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Catch up on all the latest news from across the county with Nailah Mahomed.
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00:30Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:33I'm Naila Mohamed with your top stories on Friday the 6th of November.
00:37Conflict of interest.
00:39Campaigners raise concerns over a new Kent test provider.
00:43Then paying for it buys you a grammar school place.
00:47Partners in wine.
00:49Local winery teams up with tech startup to reduce emissions.
00:53Something which almost nobody else in the whole world is doing, which is avoiding that emission to the atmosphere.
01:00And centenary celebrations.
01:02A resident in Queenborough marks his 100th birthday.
01:06Obviously because how many people get to be 100?
01:09It's just special seeing everyone here.
01:11Absolutely amazing.
01:20In a KMTV exclusive, parents and campaigners are warning about a possible conflict of interest in the new Kent test
01:28provider.
01:29Quest assessments will take over from next year, but they are owned by a company that also sells tutoring for
01:34the 11 plus exam.
01:36Kent County Council has assured parents that no test content will be shared.
01:40But campaigners say parents will now feel even more pressure to pay for tutoring.
01:45Sophie Denny brings us this exclusive report.
01:48A source of unnecessary stress for children and parents.
01:53That's how some in the county describe the Kent test, with the pressure even causing families to consider moving elsewhere.
02:01It's like, why? Why are we doing this to little children?
02:05If we hadn't just spent our entire life savings on an extension and had a really settled life, we might
02:09well have actually just left.
02:11The Kent test is an 11 plus exam children sit at the start of year six, if they want to
02:16get into one of the county's 32 grammar schools.
02:20It's just this bubble of anxiety amongst the children and the parents.
02:24And for what reason? If the Kent test didn't exist, none of that anxiety would be there.
02:28Kent County Council has recently announced Quest Assessments as the new provider for the Kent test.
02:34Now, they'll take over from 2027, but campaigners have raised concerns about this, because Quest Assessments is owned by a
02:43company called Atom Learning.
02:45Now, Atom Learning provides online tutoring for families in preparation for exams like the 11 plus, but this can cost
02:54around £670 per year.
02:58What are parents supposed to think? Won't they feel like they need to pay it?
03:01So it just seems a very, very complex situation, and tuition makes the Kent test unfair, because if tuition works,
03:10then paying for it buys you a grammar school place almost.
03:14Joanne warns this gives those who can afford tutoring an unfair advantage.
03:19According to figures from the Department for Education, 11.9% of children attending grammar schools in Kent in 2026
03:27were eligible for pupil premium.
03:34Atom Learning does offer free accounts for children eligible for pupil premium, and we contacted them for comments, but did
03:41not receive a response.
03:43Kent County Council said that they are reassuring families that the Kent test is written and managed independently,
03:49and no content is shared between Quest Assessments and Atom Learning.
03:53They also said that no child is required to buy tutoring or preparation materials to sit the test.
03:59However, Becky says parents often feel forced into tutoring.
04:04It's become so normalised.
04:07People are just saying, are you going to start tutoring in year five or year four?
04:11There's not even any question.
04:14Everyone would look at me like I was absolutely shocked when I said, I'm not tutoring, I don't think it's
04:19the right thing to do.
04:20But the pressure then was, if they don't pass, they're going to have that failure stamp on themselves.
04:25As campaigners continue to call for an overhaul in Kent's education system, the question of tutoring still looms large over
04:34families.
04:35Sophie Denny for KMTV, Across Kent.
04:39And Sophie Denny joins me in the studio now.
04:42So Sophie, you mentioned there in the piece that some people think the Kent test creates an unfair system.
04:47Can you tell me a little bit more about this?
04:49Yeah, so they're saying that it creates disadvantage for pupils or parents who can't afford to pay for tutoring.
04:56So Freedom of Information Response from Kent County Council revealed that just 10.3% of children
05:02who qualified for a grammar school place in the 2026 Kent test were eligible for free school meals.
05:08But those on free school meals make up about 30% of the county's total year six cohort.
05:15So quite a big disparity there.
05:18And there's also disparities within the county itself.
05:20So we can see some figures on screen now.
05:24And so that's Department of Education data, which was compiled by Kent education expert Peter Reid.
05:29And it shows that West Kent tends to take fewer disadvantaged pupils than the coastal towns.
05:35So Tunbridge and Morling, for example, have an average of 4%, whereas in Dover you can see that's at about
05:4021.7%.
05:42So you could almost map onto Kent the disparity and how it changes across the county.
05:47And this is something that I discussed with Councillor Mark Hood of the Green Party.
05:51He represents Tunbridge and Morling on Kent County Council, so that's West Kent.
05:56And Conservative councillor John Davis from Thanet Council, so that's obviously East Kent.
06:01We discussed this on the Kent Politics Show.
06:06And I believe we should be able to hear from them in just a moment.
06:09If not, I can give you a quick summary of what we were talking about.
06:15We were discussing a range of aspects, but the main concern was that parents would feel forced to pay for
06:22tutoring.
06:22And Councillor John Davis was saying, you know, that grammar schools can sometimes get a poor reputation.
06:28He was saying he himself went to a grammar school and they can provide real opportunities for academic stretch.
06:34And I think we can now hear from them now.
06:37I am very concerned about the conflict that's been described here.
06:43But I don't think you can take away the right of the individual to want the best for their children.
06:50And the Kent test is designed to stream people.
06:53It's not the be-all and end-all.
06:54We hear a lot of comments about people saying, oh, failure.
06:57There is no failure.
06:58The problem with the Kent test is that it can be coached.
07:01It gives an unfair advantage to children whose families can afford to have this tuition.
07:09And that isn't right.
07:11And it does create a culture of winners and losers.
07:16And that's quite traumatic for some children.
07:19Well, the Kent test is embedded in the system in Kent, but what other options are there?
07:23Yeah, so we discussed this on the Politics Show.
07:25I know they were suggesting maybe a kind of a more coursework type option, but Kent County Council have said
07:31that the Kent test is the most efficient way to sort out the secondary school system.
07:36So it doesn't really look like at this moment in time the Kent test will be going anywhere.
07:42Well, thanks so much for bringing us the updates on that and the exclusive report, Sophie.
07:48And if you want to watch the full interviews, you can watch the Kent Politics Show on kmtv.co.uk.
07:54A burglar who targeted high-value properties has been arrested after detectives discovered his DNA from a bottle of antibacterial
08:02spray that he used to clean a scene.
08:05So the time by my phone is 16.14. I'm placing you under arrest.
08:11Dionys Doku stole designer bags and leather jewelry worth more than half a million pounds from nine properties across Kent,
08:18London, Buckinghamshire and Surrey.
08:20Patrol spotted Doku at a bus stop on Oxford Road and arrested him.
08:24The 45-year-old of no fixed address was later charged with nine counts of burglary and pled guilty to
08:30all offenses at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court.
08:33He was sentenced to three years and ten months imprisonment.
08:39A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a man in Margate.
08:44Police were called to Millmeade Road yesterday afternoon where they found the body of a man in his 50s and
08:49have arrested a 40-year-old woman who remains in custody.
08:53Finn McDermott is down in Margate at the Invicta House block of flats.
08:57So, Finn, you're there right now. What is the atmosphere like?
09:03Well, Nayla, I think by all accounts if you were simply walking around Margate today, not looking at the headlines,
09:09and you lived here at Invicta House, you'd be plenty surprised to see a pair of police cars outside of
09:16the front door to your block of flats.
09:20Maybe they were walking home from the office or coming home, bringing their children in from school.
09:25What's happened is that yesterday afternoon a body was found here at Invicta Flats, the police have told us.
09:34And earlier in the day the police were called to the Millmeade area road of Margate to talk to a
09:42person of concern.
09:43Now, we don't know if that person of concern is related to the body that was found,
09:48but what we can tell you is that today that murder investigation was opened and a woman who is in
09:55her 40s was arrested on suspicion of murder.
09:59And, Finn, what have the police been saying about the incident?
10:05The police told us earlier around 1pm that they specifically were here, that they were talking to people on the
10:12scene.
10:13We actually spotted them earlier out the front doors of Invicta House.
10:17They've also asked anyone with any witnesses, any knowledge of exactly what happened to get in contact with them.
10:23You can talk to them on the Kent Police website or call Crime Stoppers.
10:27Quoting the reference number you can find on Kent Online, you can speak, sorry, you can find that crime reference
10:32number on Kent Online
10:33and we and them will be covering this story as it continues.
10:37Well, thank you so much for the updates there, Finn.
10:41Three people have been cleared of murder after a man was fatally stabbed to death in Gravesend in August last
10:47year.
10:47After 42 hours of deliberations, a jury at Maidstone Crown Court found Alton Shehu, Erika Korsaka and her boyfriend Shahin
10:55Balika not guilty of murdering 33-year-old Vladimir Perminovs.
11:00Following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court Day, Shehu was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.
11:06Ms Korsaka and Mr Balika were cleared of manslaughter.
11:10Shehu will be sentenced on January 13th in 2027.
11:15Investigations following a fatal moped crash in Sheerness have revealed that the teenagers involved were not being chased by police.
11:22The collision, which happened near Sheppey Leisure Complex on Saturday, resulted in the death of an 18-year-old male
11:28and a 16-year-old remained in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
11:33The Independent Office for Police Conduct found that the officers tried to approach a moped around 7.50 in the
11:38evening
11:39but did not pursue it after the rider drove off.
11:41The crash occurred shortly after and officers rushed to the scene to give emergency first aides.
11:48That's all the time we have for in this part of the show, but grab a cup of tea and
11:51we have plenty more after this break.
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12:16What on the train around.
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15:17Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
15:21A winery just outside of Canterbury is the first in the UK to deploy carbon dioxide capture technology.
15:28Defined Wines has been working start-up Cork & Capture
15:31to decrease the winery's emission of carbon dioxide
15:34and to save money on essential imports.
15:37For a manufacturer that produces around 10% of all English wine,
15:40the team there say they are thrilled to make a home for the innovation.
15:44Justine Latter reports, and a quick warning that this report contains some flashing lights.
15:50Winemaking with a sustainable twist.
15:52Defined Wines is a contract winery,
15:55producing wines from vineyards all over Kent.
15:58Here at their home in Bridge,
16:00the team have installed the UK's first winery carbon dioxide capture technology.
16:05This was developed by Cork & Capture
16:08and aims at cutting costs and reducing emissions.
16:11So what we do is we provide a service to wineries and breweries
16:14like Defined Wine that we're at today,
16:16which is to capture the CO2 that comes off tanks like this
16:20and we capture it through simple nozzles like this
16:23and we get the CO2 channeled out to our machine which processes the CO2
16:27and then makes it available to the winemakers or the brewers for reusing.
16:32But it's not just emissions Defined Wines want to tackle.
16:36Carbon dioxide is also essential for the winemaking process.
16:40So we use it to what we call gas our tanks.
16:43So before we fill a tank, we'll often fill it with CO2 to get the oxygen out
16:48because oxygen is the enemy of wine.
16:51And then we often find there's what's known as an ullage
16:55between the top of the wine and the top of the tank
16:59and that gap we fill with CO2 throughout the year
17:02to make sure that there's no oxygen getting in and spoiling the wine.
17:06It's in these huge tanks behind me here at Defined Wine that their wine is made.
17:12The cork and capture technology takes the carbon dioxide from these tanks
17:17and into another network of pipes.
17:20But how does this impact the climate?
17:23We're doing something which almost nobody else in the whole world is doing,
17:27which is avoiding that emissions to the atmosphere
17:30and of course avoiding all the emissions related to importing CO2.
17:34So far, this winery is the only one in the UK to use this technology
17:39and it's taken a lot of teamwork to get to the launch today.
17:43I think it's really exciting.
17:44It's such a cool project to be, as you say, a world first.
17:52Getting this to work in Kent with the Kent businesses.
17:57Yeah, really, really excited about that.
17:59The portable CO2 tank at Defined Wines will be here for a little while longer
18:05before going on to cut costs and emissions at other wineries in Kent,
18:09ready for next year's harvest.
18:11Justine Latter for KMTV in Bridge.
18:15Residents have called a new 300 home plan excessive
18:18as their village faces its third large housing development this year.
18:23Family-owned firm Waits Group is looking to build on greenfield land
18:27at Henhurst Farm near Staplehurst train station.
18:30The properties, which are mostly two-storey,
18:32also include plans for community growing spaces like allotments,
18:36natural play areas and recreational spaces.
18:39However, objectors have expressed concerns over the plans,
18:42presenting a danger to the local habitat such as owls, bats and deers.
18:46There were also worries about how the plans will increase traffic to unsuitable levels.
18:52The large blue gasometer near the Strand is set to be dismantled
18:56and replaced with over 600 apartments.
18:59The prominent Gillingham landmark has stood for over 170 years
19:03and is one of the country's last remaining gasometers.
19:06In March, Medway Council approved these plans to build 500 apartments,
19:11140 retirement apartments and a 20,000-square-foot supermarket.
19:17However, the plan has received 25 objection letters from nearby residents
19:21who are concerned about the plan's impact on local services
19:24and the height and density of the proposed buildings.
19:29And if you happen to miss our evening show, well, don't worry
19:32because you can catch up on all of our news on our social media.
19:35Our reporters are out on the ground bringing you the latest sporting,
19:39political and community news.
19:41And you can catch up on all the updates by following our social media platforms,
19:45TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
19:49And now it's time for a quick look at the weather.
19:56Well, it's looking like a cold one tonight in Tunbridge, Wales at 6 degrees,
20:00slightly warmer in parts with cloud cover across the east.
20:03As we head into tomorrow morning, lows of 8 degrees across the west of the county,
20:07slightly warmer towards Margate with some sun peeking out.
20:10The afternoon will see some slight showers in Dover, 11 and 10 degrees across the board
20:14with a bit of sun peeking throughout the weekend.
20:17For the start of next week, some of that sun will stick around until Tuesday.
20:21But as we get closer to Christmas, it'll get colder with lows of 10 in the midweek.
20:25So wear a jacket.
20:36Diwali, also known as the Festival of Light, begins this Sunday.
20:40This annual holiday, rooted in Hinduism, is celebrated by many different communities around the world.
20:46Celebrations last up for five days, with oil lamps being lit to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness.
20:52And earlier, I was joined by Pratik Sheth, who told me more about the festival.
20:56So Pratik, what is Diwali?
20:59Yeah, actually, Diwali is a festival of light and it's a win over evil.
21:05So traditionally, we get together personally as a family, friends,
21:10share your experience throughout the year, what went well, what went bad,
21:15share amongst the community.
21:17And it's, again, a cultural heritage, when you get together, celebrate with your community
21:25and then you're trying to transfer your heritage into the community or new generation, should I say.
21:33And we can see some images on screen there.
21:36Can you talk to me a little bit about what we're seeing?
21:38Yeah, those are the, we call it Rangolis, some of the pictures here.
21:44So we offer, we do offering Lord Rama.
21:48Here are some of the nice savory items and some sweets you can see on the display,
21:55as well as we do like traditional devotional singing,
22:01as well as we have Rangoli competitions.
22:05We had some sort of anthakshari, which is like, we have two team and you're singing songs.
22:11Plus we have some traditional dance as well as,
22:15and then we share our, like dinner with all the family, friends,
22:21and it's open to all community.
22:23And I've seen that it can be celebrated for up to five days.
22:27Why is that the case and how is it celebrated that long?
22:29Yeah, actually it starts from five days earlier,
22:33which the first day is like, we call it Agiyaris, that's 11th, sorry, 11th.
22:41First day of the Diwali, then this, we have, we call it Vagbaras,
22:46and then Danteras, which is your, you're doing with your,
22:51all your belongings, like your money.
22:54You, you're doing traditional puja with your money.
22:59Lord Lakshmi, and then the final Diwali day,
23:03which is the wind over evil, like Lord Rama, wind over Ramana.
23:08And he was coming back to Ayodhya after the victory.
23:11So people lit up all the diyas along the path when he was entering into the Ayodhya.
23:18And they had some fireworks as well.
23:20So traditionally, it's called Festival of Light because of that reason.
23:24And we try to celebrate it.
23:26We share our happiness with the community.
23:29If you celebrate, people would come and then you have a chance to transfer your culture.
23:36Amazing.
23:37Well, thank you so much for telling us all about Diwali.
23:40Charlie Underdown, a resident from Queenborough, celebrated his 100th birthday yesterday.
23:45It was a party that saw all of his close friends, family, and even old colleagues commemorate
23:49not just his long life, but his extensive service as a fireman.
23:53And I went along.
23:54A century of memories, a lifetime of service, and a very special milestone.
24:01Family, friends, and former colleagues have come together in Queenborough to celebrate
24:06the 100th birthday of a man whose life has been closely tied to the local community.
24:11He is an inspiration to us all.
24:15He still lives on his own, does his exercises every day.
24:19He is amazing.
24:21See them all come together to celebrate the special birthday.
24:25Obviously, because how many people get to be 100?
24:28It is just special, seeing everyone here.
24:30Absolutely amazing.
24:31Birthday boy Charlie also received a special birthday message from the King, a tradition
24:37where the monarch sends their congratulations to mark the occasion.
24:40How does it feel to have turned 100 years old?
24:45It feels the same, I think.
24:48It's good.
24:50I enjoyed it.
24:52I've seen you've received your card from the King as well.
24:55What was that like, getting the card come through?
24:57Well, it was nice to get it.
25:03Charlie has lived in Queenborough his entire life, not including his time in service during
25:09the war.
25:09And for his daughters, the day's events raise some very fond memories with their father.
25:15When we lived in our house, when we were very young, he used to have a pushbike.
25:20So when the alarm went off in the hallway, which was like a big bell then, I used to make
25:25such
25:25a loud noise, he used to get on his pushbike and he used to have to pedal up to the
25:28station.
25:29And halfway there, one of the firewoods would stop, put him in the car, leave his bike there,
25:34and obviously go back and pick it up after.
25:35At this arts and community centre behind me, celebrations are still ongoing for Charlie's
25:41100th birthday, a massive milestone.
25:44But this isn't the only milestone that's being celebrated today.
25:47They're also commemorating his 22 years of service as a fireman here in Queenborough.
25:52To mark the occasion, his family wanted to bring together some of the people who've been part
25:57of Charlie's journey, including former colleagues from the fire service.
26:01The celebrations also brought a special surprise, with the current Sheppey Fire Brigade presenting
26:07Charlie with a certificate in recognition of his years of service.
26:11He spent 100 years building a lifetime of memories.
26:15And at this party, the very people who've been part of that journey have come together
26:21to make one more.
26:23Nayla Mahamid for KMTV in Queenborough.
26:27Well, happy birthday again to Charlie, and maybe he can give me some tips and tricks.
26:31But in the meantime, you've been watching Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
26:35And there's more news made just for Kent throughout the entire evening.
26:38You can also keep up to date, like I said earlier, by logging on to our...
26:42I didn't say this earlier, but you can log on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
26:46That's all the time we have for now, and we'll see you again tomorrow evening.
26:49Bye-bye for now.
26:58Bye-bye.
27:00Bye-bye.
27:01Bye-bye.
27:03Bye-bye.
27:06Bye-bye.
27:07Bye-bye.
27:08Bye-bye.
27:08Bye-bye.
27:08Bye-bye.