across the
15:48country will mean the pouches are cheaper to purchase for schools.
15:52He spoke to us about that issue last week.
15:54We've known for such a long time.
15:57We've known for the damaging effects of social media and screen time on young people.
16:01That's why I've been so much of the people.
16:03That's why I've been involved in the smartphone free school.
16:05We need to support those parents who won't buy a smartphone for their children in the first
16:12place.
16:12Ideally, we don't want them before the age of 14.
16:15We need proper action against social media companies.
16:18We need proper action against social media companies and make sure that social media ban includes
16:20everything under the age of 16 and make sure that the companies are using technology to adequately
16:25route out those accounts which are being used for this purpose.
16:29A Kent airport could create over 500 new jobs and add £75 million to the local economy.
16:36If it's reopened, it's a national drone hub.
16:38At the moment, Lyd Airport on Romney Marsh is mainly used by business passengers with very few commercial flights.
16:45Tony Vaughan, MP for Folkestone Hive, says the proposal offers a chance to bring in new investment and good jobs
16:50for local people.
16:51The proposal comes just months after an aerospace company revealed plans to build aircraft which can reach the stratosphere of
16:58a plant-based inlet.
17:01Historic Tower has been saved from disrepair and brought back to life with a £1 million revamp.
17:06Martello Tower in Dimchurch dates back to the Napoleonic Wars and the Grade II listed building had fallen into disrepair
17:14before it was bought by a Dartford developer.
17:16Gary Myatt spent five years doing up the property, which now boasts four bedrooms, a kitchen, cinema, games room and
17:22sea views.
17:23He says it was bought as a passion project and that he enjoys its quirky exterior.
17:28It is now opened as a holiday let in the town.
17:31A group of fundraisers have set off from Rochester to complete one of Kent's newest pilgrimage routes.
17:37The group are currently walking to Ramsgate along the Augustine Camino to raise money for Mary's Meals,
17:42a charity which provides hot meals to school children across the world.
17:46And our reporter Sophie Denny joined them as they started.
17:49Laces tied and maps at the ready.
17:53This group of walkers are taking on Kent's Augustine Camino, one of the county's newest pilgrimage routes,
18:00all to raise money for children across the world.
18:04Pilgrimages are walks to significant religious or spiritual places and Kent is home to many.
18:10The group starts right here at Rochester Cathedral and this is where they receive the pilgrim's blessing,
18:17a short prayer wishing them well along the way, alongside receiving their first pilgrim stamps of the journey.
18:24Now these stamps are a bit like passport stamps so they mark important places of religious significance that the group
18:31will visit along the way.
18:32May you reach your destination of safety, your spirits renewed and your faith deep.
18:39And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
18:45The group are walking to raise money for Mary's Meals, a charity which gives hot meals to over three million
18:52school children around the world each day.
18:55Walking 66 miles across seven days, this isn't far off the distance many children have to walk each week just
19:04to get to school and back.
19:06Many of the children that we feed, they're walking for a long way each day, at least an hour to
19:12school, many of them, sometimes two hours to school.
19:15So we're really walking in sympathy with them.
19:18The pilgrimage ends over in Ramsgate at the shrine of the first ever Archbishop of Canterbury
19:24and the route was actually designed by a local Kent walker.
19:29It took about two years to get the route together.
19:31I decided rather than using established footpaths, I cherry picked all the best places between Rochester and Ramsgate that I
19:43could find.
19:43So all the most beautiful churches, prettiest villages.
19:47And the route has brought together people from all over the country, including Stephen who came from Blackburn.
19:54Learning about how Saint Augustine just came to his shores and brought Christianity here really appealed to me.
20:01That and I've never been to Kent before.
20:03It's nice to come and see some beautiful parts of England I've never seen before.
20:07Setting off with smiles on their faces, the group hope that feeding their souls will also help to feed children
20:14across the world.
20:16Sophie Denny for KMTV in Rochester.
20:20Well, it's been a pretty wet and rainy start to the week for the group, but will it brighten up?
20:24Let's take a look at the weather.
20:30Well, tonight is clear skies across the county.
20:33Lows of 13 degrees in Royal Tunbridge Wells and Ashford.
20:35Highers of 15 in Margate.
20:37Temperatures are rising slightly going into the morning.
20:39Lows of 13 degrees.
20:40Highers of 15.
20:41Partly cloudy skies throughout the county.
20:43Clouds mostly stay the same towards the afternoon.
20:46Highers of 20 in Dartford.
20:47Lows of 14 in Maidstone and 19 across the rest of the county.
20:50It will be warmer still over the next few days, particularly on Saturday with temperatures slightly warming up.
20:57The clouds are sticking around, unfortunately.
21:07And finally, a new World Music Festival is set to be hosted in Folkestone in just a few weeks.
21:13Big World Festival will feature unique instruments and musicians from around the world.
21:17From the West African Korra to the haunting Duduk of Armenia.
21:21I spoke to the two co-founders Alison Jones and Sarah Quist earlier to hear more about it.
21:26So thank you both so much for joining me.
21:29First of all, I'm going to direct this to you, Alison.
21:32What inspired the Big World Festival?
21:35Well, I met Sarah over a year ago in Folkestone.
21:39We both live in Folkestone and we're at an event and we have a mutual friend who introduced us.
21:44And we were talking about how amazing Folkestone is now and how many incredible music events there are happening.
21:50And we're going, well, what's missing? What do we still need to have?
21:52And I was going to maybe blues.
21:54And Sarah went, well, I love world music.
21:56And then our friend, well, you two girls need to talk and get something organised.
21:59And that's kind of how it all started, isn't it?
22:01Yeah. And Sarah, it's such a variety of different artists, isn't it?
22:06How did you come to decide to offer that much space for artists from across the world?
22:10I think what happened really is that we were just so excited about having this new festival.
22:16And when we started sharing about the artists that we loved, we were kind of getting spoilt for choice, weren't
22:22we?
22:22And in the end, we had to nail it down to a few.
22:25But originally, one of the first bands that I absolutely wanted to work with was a band called Backer Beyond.
22:30Because I went to one of their concerts about 10, 11 years ago and then they did a workshop.
22:34And they left such a strong impression on me because I'm a singer songwriter and whatnot myself.
22:41That I, my first choice was like, this band absolutely have to come because one, their music and what they
22:47stand for is really important.
22:49And also because the workshops that they do are so incredible.
22:54And that was kind of it. And then the conversation just kept happening.
22:57We started to think who we knew, yeah, who do we know, who we'd like to bring down here, who's
23:01more local.
23:03And it kind of just kind of organically developed that way, really.
23:06And it's not just a variety of artists that are going to be there.
23:09There's also a lot of different instruments.
23:11We can hear a clip now from Santu Sasso, who will be performing at the festival.
23:32Now, I've been told what he's playing is called a cora and it's not the only different instrument that will
23:38be featured as part of your festival.
23:40Ones that we haven't necessarily heard of. Can you go through some of the different instruments you've got?
23:44Well, I can tell you, I'll tell you what I know about the cora because it's a fascinating instrument.
23:49So as you saw on that clip, the body of it is made out of a calabash, which is a
23:54vegetable which is similar to a pumpkin.
23:57So they hollow it out and dry it out.
24:00Then the neck of it is made from hardwood and then it's covered with some sort of animal hide, like
24:05cowhide or goat hide.
24:07Are there any other instruments that stuck out?
24:08Yeah. So on the same night, the first of October is the launch night and Santu's headlining that.
24:14And before that, in the first half, we've got Andrew Cronshaw, who plays a 72 stringed zither, which is a
24:21flat bodied instrument made out of apricot wood.
24:25Oh, wow. And it's got six chordal sections and then mandolin strings as well.
24:30So it gives this very beautiful ambient sound and it can be plucked or strummed.
24:35So strumming is like that and plucking is like that for those that don't know.
24:38And he's playing with Tigran Alexanian, who plays the duduk, which is a double reeded wood instrument.
24:46And people might if people know a gladiator, the film, they'll associate the sound of the duduk with the theme
24:53track of gladiator.
24:54So it's like a flute, isn't it?
24:56It's haunting. It's that what played this way, though. And it's this haunting sound.
25:00So that's a really beautiful night of very special music.
25:04And then we've got we've got the London Bulgarian choir, who are vocal, obviously,
25:09and they play incredible harmony, sing incredible harmonies and rhythms and tell stories of love and loss, betrayal and life
25:17and celebration.
25:18And on the Saturday night, we've got the Sunday night, I beg your pardon.
25:22We've got Alfredo Martin Espindola and his Tango Terra Quartet teaching and playing Argentinian tango.
25:31And Alfredo plays the bandonean, which is a beautiful accordion from Argentina.
25:38It was originated in Germany in the 19th century to replicate the organ pipes, the church that didn't have organs.
25:46Wow. Here we go.
25:47If any of our viewers want to come and see the festival, where should they go?
25:51How do they get tickets? Folkestone, of course.
25:54Yes.
25:55We've got to come to Folkestone.
25:56Well, here's the programme. There's the logo behind us. It's beautiful.
26:01And the website is bigworldfestival.com.
26:05What was really important to us was about the community and for people to experience something that they haven't experienced
26:12before.
26:12So not only are we doing that, some of the artists are also running workshops.
26:17So the Backer Beyond are running a workshop the day after their concert.
26:25And it's, well, is it £5 or something?
26:27£5 to get in.
26:29It's two workshops.
26:29It's affordable then.
26:30Yeah, really affordable.
26:31The Bulgarian choir are also doing a workshop, which you're going to learn incredible close harmony work.
26:37And then also with the tango.
26:39We've got a tango dance workshop.
26:41Oh, wow.
26:42Are you going to get involved in that?
26:43Oh, yeah.
26:44Try and stop her.
26:46For the sake of everyone's toes at the South Dancing Workshop, I personally won't be getting involved.
26:51But thank you so much for watching Kent tonight live on KMTV.
26:55There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
27:30Reveal.
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