KentOnline

Podcast: Ashford taxi firm to close after struggling to recruit drivers

We're being urged not to travel by train as railway workers get ready for the biggest strike in a generation.

Thousands of staff are walking out for three days this week in a row over pay, conditions and job losses - hear from our business editor Chris Britcher.

Also in today's podcast, Alex from the Kent Top 40 on our sister radio station kmfm has been speaking about his recent autism and ADHD diagnosis.

The 24 year-old says he was always hyperactive as a child but did well at school.

However, he found social situations in his teens increasingly difficult and also suffered with depression. He's spoken out to raise awareness.

An Ashford taxi company is closing after more than 40 years after struggling to recruit drivers.

Arrow Taxis is based at Cobbs Wood and been taking fares since 1981 - hear what bosses have had to say.

Asylum seekers who arrive in Kent after crossing the Channel in small boats could be electronically tagged under new Home Office plans.

A 12-month pilot's begun after the European Court of Human Rights blocked a deportation flight to Rwanda last Tuesday.

A trans woman from Medway has decided to speak out about the abuse she's suffered - and says people need to realise it's not acceptable.

Kelsey Russell only transitioned just over three months ago but says she's been targeted while out in pubs and club.

Part of Ramsgate that's previously been blighted by crime is said to be becoming a destination for tourists with new cafe's shops and restaurants.

Harbour Street is being transformed thanks to investment from existing businesses and government grants.

And in sport, a Kent teenager's been selected to play volleyball for Team England.

Maxime Carolan only started playing a couple of years ago, but has been training hard ever since.

Podcast: Man jailed after stealing Amazon van and later found surrounded by parcels in Canterbury

A man who stole an Amazon delivery van after snatching the keys from the driver in Canterbury has been jailed.

Hear the moment 33-year-old Ronnie Mead from Hunton Gardens was arrested while surrounded by half opened parcels.

A Ramsgate woman is calling for more mental health support for disabled children after her son died during lockdown.

Sammy Alban-Stanley had Prada-Willi Syndrome and fell from a cliff in 2020.

His mum Patricia has spoken to the podcast about what she'd like the government to do.

A Kent youth charity's launching a safe space for young asylum seekers after concerns many are struggling to feel part of society....

Pie Factory Music says the pandemic has made it even harder for them to understand the culture and access support since arriving here.

Should Kent's grammar schools be phased out? We have reaction to a call from a Labour peer to get rid of them.

It's another scorcher in Kent - we have more advice on dealing with the hot weather.

And, a former star of The Apprentice is hoping a skate park he's planning to open in Swanley will help kickstart the regeneration of the recreation ground there.

JD O'Brien has managed to secure £250,000 in funding for the project and has been speaking to our reporter Sean Delaney.

Podcast: ’Dangerous’ decking outside council flats in Whitstable causes safety concerns

Residents in Whitstable fear there could be a nasty accident because communal decking has gone rotten and become unstable.

Hear from one of the mums who doesn't want her children playing on it and is calling for something to be done.

Also in today's podcast, the deputy Prime Minister says the UK could potentially ignore rulings by the European Court of Human Rights - after they stopped a flight carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda.

We've been speaking to a refugee charity who say the policy isn't needed.

A Kent campaigner says the government's heading in the wrong direction when it comes to tackling air pollution.

And, hear from the Kent man who started collecting rare football shirts during lockdown.

Podcast: Heat health alert issued for Kent with temperatures set to soar

A heat health alert has been issued for Kent as we get our first real blast of summer.

Vulnerable people, including very young children and the elderly, are being urged to take particular care as temperatures rise.

Hear from Kent's director of public health who's got advice on how to stay cool.

Also in today's podcast, we have an update on yesterday's top story after a flight that was due to take asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda failed to take off.

A project worker at a homelessness charity in Canterbury has responded to the idea of setting up overdose prevention centres in Kent.

It's being suggested by a leading academic - we have a reminder of what Professor Alex Stevens said and what Paul Todd from Catching Lives has to say.

A Canterbury woman says she's been made to feel like a criminal after being wrongly accused of throwing a cigarette butt from her car window.

We've got a response from the company employed to crack down on those littering in the city.

We've also been speaking to the Kent Community Foundation who've launched a major piece of research looking at the impact of the pandemic on Kent.

And find out why there appears to be a bit of a row brewing between Kent and Essex over the future of the masts from a famous bomb ship.

Podcast: Anger over increase in number of self-checkout tills at Sainsbury’s in Maidstone

Love them or loathe them? There's a bit of debate raging about self-checkout tills in supermarkets.

It has been sparked by a decision by Sainsbury's to increase the number available at their store in Maidstone.

In turn, they have dramatically cut the number of tills where an actual person will serve you.

Find out what shoppers and the supermarket have had to say.

Also in today's podcast, the first flight taking asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda is due to leave this evening.

Hear from Bridget Chapman from the Kent Refugee Action Network as controversy over the policy continues.

A football club in Kent has become the latest to back a campaign calling for a ban on gambling advertising and sponsorship within the game.

Hear from James Grimes who set up The Big Step after struggling with a gambling addiction for 12 years.

We've also been speaking to the chairman of Tonbridge Angels who are supporting his idea.

Plus, find out where in Kent has been named as one of the most insta-worthy days out in the UK.

And we've got details on a supermoon to look out for.

Podcast: Tributes paid to tree surgeon who died after being crushed at National Trust property in Kent

The partner of a tree surgeon who died after being crushed at a National Trust property in Kent has described her as 'a beautiful soul, strong and inspirational'.

Debbie Austin was working to bring down the diseased Ash tree at Ightham Mote near Sevenoaks when it happened last December.

Also in today's podcast, two legal challenges have been taking place today just hours before the first flight is due to take asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda.

The controversial policy was announced by the Prime Minister during a visit to Lydd earlier this year.

Hear from Boris Johnson and a charity who are against the idea.

As the price of fuel continues to rise, we've been finding out how businesses in Kent are being affected.

According to the RAC, the price of a litre of petrol has risen by a penny a day over the last week.

We've spoken to a travel firm based near Dover and a self-employed security officer from Chatham.

An audio trail, which shares the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community, has launched in Maidstone. 

The 'Not a Phase' tour celebrates real stories through a series of interactive QR codes dotted around the town centre. 

And find out how we could use our gardens to help protect pollinators that are in decline.

We've been speaking to a leading expert after a report said populations of flying insects have decreased by 60 percent in the last 20 years.

 

Podcast: Biker left injured after crash on A249 near Sittingbourne

A biker says she was left lying in a road in pain as other motorists passed her by following a crash.

Zara Parr came off her motorbike after a crash on the A249 near Sittingbourne.

She's now appealing to find the good Samaritans who did finally stop to help.

Also in today's podcast, a Dartford man with cerebral palsy says aeroplane staff need to be better trained to support disabled passengers.

It's after a woman who's paralysed from the neck down had to wait on a plane for more than an hour and a half because no staff came to help her.

A Medway primary school has been rated inadequate by Ofsted, and told funding could be stripped.

Inspectors visited Featherby Juniors in Gillingham last December and raised concerns about children's ability to read.

It's feared communities living along the Kent coast may be forced to move because of rising sea levels.

The Environment Agency says flooding and coastal erosion pose the biggest threats to towns and cities.

Hear from a Sheppey man whose neighbour's house had already collapsed into the sea.

A section of the A249 is going to be closed this weekend as part of major roadworks.

£92 million is being spent on upgrading the Stockbury Roundabout at Junction 5 of the M2, in a bid to ease congestion - we've had an update from the project manager.

And, Pride returns to Canterbury this weekend.

Hear from the 13-yera-old schoolboy who's bringing his drag act back to the main stage.

 

Podcast: Woman caught defecating outside shop on The Old High Street in Folkestone

A shopkeeper has spoken of his shock after discovering a woman had defecated outside his store.
Colin White checked CCTV from the shop thinking a pet owner had failed to clean up after their pet - it was then he discovered it was human faeces.
Also in today's podcast, the cost of filling up a family sized car has now topped 100-pounds for the first time.
Hear from Kent fuel campaigner Howard Cox who is again calling on the chancellor to take urgent action.
Dame Emma Thompson has criticised the government's plan to send some asylum seekers who've arrived in Kent in small boats to Rwanda.
More than 10,000 people have now made the dangerous journey this year.
The Children's Commissioner has been in Kent as part of a review into what makes a successful family.
Hear from Dame Rachel de Souza who's been asked by the government to look at how mums, dads, grandparents and children are coping following the pandemic.
Meantime, there's a warning children with special educational needs in Kent who are being home-schooled are 'falling through the cracks'.
Figures show 465 youngsters in Kent are SEN and being taught at home - while just 193 have an education health care plan.
And in sport, one of Kent's players has kept his place in the England team for the second test with New Zealand.
Plus we have a tennis update ahead of Wimbledon later this summer.

Podcast: Swimming pool dropped from £20m levelling up plans for Sheerness

Plans for a new swimming pool on the Isle of Sheppey have been scrapped.
It was due to be part of a bid for £20 million in goverment cash to boost Sheerness. Hear from our reporter John Nurden who broke the story.
Also in today's podcast, a leading Kent academic is calling for overdose prevention centres to be set up.
They would allow addicts to take drugs in secure and hygienic facilities where help would be available if they got into trouble.
Professor Alex Stevens says they're needed to try and cut the number of drug deaths which are at a record high.
We've been speaking to one of the companies taking part in a national trial of a four day working week.
Staff still get 100% of their pay but only work 80% of the time.
We've also got reaction from a Maidstone based agency which started something similar back in 2018.
A Medway mum has spoken about the moment her baby was rushed to hospital after struggling to breathe - only to find out she had a birthmark growing in her throat.
Sophie Collins has been chatting to reporter Alex Langridge about the incredibly rare condition.
And, a Kent school is hoping to open a visitor centre so more of us can visit their wartime tunnels.
They were built under Maidstone Girls Grammar and used by pupils in the early 1940s.

Podcast: Almost 50 people hit by cars on just one road in Thanet as campaigners call for action

There are calls for safety improvements on a road in Thanet after it was revealed almost 50 people have been hit by cars.

Northdown Road runs through the centre of Cliftonville and people living nearby want the speed limit reduced to 20 miles-per-hour.

Also in today's podcast, we have reaction after Prime Minister Boris Johnson narrowly won a confidence vote.

More than a third of Conservative MPs wanted him out of the job. Hear from North Thanet's Sir Roger Gale and our political editor Paul Francis.

A report seen by the KentOnline Podcast has again raised concerns about levels of violence in a youth jail in Kent.

We've got reaction from the Howard League for Penal Reform.

Hear from the incredible children who helped save their dad's life after he suffered a cardiac arrest at the wheel of his car.

They've now been given bravery awards as he continues to recover.

And find out who's signed a pro deal at Gillingham plus hear from tennis star Emma Raducanu as she gets her grass court season under way.