Kent Tonight - Wednesday 24th July 2024
Catch up with all the latest news across your county with Abby Hook.
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00:00Hello, good evening and welcome to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
00:29I'm Abbey Hook.
00:30Here are your top stories on Wednesday 24th July.
00:34Soldier stabbed.
00:35Gillingham and the UK react as a British Army soldier is hospitalised after being attacked.
00:42We don't know the motivation.
00:43The police are doing their investigation and speculation is really unhelpful and I think
00:48at the moment we should just be rallying behind the family, rallying behind the community.
00:53Condolences but no apologies.
00:56Margate Streamland keeps licence despite teenagers drug death.
01:02No room at the inn.
01:03Hedgehog hospital near Ashford overwhelmed with rescues as vet costs triple.
01:09We have to make sure we can ensure the welfare standards that we've already got here and
01:14that unfortunately relies on money.
01:26Bursts tonight shocked and appalled.
01:28The words of the Prime Minister as a soldier has been hospitalised following a stabbing
01:33in Gillingham.
01:34Emergency crews were called on Tuesday evening to reports of a serious assault on Sallyport
01:39Road close to Brompton Barracks.
01:41We understand the soldier was living in accommodation on the street.
01:44Our reporter Bartholomew Hall is at the scene live for us now.
01:48Bartholomew, what's the latest update?
01:52Well Abi, it's been a very busy day here in Gillingham, not just because the community
01:56have had to deal with this very sad news that a soldier was stabbed what was just metres
02:01away from a military barracks here in Gillingham but also as it seems the nation has turned
02:06its attention to the area with reaction going as far as the Prime Minister who gave remarks
02:11today in his first Prime Minister's Questions.
02:14Now you can see just behind me where one of the two cordons have been set up across Medway
02:19today as police have continued their investigations.
02:23Here there's been forensics teams throughout the day, officers, a real multitude of police
02:27vehicles going in and out of the area, all being watched on of course by the nation's
02:32press which has descended on to Gillingham today, really giving you a picture there of
02:38just how widely this news has been received.
02:41The latest this evening is that following the soldier being airlifted to hospital last
02:46night he's in a serious but stable condition, he has not yet been named, we understand he
02:51is in his 40s and that we're reporting alongside the Kent Messenger that he did live in military
02:57accommodation in Sally Port Road which is just behind me.
03:01Another important line from Kent Police is that whilst a 24-year-old has been arrested
03:06on suspicion of attempted murder, they don't believe any other suspects are involved and
03:10that whilst they've been working with counter-terrorism police they are not treating the incident as
03:15terrorism related at this stage, they're saying that they're exploring a number of
03:19lines of enquiries including the possibility that the incident was mental health related.
03:24Let's now take a look back at what a day it's been here.
03:28This was not the scene residents here in Gillingham were expecting when they woke up this morning.
03:32Police officers, cordoned off streets and forensic investigators, all here to work out
03:37exactly what happened on Tuesday evening when a British Army soldier was repeatedly stabbed.
03:43So we went to attend karate last night and I drove up and the only way into that whole
03:49estate area is via the road on which the incident happened.
03:54I know we live in Gillingham and a lot of people say Gillingham is not particularly
03:56nice but it's not that bad an area and it is a bit shocking for it to happen, like on
04:00your doorstep as well and I do wish that the soldier makes a recovery.
04:05Here's what we know so far, the stabbing happened close to Brompton Barracks, it's where the
04:09British Army's Royal School of Military Engineering regiment is based.
04:13Then at around 6pm, emergency crews were called to a serious assault in Sallyport Gardens.
04:20Less than half an hour later, an arrest was made on suspicion of attempted murder.
04:25The man arrested was this 24-year-old who was seen riding away from the scene and on
04:30this red moped, later taken into custody in Rochester where another cordon was set up
04:35in Mooring Road.
04:37Today as investigations have continued, officers have seized a number of knives as they work
04:42towards understanding the motivation for the attack.
04:45It's not believed to be terror related.
04:49The news has prompted a nationwide response with the Prime Minister taking to social media
04:54to say he was shocked and appalled before delivering these remarks in his first Prime
04:58Minister's Questions.
04:59I know the whole house will be shocked by the news that a soldier has been attacked
05:05in Kent.
05:06Our thoughts are with him, his family and our armed forces who serve to keep us safe.
05:13We wish him a swift recovery.
05:15Medway of course has such a huge historical tie to the armed forces, symbolised here in
05:20Gillingham by the Chatham Naval Memorial which stands over the Great Lines Park, just a few
05:25hundred metres away from where the incident took place.
05:28My thoughts are with the victim's family and very much the close-knit military community
05:33around.
05:34There will be very, very close friends that have served and worked with this soldier who
05:39will be suffering a bit this morning and taking it all in.
05:44It's a very close community because those that serve, quite often you live in each other's
05:49pockets, you're 24-7.
05:51It is very much that extended close family.
05:54Officers have warned residents should expect to see an increased police presence over the
05:58coming days as it's clear to see this investigation is far from over.
06:05Now of course, as I mentioned there, enquiries still very much underway this evening.
06:11Police say that residents can expect an increased police presence as those investigations continue.
06:17As you can expect with a story of this scale, there's been a rather large online response
06:22to the incident as well and I was speaking to the MP for this area, Lauren Edwards, today
06:27who had a very clear message about avoiding engaging with online speculation and waiting
06:32for those official lines from police.
06:36Police have said it's an isolated incident, that's what they're treating it like at the
06:39moment and they aren't clear about the motive yet.
06:42They are still doing investigations so I think my focus is just on letting them get on and
06:46understand what's happened here and then obviously reassuring the community.
06:51We have had a really heightened police presence in the area which hopefully has reassured
06:56residents.
06:57The main message that I would like to get across today I think is that we don't know
07:01the motivation.
07:02Police are doing their investigation and speculation is really unhelpful and I think
07:06at the moment we should just be rallying behind the family, rallying behind the community
07:10which I know people in Brompton will do, I know they will do it in the armed forces and
07:15that really needs to be the focus rather than speculation.
07:19And of course, as soon as we get those official updates, we'll bring them to you here and
07:23also at Kent Online.
07:25Bartholomew, thank you very much for those details.
07:31Dreamland in Margate will still be allowed to hold gigs and festivals despite the death
07:36of a 17-year-old last month after taking MDMA at a concert.
07:41The licensing sub-committee on Thanet District Council has today allowed the theme park to
07:46continue holding music events but there are conditions.
07:49This review was already scheduled before 22 children were hospitalised following the Worried
07:54About Henry festival in June.
07:56Well, our local Democracy reporter Gabriel Morris joins me now with more.
08:00Gabriel, remind us of the events that led us to where we are today.
08:04Well, let me start with what actually happened today.
08:07It was the licensing sub-committee.
08:08As you said just then, this was scheduled before this event.
08:11We already knew this was going to happen, but Kent Police and TDC had put some interventions
08:16in to ensure actually what happened today really did focus on that event on the 29th
08:21of June and conditions have been implemented and an extra one today, which I'll come to
08:26in some time. But let me take you back to the 29th of June.
08:3070-year-old Emily Stokes died after collapsing at Dreamland from a suspected MDMA overdose.
08:36Investigations and papers submitted to Thanet District Council's licensing committee have
08:41revealed that Emily was seen on CCTV swallowing what appeared to be an ecstasy pill.
08:47She was found intoxicated and later died in hospital that evening.
08:51Now, this occurred at that Drum and Bass Festival, the Worried About Henry event, which we've
08:55been speaking about, and it was at that event where a further 21 teenagers were hospitalised
09:00and one was in an induced coma.
09:03Now, in submissions sent to the council for this licensing committee today, one local
09:08resident who runs a street vendor, street concessions on the beach, he described some
09:13of these teenagers as feral and in a zombie-like state.
09:17Now, seven people were arrested for drug supply, with five bailed and two released without
09:22charge.
09:23OK, and now we've heard from Dreamland, haven't we?
09:28Yeah, we have nearly a month on today.
09:30There's been that full review of the premise licences for Dream Park, and that does mean
09:33that Dreamland have to give the council some information on this.
09:37Now, they've told us, they've told the council that on the night, on the day of that offence
09:42on the 29th of June, there were 49 security staff and drug detection dogs present.
09:47They say there were full pat-downs and bag searches were conducted at entry.
09:52Now, as part of this, for the licensing review today, Sounds Heritage Limited, they're the
09:57company who own Dreamland.
09:59They said in a statement, this review has arisen because of a tragic event which arose
10:04not through the fault of them, but because of the scourge of unlawful drugs in society.
10:10And that today at the licensing hearing, a representative of Dreamland gave his deep
10:15condolences to the friends and family of Emily Stokes after her untimely death and that
10:20he had deep sadness felt by our client and everyone in the meeting following the death
10:25of a young person.
10:26So, Gabriel, some improvement measures would need to be put forward to allow them to keep
10:31the licence.
10:32Yeah, we did know some of these already, which were going to come into place.
10:35These have been agreed between Dreamland themselves, Valet District Council and also
10:41Kent Police.
10:43Now, there's going to be increased security, a creation of a safety advisory group and
10:47risk assessments of events, categorising them to low to high with increased measures for
10:51high events such as no under 18s.
10:53Now, in the initial reaction to this, there's a blanket ban on drug based events.
10:57Our understanding is that those events can go ahead now, but they'll be high risk groups,
11:01which means that no under 18s will be allowed to attend them.
11:04And as I said, these were already concerns we knew about, but the committee today added an
11:07extra measure to cover border security.
11:10That's because according to South Eastern Network Rail, on that night and other nights,
11:14teenagers have been trespassing along Live Lecture Rails into Dreamland site, which is
11:18neighbouring it, and they believe allegedly that some drugs could have been handed over
11:23the fences there.
11:24Well, Gabriel, more information over on Kent Online as well.
11:26Thank you for those details.
11:27See you after this short break.
14:44Hello and welcome back to Kent Online, where I'm joined by my co-hosts,
14:48Kate and Daniel.
14:49I'm joined by my co-hosts, Daniel and Kate.
14:51I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
14:53I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
14:55I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
14:57I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
14:59I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
15:01I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
15:03I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
15:05I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
15:07I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
15:09I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
15:11I'm joined by my co-hosts, Kate and Daniel.
15:13Welcome back to Kent Tonight, live on KMTV.
15:16Now, don't forget, as well as watching us live here at 5.30 every weekday,
15:20you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent
15:23over on our website, kmtv.co.uk.
15:26There you'll find all our reports, including this one,
15:28when Stuart Powell was given a 14-week suspended sentence
15:32following the death of seven-year-old William Brown in Folkestone.
15:37A suspended sentence for Stuart Powell.
15:4014 weeks behind bars, but suspended for 12 months
15:44for the driver who hit seven-year-old William Brown Jr.
15:47and fled the scene in Folkestone.
15:49Here he is, leaving court the day he pled guilty back in May.
15:53It was in December when William was playing in his garden
15:56and stepped out onto the road to collect his football.
15:59He was hit by Powell's van, which propelled him into another car.
16:03Despite all efforts to save him, he died there.
16:06Powell, from St Mary's Bay, fled the scene
16:08and would go on to tell the police he panicked
16:11when he called 999 the next day.
16:13William's mother, Laura, continues to campaign for tougher sentences
16:17and a 20-mile-per-hour speed limit in Sandgate Esplanade,
16:20where William was hit.
16:22We're trying to do a petition to change the laws
16:25to extend hit-and-run sentencing,
16:28so things like today wouldn't happen.
16:31It would be elevated to a Crown Court as opposed to a magistrate's.
16:35There's no sentence that would bring William back
16:38or it's just...
16:40There's nothing, really, apart from that, that could make a positive change.
16:44Putting, you know, Stuart in prison wouldn't help anyone.
16:48What this can possibly do is shine a light on our justice system
16:52and how it needs reform and change needs to come sooner rather than later.
16:56No more children or adults need to be left for dead on our roads
16:59and this, hopefully, can shine that light.
17:02William's death rocked the local community,
17:05the whole county and even the country,
17:08with his funeral broadcast live on KMTV, thousands watched on.
17:14I love you and I will always carry you with me.
17:21His burial was signed off by the King himself
17:24and a visit from former Home Secretary James Cleverley
17:27to the ice cream parlour created in his memory.
17:30Rather than mourn him, we try and think of positive things
17:33that William would love.
17:35Today's Sports Day, his favourite day of the year,
17:38so it's very bittersweet, ironic that it's today,
17:41but I know that he'll be dancing somewhere in heaven,
17:44just cheering us on and wanting us just to keep on moving
17:47with positive steps only.
17:49That's what he would have wanted.
17:51Despite the devastation of losing their child,
17:54William's family have shown forgiveness
17:58and finally, today, found some peace.
18:02Abbey Hook for KMTV in Folkestone.
18:08Next tonight, after rescuing an injured hedgehog
18:11in her garden in Ashford, Lisa Stewart has accidentally
18:14become one of the biggest sanctuaries in Kent.
18:17She's currently nursing 100 of the animals back to full health
18:20but says she's quickly running out of space
18:23at the Hedgehog Hospital and trying to find a larger location
18:26and more money to fund Thorn Hedgehog Rescue
18:29is proving a challenge.
18:31The amount of hedgehogs that we can take in,
18:34we are always going to be limited by one,
18:37the volunteers we have, firstly the space we have,
18:40then the volunteers we have to ensure that we can do the care standards
18:43and then of course money always comes into it.
18:46We pay our own vet costs, we pay for our own medications,
18:49all the food, we have fantastic supporters
18:52that do donate regularly
18:55but as we grow, costs increase
18:58and those costs themselves are increasing.
19:01The situation we have at the minute with issues with vets is
19:04my current one is leaving, we are using any vet available
19:07but overnight in some cases costs have tripled
19:10which obviously then impacts whether we can take in
19:13more hedgehogs that need it,
19:16we have to make sure we can ensure the welfare standards
19:19that we've already got here and that unfortunately relies on money.
19:22Every hedgehog that comes here is very poorly,
19:25very sick, not all can make it
19:28and that's just part of the job.
19:31The struggle for me is having to say no,
19:34knowing there's a list of newborns and I haven't got the space or the money
19:37or the resources to be able to take them in
19:40and with so few other spaces available and me being one of the largest
19:43and often when other rescues are full
19:46the last resort, I know what is going to happen to them
19:49so that's the biggest struggle for me
19:52always worrying that I'm going to have to say no to the next one.
19:55Now from new shops to coffee stops
19:58many businesses in Kent are building up their budgets
20:01and perfecting their profits.
20:04Here's Alex Skaith with your Business Roundup.
20:12Our first story takes us all the way to Faversham
20:15where an opening date for a brand new Home Bargains has been confirmed.
20:18The new store is due to open on November 2nd of this year
20:21and will be found where a Morrisons was previously located.
20:24The plans will be approved by Swale Borough Council
20:27and include an in-store bakery
20:30as well as a large chilled and frozen range.
20:33The new store is expected to create as many as 50 new jobs
20:36which could be a significant boost for the local economy.
20:39Nearby residents are excited at the potential for a fresh injection of life into Faversham
20:42with the Morrisons that occupied the space prior
20:45to their unsustainable financial performance.
20:48On to our second story now where a couple have opened up their village's very first coffee shop.
20:51Joanne and Mick Beale who previously ran a British cafe in Spain back in 2019
20:54returned to the UK a couple of years ago looking to start anew.
20:57Mick, a retired firefighter
21:00says that compared to running a business abroad
21:03this new venture has been a breeze
21:06with his wife Joanne saying that the local community has really rallied behind them.
21:09It was a busy two months to get the cafe up and running
21:12but now the pair's focus has turned to raising money
21:15for their village's new defibrillator.
21:18It looks like they've really settled in.
21:21Finally, we have the story of the national loss of 200 carpet write stores
21:24with 10 being lost in our very own county.
21:27The flooring retailer Tappy has spoken out
21:30and said that they intend to buy a total of 54 carpet write stores
21:33which looks to save over 300 jobs.
21:36With the store's prior number at almost 300 stores
21:39only a third of their stores are still operating.
21:42With their new ownership, Carpet Write has found that they can no longer keep open
21:45the original amount of stores no matter how unfortunate it may be
21:48stating publicly that they are truly sorry that they are unable to save more jobs.
21:51I'm Alex Gaife and this has been this week's Business Roundup.
22:03Now it's time to take a very quick look at the weather forecast.
22:09Tonight we're set to see temperatures
22:12between 15 and 16 in the county
22:15mostly clear skies, some clouds down in the south.
22:18By tomorrow morning warming up to 19 degrees
22:21in Dartford and in Margate, lows of 17.
22:24By the afternoon the rain right across Kent
22:27some sunshine in the middle there but staying pretty wet and drizzly.
22:30Here's your outlook for Kent as well.
22:33Friday a mix of rain and hot temperatures
22:36Sunday the sun comes out.
22:45And finally this evening radio host
22:48Gary Wilson is celebrating 10 years
22:51at our sister station KMFM
22:54and his co-stars are making him do all sorts of challenges to market.
22:57But how has radio changed over the past decade
23:00and what are some of his radio standout moments
23:03and why did he get into the job in the first place?
23:06Well let's find out. Gary joined me earlier.
23:09First of all congratulations Gary. How does it feel
23:1210 years at KMFM?
23:15Well it was supposed to be that I was keeping a secret from everyone
23:18that it was 10 years but the thing is I actually hadn't realised
23:21so it's fabulous, it's great, go me!
23:24So it's flown by then?
23:27Yeah it really has, I can't actually believe it
23:30the weird life that it gives you
23:33having to do The Breakfast Show
23:36not that I'm complaining of course
23:39yeah it has, it's gone really quick, I can't quite believe it.
23:42Is radio something you always wanted to do?
23:45Not really, strangely
23:48I kind of got into DJing in my teens
23:51and then it kind of just led into
23:54radio really
23:58but most things are, one little thing leads to another little thing
24:01and yeah you end up doing this forever.
24:04Something we've been loving here at KMTV is watching
24:07on X all the challenges that you've been set this week
24:10how's Chelsea roped you into doing
24:13I saw an ice bucket challenge even
24:16I think you've even got some Gary's Angels setting you these different missions
24:19this week?
24:22Yeah, well they managed to get together
24:25the various people who put up with me for varying lengths of time
24:28on The Breakfast Show
24:31so I started out working with Emma Adam
24:34and it was when we were together
24:37doing The Breakfast Show that the ice bucket challenge was a thing
24:40and unfortunately I accidentally chucked
24:43a massive bucket of ice water over her
24:46little did I know, I have seen the video
24:49I don't know how accidental it was
24:52let's just say it was a mix up
24:55she got the ice on her and ten short years later
24:58she's managed through Chelsea to get her vengeance
25:01and then we've already this week
25:04caught up with Laura who used to do
25:07The Breakfast Show with me after Emma
25:10and she's set some little challenges as well
25:13because she used to play the kazoo which the boss then banned and locked away
25:16we found the key and unlocked the kazoo
25:19and we had to have a go of that this morning
25:22so I don't know what else is planned for the rest of the week
25:25from the other people I've worked with, Claire Lawson
25:28she was next in line
25:31and then Chelsea, that's where we're up to today
25:34so I expect Chelsea's got something very special planned
25:37Definitely, we love listening to you both on the radio
25:40so something to look forward to at the end of this week
25:43and just quickly Gary, to round the celebration off
25:46how has radio changed in the last decade?
25:49Radio hasn't changed a lot
25:52I think a lot of stuff has changed around radio
25:55social media obviously has
25:58even in ten years, which doesn't really sound that long
26:01in 2014, doesn't sound like that long ago
26:04but the way people use and consume social media
26:07now is so wildly different
26:10I think we were doing a bit of Facebooking and that was about it
26:13but now we've got every kind of way that you can get in touch with us
26:16and people that share our content like you were saying
26:19you've been watching our videos and stuff
26:22so that's become much more part of radio output that you're expected to do
26:25and that you naturally can do
26:28all the video content as well
26:31of course we are part of KMTV every morning as well between 6 and 10
26:34so the visual side of it has been brought in
26:37and the technology
26:40well make sure you're watching and listening to KMFM to see what they get Gary
26:43to do tomorrow and Friday as well
26:46a lot of fun chatting to him then and happy ten years
26:49that's all from me, bye bye