Catch up with all the latest news across your county with Abby Hook.
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00:00Hello, good evening and welcome to Kentonite Live on KMTV.
00:29I'm Abbey Hook.
00:30Here are your top stories on Tuesday 6th August.
00:35Know your limits.
00:3620 mile per hour speed restrictions set to roll out across Sevenoaks.
00:40The new 20 mile an hour scheme for Sevenoaks is going to make Sevenoaks safer, cleaner
00:45and greener.
00:46Near miss.
00:47Ten fire engines called to field in Manston as families garden inches from flames.
00:53Not sure obviously how it's happened.
00:56Firemen were everywhere in the end.
00:58I think they said there was ten that had come round.
01:02Cookham combats crisis.
01:03Kent prison to be reopened in wake of riots.
01:07And DeGalle's gift.
01:09World champion boxer James DeGalle gives charity masterclass to Chatham youngsters.
01:14I left school when I was 15.
01:16I got exposed.
01:18So I was very, very lucky and privileged that I had something that I was good at.
01:28First tonight, the rollout of new 20 mile per hour speed restrictions in Sevenoaks is
01:38set to start this month.
01:39The scheme is being undertaken by Kent County Council and funded by Sevenoaks Town Council
01:44with aims of improving road safety.
01:47But a resident's convinced this will be the answer and not cause more congestion.
01:50Oliver Leader de Sacks has been finding out.
01:53A sign of things to come.
01:5620 mile per hour signs like this one are set to become a more common sight on the streets
02:00of Sevenoaks from next week.
02:02As the rollout begins ahead of new speeding restrictions in October.
02:08This means new restrictions on residential streets, schools and even in the town centre.
02:14Funded by Sevenoaks Town Council, the scheme is being implemented by Kent County Council
02:19after years of consultation.
02:22Local representatives hope the restrictions will reduce collisions on the road and help
02:27the environment.
02:28The new 20 mile per hour scheme for Sevenoaks is going to make Sevenoaks safer, cleaner
02:32and greener.
02:33It's going to do that by reducing speeds across the town so there's much less likelihood of
02:37accidents.
02:38It's going to reduce fuel consumption and make the town more tranquil.
02:41It's going to improve accessibility to the town because the slower speeds give people
02:46more confidence to walk and to cycle.
02:48So for our ageing population, it's going to be easier to cross the road and safer to cross
02:52the road and for our youngest population it's going to be safer to travel to school by means
02:56other than a car.
02:58While there are a handful of roads in the town centre that are excluded, the majority
03:03of Sevenoaks will see new restrictions, largely based on the number of traffic accidents that
03:09have occurred in the area.
03:11A survey conducted last year by the town council found 66% of almost 2,500 responses supported
03:21the 20 mile per hour limit in residential and school areas.
03:25But with a population of 22,000 in the town, we hit the streets of Sevenoaks to find out
03:31if those views were shared by passers-by on the high street.
03:35Yes, I think so, as long as it's observed.
03:38Even if you're going to cross the road, they're going so fast, so I think it's a good idea.
03:45I don't agree with it being as widespread as they are because I commute into Sevenoaks
03:50every day and it's sometimes difficult to get in in time because of the traffic, etc.
03:57Despite signs cropping up from the 12th of August, life in the slow lane won't begin
04:02in earnest until the 1st of October, when restrictions will be enforced.
04:08With months to go until then, residents have time to adjust to a different pace of life.
04:14Oliver Leeds of the Sats for KMTV in Sevenoaks.
04:17Next tonight, Thanet residents feared for their homes earlier today when a neighbouring
04:23wheat field in Manston caught fire.
04:26What started as a small plume of smoke at the other end of the field near Spitfire Way
04:30around half past ten quickly grew into a wall of smog you saw there, prompting residents
04:36to call Kent Fire and Rescue Service.
04:39Ten fire engines arrived before any buildings were damaged, later reduced to two to dampen
04:44down any hot spots.
04:45And while no one was hurt, a large part of the field has been reduced to ash you can
04:50see there, with locals finding their homes covered in soot throughout the day by strong
04:54winds.
04:55You can see that wheat grass moving there.
04:58Since the near miss, a local farmer has packed the borders of the field to ensure a fire
05:03couldn't catch again.
05:04You can see the damage there.
05:07Residents we spoke to feared their gardens would go up in flames too.
05:11I was just upstairs, my daughter mentioned she could hear some crackling, she thought
05:15it started raining.
05:16Next thing you know, looked out the window and it's just blown across.
05:22The winds carried it from all that way and it started going towards the house behind
05:29here, there's a house there, it got up close behind their house and then it seemed to spread
05:35to the next field.
05:37Not sure obviously how it's happened, but firemen were everywhere in the end.
05:42I think they said there was ten that had come round.
05:45I was hosing down the neighbours fence just to see if I could help them.
05:50Yeah, because it caught the trees didn't it.
05:54Now a former young offender institution in Kent is set to be reopened to hold adult inmates.
05:59It comes after several violent riots have broken out across the country following the
06:03tragic stabbing of three young girls in Southport.
06:06While the facility was earmarked for closure back in March, it'll be repurposed in just
06:10a few weeks, housing hundreds.
06:12Well, Mahima Abedin joins me now with more.
06:14Mahima, what can you tell us?
06:16Well, Abby, Cookham Wood was a former young offender institution in Kent near Rochester
06:20like you mentioned and it is set to be repurposed to hold adult inmates with new cells becoming
06:26available to use in just a few weeks according to the Ministry of Justice.
06:30Now this will open up 500 additional prison spaces across England and this extra space
06:35is understood to be needed because of what we're seeing at the moment with the riots
06:39happening up and down the country.
06:42And those 500 inmates for one, of course, a huge issue that we're seeing currently across
06:46the UK, but just as Cookham Wood's reopening that's a lot of spaces taken up.
06:52It highlights the issue of overcrowding in particular.
06:54Sir Keir Starmer, our Prime Minister, was recently talking about releasing non-violent
06:59inmates from prisons to try and curb that backlog, but now a prison in Rochester, just
07:05as quick as it's reopening, it's being almost filled.
07:07Yes, so this plan to reopen it for adult inmates is part of the government's plan to urgently
07:12create additional prison places due to the influx of people that are expected to be on
07:17remand over the next month.
07:20But now, while these measures are meant to provide a solution for what we're currently
07:23seeing with all the riots going on, like you said, it is 500 additional spaces dedicated
07:28to just riot criminals, so that's not a long-term solution for the ongoing issue with prisons
07:33and that is overcrowding.
07:35In fact, England's prison estate is still expected to reach capacity again in September.
07:40And are there any other plans in place to help deal with the influx for prisons?
07:46So there are plans to hold any disorder suspects in police custody for longer periods of time,
07:51and that's to manage the number of people that are being held on remand while they wait
07:55for their sentencing.
07:57Some other plans include extending magistrates' courts working times, and that's where all
08:02criminal cases first go, and that would mean that they can process riot suspects if it's
08:06required.
08:07But for now, political leaders are warning people that are acting violently and taking
08:11part in these riots that they will face the full force of the law.
08:15Mahima, thank you very much for those details.
08:17Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent over on
08:21our website, kmtv.co.uk.
08:24There you'll find all our latest reports, including this one about family hubs which
08:28provide support for low-income families that are at risk of closure because of cost cuts.
08:35The future of Millmead Family Hub in Margate is under threat.
08:39For more than 20 years it's been a centre for parental, mental health and domestic abuse
08:43support.
08:44Kent County Council fund more than 50 per cent of the operations here, but in a bid
08:49to save cash, they're looking at not renewing the contract.
08:54The family hub says if KCC don't extend their contract, well, the impacts are going to be huge.
09:00They say they have 27 paid staff and seven volunteers.
09:07Chloe is a single mother of three.
09:08She first came here as a child, but now works in the pantry.
09:12She says the family hub is crucial with it supporting her through her teenage pregnancy.
09:17I just feel like this building and everyone within it has been here for such a long time
09:22it has become the heart of Millmead.
09:26Like, Millmead has been a big area that's always looked down upon, it's always judged
09:32and it's really not as bad as anyone says it is.
09:35But here makes it warm, it makes it welcoming, it makes it homely.
09:40And how did you feel when you heard about this consultation?
09:42Yeah, I cried to my line manager.
09:46I think it would have a massive impact.
09:48There is so many families in this community that do rely on the centre for so many different reasons.
09:56Staff only found out about the consultation last week.
10:00KCC listing Millmead and another hub in Sheerness because they're externally managed and there
10:07are other hubs run by the authority nearby.
10:10I think one is 1.5 miles.
10:14I think that people misunderstand what poverty does.
10:18Very often they won't be able to do that because they're looking after their children
10:24and they're tired.
10:26Very few people have cars and the bus service is appalling here.
10:31Millmead's in Dane Valley, one of the highest areas for poverty in the whole of Kent.
10:37The cash-stripped authority says they don't want to close it, but by not renewing these
10:41contracts when they naturally come to an end in March 2025, we can make a much-needed efficiency
10:47saving whilst continuing to provide essential services for families and young people in these areas.
10:53They give £225,000 and that's a bargain because if this shuts, it's going to cost much more
11:02than that in safeguarding issues.
11:04It's going to cost the NHS millions of pounds because people, this is their first call if there's a problem.
11:12Even though there's a consultation, staff here believe a decision has already been made
11:17and they fear for the impact it will have on the community, but are determined to get
11:21many locals and users to share their views.
11:24Gabriel Morris in Margate.
11:28Time now for a very short break, but coming up we'll be hearing all about Sittingbourne's
11:32roundabout delay, a teenager's treehouse that was destroyed in ancient woodland and an Alexa
11:40speaker with a mind of its own.
11:41Also our sports reporter Bartholomew Hall will join us with a roundup of all the latest
11:46Olympics news.
11:47See you in a few minutes.
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16:20roundabout revamp has been delayed possibly for a few months because of a nest of dormouse.
16:28So work was supposed to start this summer and finish by 2025 but it's been pushed back till
16:33autumn because of this nest and it's on this roundabout's really like a big deal in the fact
16:38that it's one of the busiest ones in our county and so the stopping of delays of everything just
16:46creates such a huge problem but dormouse are protected species so they have to get a license
16:50which they have applied for and hopefully if they get accepted then they'll be able to start
16:55in September. So yeah wow first come the mice and Jess your next story for us this evening
17:00some difference of opinion here over what some believe was just a bit of fun. Yeah so a group
17:07of teenagers got together and they built this sort of tree house den thing in Maidstone and it was
17:12then taken down by the company Crowdus Homes because it was on ancient woodland so as much
17:20as they had fun they said we don't want to be sat indoors all day playing on our xbox so building
17:24this was a lot better we went there and enjoyed it and it of course was on land and classified
17:29as criminal damage and the Maidstone council said NBC understands the concerns raised regarding
17:37young people's mental health and the need for outdoor play however the tree house has been
17:41constructed in Hermitage Lane woods has caused serious harm which is damaging and detrimental
17:47to the protected ancient woodland and therefore considered criminal damage which is yeah it's a
17:54shame for those children who've perhaps lost the spot where they used to play but yeah it is on an
17:59ancient woodland and your final story she's not too impressed with her speaker yeah no emergency
18:06services were called out to this mum Emma's house because her Alexa started playing the radio for
18:1410 hours at very high volume and so neighbours called in they called 999 and the paramedics
18:21came to check on her well-being they thought maybe it could be something to do with that
18:24when she didn't answer firefighters were then asked to check out the space and it wasn't until
18:288am the following morning when music was still playing that she realised what had happened
18:33and that any music was playing and she felt super bad about it but all the neighbours said
18:37it was actually a big relief when they found out it was just a phantom Alexa and Mrs Nettlingham
18:44said going forward she'll be unplugging her Amazon device whenever she leaves home yeah she wasn't
18:49actually there at the time not best pleased there but glad she's safe and hopefully the neighbours
18:54have got some rest since yeah yes thank you very much for those stories now let's take a quick look
19:00at the weather
19:07this evening clear skies across the county lows of 14 down in Tunbridge Wells highs of 16 in
19:12Dartford and Dover by Wednesday morning some sun and cloud highs of 19 across most of the county
19:1818 down in Tunbridge Wells there by the afternoon warming up to 22 in Chatham not much sun across
19:25the county only in Foxton there and here's your outlook for Kent much of the same Thursday Friday
19:30and Saturday warming up now as Kent's athletes continue to impress in Paris one of the two
19:46remaining in the game sitting born climber Erin McNeice made her Olympic debut this morning
19:51securing a 10th place finish in the women's boulder semi-final it means she's still in
19:57contention for a medal but it all depends on how well she performs in the lead climbing
20:03semi-final later in the week well our sports reporter Bartholomew Hall joins me now
20:07sadly getting close to the end now but impressive stuff to come yes still some exciting stuff we've
20:12got on the screen here two athletes and that's because for us here in Kent we have two more
20:16representatives still to be competing Kate French who we have closest to you here of course
20:21is the modern pentathlon reigning champion at the Olympics are definitely one to look out for
20:27she'll be competing later on in the week but today all the attention has turned to Erin McNeice we
20:31spoke to her of course just a couple of weeks really before the Olympics started a real late
20:36selection for the sport climbing today she's been out in the bouldering semi-final where she
20:41secured a 10th place finish there it is the top eight who get to go through to the actual final
20:47but her score of 59.6 leaves her in 10th she does still have a chance to get to the final
20:53but of course as you mentioned there she has to go through the lead semi-final later in the week
20:58I believe that is on Thursday she's 4.4 points behind the eighth place at the moment now lead
21:04is slightly different to what we're seeing here where bouldering is a lot more it's more about
21:07the skill it takes a little bit longer to compete obviously saw that lovely little wave there too
21:12the British fans are watching in the crowd but the lead is slightly different so it focuses more on
21:17endurance and technique climbers are assessed on how high they climb essentially over a set
21:22period of time so lots of exciting stuff to come and if you wanted to watch that that's on Thursday
21:28speaking of watching on TV slightly different coverage that we've had this year the BBC
21:33offering a slightly reduced service than we've seen in the past sharing the rights with Discovery
21:37Plus and Eurosport so we wanted to ask how people here in Kent are following along if they're
21:43following along the Olympics at all millions of people tuning in across the country but are people
21:47tuning in in Rochester let's find out the sprinting that's the main event I watch it for
21:52has it inspired you in any way um yeah I suppose just seeing people go after a goal yeah it's been
21:57really good to watch I've been following it for a couple years and just wanted to see like where
22:02the previous um athletes are going to do this year and stuff like that but yeah it's been fun
22:07has there been anyone in particular that's inspired you uh I would say I think Noah Lowes
22:13winning the 100 metres for the men and also Julian Alfred for Saint Lucia I think that's
22:18really inspiring as well no I haven't been watching the Olympics is there a reason for that no I've
22:22just haven't had the time to watch it I've been watching the Olympics and what's been making you
22:26watch it uh well a range of competitions and Great Britain usually do well now
22:33against large countries with a big contingent of athletes and has it inspired you to pick up a
22:40uh no I think I'm past doing that sport I used to play football but not within that range no
22:46yes but most evenings actually um the cycling I like the cycling and the swimming no I haven't
22:57been watching the Olympics and is there a reason all of that um I've I've just been
23:01too busy getting on with my own life to watch other people doing successful things
23:06well perhaps our next story is not for that chap there in Rochester but sticking with the Olympics
23:11as 2008 gold medalist and former world champion boxer James Degow has hosted a boxing masterclass
23:18for youngsters in Chatham the event was hosted by Kent Gloves and set up as part of a fundraising
23:23effort for three-year-old Lalani Aylesthorpe from Rochester who was born with a rare heart
23:28and lung condition Finn McDermott has the story while some Olympians are celebrating their
23:34achievements in France one former gold medalist is giving something back to the boxing community
23:40back in 2008 James Degow represented Great Britain in the middleweight boxing event beating Cuba's
23:45Emilio Bayo 16 14 now Degow is teaching his sport to eager youngsters and those wanting to break
23:52into the boxing scene I was a bit lost because after I retired you're thinking right what can
23:57I do now so I retired at 32 and you just revert back to what you know that's boxing I boxed my
24:05whole life I left school when I was 15 I got exposed so I was very very lucky and privileged
24:13that I had something that I was good at and boxing's not just all physical a majority of it's
24:18up there so you're exhausted by thinking of the combinations by thinking about oh my god a punch
24:25is coming let me sleep let me get out of the way so it's all mental a majority of it is
24:33Degow also an MBE gave the young boxers advice on their footwork guard placement and the tactics
24:38of the sport such as when to throw a jab a cross or a body shot the class which saw the boxer give
24:44one-on-one advice as well as answer questions in a Q&A session and give out photos was all to help
24:50raise money for Leilani. Leilani was born with a rare heart and lung condition she needs surgery
24:55to correct her arteries and some of her lung removed her condition means she's in and out of
25:00the hospital and needs to be fed every two hours around the clock yeah so we're fundraising for
25:06my daughter Leilani she's got a rare heart and lung condition we've had James Degow down here
25:11today obviously supporting doing boxing with the children and also adult classes so people coming
25:17together contributing and fundraising for the surgery that she needs oh no it's been fantastic
25:22local community have got behind us on various events yeah so they're here today supporting
25:28contributing towards the fundraising cause. Their GoFundMe page is halfway to the 250,000 pounds
25:34needed to be raised in order to fly the family out to Boston Massachusetts for the surgery.
25:39For more fundraising Kent gloves and Ultimate Masterclass are putting on a raffle with the
25:43main prize being a signed Tyson Fury boxing glove and runner-up prizes of vouchers for local
25:48restaurants. Two-time former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua also donated a signed
25:54glove for Leilani's cause. It's fair to say that the boxing community are all in her corner.
25:59Finn McDermid for KMTV in Midway. That's all we've got time for this evening you've been watching Kent
26:06tonight live on KMTV there's of course more news made just for Kent throughout the evening
26:11Bartholomew Hall will be here for your 8pm news bulletin and don't forget you can keep up to date
26:15with all the latest news across your county in the meantime over on our website it's kmtv.co.uk
26:21and you can also keep us on all your social timelines by liking us on Facebook following us
26:26on X and Instagram and if you have a story you think we should be covering then please do get
26:31in touch but that's all from me and the Kent tonight team have a lovely evening see you soon bye
27:01you