Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Finn Macdiarmid.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:26I'm Finn McDermid and here are your top stories on Friday the 11th of April.
00:31Bobby's on the beat. Kent Police is bringing back named officers to neighbourhood patrols across the county.
00:38Environment versus electricity. Campaigners are warning the new Pegwell Bay connection could damage local ecology.
00:45And don't put all of your eggs in one basket. We share some budget-friendly ways to enjoy Easter across Kent without cracking your wallet.
00:51But first tonight, named police officers are set to return to Kent's towns in the coming months as part of a major government shake-up.
01:00The Prime Minister has pledged to recruit 3,000 new neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs across the next year, aiming to crack down on antisocial behaviour.
01:09But in towns like Sittingbourne, where street crime continues to rise, will these changes actually make a difference?
01:14Kristen Hawthorne has been finding out.
01:16A transformation in neighbourhood policing.
01:20Thousands of new police officers are set to hit the streets, as part of the government's plan to tackle antisocial behaviour across England and Wales.
01:27We'll deliver 13,000 new neighbourhood officers by 2029.
01:32And today I can announce the first step.
01:373,000 new neighbourhood officers by the start of next year.
01:42All of them visible, on the beat, and serving their communities.
01:47And from this July, so just a few months' time, every neighbourhood will have a named contactable officer.
01:53They'll have guaranteed police patrols in town centres and hotspots, particularly at peak times like Friday and Saturday nights.
02:02With the announcement of the increase of thousands of more officers being placed across Britain to tackle antisocial behaviour,
02:08I'm wondering how many of these will be placed in Kent, and if it will be able to make a difference to the safety of those in the county.
02:14We'll be putting an additional 65 officers into our neighbourhood policing teams.
02:18They'll be deployed in every district across the county, tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in our town centres.
02:26Here in Kent, concerns about antisocial behaviour are already running high.
02:30In Sittingbourne, some residents have even started forming anonymous road crews on WhatsApp to deter crime,
02:36saying police simply aren't responding quickly enough.
02:40So visibility for policing is hugely important.
02:42And we know it's an incredibly crucial part of the public's perception of policing.
02:49I would advise anyone who is considering taking part in or setting up a so-called road crew not to do so,
02:56apart from anything else.
02:57They haven't made themselves aware to us.
02:58We don't know where they're operating.
03:01But I would say I recognise the strength of feeling that people have when they're affected by antisocial behaviour.
03:06And I would ask anyone who is to come forward and tell us what's happening.
03:09Let us know so that we can understand the picture of that and do something about it together.
03:13And I certainly want to work with community groups, residents associations and others to provide sustainable solutions to some of those issues.
03:20But it's not just more police officers that will be introduced to the county, but named ones for each area as well,
03:27which MP Kevin McKenna thinks will help to tackle the issues.
03:30Right now, people aren't sure who to speak to in the police.
03:34Once there's a named neighbourhood team, they'll know who to go to.
03:38Once there's an accountable person for antisocial behaviour, they will know who to contact and say,
03:42look, we've got this whole problem in our area of antisocial behaviour, ASB.
03:47It's about when people really see the difference.
03:49So I'm hoping that once we get these named officers, these named neighbourhood policing teams,
03:55these named antisocial behaviour officers, it will start to be people like, right, that's who I go to.
04:01That's how I do it.
04:02And people will start to see a difference.
04:04While some locals in Maidstone told me they don't think neighbourhood policing will make a difference,
04:09the government are hoping that bits on the ground will finally bring long-term change.
04:14Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV in Maidstone.
04:17Supporters, players and staff gathered to pay tribute at the funeral of Sheppie United manager Ernie Batten
04:24following his passing earlier this year.
04:27The town loved him.
04:28He guided the club to two promotions, lifted four trophies, led them to six finals
04:32and many even credit him with saving Sheppie United from losing its ground in the early 2000s.
04:37I went to Holm Park, the home of Sheppie United, to find out more.
04:40Every supporter will also agree with me.
04:44Without Ernie Batten, this football club wouldn't be here today.
04:48Today, Sheppie said goodbye to their beloved manager, owner, chairman and to many in the football club and the town, a friend.
04:55He passed away last month aged 67 and ahead of his funeral today,
04:58fans lined the street outside the Sharrock Stadium at Holm Park to honour their most successful manager.
05:03When he took over as owner and also as manager, he's given the Isle of Sheppie so many memories that live on forever.
05:13We got to the first round of the FA Cup proper last year, which was live on ITV.
05:18In all the club's history, that was only a dream, it was just in the pipeline.
05:27You never expected it to be part of your lifetime and thanks to Ernie, we can cherish that memory for a long time.
05:34Now, Sheppie United has plenty of club legends, but today they're honouring Ernie Batten.
05:39He got them two promotions, four trophies and earned them a place in six different finals.
05:44But it wasn't just his achievements with the team that mattered, it was also his dedication to the club.
05:49And locals tell me that Sheppie United and Holm Park wouldn't have been here without him.
05:54Before the turn of the century, Sheppie United were nearing their end.
05:57They'd sold their home ground, Botany Road, to developers in the early 90s to clear a huge overdraft debt.
06:03With no home stadium and attendances falling, the team disbanded.
06:07But when former player, turned owner and manager Ernie Batten,
06:10purchased and improved the current ground of Holm Park,
06:13revived the senior team and brought the club more victories than it had ever seen before,
06:18no one on the aisle or off it would disagree that Ernie was Sheppie's greatest manager.
06:23Well, Ernie Batten, obviously, when he left school early, he started playing semi-professional football
06:27and he's done a lot of football, played for a lot of clubs and all things like that.
06:32And obviously, he come back and this ground here, as you can see here, wouldn't be here
06:37if it wasn't for Ernie Batten.
06:38But Ernie put all the money in, Ernie paid for the picture and all that and everything, yeah,
06:44and slowly built the club up.
06:45Lee said that Ernie was a shy, reserved man by nature,
06:48but would have appreciated the support of the town,
06:51whether it was fans at the procession or the funeral itself.
06:54It's the busiest funeral I've ever been to.
06:56There were people standing at the back, there were people sitting on sides.
07:02We could have easily filled a second crematorium site today.
07:08I've just come back to the wake and the clubhouse is packed.
07:12The club themselves said,
07:13Let's dive into this week's health headlines from across the county.
07:28From salvia tests that help identify prostate cancer risks
07:32to the UK's first baby born following a womb transplant,
07:36Dr Julian Spinks joined Abby and Bartholomew on the morning show earlier
07:40to break down all the headlines.
07:41A saliva test could identify the risk of prostate cancer.
07:46How exactly does that work?
07:48This test is a genetic test.
07:51So it doesn't look for cancer itself.
07:53It looks for the genes and the things that are associated with prostate cancer.
07:58And the saliva looks for about 130 different genes.
08:02And if you've got the right pattern of them,
08:04it would suggest you have a higher risk of having prostate cancer
08:07and then you go in to do screening.
08:09It's relatively new and there's going to be a little bit of time
08:14before we can work out how best to use it.
08:16Some of the preliminary tests show it makes a difference,
08:19but not an enormous difference, in predicting prostate cancer.
08:23And it's because we have a real problem with prostate cancer.
08:25The tests we have at the moment are not ideal.
08:28Prostate-specific antigen, PSA, which is the most common test used,
08:31has a very high false positive rate.
08:34It also misses some cancers.
08:36And that's not an ideal way of screening.
08:38The evidence is pointing towards the way we should be using it,
08:41particularly for people who have a higher risk.
08:42So it may be a combination of that plus this new test
08:45will mean that we limit the number of people having to have invasive tests
08:49but also pick up more of the cancers early.
08:51And some more health headlines this morning.
08:53I'm going to jump through them.
08:55There's one we've seen.
08:58I think we can get the picture up on the screen now.
09:00A NHS stamp.
09:02Can you explain to us exactly what this is?
09:04What's it for?
09:05Yes.
09:05Well, this is because of the problem people have.
09:09We all know these days post isn't as reliable.
09:11And I have patients who contact me and say,
09:14you know the urgent appointment I was due to have?
09:16I got the actual letter telling me when it was the day after the appointment.
09:20And while you can send emails and all these other things,
09:23there are some people, particularly older people, still depending on it.
09:26So the government has negotiated with the post office
09:28effectively an NHS postal rate.
09:31So there will be second class, first class and NHS class
09:34so that particularly urgent letters get priority.
09:37They're sorted out automatically and will go through first through the system.
09:41And also if there's a strike,
09:43it will ensure that these particular letters are delivered
09:46even though other letters won't be.
09:48Let's talk about another health headline that's made some of the papers
09:52and the news outlets this week.
09:56A miracle baby girl has become the first child in the UK
09:59to be born to a mother using a donated womb.
10:05Tell us a bit more about this because Grace, her name's Grace Davidson,
10:09she was born without a functioning uterus.
10:11She actually got her sister's womb back in 2023.
10:14And it was the UK's only successful womb transplant.
10:19Yes, it's like science fiction, isn't it, really?
10:22And it's giving an option to people like that person
10:26who didn't have a womb to start off with.
10:27So it wasn't a question of being ill or anything like that.
10:30It just wasn't there.
10:31And very kindly her sister donated the womb.
10:33There have been transplants that have happened in other parts of the world,
10:37including ones from dead bodies,
10:40like you would transplant kidneys and hearts and so on.
10:44The tricky bit is womb is seemingly a simple organ,
10:48but it actually does a complex function.
10:51So to produce something that can support a pregnancy
10:54to allow a fetus to develop and so on is not so easy.
10:59It's at the moment being supported by a sort of charitable trust.
11:03So the NHS is not doing this at the moment.
11:06And I get the impression it's likely to be very, very expensive.
11:10Now, apologies for pronunciation issues in the link to the last item.
11:14I was meant to say saliva testing,
11:16so maybe Dr Julian Spinks might need to test my eyesight.
11:19Now it's time for a quick break.
11:21But here's what's coming up.
11:23Passengers say an alleged catapult attack targeted two buses in Kent,
11:28leaving passengers particularly shaken on board.
11:31Conservationists slam a new national grid connection planned for Pegwell,
11:36warning it could severely damage local ecology.
11:39And we'll share some budget-friendly ways to celebrate Easter
11:43without breaking the bank.
11:45And we'll have all that and more right after this very short break.
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19:01next Pegwell Bay to the rest of the southeast, but it's here where the National Grid has
19:06proposed the planning for their converter and their substations.
19:10The location is a drained marsh which is used for agriculture, and the National Grid said
19:15it was the only option after a failed search for a suitable brownfield site.
19:19There's a little more than three weeks left for the Planning Inspectorate to decide whether
19:23to move the National Grid's application to the next stage.
19:26Then the public can have their say on how the landscape looks for generations to come.
19:31Daisy Page for KMTV.
19:33Now it's time to take a look at the weather.
19:40Tonight, clear skies are expected with temperatures ranging from 7 to 11 degrees across the county.
19:46Into tomorrow morning, we'll have some very nice weather to start your weekend with the
19:51sun shining at 14 degrees in some areas.
19:54In the afternoon, temperatures will rise to highs of 21 degrees, wind speeds ranging from
19:5912 to 7 miles per hour.
20:00Now, here's your outlook.
20:02Partly cloudy weather expected across the board.
20:04Highs of 17 on Sunday and 16 at the start of next week.
20:08A bit unfortunate.
20:09I was hoping for just a little more sun.
20:11Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all of the latest stories across Kent by logging
20:19on to our website, that's kmtv.co.uk.
20:23There, you'll find all our reports, including this one about rescue chickens.
20:26It's a fact that you can't make an omelette without breaking a couple of eggs.
20:31But it's also true that chickens can't be happy without a proper home, which is what
20:37Fresh Start for Hens in Ellsford are providing for the whole coop by letting the public register
20:44and collect them.
20:45Fresh Start for Hens are here in Ellsford to donate all the chickens they've rescued to
20:51new forever homes.
20:53These hens have retired from commercial use and would have traditionally been put to slaughter,
20:59if not for charities like this.
21:01The birds being donated are the egg-laying kind, meaning they're not fit for human consumption
21:08because, unlike broiler hens, they don't have much meat on their bones.
21:13These hens weren't rehomed, they would go to slaughter, and they're only 72 weeks.
21:18They've got a good few years of egg-laying left in them, and they've got personalities,
21:23they're friendly, they've got a lot of life to live, so they don't deserve to be killed.
21:28Speaking to volunteers, they talked about the benefits owning these types of chickens
21:34can bring.
21:35So I've kept chickens for about four years now, I have quite a few.
21:40I think most people who own chickens realise that once you have one chicken, it's very
21:44easy to start getting more chickens, they call it chicken math.
21:48So I actually have about, I think about 70 chickens now, in my garden, and they are fantastic.
21:53We love fresh eggs every day, and they're great for kids.
21:57I have two children, and they absolutely love them.
22:00Fresh Start for Hens are also encouraging more people to get involved with the scheme,
22:05as they're looking to return with more chickens on the 8th of March.
22:10People please, if you can, you know, support us by, and supporting the hens by re-homing if
22:16you can.
22:17We just ask you to register on our website.
22:20It's www.freshstartforhens.com.
22:24Ask for a minimum donation of £2.75 a hen.
22:28We ask for pictures of your setup.
22:30We have a wonderful back-up system, where someone is always available to give help and advice.
22:37You know, you're not on your own.
22:40We have vets, so it's fantastic.
22:43We, you know, it is so worth it.
22:45Now, like projecting a JPEG of some Easter traditions behind you, there's many ways across Kent to
22:58enjoy a cheaper Easter weekend with your children.
23:00This year, experts estimate that families will spend a total of £1.5 billion.
23:18So, with the school Easter holidays in full swing, what activities can we do to make some
23:22decorations for the holiday while still being mindful of our money?
23:26Well, Daisy joined Abby and Bartholomew earlier to decorate some eggs.
23:30We have a table full of decorations, of eggs, so if we can get a close-up, look at that.
23:36I always like to bring a little bit of chaos to the morning show, don't I?
23:40And we love it.
23:41What's going on?
23:42Take us through this.
23:43So, it is estimated that the average person in the UK will spend around £37 this Easter.
23:50Why?
23:51I think when we go to the shops and we're seeing the price of eggs, we can kind of understand
23:55why.
23:56Even though there are a range, you can get some for £1, but you can always get some for £10
23:59as well.
24:00So, it is depending on what you're picking.
24:02However, with Easter holidays happening right now, as we know, sometimes it can be quite
24:09hard to find some activities that are cost-effective or even free.
24:14So, if you like to pick an egg, we have a whole egg to be working with.
24:19Usually, it's kind of a fun game when you're eating your boiled eggs because obviously you
24:22kind of want to keep as much shell as possible.
24:26These are quite little eggs today.
24:28So, you can just work around, kind of start decorating them.
24:33It's completely free on how you would like to decorate them.
24:36Some people like to do flowers.
24:37Some people just like to paint an egg one colour.
24:39Some people like to do spots, stripes, all things like that.
24:43So, let your creative freedom flow.
24:46I actually had quite a creative idea of using felt.
24:50I've never used felt before.
24:51So, it might be a bit hit and miss, but we can do a judge and see who the audience thinks
24:57is the best egg by the end of this today.
25:00Okay.
25:01This is really fun.
25:02I'm hoping that once these dry as well, you'll still be able to crack them and eat
25:05them as well and not waste them.
25:07So, one of...
25:08Getting some practice in.
25:09Okay.
25:10So, you can start.
25:11I'm so tempted just to draw a face on it.
25:13You can start.
25:16So, another way.
25:17Obviously, these are just some things I found lying around my home.
25:21So, if you want to be, take it even more the step of eco-friendly, you can actually dye
25:28your eggs with food.
25:30So, things like red cabbage.
25:33If you boil it, add a bit of vinegar, you get like a red kind of looking sauce from it.
25:39If you put your eggs in that for around 30 minutes, it will dye them a purpley red colour.
25:45And you can do this with all different foods lying around your house as well.
25:49Obviously, that one can be a bit more time consuming and maybe a little bit less creative.
25:55But I did see this thing that if you're dying your eggs, you can always stick flowers to
26:00them, put them in some like thin cloth, dip them in, and then once they've dried, you
26:06can take the flowers off and they're printed with flower prints.
26:09So, that's quite interesting.
26:10Are you doing a self-portrait there?
26:12Yeah.
26:13I kept in and I did do a face.
26:15Hold it up to this camera too.
26:17There we go.
26:18You might have to stand up.
26:19Can anyone see that?
26:22He's happy.
26:23He's happy.
26:24Some brilliant artistic impressions there from our presenters.
26:28Well, you've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
26:31There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
26:34Don't forget you can always keep up to date with the latest news across your county by logging
26:38on to our website.
26:39You can also keep us on our social timelines by liking us on Facebook and following us
26:43on Twitter.
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