Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Oliver Leader De Saxe.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to Kentonite live here on KMTV. I'm Oliver Leader of the Saks and here
00:29are your top stories on Tuesday the 25th of March. Food for thought, Kent restaurants
00:36turned to takeaways five years on from the first lockdown. Business as usual as KMTV
00:43revealed shops selling illegal nicotine products weren't shut down. And a roaring success,
00:49Lion Enclosure completed in Smardon to welcome Ukrainian Lions. But first tonight, the government
00:57officially approved a £9bn crossing between Kent and Essex, bringing an end to 16 years
01:04of deliberation. The Lower Thames crossing will link Tilbury and Gravesend, with a new
01:09junction being built on the A2. It's unassumed motorists will likely be required to pay a
01:14toll to drive through its tunnel. And National Highways has planned to begin construction
01:18in 2026. Well in response to this, Dartford MP Jim Dixon told us delays on the decision
01:25have less motorists forced to deal with gridlock traffic.
01:29Yeah, this is a big day for Dartford and a big win for Dartford residents. It means the
01:34Lower Thames crossing is being given final planning approval by the government. And that
01:39means the crossing will be built, which is great news because as we all know, for far
01:43too long, governments have dodged making a decision on the Lower Thames crossing, leaving
01:47Dartford residents to endure endless gridlock. Tolling is now an accepted model for the Dartford
01:53crossing and I anticipate it will be too for the Lower Thames crossing. The important
01:59thing is to make sure the tolls are equalised so that you don't get financial incentives
02:04to use one crossing rather than the other and you get overcapacity at the crossing that's
02:09cheaper. Next tonight, during the Covid-19 pandemic,
02:13restaurants shut and quarantine restrictions forced many in Kent to offer takeaways in
02:19the evening. But five years on from then, has this changed? With restaurants, corner
02:25shops and even pubs using delivery services, with some businesses saying they're heavily
02:29relying on apps like Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat to make up their profits.
02:35Phil McDonnell went down to Canterbury to find out whether this is the case.
02:41Canterbury is easily Kent's busiest city. Before and after the pandemic, it saw more
02:46than 40 million people a year visiting its high street. And while the amount of people
02:50spending their time and money there hasn't changed much, running a business in the centre
02:55certainly has. Maria's is a coffee house and ice cream shop and even though its door opens
03:00right onto the busy high street, it also uses delivery services. And according to its owner,
03:05it's something most businesses in Canterbury have to do now just to keep up.
03:09During lockdown we had money but we just couldn't go out spending it. So the online platforms
03:14all of a sudden started to do really well, whether it's Amazon or whether it's the takeaways
03:18through their portals. So we did pretty well during lockdown because of that. Coming out
03:24of that now, you know, we've realised that lockdown drove us online. We got more familiar
03:29with it online, ordering online, more comfortable doing that, whether it's ordering clothes
03:34on Amazon or whether it's ordering food through the portals. We've made it easier to order
03:38online and that's a good thing to do. But what it's done is now taken away people from
03:43the high street. But not everyone thinks the shift to takeaways is automatically harmful.
03:48Historically, of course, it used to be quite commonplace that the butcher, baker, candlestick
03:52maker would have a gentleman or a person on a bicycle with a basket on the front who would
03:56be delivering the produce to all of the homes and houses in and around the village. We now
04:00have that except these are people on e-bikes with large blue boxes on their back whizzing
04:04up and down sort of pedestrian areas. I don't think it's diminished one market over the
04:09cost of another. It has actually just increased more opportunities. So I think we will see
04:14this evolve over time. Really, the experience and the sort of the need to socialise, engage
04:20will continue to be there. It'll certainly play a big part of our hospitality industry.
04:24Uber Eats released data that in 2021, as restrictions were winding down, 49% of people in the UK
04:30said they used a food delivery app at least once and more than half of adults under 40
04:35used it multiple times, with most people saying it was out of pure convenience. And
04:39that was in 2021. Now, in 2025, the company have hit one billion deliveries made in the
04:45last 10 years and show no signs of slowing down. For some, the pandemic has brought in
04:50a new wave of opportunity, with the threshold to the takeaway industry being far lower,
04:55while others worry that their store could see less footfall because of it. Finn McDermid
05:00for KMTV in Canterbury.
05:03Now in sport. Clements, Bonner, Coleman and now Ainsworth, Gillingham FC are set to have
05:09their fourth manager take the helm in only a year. Manager John Coleman is now confirmed
05:15to have left his role at Gillingham FC, with Shrewsbury Town head coach Gareth Ainsworth
05:20set to replace him. It's been a difficult season for the Gilles, with them now sitting
05:24at 19th in the table. But fans hope that the new manager will build for the club's future.
05:30Bartholomew Hall has the story.
05:33A fourth manager in the space of 12 months. Gareth Ainsworth takes to the helm at Priestfield
05:39at a troubling time for Gillingham. Following the summer sacking of Stephen Clements, the
05:44League Two promotion hopefuls started their campaign with Mark Bonner in charge, before
05:49his exit in early January after a poor run over Christmas. Gillingham then brought in
05:54John Coleman, with the former Accrington Stanley boss managing just two wins in his 14 games
05:59at the helm. The most recent of which, a goalless draw against League leaders Walsall.
06:04Our fans deserve better, they deserve more excitement. The crowd are great when they
06:09get behind you, but you've got to give them something to get behind. For a club of our
06:12stature we have to be better. We have to attack better, we have to make more chances better.
06:18The things that we do in training we don't always replicate in matches.
06:23Despite some mid-season relegation fears, now in 19th and 13 points safe, it's up to
06:29the new manager to keep it that way.
06:31We are getting the points in the bag. I think there's about a 13 point gap between Gillingham
06:36now and the bottom two, which I think realistically we are all but mathematically safe now. The
06:42worry I think a lot of people have got, and myself included, are we going to become the
06:47next version of Watford, where they seem to change managers every few months. We do need
06:52now some stability, we've been saying it for some while. I just hope that we can settle
06:57down and that supporters will get behind him regardless of the first few results. Let's
07:04try and build for a positive future.
07:05You've heard me say before, next season is going to be an exciting one, but this season
07:11isn't over.
07:12The new boss, Gareth Ainsworth, is moving to Gillingham from League One basement boys
07:15Shrewsbury Town. Having won just five of his 22 games in charge at the Shrews, a move to
07:21Kent will see him drop down a division. The former QPR midfielder played more than 500
07:26games in his senior career, where he picked up the nickname Wild Thing for his rock star
07:31aspirations, fitting hairstyle and, well, musical ability.
07:42So with less than 10 games left this season, it's now the turn of Gareth Ainsworth to produce
07:47the melody that will keep Gillingham's rhythm alive. Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.
07:53Now exclusive data obtained by KMTV shows that despite hundreds of retailers have illegal
07:59nicotine products seized by Kent trading standards, not a single one faced closure as a result.
08:05With a new bill expected to be passed in Parliament to give regulators more teeth later this week,
08:10I'll be finding out what these figures actually mean.
08:14Cigarettes, vapes, nicotine pouches. They're everywhere on the streets of Kent and increasingly
08:22there are fears that the products being sold aren't meeting legal requirements. With Kent
08:29trading standards seizing illicit tobacco and nicotine products from nearly 250 businesses
08:37from across the county since January 2023. But despite hundreds of businesses selling
08:45products that flaunt regulations that keep consumers safe, not a single one has faced
08:52closure as a result.
08:55Everybody always asks us, how many of you closed down? As an authority we don't have
08:59that power. If the new legislation were to provide something like that, then we could
09:05deal with those harder retailers under one piece of legislation. So for us to go in,
09:13to disrupt, to engage with the business, to get them compliant is a much better use of
09:21our time to actually ensure that that business is selling the correct product to the correct
09:25people. But you're right, until that final action is taken, that business can carry on.
09:32Kent trading standards told us they believed around 90% of businesses they seize products
09:38from are unintentionally breaking the rules. Pointing out that a local vape action pilot
09:45being undertaken in Tunbridge Wells has seen illegal vape sales drop since its launch last
09:52year after they worked with dozens of retailers to ensure they're meeting their legal obligations.
10:00Trading standards is the pointy end of the stick. So they're the ones who are going out
10:04and speaking to the retailers and businesses and assessing whether or not they're doing
10:10the right thing. And if they don't have the powers to issue substantial fines, or more
10:19importantly to close down those retailers who aren't doing things properly, then they
10:24definitely should have more powers to do that.
10:27There are plans in the works to empower these local regulatory bodies. With the Tobacco
10:32and Vapes Bill set to be voted on later this week.
10:36At the moment vapes are not a licensed product. So no, you cannot go in there on behalf of
10:42trading standards and you can't close these premises down. That is about to change in
10:47the new Tobacco and Vapes legislation. But it won't be an immediate closure. There's
10:51going to be a series of steps taken if you are caught selling inappropriately or to a
10:56minor. But if businesses persist in breaking the rules that are going to be introduced,
11:02it will lead to a loss of licence, which means you won't be able to sell the product.
11:07But with so many businesses selling illegal nicotine products, intentionally or not, working
11:15with retailers is one of the only solutions available for the immediate future, even for
11:23repeat offenders.
11:25Oliver Leader, The Sacks, for KMTV.
11:29Time for a break now, but more news after this short interval. We've been speaking with
11:34an expert on the best ways to yawn here in the county. And the Ukrainian Lions rescued
11:42from the war-torn country rehoused somewhere in Kent. But where? Find out in a few minutes.
12:25Thank you for joining us.
12:55Thank you for joining us.
13:25Thank you for joining us.
13:55Thank you for joining us.
14:25Thank you for joining us.
14:55Thank you for joining us.
15:12Welcome back to KMTV and Kent tonight. Now, 500 homes in the village of Charing near Ashford
15:17have been left without water after a burst pipe flood at a high street. This video taken
15:22by a local resident shows the extent of the flooding at 10pm last night. It's meant many
15:27residents have been left without running water and having to buy bottled water instead. Southeast
15:33Water have made repairs to the water pipe, but residents are still feeling the effects
15:37of the burst. It's been the second time it's happened to the community this year.
15:44A special needs school in Maidstone hosted the launch of a brand new storybook written
15:49by their very own member of staff. Whereas Wilbur Pig, written by Laura Dickens and illustrated
15:54by Lola Lily, is inspired by the farm animals in the apple tree yard of Five Acre Wood School
16:00and was read to students to celebrate its release. The author hopes the story is shared
16:05beyond the school and raises money. And our reporter Henry Luck has the details.
16:12Students of Five Acre Wood School gathered for the reading of a brand new storybook which
16:17was written by one of their very own members of staff. Whereas Wilbur Pig was inspired
16:24by one of Five Acre Wood's animals who lives in the apple tree yard, though he's not really
16:29fussed about being on camera. Wilbur Pig's adventure was created by Laura
16:35Dickens, which is her first step into the world of writing.
16:40It was written about two years ago. We had a little reading in our outdoor classroom
16:46down here and we thought, well, let's just run with it and see what happens. And we met
16:52Jess and Jess has done all the hard work in publishing. The book's called Where Is Wilbur
16:58Pig? It's about one of our pigs on our farm who doesn't get enough food so goes on a little
17:04adventure. It's for the children to be able to take home and share with family at home
17:10so there's a link between home and school. The success of the book has even been a surprise
17:15to Laura's closest colleagues who were amazed by her imagination.
17:20Laura works here, she runs the farm here and I think, I don't know what inspired her but
17:28she certainly had this brainwave to go and write a book about it and include all the
17:32animals in the book are real, they exist, they're here in the farm yard. So I think
17:36that's what makes it extra special. Of course, Laura had help getting her book
17:41off the ground and the story also has a purpose beyond being shared around family, students
17:49and friends.
17:50Aperwoods, Apple Tree Yard is a really, it is a magical place, it's a really special
17:55place and I think the book really captures that and I think it's lovely to share that
17:59with the outside world as well. So I think from here I hope that the book will raise
18:05lots of funds for the school and for the yard because it really deserves it and I hope that
18:11Laura is getting her pen out and writing another book because I'd love to publish
18:15another one for her.
18:17With Laura Dickens' first published book, only time will tell what adventures she'll
18:22tell next, either at Apple Tree Yard or beyond. Henry Luck for KMTV in Maidstone.
18:32Now where would you consider the rudest place to yawn would be? Well according to new research
18:3880% of us consider yawning is in fact rude in certain situations with many choosing to
18:43suppress a yawn in front of others. Anyway, we found out a bit more about this on The
18:50Morning Show earlier today.
18:53So yawning can, it could be, it could be a sign of many things, we don't really understand
18:56why we yawn and animals yawn. There's an idea that it's a sign of empathy, that idea that
19:03we catch a yawn off other people. It could be cooling our brain down, there's some quiet
19:08strong evidence that it could be that, it's actually cooling our brain down. It could
19:11be a sign of, you know, I need to focus, so it's your body saying I need to focus. It
19:15could even be clearing the channels between your ears and your throat. So we're not 100%
19:20certain but it doesn't always mean that you're bored, which is, as a society that's what
19:25we've decided and as a sleep expert I get a lot of people yawning at me and I've learnt
19:30not to take offence, that actually it could be that they're just paying attention and
19:33saying sleep again and again does make you yawn.
19:35Yeah, so if there are all these actual reasons behind it as well, all these different potentials
19:39that it could be, why has the majority gone to the idea that it is rude?
19:45I think we've always had this idea, this is the reason why we did this research with Premiering,
19:49it was this idea of, in society, I saw it in my work that people thought that they're
19:56stifling a yawn and it can be quite difficult, you know, if you're stifling a yawn for quite
19:59a long time. So we have this idea in society that yawning is rude but I think we've just
20:03got to change our mindset on it. I think covering your mouth is something that, again, which
20:08came out in the research, is that if you don't cover your mouth that's seen as the old, you
20:11know, that someone who really enjoys the yawn, someone who gets their arms stretched out,
20:15gets their, you know, makes an audible noise, quite a loud noise, that's actually seen as
20:21the most rude but actually that person's yawning properly, they're getting the full benefit
20:25of the yawn because it's a nice feeling, isn't it, after you've yawned, it's that nice sort
20:28of like, you feel a bit more relaxed, you feel a bit more at one with yourself and I
20:32think if we are yawning, well, let's do it properly.
20:34And what can you tell us about the contagious part of a yawn? What is it that makes us,
20:40sort of, when we see someone yawning or when we're talking about it, it makes us want to
20:42do it?
20:43I think it's this idea, so the idea is that from a social point of view, that is like,
20:47it's empathetic, it's sort of, we think it's part of that social bonding. So it's an involuntary
20:54action, we don't, you know, that's why you're stifling yawns quite difficult and it's the
20:59reason, one of the reasons we're doing it is to connect with each other, so it shows
21:04you that yawning's not actually that bad a thing and it's us saying, I'm like you, let's
21:08have a good yawn together.
21:10And we understand that you've developed the ultimate yawn formula, what can you tell us
21:15about this?
21:16So that's a formula that allows you to get the full benefit of the yawn, so what you
21:20want to do, you could do this with me now if you want to, I'm going to put my hands
21:23sort of like at a 30-45 degree angle, so you're sitting up straight, mouth about 70%
21:30open, we don't need to dislocate your jaw, and then a noise, a noise like a loud speaking,
21:38so make sure you scrunch your face, get the face scrunching and at the end that's sort
21:47of it, you've done it in a way that you feel more relaxed, you feel ready to attack the
21:53rest of the day.
21:55Now let's take a look at the weather.
22:02A cloudy evening tonight, temperatures reaching 11 degrees in Dartford and lows of 7 in Dover,
22:08wind speeds of 5mph in both the east and the west.
22:11Into tomorrow morning, temperatures going to around 10 degrees, 9 over in Medway, sun
22:15and cloud dissipating into the afternoon, lots of sun in Canterbury and Dover, some
22:20clouds still in Ashford, and for the rest of the week, temperatures dropping to around
22:2513 on Friday, rising back up to 14, cloud, sun and even a bit of rain on Friday.
22:38And finally this evening, five lions rescued from war-torn Ukraine have at last all been
22:43resettled here in the county, it's only been in the last week that Rory, Amani, Lyra and
22:49Vanda joined the shell-shocked Una in their new forever home outside Ashford, where they're
22:55about to live in peace and thrive.
22:57I went down to the launch earlier today in Smerdon to find out more about the new pride
23:03of Kent.
23:04It started as a daring rescue for five Ukrainian lions caught in a war zone, now a roaring
23:13success following a £500,000 fundraising campaign to give these exotic felines their
23:21forever home.
23:22Yeah, so these guys have been here for just over a week and I'm really, really pleased
23:28to see the behaviours that they're showing, loads of really relaxed behaviours, they've
23:32all been making themselves at home, they've all been getting to know each other as well
23:36because even though they're from the same rescue centre, they never really met.
23:41So they've settled in unbelievably well, surprisingly well and that just goes to show that they
23:46feel like they're in the right environment now, which is fantastic.
23:49Local and national heroes joined more than 100 people at the Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford
23:57to unveil the state-of-the-art facility, far away from the conflict engulfing Eastern Europe.
24:04Three, two, one, hooray!
24:09And when you look around, I've never seen enclosures like this before, considering where
24:13some of these cats were in Ukraine and where they are now, there's almost, you can see
24:18the contentment in their face, you can almost see it on the face.
24:21They're rolling round, they're talking to each other, they're very vocal, it's such
24:26a special place to be, I love this place.
24:28The needs of the rescued lions are complex, even before the war with Russia, they were
24:35victims of the illegal animal trade.
24:38Trapped in concrete enclosures barely big enough to house them, some hadn't even touched
24:44grass before arriving in Kent.
24:47She's just so curious, this is all brand new to her, I mean this is the first time she's
24:52been outside and I'm good.
24:58Just over my shoulder you can see one of the five Ukrainian lions that have been rescued,
25:03taking a well-deserved break after a big meal.
25:07His new enclosure designed around his needs and getting all the support that a cat can
25:13get.
25:14Each enclosure of the Lion Rescue Centre is specially designed for the individual that's
25:18in it.
25:19Rory, behind me for example, has a neurological condition that he's had since a young age,
25:25he's a bit weaker on his back end, probably due to not getting the right nutrition growing
25:29up and so his enclosure has very gentle slopes and mounds, there's no high areas and it's
25:36a space that's going to allow him to build muscle tone safely.
25:40The pride are clearly making themselves at home and with how eager they are to pose for
25:45the camera, no wonder they're set to get the lion's share of public attention here at the
25:51sanctuary for quite some time.
25:54Oliver leaves the sanctuary for KMTV in Smerdon.
25:59A bit more good news for you now, a widow and widower have found love again and remarried
26:03at 90 years old.
26:05Sheila and Timothy Harris, who live in Coxheath, a small village near Maidstone, said their
26:10vows at St Nicholas Church in Linton last week.
26:13They met each other at the village tea rooms in Headcorn six years ago.
26:17While they both lost their partners, they hit it off straight away for Tim, whose heart
26:21broken over the loss of his wife, said the lights just came on when they met.
26:26How lovely is that?
26:28I think that's everything we have time for this evening on Kent Tonight.
26:32More news throughout the evening and join us at 7am tomorrow for the Kent Morning Show.
26:38That's everything from me, I'll see you soon.