Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Finn Macdiarmid.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live on KMTV. I'm Finn McDermott and here are your
00:27top stories on Tuesday the 17th of December. It gets worse every year. Raynham stores struggle
00:34to stop shoplifting. They just seem to, I don't know, sneak things in their bags and
00:39get away with it, yeah. Rugby tackled. Tunbridge Wells divided over plans for 350 homes on
00:45pitch. It has already been putting progressive annual increases on the demands for schools,
00:52for doctors, for dentists. And ghosts of Rochester past. More on the Christmas classic
00:58released nearly two centuries ago. But first tonight, many retailers in Kent say shoplifting
01:14is on the rise and it only gets worse at Christmas. It comes as thefts are being reported county
01:21wide from bird baths to giant elves. Shop owners say the cost of living is making it
01:27much harder for people to afford presents and they're forced to steal. Police are warning
01:31that some criminal gangs can be behind large scale operations to sell goods on. Shoplifting
01:37is a huge issue across the county and the country, with a variety of businesses struggling
01:41to notice smaller items being slipped into people's pockets and bags. But during the
01:46Christmas period, statistics show that there were nearly 470,000 incidents of shoplifting
01:51this year to June in England and Wales, an increase of 28% on last year. And it's not
01:56just the shops you'd expect, with seasonal shop Christmastime having their elf on the
02:00shelf stolen and a pet shop in Raynham suffering shoplifting as well. Well, we've been the
02:06victim of a recent theft, which was obviously not a great experience. But we're just very
02:11aware that this is the time when thefts can happen. So we're just extra vigilant really
02:17because it's that season where people are perhaps needing things that they can't afford
02:23or sensing that there's an opportunity to maybe take things because it's a busy time
02:27for everyone. Now, just like Ziggy the bearded dragon here, shoplifting can be quite hard
02:32to spot sometimes, especially during the Christmas period when there's more people in the shops.
02:37It's just harder for shopkeepers and people behind the counter to be able to see it happening.
02:42But there's also a financial side to it. The cost of living means that people just aren't
02:45able to afford the kind of gifts they want to get their family, leading to more shoplifting
02:50than any other time of the year. And even a charity shop say they see items stolen throughout
02:55the year, even though their profits go to a good cause and Christmas is always the worst
03:00time for it. Well, we've had things stolen out the window, electrical items, shoes, handbags,
03:05personal belongings from lockers out the back. Yeah, they just seem to be able to sneak in
03:11and we've got people in here watching, but they just seem to, I don't know, sneak things
03:17in their bags and get away with it. Yeah, it has increased recently, but it is all the
03:23time. Yvette went on to say that people would come into the shop, try on a coat or a bag
03:28and simply walk out the door with them. Although they are able to recognise repeat offenders
03:32and have closed their changing room, they say the only way to tackle the problem is
03:36just by staying vigilant. We reached out to Kent Police for a comment, but general advice
03:40is for businesses to stay aware during the holiday season, especially in crowded areas
03:45or blind spots in their stores. There is reportedly an understanding between the owners and staff
03:50of different shops. When they see someone that's known to be a shoplifter, they will
03:53let the others in the area know. As the big day itself gets closer and closer, shops across
03:58Raynham and the rest of Kent are prepared to keep an extra eye out for their products
04:02this season. Finn McDermid for KMTV in Raynham. Now, all three of Kent's Medway MPs have stood
04:09down as councillors, triggering by-elections that could fling Medway Council out of Labour
04:14control. Nishar Bakhan, Tristan Osborne and Lauren Edwards were elected over the summer,
04:20but after a long-expected announcement, their ward seats are expected to be contested in
04:26the new year. Currently, Labour have 31 of 59 council seats, but with two councillors
04:31from the party currently suspended while under investigation, the group could lose their
04:35effective majority. We caught up with Medway Council leader Vince Maple to see how confident
04:40he is feeling as the group gears up.
04:43Look, I'm always confident as we walk in, but never complacent. We will work hard, we
04:49will show our track record as an administration, showing that we've had to take some tough
04:53choices to balance the books following inheriting the 91% cut in revenue support grant. So we
04:59will work hard, we'll work hard for the elections and we hope that the people of both Jillingham
05:04South and Rochester East and Warren Wood will support our new three candidates.
05:10Next tonight, a 21-year-old who murdered an artist who was out walking her dog last year
05:15has pled guilty to murder. Harrison Lawrence Van Poose appeared by video link at Canterbury
05:21Crown Court earlier today after Claire Knight was found dead in Minis Bay. With the Crown
05:26Prosecution Service hoping the change in plea will bring some comfort to friends and family.
05:31Oliver, leader De Sacks, joined me with the details earlier today. So Ollie, talk us through
05:36the case.
05:37Well, Finn, it's quite a complicated one. Lawrence Van Poose from Margate has been awaiting
05:43a hearing like this one for quite some time after the brutal attack on 54-year-old artist
05:50Claire Knight, who was attacked while walking her dog in Birchington last summer. I'm sure
05:55we all remember that sparked a major widespread search around Minis Bay. Kent Police Rescue
06:01Services looking for the woman who was reported missing. It was this morning that the 21-year-old
06:08was found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the 21-year-old was found dead
06:38in Birchington. It was this morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington.
07:08It was this morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this
07:15morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the
07:2221-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the 21-year-old was
07:29found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington.
07:36It was this morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this
07:43morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the
07:5021-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the 21-year-old was
07:57found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington.
08:04It was this morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this
08:11morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the
08:1821-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the 21-year-old was
08:25found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington.
08:32It was this morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this
08:39morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the
08:4621-year-old was found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the 21-year-old was
08:53found dead in Birchington. It was this morning that the 21-year-old was found dead in Birchington.
09:00Our facilities here need to be investigated to make sure we are accessible for all aspects
09:05of society and importantly for our neighbours as well to reduce some of the burden of parking
09:10on the local community.
09:12Proposals would see more than 350 homes. Neighbours in the area are concerned by this saying it's
09:17just the beginning. So far there have been more than 100 objections.
09:22You put a whole bunch of huge trucks, building trucks to move the rugby club and to build
09:27450 houses. It's going to destroy the roads. And then you put in new cars and then they're
09:31going to increase the volume of the traffic on the roads. And essentially what you're
09:34going to have is a lot more people getting hurt, you're going to have a lot more accidents.
09:38This is an area that has immense biodiversity and it's been protected for thousands of years.
09:44Once it's gone, it's gone.
09:47And for long-term residents, they say there's been unsustainable population growth.
09:53Largely by professional people moving from London with their families down here.
10:00It has already been putting progressive annual increases on the demands for schools, for doctors,
10:07for dentists, for eating out, for playing out, the whole thing.
10:13Developers told us they're working hard to address concerns from neighbours. Their intention
10:18is to bring forward a scheme that is designed sensitively within its setting and delivers
10:23on the much-needed local housing need for both private and affordable.
10:28What makes these proposals for homes a little bit more interesting is the fact that three
10:33quarters of the homes will sit in East Sussex. It'll be up to Wildern District Council to
10:39make their decision on those. However, if I just walk over here, I'll cross into Tunbridge Wells.
10:46This is the edge of the town and the Borough of Rorries, the plans could put an infrastructure
10:52burden on to the authority.
10:55It's GPs, it's water. That area of town had problems with the water network a couple of
11:00years ago. It was off for six days over Christmas. So what do these extra 350 houses mean for
11:05the water network? And so on and so forth. There's lots of infrastructure concerns that
11:09the community and that the Borough Council and that I have and that we're trying to work
11:14to resolve with Wildern.
11:16For now, no decision has been made. Formal planning applications will need to be submitted
11:22separately to the two different districts. It's thought that'll happen early next year.
11:28Gabriel Morris in Tunbridge Wells.
11:32It's now time for a quick break, but coming up we're going to learn all about Charles
11:36Dickens' ties to Medway, as we mark the very date nearly two centuries ago that he handed
11:41out copies of A Christmas Carol. And we'll be joined by Daisy, the producer of Kent on
11:45Climate, before its final episode of this year. Thank you so much and I'll see you after
11:49the break.
15:10Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight live on KMTV. Now, two young boys have been left
15:16hospitalised in serious but stable conditions following a car crash in Ashford. The children
15:22aged five and eight were hit by a white Hyundai near Tesco Extra on Moatfield Meadow yesterday
15:28afternoon, with Kent Police closing the road until 10.30pm in the evening. Police are now
15:34appealing for dashcam footage and witnesses to come forward.
15:37Yes, we'll have more on that story as it develops, but now a 40-year-old has been charged on
15:44suspicion of an attempted armed robbery following reports of an attack at a post office. CCTV
15:50footage shows a man with a pretend firearm just moments after threatening an employee
15:55and demanding money at the Premier Store in Twydale Green. The store owners can be seen
16:00wrestling the alleged thief while still holding the pistol before eventually leaving empty
16:05handed. He appeared in Medway Magistrates' Court today.
16:09Now, four people from Kent have been the lucky winners of life-changing amounts of money
16:13from the National Lottery EuroMillions draw. One of the winners bagged more than £100 million
16:18after matching five numbers and a lucky star when she played a personal selection of numbers.
16:23The personal selection method remains lucky after the other three players gained £1 million
16:27each on the app. The operator of the National Lottery has said Kent is clearly a lucky place to be.
16:33There is also support available online if you need help with gambling.
16:38Next, Rochester is known for its castle, cathedral and cobbled streets, but its most famous feature
16:44is Charles Dickens having lived there. 181 years ago today, in 1843, he wrote A Christmas Carol
16:51and signed ten copies for his friends before the book went out several days later
16:56and was an immediate success, selling out by Christmas Eve of that year.
17:00Now, to talk all things Rochester, past, present and future, I'm joined by Sue Haddock,
17:05former Mayor of Medway and history enthusiast. Well, thank you so much for joining me, Sue.
17:09Good evening, Finn.
17:11So, for anyone who doesn't know at home, I'm sure everyone in Rochester does,
17:15tell us a bit, where does that historical connection come from for Dickens?
17:19Well, of course, his father was employed at the Dockyard as a pay clerk,
17:24so he lived in Chatham for his very early days and went to school in the area.
17:30And then his father was moved to Portsmouth, or rather he was born in Portsmouth
17:36and his father moved to Chatham. Unfortunately, he was not so clever with his finances
17:43and he had to keep downsizing and eventually they ended up in London.
17:48Oh, right. Yes, as I mentioned, he wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843,
17:53which was when he lived in London. Let's talk now about the Dickensian Festival.
17:58It's always the main event of Medway's Christmas and could you tell us a bit about its origins?
18:03Well, the Summer Festival was the first one that goes back 40 years
18:08and I've been doing them ever since, every summer until, of course,
18:13Covid, that stopped it and they haven't resumed them.
18:16The Christmas Dickens started five years later and I've been doing that one ever since as well.
18:22And the idea of the Christmas Dickens, it's supposed to be a Dickensian Christmas
18:26and that was to encourage people to come here to visit the shops,
18:29to do their Christmas shopping, to boost trade for the high street.
18:33Much more recently, of course, we've had the Christmas market come into play.
18:39And it's continued to this day, obviously,
18:41so can you tell us any of your personal highlights of the festivals over the years?
18:44Well, Gerald Dickens, of course, great-great-grandson,
18:47he always used to come in the summer.
18:50In the winter, he's touring in the States so he can't come in the winter.
18:54But this year we did have Charles Dickens' great-great-great-grandson, Oliver,
19:00at the Cathedral for a carol service and I was at that.
19:04That was a carol service in the Garth and that was lovely.
19:07He is a classically trained actor, still a young lad,
19:13just like his uncle and just like his very famous forebear.
19:17So he's interacting in just the same way that I think Charles Dickens would approve.
19:23That is amazing. And I think there's parts of Dickens' books that are really inspired by Kent,
19:28like The Marshes and Great Expectations.
19:30Just before we go, do you have a favourite Dickens book?
19:34Personally, I think for me it's David Copperfield.
19:37For 40 years I've played Agnes Wickfield
19:42and the aficionados amongst them will know that Agnes Wickfield was a childhood sweetheart,
19:49or at least she was for him.
19:52And she became eventually the second Mrs David Copperfield.
19:57And I've stayed that for 40 years.
19:59Brilliant. Well, that's about all we have time for.
20:01Thank you so much for joining us.
20:03Now it's time to take a look at the weather.
20:11It's looking like a windy evening tonight,
20:13hitting 17 miles per hour and 10 degrees across the board with some rain to be expected.
20:18Then into the morning it'll warm up to around 14 degrees,
20:21staying at 13 around Dover and Medway.
20:25Then tomorrow, much of the same to be expected,
20:30the clouds covering the county with Ashford cooling down.
20:34And here's the rest of your Outlook.
20:36Thursday, rainy at a cool 7 degrees,
20:38which will warm up as the week goes on 10 on Friday and 12 on Saturday.
20:47Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent
20:51by logging on to our website, which is kmtv.co.uk.
20:54There you'll find oral reports, including this one about stormy skies
20:58casting doubt over Folkestone's festive boost to businesses.
21:02Cheers and beers.
21:04It might feel like a lifetime ago, but this summer's sporting action
21:08plus some enjoyable weather meant a bumper season for the Harbour Arm in Folkestone.
21:12But as the temperatures have dropped and the rain has started to fall,
21:16so has the footfall.
21:18This is the first time in our festive markets history,
21:21this is the fourth year now where we've had this much disruption
21:25because of named storms basically.
21:28The weather has really, really put a downer on some of our traders.
21:33The business hub has taken to social media to urge locals to still come out this December,
21:38describing the Christmas trading period as a lifeline
21:41for the independent businesses that make up the site.
21:44The support that's been shown for our traders has been really overwhelming
21:49and we feel that the festive market only runs for six weeks,
21:53so people need to come out and make the most of it.
21:56It follows a turbulent start to the festive season,
21:59with Storm Dara forcing the cancellation of Christmas events across Kent.
22:03A yellow weather warning brought strong winds, heavy rain and fears of damage to property.
22:08Even after four named storms have passed, it's safe to say that the weather this Christmas
22:13just hasn't been very Christmassy, especially down here in Folkestone,
22:17where the fury of Kent's coastal winds just aren't giving way.
22:20But some of the traders inside the harbour arms say that they're actually quite optimistic
22:25of things looking up as we get closer to the big day.
22:28Well, we had to shut one weekend, one Sunday.
22:31That was Storm Burt, so that was a shame, but that's for safety reasons
22:36and you can totally understand that.
22:38The weather looks all right for next weekend,
22:40so I'm hoping this weekend is the one where people say, I'll have that.
22:43Helen Sharp runs a jewellery business and says it's not just the weather dampening spirits,
22:48with the cost of living crisis adding to the challenges traders face.
22:52I think my most expensive thing is something like 160,
22:55so that doesn't fly off the shelves very quickly,
22:57but there is something there which can be a special present,
23:01especially if you've met the maker and that's another thing about being down here
23:05is quite a lot of the huts you are buying straight from the person who made or created the item.
23:10It is not easy being a small independent producer
23:15and the more we can all do to support those is amazing.
23:19As the countdown to Christmas continues,
23:22traders are hoping out for calmer skies and busy markets.
23:25As for these small businesses, every shopper could be the silver lining in a stormy season.
23:30Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.
23:34Coming up after the break is the last episode of Kent on Climate of the Year,
23:39but in the last 12 months we've brought you reports covering environmental news from around the county
23:45with guests who have told us about their international experience at COP
23:49to local initiatives with Kent schools and what communities are doing to help out.
23:53Joining me now to tell us more about the last episode of the year
23:57and what we have in store is Daisy Page. Thanks so much for joining us, Daisy.
24:01No worries. So we've got lots.
24:03There's a really packed full list, Kent on Climate, the last one before the year ends,
24:07but we'll be back for 2025.
24:09We cover lots. We're talking about the paper mill, which has hit its 100-year anniversary.
24:14Our reporter Zini is going to be joining us now,
24:16talking about how paper like this is turned into recycled paper
24:20and how they went from a newspaper place to being more sustainable and recycling it.
24:25That's really interesting.
24:27I think I saw that story, 100 years of that paper mill.
24:31Now, you've only been producing the show for about a month,
24:33but you've got to tell me, what is your number one highlight?
24:35So I think my highlight is meeting all the different people and all the guests that we've had.
24:40We've had someone come in from COP, as you just mentioned,
24:43but also it's not even the international experiences.
24:46It's what's happening in Kent here.
24:47We've talked to loads of different schools
24:49and hopefully we'll be talking to more schools in the future as well.
24:52But one thing I won't forget is Conkers for Bonkers, which won an award,
24:56and that is that you can make soap from Conkers, which I didn't know.
24:59I know. Yeah, it's really fascinating.
25:01And it's just amazing how schoolchildren are teaching us these types of things as well.
25:07That is brilliant.
25:09Now, you and Kristen are working on a documentary.
25:11Can you tell us a bit about it?
25:13Yes, I thought I would talk a little bit about it,
25:15just in case people are a bit sad that it's the last one of the year
25:19and they do want their environmental news.
25:21But me and Kristen are working on a documentary
25:23inspired looking at how Kent will change over 100 years.
25:27So it came about as a report was released showing how in 2080
25:32climate might impact different things from health, food security and things like that.
25:38So we looked back like 200 years ago when Fannock used to be an island
25:42and now we're looking forward about what Kent will look like in 100 years itself.
25:47Brilliant. I think we can hear a bit more from Kent on climate just now.
25:53I, for myself, I think the farms that we see here in Kent and around the United Kingdom,
25:57they will play a vital role in helping us reduce carbon emissions.
26:02So actually this bit on the edge and the current predictions,
26:05this bit is likely to still be here.
26:07Immediately behind me, that will have receded quite a bit.
26:10So the centre of Sheppey is a hill around Minster.
26:14That will have gone further inland.
26:16But the bulk of the hill will still be there in 100 years.
26:18What did Kent look like 100 years ago?
26:22What was there here?
26:23Well, actually, it wouldn't have looked a lot different from where we are right now.
26:27In fact, it probably would look very similar.
26:31And sorry about that technical difficulty there.
26:33Just quickly before we go, what's been your personal favourite part of Kent on climate?
26:38Well, I think it's just learning all the different things.
26:41I think being able to just have a go at presenting again,
26:44even though it might not be the best, but it's always fun to give it a try.
26:47That's brilliant.
26:48Well, thank you so much for joining us and we'll see you soon.
26:53Goodbye.