Catch up on the latest news from across the county with Abby Hook.
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00:29 Hello there and welcome to Kentonite live on KMTV.
00:32 I'm Abbey Hook. Here are your top stories on Monday the 24th of July.
00:37 The holiday from hell. Kent residents among thousands evacuating Greek Island fires.
00:44 The local authorities are battling what is the biggest challenge in terms of fire that they've ever faced.
00:52 Struggling with summer. Medway mum facing soaring childcare costs.
00:58 It really is putting strain on our family and my husband has to work a lot of overtime just to keep on going.
01:03 And cutting those costs. Kent Life welcoming families for budget friendly fun.
01:10 We need to be more mindful about how much money families have got in their pockets and their budgets.
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01:26 But first tonight a nightmare for Kent holiday makers in Greece.
01:30 As the island of Rhodes has undergone its largest ever evacuation from wildfires.
01:35 Up to 10,000 British nationals are thought to be on the island.
01:39 The Greek government say 10% of tourists have been affected including one family from Tunbridge Wells.
01:44 Bill Mew who is also an expert in crisis management has been recovering from cancer and planned a two week holiday to Rhodes to unwind.
01:52 Now despite internet connection being cut from many parts of the island we managed to speak with him this morning.
01:58 Bill thank you so much for joining us.
02:02 Firstly we just want to make sure you're safe and you're okay.
02:05 So what situation are you and your family in right now?
02:08 We flew in to what was a disaster scenario but thankfully the core operator has found us and we're safe.
02:18 It's not what we expected, it's not ideal but we're at least safe.
02:24 We've got it better than many of the locals who are facing losing homes.
02:31 Now I imagine you were really looking forward to a holiday especially for yourself and your family in particular.
02:38 Now can you share your personal story with us?
02:42 I've been battling with bowel cancer so I've had a fairly difficult time over the last few months.
02:49 We've invested in a big luxury holiday for two weeks as a sort of unwinding after some of what we've been through.
02:59 So we're really looking forward to this and obviously a big luxury holiday, a big season doesn't come cheap.
03:07 It's massively disappointing not only to myself but to my wife and son who are out here with me as well.
03:14 And your son, he's on the autistic spectrum as well.
03:18 How's he coping with this? Has he struggled with having to move to a different location?
03:24 We have to think ahead in terms of finding the right space, the right activities and the right support.
03:34 And therefore again it's something we have to be very careful when choosing accommodation, resort and everything.
03:44 And all of that goes out the window and this sort of thing happens.
03:48 The situation where we're in now where we're having to sleep three in a bed with whatever accommodation they can provide
03:57 with a heatwave and with the air conditioning not working most of the time.
04:03 I mean at about 38 the temperature here is higher than our body temperature
04:09 and therefore it's exceedingly difficult to sleep at night when the air con doesn't work.
04:14 And it was out last night in the morning.
04:17 So obviously a lot of locals displaced too. It's not only the tourists and holiday makers.
04:22 Now what have the local authorities been doing to help you and them?
04:28 The local authorities are back with what is the biggest challenge in terms of fire that they've ever faced.
04:36 And they've got their hands full. They have designated the whole south of the island as closed.
04:43 This means that people have been displaced.
04:47 It's largely on account not just of the fires but the fact that the power is out in the whole of the south of the island at this moment in time.
04:55 And therefore they're facing an enormous challenge.
04:59 But I believe that they're doing what they can to put resources in place to fight the fire and to address the situation.
05:07 The situation with the holiday makers is largely down to their tour operators.
05:12 As I say with Mark Warner who we're with, they were very quick to move to provide alternatives.
05:19 It's not ideal but they have been very supportive.
05:23 It's been very difficult for others and I believe there will be a lot of insurance claims coming at some point.
05:29 Jet2 cancelled all flights and holidays to Rhodes until the 31st of July saying that they'll be contacting affected customers about refunds and rebooking options.
05:38 The airline operator has three evacuation flights leaving the island tonight, flying nearly 600 customers to Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Birmingham.
05:46 EasyJet sent more than 400 people back to the UK on two flights. Another is planned.
05:51 TUI also cancelled all flights to the island until Tuesday with customers given the opportunity to rebook or cancel free of charge.
05:57 The UK Foreign Office has advised people to follow emergency service guidance and to call 112 if there's immediate danger.
06:05 A team of British diplomats and Red Cross workers have been sent to Rhodes airport to assist the UK nationals as well.
06:11 To get an idea of the wider picture in Greece and what it means for tourism,
06:16 earlier this afternoon I spoke with former KMTV reporter Yannis Xanifantis who now works for Sky TV in Athens.
06:23 Yannis, thank you so much for joining us. Now firstly, could you tell me where did the fires begin and when did the evacuations start?
06:31 So the fire began on Tuesday. So today is the seventh day in a row that wildfires are on, are burning in Rhodes.
06:43 The first evacuation started on Friday, on Friday afternoon.
06:49 So we saw a lot of evacuations during Friday and Saturday.
06:56 More than 19,000 people evacuated their hotels or locals evacuated their homes where they were living their whole life.
07:06 They were told suddenly to leave their hotels and the homes that they were living on.
07:12 And how have the authorities been handling this? What's the Greek government been saying?
07:17 On Friday and on Saturday there has been the biggest evacuations, evacuation of wildfires that has been in Greek history because of wildfires.
07:32 It was the biggest one. More than 19,000 people were evacuated.
07:36 The help of the locals was the most important thing, I believe.
07:42 We saw that and we heard that from the tourists at the airport now that they're waiting their flights to go back home,
07:51 that the help of the locals was the most important thing.
07:56 What does this look like for the future of tourism in Rhodes and in Corfu?
08:00 They're such huge holiday destinations for Brits especially.
08:04 What do you think this is going to do to the future of these places for tourism?
08:10 Yeah, to begin with the Prime Minister a few minutes ago he spoke on the Greek parliament
08:18 and he told that the country is at war, at the constant war with the fires.
08:25 The environment change is going to affect in a way the way that people used to do their holidays.
08:36 I mean they need to be more prepared because we saw wildfires also in Corfu and in other places in Greece during these past two weeks.
08:47 The Prime Minister told that only 10% of the tourists were affected by these wildfires.
08:56 But the problem is how we're going to pursue and to advise, let's say, the people that have the hotels
09:09 and the people that organize these holidays to be more prepared.
09:14 Now our thoughts are with all those fleeing the area, those UK nationals and locals of Rhodes too.
09:21 We'll continue to cover the situation as it unfolds here at KMTV.
09:24 Now more locally, Kent police have arrested a man in connection with a suspected arson attack at a property in Chatham.
09:31 At around 6am on Thursday 20th July a car wash caught fire which spread to nearby flats injuring a family of three.
09:39 Well with more of this our reporter Bartholomew Hall joins me in the studio now.
09:43 Now Bartholomew what can you tell us?
09:45 Yes well let's take this back to the beginning. So 6 o'clock on Thursday 20th July, this is the Thursday just gone of course,
09:52 officers were called to this property in Chatham and around that time many pictures surfaced on social media.
09:59 Smoke pluming into the air and really extraordinarily changing the picture of the Medway skyline
10:07 and many people wondering what it was that was happening.
10:10 It's understood that the fire began at a car wash. At this point the actual cause of the fire is still unknown.
10:16 That spread to a shop at the front on Luton Road which was later closed and a flat above it.
10:22 Now we were told at the scene that the fire service rescued a family of three.
10:27 Now this included a woman and two children.
10:30 And we believe they're undergoing some treatment now.
10:32 Absolutely. So Kent police told us today that they were taken to hospital and they were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation.
10:39 Kent police also told us today that they are treating the fire as suspicious and that they have made an arrest of a 35 year old man.
10:46 Now that 35 year old man he was later released on bail while pending further investigation.
10:53 Now that's until Tuesday the 10th of October.
10:56 In the meantime officers are continuing to appeal for more information.
11:00 They're appealing for witnesses who saw anybody acting suspiciously or even running from the scene in their own words of course.
11:08 Now they are asking anybody who feels that they can contribute to the investigation to contact them on the usual appeal lines 101 for example.
11:18 And more information is always available on Kent Online as well.
11:21 Thank you very much Bartholomew for covering the story last Thursday and continuing to see it as it unfolds.
11:28 Quite a devastating fire. We can see the damage on the screen there.
11:31 But Bartholomew thank you for keeping us up to date with some of those details as well.
11:35 Now it's time for a very short break for just a few minutes but coming up costs through.
11:40 The summer holidays is now £943 per child on average as a survey has suggested.
11:46 Now we'll speak to two Kent parents to see how it's impacting them and their children too.
11:51 See you in just a few minutes.
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15:17 Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
15:21 Now, a national task force is set to be established across the country
15:25 in response to a report that found 45 baby deaths in Kent could have been prevented.
15:30 Last October, the Kirkup report was published looking into failings at the two hospitals run by the East Kent Hospitals Trust.
15:37 Medical staff will now be reviewed on their maternity and neonatal care and improvement plans in place.
15:43 It will be chaired by the Minister for Women's Health Strategy, Maria Caulfield, the MP.
15:50 Now, the body of a dead whale washed up on the Romney Marsh coast has been taken away by authorities two days after it was found.
15:57 Many gathered to watch as it was lifted into a lorry.
16:00 The young whale was spotted in St Mary's Bay on Thursday evening with some confusion on the exact species.
16:05 The Coast Guard said a zoologist carried out a post-mortem, took various samples and confirmed it was a juvenile humpback whale.
16:12 It's not yet clear where it will be taken, but the Coast Guard confirmed that Folkestone and Hyde District Council were in charge of the process.
16:18 They've been approached for comment.
16:21 Now, some parents in Kent say the cost of childcare is just too expensive this summer, leaving them no way to entertain or look after their children.
16:29 Cost through the school holidays is now £943 per child on average, a survey has suggested.
16:35 According to the charity Coram Family and Childcare, there's a 3% increase on last year.
16:41 We spoke to two parents in Medway struggling with these increases.
16:44 I had to pay the nursery, obviously, for my two-year-old, and I couldn't afford to pay for the whole day in the nursery.
16:52 I couldn't work as much as I wanted to work because the cost of the childcare really affected our finances for our family.
16:58 It really is putting a strain on our family, and my husband has to work a lot of overtime just to keep him going.
17:04 I would definitely like some support for the families.
17:07 There ain't much money about it, and they're putting all the prices up.
17:10 All the children, they're starving, the food's gone up, everything.
17:15 It's a lot of stuff. They're struggling out here. The world's just collapsing.
17:20 And as many families in Kent struggle with the cost of the summer holidays, we spoke with Councillor Theresa Murray,
17:26 the deputy leader of Medway Council, to find out what the local authority is doing to help families keep active and their children occupied over the next six weeks.
17:34 The Medway Go programme is a government-funded programme to give children between the age of five and 16 summer activities with a huge variety,
17:44 and particularly targets families on benefits and children who are in receipt of free school meals.
17:49 The criteria are for five years and up, and we've got to use the funding effectively.
17:55 My worry are for children and families who may be just relying on a few free activities that they can go to,
18:01 you know, mums and dads and children together, which do exist in places like libraries and our churches and all the nice things that the voluntary sector do.
18:11 Those kinds of things are available, but for working parents who perhaps haven't got family to rely on to help them, yes, it's definitely a struggle.
18:18 I think it will help lots of families. Families on universal credit do get help with childcare.
18:25 But obviously, that magnitude, that large increase is going to be a huge struggle for lots of people.
18:33 So although the programme is intended to give children meaningful activities that will help them increase their range of knowledge and ideas,
18:41 the rising cost of childcare, I think, is a separate issue that needs tackling in its own right.
18:46 But it is true summer holidays present problems for lots of families.
18:51 The activities are available for a small fee, and that fee varies according to the activity to families who are not in receipt of benefit,
18:59 although those in receipt of benefit have been prioritised and quite rightly so.
19:04 Now, land that was set aside for the UK's first hydrogen-powered winery has gone up for sale in Ashford.
19:10 Last year, planning permission was granted to build the site on a stretch of farmland.
19:15 Valued at around £525,000, the site would make UK history.
19:19 The winery was granted planning permission in 2019, with permission for the hydrogen facility following in 2022.
19:26 That would power the entire site all year round.
19:29 It would consist of solar panels, steel hydrogen storage tanks and other equipment that would, according to planning documents,
19:35 allow the facility to become off-grid.
19:38 Well, next to night, major traffic issues are looming over a key road in Kent,
19:42 as south-east water replaced outdated water pipes and closed the road for six months.
19:47 It's part of a staggering £489 million infrastructure investment.
19:52 The water company made the decision after consulting the Kent County Council Highways Department.
19:57 The closures are expected to have a knock-on effect for villages such as Langley, Sutton, Valence, Chartres, Sutton and Hollingbourne.
20:04 While south-east water has defended the work as vital, many residents are concerned about the impact on those living in the area.
20:10 Now, Franschilling MSC announcing a new signing to the success of a Kent player at the Ashes.
20:16 Bartholomew Hall is here with the sports news.
20:19 Well, Bartholomew, thank you for bringing us the latest sports news.
20:32 Lionesses at the weekend, they did well to win, but it was a penalty.
20:36 That was right. It was a penalty that got them that win.
20:38 And I think some people were expecting a little bit more from the Lionesses,
20:41 especially after winning the Euros last year.
20:43 But saying that, they're missing a few key players, a few injuries have sort of suffered them.
20:50 But kind of for us in Kent, for our representatives, it's meant that we've got two in the squad.
20:55 We've got Alessia Russo, who did play on Saturday, and Laura Coombs, who is still yet to make her start in the World Cup so far.
21:02 And we're looking at their next game now on Friday against Denmark.
21:07 That's true. It could be a bit more of a difficult one.
21:09 But then again, the Haiti game was also difficult for them.
21:13 So we really will just have to keep a close eye on them to see how they do.
21:16 And Gillingham have announced a new signing today and a bit more football news.
21:20 That's right. So sticking with football, Gillingham FC have announced the signing of a former Millwall defender, Scott Malone.
21:27 The 32-year-old has followed the Gilles in their preseason, including during training and the club's recent trip to Como
21:33 after being released by the Lions at the end of last season.
21:36 Manager Neil Harris was happy for the player to play and train with the squad whilst looking at options elsewhere,
21:41 with championship sides showing interest.
21:44 Malone is now ready to start for the Gilles in the upcoming preseason games, including up against Dagenham and Redbridge this weekend.
21:50 Now to look back at this weekend's friendly matches, we start with Dartford, who welcomed Gillingham at Prince's Park on Saturday.
21:57 Gillingham dominated the match, led by skipper Sean Williams, who scored two goals before half-time.
22:02 Tim Deng also netted one, assisted by George Lapsy.
22:05 In the 48th minute, Gilles added their fourth goal with a long ball forward from new signing Chad Ogie.
22:10 Dom Jeffries converted from the far post with an assist from Jadon Clarke on the right.
22:15 Clarke would then seal the victory with Gillingham's final goal, making it Gillingham 5, Dartford 0.
22:20 Neil Harris says the friendly gave his side the chance to work on their possession.
22:24 We scored five and ultimately probably should have had eight or nine.
22:28 So a great opportunity for us to practice with the ball today.
22:35 But really pleased with where the lads are at after four weeks of preseason.
22:39 Next, then, on a damp Saturday afternoon in Hertfordshire, Ebbs Fleet's visit started with Luke O'Neill battling fiercely in the early minutes with a St Albans trialist,
22:47 forcing some impressive saves from the Fleet's goalkeeper Mark Cousins.
22:51 It was the Fleet's newest arrival, Nathan Odokunero, who opened the scoring with a clinical finish after a skilful attack from Dominic Polan on the right channel.
22:59 Just 25 minutes in and the lead doubled as Jack Wakeley's run and cross from the left were met by O'Neill's powerful shot, which David Amu expertly converted at the far post.
23:09 St Albans attempted a response but couldn't break through the solid Fleet defence.
23:13 As the rain continued to pour, both teams had opportunities in the second half, but the score remained 2-0.
23:18 The win for Ebbs Fleet marked their fifth win out of six preseason games.
23:22 Boss Dennis Kutrybs had this after the game.
23:24 I don't know how many changes we have had, but maybe seven, eight, I don't know.
23:28 And you could see it is different and that's always the case.
23:33 And we just need to make sure that it looks pretty much the same regardless who is playing and that's my job.
23:38 Elsewhere and with the rest of our national south sides, Maidstone's trip to Horsham ended in a 2-0 defeat
23:43 and Tunbridge Angels fought to a 2-2 draw against national north side Scarborough with Nathan Wood and Tommy Fagg finding the net for the Angels.
23:50 And finally as for our Itchmere and Premier sides, Chatham and Margate.
23:53 Chatham Town cruised to a dominant 4-0 victory over Punjab United, whilst Margate faced a narrow 2-1 defeat against Sittingbourne with Roberts scoring the consolation goal for Margate.
24:03 That's it for this week, I'm Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.
24:08 Apologies there, that was of course your round up of all this weekend's pre-season friendlies.
24:13 Next and Kent player Zach Crawley has been named as player of the match in the fourth Ashes Test.
24:21 Despite a waterlogged day 4 and 5 which saw Australia retain the urn after keeping their 2-1 lead intact,
24:27 the Kent batsman will have something positive to remember from his time at Old Trafford.
24:31 Crawley played a brilliant knock of 189 of 182 balls against Australia, the highest Ashes score from a Kent men's player.
24:39 Meanwhile back at home and Kent have signed two 21-year-old batsmen on loan.
24:43 Toby Albert and Ben Geddes from Hampshire and Surrey respectively have been described by director of cricket Paul Downton as well needed additions due to a number of injuries from frontline batters.
24:54 Next, and a massive fire that significantly dampened the beginning of Lydden Hill's hosting of the World Rallycross Championship at the weekend
25:01 has been revealed to have been started in the battery of an electric race car.
25:05 Nine fire engines descended onto the track on Friday where the entire Special 1 racing area was burnt down.
25:12 This included the car that was to be driven by nine-time World Rallycross Champion Sebastian Loeb.
25:17 The fire led to the cancellation of the weekend's World Rallycross Round in Kent, however other categories could still go ahead.
25:24 The championship, which has now been switched to an all-electric top level, was set to return to Lydden Hill for the first time since 2017.
25:32 And finally from me, basketball star Ryan Richards has returned to Kent this week for a sold-out training camp in his home county.
25:41 The former NBA draftee says the camp is to help nurture future basketball stars. Richards, who grew up in Sittingbourne, left the county for the start of his professional career at just 15 years old.
25:52 In 2010 he was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA as a virtual unknown.
25:57 This week, however, he's back to Kent to host his two-day training session for 70 youngsters aged from 9 to 19 at Rochester Grammar School
26:06 where he says he hopes to act as the mentor in the county that wasn't available for him.
26:11 Well that's it from me with the sport for now.
26:13 Thank you to Bartholomew for keeping us up to date with the sports news.
26:26 Now it's time for us to take just a very short three-minute break but coming up we'll be revisiting our top story this evening
26:33 as wildfires continue in Rhodes, displacing locals and thousands of holidaymakers.
26:39 And we'll be speaking with just one from Kent that's out there.
26:43 And we hear from a former KNTV reporter working in Athens for a television station.
26:47 He'll give us more details on the situation as well.
26:50 We'll be back after this very short break. See you in just a few minutes.
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30:29 Hello there and welcome to Kentonite live on KMTV. I'm Abbey Hooke. Here are your top stories on Monday the 24th of July.
30:37 The holiday from hell. Kent residents among thousands evacuating Greek Island fires.
30:44 The local authorities are battling what is the biggest challenge in terms of fire that they've ever faced.
30:52 Struggling with summer. Medway mum facing soaring childcare costs.
30:58 It really is putting strain on our family and my husband has to work a lot of overtime just to keep him going.
31:03 And cutting those costs. Kent life welcoming families for budget friendly fun.
31:09 We need to be more mindful about how much money families have got in their pockets and their budgets.
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31:25 Now for a look back at our top story this evening.
31:28 A nightmare for Kent holidaymakers in Greece as the island of Rhodes has undergone its largest ever evacuation from wildfires.
31:36 Up to 10,000 British nationals are thought to be on the island.
31:39 The Greek government say 10% of tourists have been affected including one family from Tunbridge Wells.
31:45 Bill Mew who is also an expert in crisis management has been recovering from cancer and planned a two week holiday to Rhodes to unwind.
31:53 Now despite internet connection being cut from many parts of the island we managed to speak to him this morning.
31:59 Bill thank you so much for joining us.
32:02 Firstly we just want to make sure you're safe and you're okay.
32:04 So what situation are you and your family in right now?
32:09 We flew in to what was a disaster scenario but thankfully the core operator has found us and we're safe.
32:18 It's not what we expected, it's not ideal but we're at least safe.
32:24 We've got it better than many of the locals who are facing losing homes.
32:31 Now I imagine you were really looking forward to a holiday especially for yourself and your family in particular.
32:37 Now can you share your personal story with us?
32:42 I've been battling with bowel cancer so I've had a fairly difficult time over the last few months.
32:49 We've invested in a big luxury holiday for two weeks as a sort of unwinding after some of what we've been through.
32:59 We're really looking forward to this and obviously a big luxury holiday, a big season doesn't come cheap.
33:07 It's massively disappointing not only to myself but to my wife and son who are out here with me as well.
33:14 And your son, he's on the autistic spectrum as well.
33:18 How's he coping with this? Has he struggled with having to move to a different location?
33:24 We have to think ahead in terms of finding the right space, the right activities and the right support.
33:34 And therefore again it's something we have to be very careful when choosing accommodation, resort and everything.
33:44 And all of that goes out the window and this sort of thing happens.
33:48 The situation where we're in now where we're having to sleep three in a bed with whatever accommodation they can provide
33:57 with a heatwave and with the air conditioning not working most of the time.
34:03 At about 38 the temperature here is higher than our body temperature and therefore it's exceedingly difficult to sleep at night
34:11 when the air con doesn't work. And it was out last night in the morning.
34:17 So obviously a lot of locals displaced too. It's not only the tourists and holiday makers.
34:22 Now what have the local authorities been doing to help you and them?
34:27 The local authorities are back with what is the biggest challenge in terms of fire that they've ever faced.
34:35 And they've got their hands full. They have designated the whole south of the island as closed.
34:42 This means that people have been displaced. It's largely on account not just of the fires but the fact that the power
34:50 is out in the whole of the south of the island at this moment in time. And therefore they're facing an enormous challenge.
34:58 But I believe that they're doing what they can to put resources in place to fight the fire and to address the situation.
35:06 The situation with the holiday makers is largely down to their tour operators.
35:11 As I say with Mark Warner who we're with, they were very quick to move to provide alternatives.
35:18 It's not ideal but they have been very supportive. It's been very difficult for others.
35:24 And I believe there will be a lot of insurance claims coming at some point.
35:28 That was Bill Mews speaking earlier who's currently in Rhodes with his family.
35:32 Now the UK Foreign Office has advised people to follow emergency service guidance and to call 112 if there's immediate danger.
35:39 A team of British diplomats and Red Cross workers have been sent to Rhodes Airport to assist the UK nationals.
35:45 Well now to get an idea of the wider picture in Greece and what it means for tourism.
35:49 Earlier this afternoon I spoke with former KMTV reporter Yanis Zenefantis who now works for a TV station in Athens.
35:56 Yanis thank you so much for joining us. Now firstly could you tell me where did the fires begin and when did the evacuations start?
36:04 So the fire began on Tuesday. So today is the seventh day in a row that wildfires are on, are burning in Rhodes.
36:16 The first evacuation started on Friday, on Friday afternoon.
36:22 So we saw a lot of evacuations during Friday and Saturday. More than 19,000 people evacuated their hotels or locals evacuated their homes where they were living their whole life.
36:39 They were told suddenly to leave their hotels and the homes that they were living on.
36:44 And how have the authorities been handling this? What's the Greek government been saying?
36:49 On Friday and on Saturday there has been the biggest evacuations, evacuation of wildfires that has been in Greek history because of wildfires.
37:04 It was the biggest one. More than 19,000 people were evacuated.
37:08 The help of the locals was the most important thing I believe.
37:14 We saw that and we heard that from the tourists at the airport now that they're waiting their flights to go back home.
37:23 That the help of the locals was the most important thing.
37:28 What does this look like for the future of tourism in Rhodes and in Corfu?
37:32 They're such huge holiday destinations for Brits especially.
37:36 What do you think this is going to do to the future of these places for tourism?
37:41 Yeah, to begin with the Prime Minister a few minutes ago he spoke on the Greek parliament and he told that the country is at war, at the constant war with the fires.
37:57 The environment change is going to affect in a way the way that people used to do their holidays.
38:07 I mean they need to be more prepared because we saw wildfires also in Corfu and in other places in Greece during these past two weeks.
38:18 The Prime Minister told that only 10% of the tourists were affected by these wildfires.
38:37 But the problem is how we're going to pursue and to advise the people that have the hotels and the people that organize these holidays to be more prepared.
38:46 Well our thoughts remain with those evacuating and local residents as well as tourists.
38:51 That will keep you up to date on the situation as it develops here at KMTV.
38:55 Now thousands of people across Kent may have noticed this afternoon that one of the apps they use daily has changed its logo.
39:02 Well we're talking about Twitter of course or should I say X.
39:05 Elon Musk who bought the company back in 2022 says the change will represent the first step of turning the social media app into a super app.
39:14 Much like the Chinese social media WeChat.
39:17 Well with more on this and what it means for social media users in the county I'm joined by Medway social media expert Zoe Cairns.
39:23 Zoe thank you very much for joining me this evening.
39:25 Now what does Elon Musk mean when he says he wants to make a super app?
39:30 It means that he wants everything in one place where we have messaging, micro blogging, payment facilities, streaming, everything.
39:40 Everything about your life will be in one app a bit like WeChat that the Chinese use.
39:45 So you can do literally everything in that one app and you haven't got to use anything else.
39:49 That's what he's trying to do.
39:51 Do you think that takes away from the other social media apps we use in the other platforms?
39:56 YouTube, Facebook, Instagram. Do you think this takes away from that or is that perhaps the point?
40:01 I think he wants to try and take everyone away from all of the other platforms.
40:06 But the way things have been going recently he's really got to build up that trust with a lot of the people that have currently been on Twitter and the changes that have been made.
40:16 I think changing the name over all the years, you know, Twitter's built a brand and a no like and trust and you know people know it as Twitter.
40:24 It's a massive change calling it X.
40:28 So I think it's going to take a lot for people to come across to it, especially with the new meta app called Threads.
40:35 That's what I wanted to ask you about Threads. Now we've seen that come about in the last couple of weeks.
40:40 A lot of people logging on, but perhaps not so much use.
40:44 People are still sticking to Twitter. It's been around for so long, as you said, people know it.
40:49 We gather a lot of news from Twitter as well here.
40:52 So do you think it's going to have a similar effect to Threads?
40:56 I think that Twitter's got its own independent use in terms of the journalists and the news and what's happening in real life situations is all over on Twitter.
41:05 You know, with what's going on, your last news story a minute ago about the wildfires, people staying in touch and looking at what's the latest on there and journalists are actively using it.
41:16 So I think the logo is going to change. It's not going to change the audience that are on there.
41:20 They're a completely different audience to Threads.
41:22 I just think that it's going to take if we start changing it up and, you know, all of our life is on one platform.
41:30 It might actually make people question about the security of the app.
41:34 And I know that he's quite big on making sure that there's filtering and moderation and stuff like that.
41:39 But I think there'd be a lot of questions to make sure that the app is going to make sure there's been filtering and there's security on it.
41:46 Well, Zoe, thank you very much for joining us. That's all we've got time for.
41:50 We'll be back after this very short break. See you then.
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45:11 Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
45:21 Now, as Kent residents continue to face issues with potholes on the road,
45:25 the number of vehicles being damaged by poor road surfaces has reached a five year high.
45:30 It's according to motoring group RAC.
45:32 Scarring on roads.
45:34 Sorry about that, apologies.
45:39 Well, according to motoring group RAC, it received more than 8,000 call outs from drivers between April and June,
45:44 a 40% increase on the same period last year.
45:47 Well, our reporter Gabriel Morris spoke to residents in Tenterden.
45:51 They say the problem is just getting worse.
45:53 You can find that report on our website, kmtv.co.uk, but I think we'll take a look at that now.
45:58 Scarring on roads and having the power to kill our cars.
46:04 And some say each year they are even getting worse.
46:08 Nowhere more so in Kent than Tenterden.
46:11 I've been living here for 44 years and what I've noticed over the last 44 years,
46:16 gradually it's been getting worse and worse and I think the last few years it's been absolutely dreadful.
46:21 They're very, very dangerous at the moment.
46:23 There's so many of them.
46:25 While you're trying to avoid the potholes, you're not concentrating on the road.
46:29 It is actually really rough on the roads.
46:31 I've had a few burst tyres on my car.
46:33 I've only been back for a few months here.
46:35 When we were driving here, I was already complaining to him about the English roads.
46:39 So they are much worse compared to the roads in the Netherlands.
46:42 The county council say they have seen a five-fold increase in the number of pothole reports.
46:48 That's 26,000 in the three months to April.
46:52 I would say that we are getting where we need to be from what was an extremely difficult position at the end of the winter.
47:01 Kent County Council is having to tighten their spending.
47:04 They say their highways are in a phase of managed decline.
47:09 For the council to repair a pothole, it needs to be deeper than 10 centimetres.
47:14 But locals say roads in this town are starting to become covered in shallow potholes.
47:20 Now, these potholes might not be the biggest on Kent's roads.
47:24 They're probably not going to pop any tyres.
47:26 They have been reported, but Kent County Council says they're not going to be able to get out until autumn to replace them.
47:32 Which locals worry, they are just going to get bigger and bigger and then start popping tyres.
47:37 The solution seems to be what I call this patch and dash approach,
47:40 which is the KCC comes and fills them temporarily.
47:43 Sometimes that solution lasts just a few weeks.
47:46 In the end, we've got to get a really solid grip on road maintenance and properly resurface all these roads.
47:53 That's the challenge for KCC, but a particular challenge for the government to fund this properly.
47:59 Our road network is an absolutely vital strategic resource,
48:02 and we cannot afford to just give up and put it into so-called managed decline.
48:08 The local authority here has received £6 million from central government.
48:13 And a spokesperson for Kent County Council says highway teams have worked tirelessly to respond to them
48:20 and are carrying out prevention work.
48:23 They go on to say the extra funding has allowed them to appoint a further six contractors.
48:28 These potholes should be fixed by autumn.
48:31 But then comes the wet and freezing weather, prime condition for potholes to form.
48:37 Misery for motorists and a financial challenge for the county council.
48:42 Gabriel Morris for KMTV in Tenterton.
48:44 Well now from Gillingham FC announcing a new signing to the success of a Kent player at the Ashes.
48:50 Bartholomew is here with the sports news.
48:53 [Music]
49:02 Well Bartholomew, now Gillingham FC have announced a new signing, Scott Malone.
49:06 That's right, he's coming from Millwall and they use this sort of signing video.
49:10 We've seen them sort of the Premier League clubs and Championship clubs and etc.
49:13 Do these in sort of past few years, they've grown in popularity.
49:16 So to see sort of Gilles doing a full on sort of cinematic signing announcement video,
49:22 which we'll see in just a minute.
49:24 It's almost a bit silly in a way, but I think a lot of fans like it because over the past few days.
49:29 Spills the drama.
49:30 No, that's it.
49:31 Well over the past few days, Gillingham fans have been really expecting this signing of Scott Malone.
49:38 So releasing this video, it's almost a bit of tongue in cheek that yeah, we're reading your tweets
49:42 and we're reading your messages and we're in the loop.
49:45 We're on the same level as you.
49:46 Not tweets, exes.
49:47 Exes, yes.
49:48 As we've already discussed on the show this evening.
49:50 That's it, but of course Gillingham have now signed, as I just mentioned, Scott Malone from Millwall.
49:58 Harris says that he acknowledges the challenges they face in signing some strikers.
50:03 Apologies, I have the wrong script in front of me.
50:05 I can read it from here.
50:06 The 32 year old, this is Scott Malone, has followed the Gilles in their pre-season,
50:10 including during training and at the club's recent trip to Como after being released by the Lions
50:14 at the end of the last season.
50:16 This is the announcement video you're seeing on the screen now.
50:18 Manager Neil Harris says he was happy for the player to play and train with the squad
50:22 whilst looking at options elsewhere, including championship sides showing interest.
50:27 Scott Malone is now ready to start for the Gilles in the upcoming pre-season,
50:30 as well as games against Dagenham and Redbridge this weekend.
50:38 Now, looking at the weekend just gone.
50:40 Many clubs across Kent were playing some of their pre-season fixtures
50:43 with the start of the season on the horizon.
50:45 Here's how they all got on.
50:47 Now to look back at this weekend's friendly matches, we start with Dartford,
50:50 who welcomed Gillingham at Prince's Park on Saturday.
50:53 Gillingham dominated the match, led by skipper Sean Williams, who scored two goals before half-time.
50:58 Tim Deng also netted one, assisted by George Lapsy.
51:01 In the 48th minute, Gilles added their fourth goal with a long ball forward from new signing Chad Ogie.
51:06 Dom Jeffries converted from the far post with an assist from Jadon Clarke on the right.
51:11 Clarke would then seal the victory with Gillingham's final goal, making it Gillingham 5, Dartford 0.
51:16 Neil Harris says the friendly gave his side the chance to work on their possession.
51:20 "We were 5 and ultimately probably should have had 8 or 9.
51:24 So, great opportunity for us to practice with the ball today.
51:30 But really pleased with where the lads are at after four weeks of pre-season."
51:35 Next, then, on a damp Saturday afternoon in Hertfordshire, Ebbsfleet's visit started with Luke O'Neill
51:39 battling fiercely in the early minutes with a St Albans trialist,
51:43 forcing some impressive saves from the fleet's goalkeeper Mark Cousins.
51:46 It was the fleet's newest arrival, Nathan Odokunero, who opened the scoring with a clinical finish
51:51 after a skilful attack from Dominik Polan on the right channel.
51:54 Just 25 minutes in and the lead doubled as Jack Wakeley's run and cross from the left
51:59 were met by O'Neill's powerful shot, which David Amu expertly converted at the far post.
52:04 St Albans attempted a response but couldn't break through the solid fleet defence.
52:08 As the rain continued to pour, both teams had opportunities in the second half, but the score remained 2-0.
52:13 The win for Ebbsfleet marked their fifth win out of six pre-season games.
52:17 Boss Dennis Kutrybs had this after the game.
52:20 "I don't know how many changes we have had, but maybe seven or eight.
52:23 You could see it is different and that's always the case.
52:28 We just need to make sure that it looks pretty much the same regardless of who's playing and that's my job."
52:33 Elsewhere and with the rest of our national south sides,
52:36 Maidstone's trip to Horsham ended in a 2-0 defeat
52:39 and Tunbridge Angels fought to a 2-2 draw against national north side Scarborough
52:43 with Nathan Wood and Tommy Fagg finding the net for the Angels.
52:46 And finally as for our Ittyme and Premier sides, Chatham and Margate.
52:49 Chatham Town cruised to a dominant 4-0 victory over Punjab United
52:53 whilst Margate faced a narrow 2-1 defeat against Sittingbourne
52:56 with Roberts scoring the consolation goal for Margate.
52:59 That's it for this week, I'm Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.
53:02 Finally from me, Kent Zach Crawley has been named as player of the match in the fourth Ashes Test
53:08 despite a waterlogged day 4 and 5 which saw Australia retain the urn after keeping their 2-1 lead intact.
53:14 The Kent batsman will have something positive to remember from his time at Old Trafford.
53:18 Crawley played a brilliant knock of 189 off 182 balls against Australia,
53:23 the highest Ashes score from a Kent men's player.
53:26 Well that's it from me with the sport for now.
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53:39 That was your sports roundup with Bartholomew. Now we're going to take a quick look at the weather.
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53:49 Well this evening it's looking fairly mild, lows of 13, highs of 14 near Dover, cloudy skies.
53:56 Tomorrow morning a bit sunnier, still cloudy though, highs of 17, lows of 16.
54:02 And the afternoon, warming up to 20 degrees but rain across most of the county is expected.
54:08 And looking to Friday, rain right up for the rest of the week, highs of 21, lows of 19.
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54:24 Now the summer holidays are finally here for Kent and the rest of the UK.
54:28 Let's take a look at this report.
54:31 The great British summer. Chances are if you look out the window it's going to be grey and gloomy.
54:37 But that doesn't mean that you can't have fun.
54:40 As the summer holidays begin there's plenty to do both inside and out.
54:44 I'm here at the Museum of Kent Life, one of the many attractions throughout the county.
54:49 Now whilst I might be slightly unprepared in what I'm currently wearing,
54:52 I've spoken to some of the visitors who are a bit more prepared about what they're getting up to.
54:57 It's been my favourite part of the day, it's been when we were going on the track ride.
55:05 Now we're on Cub Camp, Scout Camp at Rosswood which is only about 40 minutes away.
55:11 So we booked here because we do a charity every year and this year it's the Donkey Sanctuary.
55:16 So we've come to see the donkeys because this is the closest one to us at camp.
55:21 We've been feeding animals and we've been seeing some of the circus.
55:28 And I like to see all the people dancing.
55:32 Whilst the sun may be shining when you leave your home in the morning, the weather is unpredictable.
55:37 Luckily if you're caught out, find yourself indoor activities.
55:41 Whether it be art and crafts, learning history or a nice warm cup of tea.
55:46 But the reality of the cost of living crisis is on many people's minds.
55:50 So how are these businesses helping?
55:52 So obviously with the cost of living crisis we have noticed that our numbers have not so much faltered.
55:57 But we need to be more mindful about how much money families have got in their pockets and their budgets.
56:03 So what we try and do, what we have done this year, we've kept our prices relatively low in comparison to other attractions.
56:10 And we also put on lots and lots of entertainment.
56:13 So mum, dad, carer, etc, grandma, grandad can come along with a packed lunch if they want to.
56:18 There's no, you know, you can't bring your own food.
56:21 You can bring your own food. You can basically tailor the day to any budget.
56:26 This scout leader explained why these kind of attractions are so important.
56:30 There are so many kids living in inner cities that don't get the chance to see where life is, real life.
56:39 I mean, living on farms or living in the wilderness, they don't get that in London.
56:44 Kent Life has been a great example of the hundreds of attractions around the county.
56:48 Kent is rich with history and has plenty to offer for all occasions.
56:52 From castles, cathedrals, museums and more, the options are endless.
56:57 Cameron Noble for KMTV.
56:59 That's all from us.
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