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00:00Hello and welcome to Kentonite, live on KMTV. I'm Bartholomew Hall. Here are your top stories
00:27on Friday 19th July. Blue screen of death. GPs in Kent left without
00:34patient records due to global IT outage. We don't have paper records anymore and general
00:40practice is overwhelmingly done on IT and unfortunately the system we use in Kent which
00:45is called EMIS is down. Lending a hand for Abigail, British sports
00:49stars take part in Rochester Cathedral's latest fundraising exhibition.
00:54You look at the hands, they tell stories. And Lyddon's legacy lives on. Retro rally
01:01cross racing underway at the Kent circuit where the sport began.
01:04It's our home race, so it's always special. This weekend particularly though being a legends
01:09festival, it's going to be amazing. It's going to be absolutely fantastic. It'll probably
01:14be the biggest meeting of the year we think here.
01:23Good evening. The first day of summer has come to a halt for many in Kent as IT outages
01:31have led to screens across the county turning, well, rather blue. A Microsoft update has
01:36led to delays in Gatwick and Dover as well as rail services having last minute cancellations.
01:42But travel is not the only sector being impacted. Local GPs have been left without patient records
01:48leaving them unable to prescribe for patients or to give them test results. Daisy Page has
01:53more. The blue screen of death, a familiar sight seen when you cannot reach a web page.
01:58However, today it has a whole new meaning. The blue screen has been seen globally today
02:03due to a fault with the new Microsoft update, delaying flights and impacting broadcasters.
02:08How has this affected our local GPs? I think everyone knows these days when you go and
02:13see a GP, we don't have paper records anymore. And general practice is overwhelmingly done
02:18on IT and unfortunately the system we use in Kent, which is called EMIS, is down. It's
02:24down across the whole of the country. It means we can't access patients' records, we can't
02:28prescribe for them, we can't give them test results and so on. Whilst we do have contingency
02:33plans to maintain safety, what we're unable to do is the sort of routine things most people
02:38expect from their general practitioner. Some practices may need to cancel routine appointments.
02:44If they're coming to get test results or having special examinations for example for
02:48babies or for things like asthma, then that might not happen again because we can't access
02:53the records and repeat prescriptions will be delayed because we can't send them electronically.
02:58We can do a small number by handwriting them but it's not practical to do that for everybody.
03:03NHS England has posted telling people to still attend to their appointments unless told otherwise
03:09and to use their helpline, 111, or call 999 in an emergency. The first day of summer holidays
03:16has come to a halt for many as delays have been seen in Gatwick and Dover. This morning
03:21Port of Dover warned customers about longer check-ins, with queues in the buffer zone
03:25reaching up to 40 minutes long. And the Thameslink service put out a post saying that they are
03:30unable to access driver diagrams, which has led to a short notice of cancellations.
03:35And it's not only GPs and transport who have been impacted by the blue screen today. Earlier
03:40this morning there were reports of shops like Morrisons not accepting some forms of payment
03:45cards. In a statement, Microsoft said,
03:47We are aware of an issue affecting Windows devices. Due to an update on a third-party
03:52software platform, we anticipate a resolution is forthcoming.
03:56With the scale of this issue, it is unknown how long it will take to resolve. However,
04:00disruptions are expected through the weekend.
04:03Daisy Page for KMTV.
04:05Well, earlier I spoke with Ahmad Moussa, who is a lecturer of Computing and Cybersecurity
04:10at Canterbury Christchurch University. I started by asking him to explain exactly how these
04:14issues have occurred.
04:16CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity-leading provider, and they issued an update today which affected
04:23some Microsoft Windows devices. So the update is fine with some Linux and macOS devices,
04:31but there was a content update defect for the Windows devices. That's why there was
04:38a global cybersecurity catastrophe today.
04:42And it seems like from what we've heard this afternoon is that they've set out kind of
04:47how the repair is going to happen, how that fix is going to take place. But it's not simple.
04:52It's not just the case of kind of turning these computers on and off again.
04:56It's not. It could be some time. To be honest, it's going to be a long weekend for IT teams
05:03and, you know, IT providers or IT crisis team. What they have to do for now with the fix
05:10that they rolled out is they would have to physically go onto each device one by one
05:17to kind of delete the bad update there. So it's going to take some time. It's not something
05:21that can be done automatically because, you know, the updates, the bad updates kind of
05:29loads before the computer starts. So, you know, you have to go put it in a boot mode
05:35or recovery mode and then delete the bad update before the computer can start fine, which
05:41would take quite some time.
05:42And I'm just thinking about some of the disruption that we've seen here in Kent from GP surgeries,
05:48some supermarkets unable to take contactless payments, as well as down at the port of Dover,
05:52they said that they were having some IT outages. Is this going to start a conversation of maybe
05:57how much reliance we have on these small amount of companies? If we're thinking about this
06:01is just CrowdStrike, just one company, but it's affecting so many different sectors.
06:06Is there maybe a conversation to be had about how much control these companies have over
06:11our IT systems?
06:13Yeah, certainly. This is a conversation that we have to have, you know, going forward.
06:19Maybe one IT employee made a mistake, you know, with the content update, rolling it out before,
06:25you know, maybe the testing was done or, you know, all the procedures was followed.
06:30And, you know, you can see how much disruption this has caused, you know, talking about the
06:35company's shares going down 21 percent, even Microsoft being affected, you know, their shares
06:41price is dropping. So, yeah, we have complete reliance on technology, sadly, and from payments
06:48and from payments, flights, supermarkets, you know, everywhere now we use computers
06:54and it's part of our lives. The company CrowdStrike is not that old. They are known for
07:02handling cybersecurity issues. It's just sad that, you know, this issue stemmed out from their
07:08company. It's a developing story.
07:11Absolutely. And like you said, a long weekend for some of those IT experts.
07:14Thank you very much for joining us today.
07:17A manhunt has been launched on the Kent coast after reports of a serious assault earlier this
07:22morning. An air ambulance was called to Westgate-on-Sea to carry a man who had severe injuries
07:28to a nearby hospital. Residents also reported seeing a police helicopter, as you can see here,
07:34alongside other emergency services on the ground. A 49-year-old man who was known to the victim
07:40has been arrested in connection. He remains in custody as officers carry out their investigations.
07:47Elsewhere, the body of a woman has been found on Tunbridge Road in East Peckham.
07:52Police and forensics team were seen at a house near the Man of Kent pub on Wednesday. They were
07:57called by paramedics at around 10.40am after the body of a woman in her 50s was discovered.
08:03Though the coroner has not completed a report at this stage,
08:07the death of the woman is not being treated as suspicious.
08:12Speculation is mounting that the MP for Tunbridge and Malling is preparing to launch a second bid
08:18to be the new leader of the Conservative Party. Tom Tugendhat is yet to formally declare his
08:24intentions to run as what would now be the leader of the opposition and has chosen not yet to say
08:28anything publicly on the matter. It comes as a leadership battle is due to take place after
08:33Rishi Sunak announced he would be stepping down two weeks ago today. Mr Tugendhat previously put
08:39himself forward as leadership candidate when Boris Johnson stepped down in June 2022.
08:47Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories here on KMTV
08:52by heading over to our website kmtv.co.uk. There you'll find all of our reports including this one
08:58about a proposal in Medway for the building of 30,000 new homes.
09:04Medway has a growing population. The average house price here, nearly nine times higher than
09:09the average wage. And it's said that number won't improve without new properties. Well,
09:15proposals from the council could see more than 28,000 by 2041. But opposition councillors are
09:22worried that infrastructure just isn't here. It's a struggle to get any service, to be fair. Access
09:28to GPs is a big problem. The Medway Hospital is still not providing a good enough service to
09:35residents. You go up to Medway Hospital, getting parked up there, accessing the hospital is a real
09:41problem. And, you know, but it's also things like primary schools. So where are these children
09:47going to school? Cabinet members admit that infrastructure currently isn't up to scratch
09:52to meet future demand. And they say they'll be reliant on external funding to meet this.
09:57That needs to be coming from the developers, from government and from an improving economy. Those
10:02are the elements that bring forward the money to spend on infrastructure. And we're working on all
10:07three of those aspects. As a local authority, we set the rules on where development takes place.
10:12We have the planning authority powers, if you like. But it's working with developers. It's
10:16working with the other sectors of the community, like the NHS, with the education authorities and
10:20all those people, working with the transport authorities as well. These proposals are part
10:25of Medway's local plan. At the last cabinet meeting, it was agreed to move into the next
10:29consultation phase. Authorities use these plans as a blueprint for future development. I wish
10:36some of the sites in Capstone, which have already got permission, weren't there. And why have they
10:43got permission? Because we didn't have an up-to-date local plan. Because I think it's about
10:48looking at Medway as a whole. And not Medway as a whole today, Medway as a whole in five and ten
10:54and fifteen years' time. The council are keen for locals to comment on their proposals, with a
11:00particular interest to hear from younger generations, who the authorities say are the future
11:05of the area. Gabriel Morris in Medway.
11:10And if you want more discussion on planning issues, we had a very interesting discussion
11:14with two Tunbridge and Morling Borough councillors on the Kent Politics Show this
11:18evening. That will be available on our website, kmtv.co.uk, to watch back. Now it's time for a
11:23quick break, but coming up, Henry Luck will be telling us about an art exhibition at Rochester
11:28Cathedral, which through the help of some British sports stars, is raising money for the charity
11:33Abigail's Footsteps. And KMTV's petrolhead, Abbie Hirk, will be taking on a type of motorsport
11:39which was actually born here in the county. All that and plenty more after the break. See you soon.
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15:08Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight, live on KMTV. Scorching, steamy, sizzling or sweltering?
15:16Those are just some of the words that can describe today's sultry weather in Kent.
15:20Temperatures have soared to a spicy 29 degrees here, which is the hottest day of 2024 so far.
15:26But is the sunny and sticky weather going to continue for the weekend? Let's find out.
15:34Tonight is showing some clouds in Canterbury, but a balmy 19 degrees in Dartford and Dover.
15:43Tomorrow morning is set to be full of sunshine, temperatures ranging from 21 to 23.
15:49As we head into Saturday afternoon, getting even hotter, temperatures ranging to 25 in the north
15:54of the county. Here's the outlook over the next few days. Cloudy skies, some showers on Monday,
16:00and some sunshine coming back on Sunday too.
16:11Well, moving on to sport now, and it's looking like Gillingham will be renaming their stadium
16:16after signing a new sponsorship deal. MEMS, who were the main sponsor of Gillingham for 12 years
16:22before their partnership ended in 2023, have been welcomed back as the club's main sponsor.
16:28Priestfield Stadium will once again be known as MEMS Priestfield Stadium, as the sponsorship deal
16:34begins this month. MEMS owner Colin Jarvis has been a lifelong Gilles fan,
16:38and has said he's delighted to renew his partnership with the club.
16:44Sports legends from all over the UK, including footballing legend Sir Geoff Hurst, have had
16:48their hands live-casted and put on display in Rochester Cathedral to support local charity
16:54Abigail's Footsteps. The Medway-based charity, founded in 2010, helps parents, midwives and
17:01healthcare professionals going through bereavement of babies, from counselling to providing training.
17:07The opening of the exhibition even saw the appearance and support of Eurovision winner
17:12Cheryl Baker. Our reporter Henry Luck has more. The crypt within Rochester Cathedral is seeing
17:18lots of helping hands, specifically the hands of 25 famous sporting legends in the UK, from 1966
17:26World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst, to powerlifting Paralympic champion Louise Sugden, which have been
17:34live-casted to raise money for the baby loss charity Abigail's Footsteps. The charity was
17:40founded in 2010, after its co-founder's baby daughter Abigail passed away shortly after she
17:47was born. It helps families going through similar tragedies. So the project has been the idea of
17:54Louise Gibling, who is a renowned sculptor, and she has met many of the Olympians previously with
18:01other work she has done, and so on this exercise she has gone and met them again and cast their
18:06hands. So from Sir Geoff Hurst, to Craig Chalmers, to Sally Gunnell, we've got a wide range of
18:14different athletes represented, all of whom have donated their time freely to help support us.
18:19And there's a significant reason why hands were chosen for the display. The handprint is so
18:24important. It's a memory of your baby and you've always got it, that tiny little hand.
18:34And so I think that's the relevance of the handprints here with Louise's exhibition.
18:41And all the sports people, all the fantastic things that they've done and they've achieved
18:45in their lifetime, and the awards that they've won. If you look at the hands, they tell stories,
18:52you know. I think the relevance of the handprint and Abigail's Footsteps is very real.
18:58For the sports stars who are at the opening, Abigail's Footsteps tackles problems very close to
19:04their hearts. Yeah, I think it's a really important charity because from what I've learned today,
19:10there's no one else doing a similar job and supporting these families that have lost children.
19:16So I think they're brilliant, really happy to be able to support them in a small way.
19:22So I was born prematurely. My parents never mentioned about this kind of support. I do
19:28remember my mum speaking about the doctors and nurses that looked after me when I was
19:33in a neonatal unit, but I didn't hear much about this kind of support, but
19:41probably it was there, but I think it's something that needs to be more available to parents.
19:48The art will be on display from the 19th of July until the 31st of August and auctioning will take
19:55place until the 14th of September. All the money raised will be going towards funding a bereavement
20:01garden at Medway Maritime Hospital. Henry Luck for CAME TV in Rochester.
20:10And finally this evening, the home, the birthplace and founding track for Rallycross. Lydden Hill,
20:15just between Canterbury and Dover, is celebrating its rich racing history with a retro race weekend.
20:21The Lydden Legend Festival is showcasing a sport created in our county with a diverse
20:27range of rally cars. Six-lap races will run over the weekend on the tarmac and dirt.
20:33Abbey Hook's been taken for a spin by local Rallycross supercar driver Tristan Ovenden.
20:52The Lydden Legend Festival, the birthplace of Rallycross,
21:02celebrating the glory of classic rally machinery. It's a sport that started right here in Kent,
21:08right here at Lydden Hill Circuit back in 1967, making it the oldest Rallycross circuit in the
21:15world. And Kent's very own Tristan Ovenden is going to show me what it's like the other side
21:20of the safety barriers. And actually, I'm incredibly lucky because not many people
21:25get to ride in that car. I've got my crash helmet, which we like.
21:29What do you prefer, on the tarmac or on the dirt?
21:35That's a good question. Tough question.
21:38The dirt's really good here now, with the jump. Yeah.
21:42It was, before they changed the circuit, it was really fast. It was like tarmac all the way around
21:47really, which is cool, but it's more fun now.
22:06How was it? Oh my goodness. It felt like we were like so out of control, but so in control at the
22:12same time. There's nothing like that. That was insane. That felt like 200 miles an hour,
22:19it's like 105 top speed, but it's more about the drifting and the skill.
22:24You look quick out there. Yeah, get me one of those. That's wicked.
22:28I've been coming here since I was tiny. It's our home race, so it's always special. This weekend,
22:33particularly though, being a Legends Festival, it's going to be amazing. It's going to be
22:37absolutely fantastic. It'll probably be the biggest meeting of the year, we think, here.
22:41Watched Rallycross since I can remember, so to now be in it at this level, it's my dream come
22:48true. And that dream is apparent across the paddock. This weekend, a range of cars will be
22:53out on track, headlined by Group B and four WD Monsters, with stars from the racing world,
22:59supercar features and a round of the Retro Rallycross Championship.
23:04The aim, to highlight the rich racing history Lydden Hill holds.
23:09There's no in-companies cars. They're all here for display and fun, to put a show on.
23:14So this is all about a show. We base this on a bit of a thing like Goodwood,
23:19Festival of Speed. So this is a smaller version of Rallying and Rallycross. It's what we've done.
23:27We've got a great history from the 50s of having Rallycross started here. Rallying is obviously
23:33in partnership with us, so we brought it all together to make this what you're seeing today.
23:39The short, sharp style of racing is different to that of more popular motorsports like Formula 1
23:44and touring cars. Six laps, six cars every six or seven minutes, created back in 1967,
23:52born between Canterbury and Dover. Abbey Hook for KMTV at Lydden Hill Race Circuit.
24:00Well, it looked like a lot of fun. Abbey joins me in the studio now.
24:03Incredible day you've had.
24:05Two of me.
24:06Yeah, two of you as well.
24:07I'm beaming ear to ear watching that back. Rushed back after, safely of course,
24:14to edit that piece together. It was so much fun. I can't believe looking at that video,
24:18I'm actually in that car. I've still got my wristbands on now. I'm not taking them off.
24:23I'm covered in dust and dirt as well, but it was so worth it. Such good fun.
24:27Yeah, I was going to say, our cameras probably wouldn't pick it up because you're so far away.
24:29Let's hope not.
24:30No, but yeah, you came back into the office and you were full of it. But no,
24:34it looks like incredible stuff. And it was interesting as well. I didn't know before
24:37you told me this week that Lydden was the birthplace of Rallycross. I think I remember
24:41now because some of those early video games always feature Lydden and it's in the World
24:46Championship. So of course, yeah, it makes absolute sense why they come here to Kent.
24:49Yeah, 4th of Feb, 1967. And it's got such an interesting,
24:54fascinating story and actually a TV link to it as well. So ITV, his name is Robert Reed.
24:59He was a director, producer at the time, and they needed something to put on the TV
25:05when the horse racing was rained off. When the horses couldn't go out, sorry,
25:10when it was rained off. ITV's famous for its horse racing. And they said to him,
25:14we need something to put out. And he watched these cars go across this track and they did
25:20a bit of motorsport, but he just looked at them driving back to the pits and they had to go over
25:24hill. And he thought, this would be great. A mixture of tarmac, a mixture of dirt.
25:28Let's start something. Let's call it Rallycross and let's put it on TV.
25:32So it started as a sport, a motorsport, started from just a need to fill a bit of time on the TV
25:37and replacement for horse racing. I suppose horse racing to horsepower. That's what you could call.
25:41Yeah, well, yeah, exactly. And it's filled a good bit of TV here as well today with your report
25:46there. No, really, really interesting about the hills as well. You really do get some air when
25:50you're going over them. What's that like when you're in the car?
25:52Well, the jumps actually are fairly new. And I did ask how are the old cars going to do,
25:56how the retro, the Rally Championship going to face over those, over those jumps. But Tristan
26:02did say to me, you need a few spare parts so it can get pretty expensive. There you go. You see
26:06the jump there. When you're in the car, it was quite low down. Tristan's car doesn't ever have
26:11passengers in it. I was so lucky. Not even his brothers have been in that car. I was very lucky
26:16to get that spot. But going over it, you can't see the other side. You've just got to hope and
26:21pray and put all my trust in who's going to be a rally champion and those races. It's impressive
26:27what they do. And I had a great time. And that festival taking place this weekend.
26:31Of course. Brilliant. Well, thank you very much.
26:34Lovely stuff. We've been watching Kent tonight live on KMTV. There's plenty more news throughout
26:39the evening for you to watch here on KMTV. I'll be back with The Late Bulletin at eight o'clock.