Join Abby Hook and Bartholomew Hall with all the latest news for Kent, in the morning!
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00:00Now, disturbing images shared with KMTV and Kent Online show the shocking levels of litter
00:25and dirt inside a flat near Faversham after a woman was arrested on suspicion of child
00:30abuse. Neighbours living next to the flat are now calling for an urgent clean-up after
00:35some described the smell being so bad that they thought someone had died. A warning, the
00:40report you're about to see includes some images some viewers may find upsetting.
00:46It's the flat from hell. That's what neighbours are calling this property near Faversham after
00:52a woman was arrested on suspicion of child neglect. From soiled mattresses to what appears to
00:58be human faeces smeared on its walls, these disturbing images shared with KMTV have revealed
01:04an insight into what was going on inside the flat. Those who live nearby say they're fearing
01:10for their health, describing the smell as so bad that they first thought someone had died.
01:16The images show a shocking amount of grime and litter, with one appearing to show a child
01:22doll laying beside empty snack wrappers and a broken bed frame. On 5th January, officers
01:28were called to the address after concern was raised for the occupants, but when they arrived,
01:33the flat was empty. Later that same day, a 26-year-old woman was arrested outside the county on suspicion
01:40of child neglect and animal cruelty. She was later released on bail. Horrified neighbours who
01:47didn't want to share their real names are now calling on the building's housing association
01:51to carry out an urgent clean-up.
01:53It's horrible. I can't even put it into words. The smell was so bad that we thought
01:58someone had died up there. That's why we called the police. We are all incredibly upset that
02:04we had to deal with this. I smelt it every day. It makes me feel sick. The fact that children
02:09are living there is horrific. The flies are absolutely everywhere. It's unbearable.
02:13A spokesperson for Mears Living told us it's aware of the issues and is continuing to work
02:19with those involved to reach a resolution as soon as possible. But with the flat remaining
02:24unsecured this week and an infestation issue growing, the nearby residents who spoke to us
02:30say the flat is becoming harder to live near every day. Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.
02:36During World War II and before the invention of the radar, acoustic mirrors just like this
02:42one were designed to detect the sound of enemy aircraft flying towards us.
02:47Well now, with the upcoming 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, VE Day, and 90 years
02:52since the invention of radar technology, the Royal British Legion Industries has launched
02:57an installation of one of these acoustic mirrors in Dover to raise money and awareness for veteran
03:02homelessness. Well, Firmit Dermid has more.
03:05The port of Dover sees ships coming into its waters every day, but now it has a new arrival
03:11that it hasn't had built on its seafront for nearly a century. An acoustic sound mirror,
03:16but this one is designed to make people more aware of the struggles of veterans rather than
03:20the sounds of planes. Back in World War II, these sound mirrors would have lined the south
03:25coast, all to detect the noise of incoming enemy aircraft. But this one takes on a different
03:30meaning. It's all to raise awareness and amplify the voices of veterans who need to
03:34support the most. It was commissioned by the Royal British Legion Industries and launched
03:39on the anniversary of both Victory in Europe Day and the invention of radar.
03:43So we've been working on it for several months. Obviously VE Day 80 is coming up as a really
03:48important time. Potentially the last time we'll have a major anniversary with people
03:53that were still in combat and serving during World War II. So we've been working on it for
03:58quite a long time. As I say, Martin's worked with us before and he's come to us with this
04:03idea and we've worked to develop it together.
04:05The RBLI also say that in the last 12 months alone they've seen a 45% increase in requests
04:11and referrals for emergency veteran accommodation. Former Chief of the General Staff and RBLI patron,
04:16Lord Danit CBE, thinks the timing of the launch is vital because of the increase of referrals,
04:21but also with the state of current global affairs. And he isn't the only one.
04:25We've got to bear in mind this year it's all the more important with that current threat
04:30from Russia on Ukraine. I've just come back from Tallinn where of course they're also
04:35on the front line of that threat. So it's so important people remember the importance
04:41of this. But also we reward and look after veterans who need us and donate to the RBLI
04:48and other charities to ensure that veterans are treated with dignity and listened to, which
04:54I think this is quite important being a radar which of course assists with listening.
04:58For the installation the RBLI commissioned the same artist that designed their Tommy logo.
05:02Well I've always loved the acoustic mirrors that you can almost see either side of us
05:07here two or three miles away from where we are now. These beautiful steadfast sentinel
05:12structures made of concrete. They weren't built as artworks, but to me they look like artworks.
05:17And I wanted to draw together the Tommy and the idea of listening, the amplification of ancient
05:25voices. Learning from the echoes of history.
05:29And by bringing a piece of Dover's past back into the present, Martin and the RBLI hope the
05:35structure will raise money and awareness that allows them to continue to house veterans and
05:39their families. Finn McDermid for CAME TV in Dover.
05:43Now from brawls, drunks and runners to people vomiting in her car and even being chased by
05:49the police, the job of a cabbie is never really quite dull.
05:53And just 12 months into the role, a Kent taxi driver has opened up about perhaps one of the
05:58often overlooked jobs in our society.
06:01Well, it's Kent online reporter Jo Crosley in the hot seat this time. You've been taken on a tour of
06:07Charisse's patch and she's been telling you all about what it's like to be a cabbie. She's been in 12 months.
06:12Jo, thanks for joining us here today. Tell us what it was like being sort of the other side. You're getting a lift still, but she's telling you all about her job.
06:21Yeah, yeah. Thank you for having me on. Yeah, it was brilliant. Absolutely great. She was a little bit nervous to start off with, but she really opened up with all her stories.
06:30Absolute treasure trove. Every single story she said was almost a joke. It was brilliant. She was very funny and had, like I say, absolute treasure troves of, as you said, drunks, brawls that she'd witnessed.
06:44It sounds like the Wild West, really. Sometimes when they're driving around, they have to deal with the public. So that's why. And especially on a Friday and Saturday night, you get all sorts of people out.
06:55I was going to say, dealing with the public, but the public at their worst. They're intoxicated, right?
06:59It's always a good ride though, isn't it? When you've got a taxi driver who can tell you a good story, when you can have a good chat with them, especially as you say, after a night out or something like that.
07:07Let's take a listen to your, let's take a watch of your package now of your conversations with her and some of the stories that she shared with you.
07:15Hi, my name's Sharice. I'm a taxi driver with Green Cabs. I've been taxiing for about a year now. And I've been taking Kent Online out sharing some of my stories.
07:25I picked one guy up from a pub near the Stumberland. And he was basically falling all over the place, had his girlfriend with him. And she was like, look, I'm really, really sorry.
07:39He is very drunk, but I promise he won't be sick or anything like that. We just need to get to the hotel. They were going to the travel lodge.
07:45I was like, yeah, okay, I'll take you. Got him in the car, drove to the travel lodge. He fell asleep in the back of the car, trying to wake him up.
07:55We could not get him out of the car for love nor money. He just wanted to lay on the seats and fall asleep.
08:01So she's literally shouting at him to get out of the car. I just woke up, then decided to be sick in the car.
08:13Then she's trying to catch it in her hands, wiped it down herself and then put her hands on the seat, got it all over the seats.
08:23So eventually, obviously, between the two of us, we had to kind of just sort of push him out of the car, at which point he just fell on the floor.
08:32And that's where he basically stays. On a slow period at the moment, we're probably averaging about 15 jobs a day.
08:41And I'd say at least 10 of those jobs asked me, have you been busy?
08:47Is that the worst question to ask a taxi driver?
08:54It is, because you hear it so often, but at the same time, it's a conversation breaker.
08:58So it does start off the conversation. And even as cabbie myself, I come into work or I get into another cab and I go, have you been busy?
09:08It's just one of those things, the first thing that pops into your head to ask a cabbie.
09:14Yeah, some incredible stories there.
09:17Yeah, I think she definitely ticks the box of an interesting cabbie driver.
09:22And was there anything that's kind of surprised you?
09:24I think the fact that how often they have to deal with it, especially on a Friday and Saturday night.
09:29I mean, having someone, and I don't want to upset anybody's breakfast here, but having someone, you know,
09:35throw up in the back of their cab and, you know, having to go up and clean it up before picking up your next passenger is really quite shocking.
09:41Just as a human being, having to do that, as funny as it sounds, it is actually pretty horrible.
09:47But yeah, I mean, that was one of the shocking things.
09:50The shortage of drivers as well is a massive problem for these taxi firms, especially after COVID.
09:58And I think there's something you wanted to ask about, wasn't it?
10:01Yeah, is that just people not going into the role because there was such a decline in use during COVID?
10:07And is it just sort of not really picked up?
10:09Yeah.
10:10I mean, I think so.
10:11I actually talked to the boss of Green Cabs who took me around.
10:14They're one of the big firms in Sittingbourne.
10:16They do about 2,000 jobs every week.
10:18So massive firm.
10:20And they have about 30 drivers who take them around on these jobs.
10:24And he said that basically after COVID, there was a massive drop off as a lot of people left to go do more kind of steady work.
10:31So like delivery driving or warehouse driving.
10:34And that just hasn't picked up.
10:36He said they're only just getting back to levels, to that 30 driver level that they were pre-pandemic.
10:42And obviously they've been growing and stuff like that.
10:45So it has been difficult.
10:46There's one of the main problems is the DBS check.
10:49It takes around about 12 weeks.
10:50So people can be really keen and want to become a taxi driver.
10:54But because of that wait period, they go, hang on, I'll just go get another job in that time period.
10:59Especially if they need the money or something like that.
11:02So, yeah, it is difficult for them.
11:04But it is coming back up after the pandemic.
11:07I think just about.
11:08Yeah, I worried about the sort of the incentives to become a taxi driver.
11:13Because you think you have to go out on the Friday nights and Saturday nights when you're going to get the most money.
11:18So you kind of got to go.
11:19But you're going to perhaps deal with a lot of abuse and things like the potholes and the traffic as well.
11:24Especially around Medway, across Kent.
11:27It doesn't seem like an attractive job.
11:29Yeah, I mean, there is that part of it.
11:31Especially traffic in Sittingbourne.
11:33People who live in Sittingbourne will have to go through it, will know how bad it is.
11:36I live in Sittingbourne myself and it is terrible.
11:39Rush hour is awful.
11:41But Sharice was basically saying that, you know, that's the worst part of the job.
11:46The best part of the job is, you know, that human interaction she gets every single day.
11:50Getting to chat to people.
11:52And that's the part of it she really enjoys.
11:54A business owner says they're relying on food delivery apps to survive.
12:10Yeah, Beverly Moore, owner of the Oasis coffee and sandwich bar, fears they may have to close after a sudden drop in trade.
12:18Well, Daisy Page joins us now in the studio with more.
12:21Take us through this story.
12:22So the Oasis coffee and sandwich bar is at the Base Point Business Centre in Dartford.
12:28Beverly founded her business with her son in 2022 after being made redundant from her previous job as a business development manager.
12:37And now with her new career of obviously being a business owner owning a cafe, she said that she really loves it and enjoys it.
12:44Since opening, they managed to grow their business and a family friend even joined to help out.
12:50Beverly said she's slowly built a customer base over the past years.
12:54But she said that trade has just come to a stop from about six weeks ago.
12:59She said that it just fizzled out overnight.
13:01Yeah, and this is coming at a really difficult time for businesses as well.
13:04We're in the midst, in the middle of this awful April.
13:08Yeah, so one of the reasons she actually said that this might be coming about is that one, obviously they're at a business park and one of the big tenants moved out and which accounted for a lot of her trade.
13:20She did say they use delivery services such as Just Eat and Uber Eats, which is helping her survive at the moment.
13:28But she said that the business is now not booming as it previously was.
13:32She says she regrets the location of her cafe as it is a 15 minute walk from the town's High Street.
13:39But obviously at the time of purchase there was the business park had big tenants and it was a bit of a captive audience.
13:46And she says that she's now put a big sign outside obviously stating that they're there and trying to encourage people to come in.
13:52They posted leaflets around and they're also offering catering.
13:56But one quote that I've put down here because I just thought it really shows the impact that she's facing at the moment is that she said it can just be so quiet.
14:05Hours will go by and no one will come in. We just sit here twiddling our thumbs.
14:10And yeah, just going back to echoing that at the time it was a really good location because she had a captive audience.
14:17But whether or not on the high street and kind of off the beaten path, it's now really difficult that they've lost their kind of captive audience to keep people coming into the store.
14:28And she went on to say, and I think this is something that we've kind of seen over the years, is that she thinks that hospitality has not really recovered from the pandemic and people have changed the way they shopped.
14:39And I think this could also be down to the cost of living crisis that we are in at the moment, which I think we've been reporting on a lot lately.
14:48Yeah, I mean, it's interesting, isn't it? I know that they're in a business park.
14:51So as you say, you know, perhaps their location is partly to deal with this.
14:56But I wonder if there is an increase in the popularity of these sort of apps, these Just Eat, Deliveroo's, you know, and the like.
15:03And if that is having an effect more widely, if people are turning to the ease of just kind of, well, you're at home, you don't need to go out.
15:10You can just order it on your phone, you get it in. But then, you know, for this business, they're saying it's the lifeline for them.
15:16That's what they're relying on. So, yeah, really interesting to look at, of course.
15:22Yeah. OK. All right, Daisy, thank you very much for those details.
15:25Ahead of us is Easter weekend. So you might be on the lookout for a film to watch with the family over the coming days.
15:35Well, what better place to start than by taking a look at some of the pics featured in the Kent Film Club?
15:40It's, of course, KMTV's film programme where guests from across the county are invited onto the sofa to share their four favourite films.
15:47Well, joining us now is Chris Deesey, the show's presenter and our film expert.
15:51Now, Chris was on, if you've stuck with us for the past hour or so, Chris was on earlier to talk all about films, but also to do a bit of a game with us.
15:59We can't get the tech working. We've got it working.
16:02We've got it working. So here's the context for the game.
16:04So, Rami Malek, star of Bohemian Rhapsody, Night at the Museum and, of course, this new film that's...
16:09The Amateur.
16:10The Amateur, of course. He joined a map expert on YouTube to look back and see if he could guess key filming locations from various of his films, including The Amateur.
16:20Just using Google Street View alone. So one of those locations was in Kent from The Amateur. Let's take a look at the clip now.
16:28Oh, wow. This is the house that Charlie and Sarah live on, the farm. I believe it is somewhere in Kent in England.
16:42Bye. Bye.
16:44So we'll go to the UK. Kent is near Canterbury, is it not? What have I done here? Hang on.
16:52That says Kent Downs National Landscape. I'm going to say it's somewhere around here. I could not necessarily pick out the street.
17:00Get me about 4,500, I think. Oh! Even better.
17:08My favourite part of that clip has to be when he says, Kent's near Canterbury, isn't it?
17:14Yeah. Fantastic.
17:15Yeah! No!
17:16Well, he filmed here, didn't he? So you think he'd know.
17:18Yeah. No. I watched the full clip and he says, he's kind of, he goes to London and then he says, I think we were travelling eastwards at the time. I think Kent is east from Kent.
17:26Yeah, seeing him work it out was fascinating. But also fascinating, we've learnt that there's an American-style filming location right in the heart of Kent that was used for the amateur.
17:36Now, when I saw it, I assumed that it was in, well, he worked for the CIA, what, Langley, Virginia. And it looks, as you were saying, like an American house. And we just looked it up.
17:45Because I knew it was filmed partly in London, which of course is near Kent, which is near Canterbury, apparently. Yes. But there's a place somewhere in Kent that has like a reconstruction, I assume for movies, of American houses.
17:59Yeah. So, I mean, I'd love to go to, you know, the Mrs. Doubtfire House in San Francisco. I've been to San Francisco once and it was part of the tour. And I sort of kind of wish I'd actually gone to that, but that's a film that I grew up with.
18:12So, who'd have thought that, well, we could find one, apparently.
18:16But it's near Sevenoaks, I think, was on the map. But yeah, it wasn't far off there.
18:21So, Chris, we've got a similar style challenge for you and the technology is working for us now. So, the laptop is here for you.
18:27Oh, okay.
18:28We've given you the first location. We've got four for you to pick. You're not allowed to move, but you can just look around. So, you can use the scroller there to sort of drag and move around.
18:38So, we've got it up on the screen. So, first of all, try and figure out where you are.
18:41They're all Kent locations and then you can work out a film that's related to it.
18:45Okay. Well, I would imagine that this is similar to where we are now. I see, oh, the A282. So, I'm guessing that this is...
18:51Look a bit higher.
18:52A bit higher.
18:53Into the distance.
18:54Just look up a bit. No, too high.
18:56Too high.
18:57Just look in the distance and higher. What can you see there?
19:00Okay. That's where we are now, isn't it? No. The towers.
19:05The towers.
19:06Is that a bridge, maybe?
19:07Oh.
19:08Some sort of crossing.
19:09The Dartford crossing.
19:10Yeah.
19:11Yes.
19:12Yes.
19:13I was driving near there just a few moments ago.
19:16Yes. So, can you think of any films that have used the Dartford crossing?
19:19The Dartford crossing. I know one of the Fast and the Furious films, I think.
19:22Oh, okay.
19:23Apparently.
19:24I could have just made that up, by the way.
19:26It sounds improbable, but I'm sure there was an action film used that.
19:30Some sort of action sequence.
19:32Something magical.
19:33Harry Potter.
19:34One of the Harry Potter films used that.
19:35Yes, Harry Potter.
19:36So, it was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part one, which is a 2010 movie.
19:40The Dartford crossing.
19:41We do have a picture we might be able to get up off the scene.
19:43It was used in a chase scene where Harry, Ron and Hermione are pursued by Death Eaters.
19:48And there were some great behind the scenes shots.
19:50If we can get that up.
19:51This is the sort of behind the scenes shots where you've got Hagrid on his famous motorcycle
19:55going the wrong way through the Dartford crossing there.
19:57Yeah.
19:58That wasn't my experience an hour ago.
19:59I can confirm that.
20:00I hope you pay this toll as well.
20:01Indeed.
20:02But I've just Googled it.
20:03From a very brief look, some scenes from Fast and Furious were filmed in Dartford.
20:08Oh, wow.
20:09So, there you go.
20:10I'm glad.
20:11Yeah.
20:12So, obviously, when we have...
20:13Ronnie is our amazing producer.
20:15And I read out all the trivia for the question.
20:18And sometimes, you know, I'm genuinely surprised as I'm reading it.
20:20I thought, was that film...
20:21I think once I thought...
20:22Because I know Lord of the Rings was made in Australia.
20:25But I think I was probably conflating mentally Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings.
20:29And therefore, the idea that Lord of the Rings was filmed somewhere near Dartford on the crossing.
20:33I may not ever guess anyone is Googling that now.
20:36But Fast and Furious was indeed filmed just very nearby.
20:39Fantastic.
20:40I'll have to go back and watch those ones again.
20:41Yeah.
20:42Second location is up on your screen now.
20:44And this is Empire of Light, Dreamland in Margate.
20:47Yes.
20:48And I think not that many, well, probably about 15, 20 years ago now, there was a cinema
20:53literally in here in Dreamland.
20:55And I saw, I remember seeing Bewitched with Nicole Kidman and Michael Caine in there.
20:58And a heist film with Christopher Plummer, Jodie Foster.
21:01And who would have thought that then, what, 15 years later...
21:04Clive Owen, I think, was in that one as well.
21:06And about 15 years later, this would actually be the location for that Oscar-nominated Roger Deakin Best Cinematography picture that was made by Sam Mendes.
21:15Yes.
21:16It was a brilliant film as well.
21:17Such a beautiful film as well.
21:18Shot so well.
21:19Yeah.
21:20You know, the cinematography there.
21:21Yeah.
21:22But it just made Margate look so beautiful as well.
21:25Yes.
21:26With those lights that they strung all across the seafront as well.
21:28Such a lovely time in the sort of Kent recent history, I suppose.
21:32OK.
21:33Let's move on to the next one now.
21:34I'll get it up for you.
21:35Here we go.
21:36See if you can work out where we are from here.
21:39I would say that looks to me like Dover Castle.
21:44That looks like Dover Castle to me.
21:46We are up at Dover Castle at the moment.
21:47There's a cinema there very nearby where I visit.
21:51So Dover.
21:52Down at the beach in the port there.
21:54And just over in the distance there is Dover Castle and the main part of it.
21:59So can you think of any films that were shot here?
22:02In Dover Castle.
22:03There's probably a few but there's one that I've got written down.
22:07I'll probably be able to tell you the year if you give me a clue.
22:10Into the Woods.
22:11Oh, really?
22:12Yes.
22:13Yes.
22:14Do you know what year that was?
22:15No.
22:162012 or something like that?
22:1714.
22:1814.
22:19Very close, yes.
22:20That surprised me as well.
22:21I'm a big fan of musical theatre.
22:22They shot this sort of wedding scene.
22:24Makes sense, doesn't it?
22:25I believe this is just before The Giant comes down in the middle of the film.
22:28Yes, Dover's...
22:29I haven't seen this film or heard of it.
22:31Oh, Into the Woods.
22:32Love the Sondheim musical.
22:33Brilliant.
22:34I much prefer the stage version.
22:35It's got some big names in it as well.
22:36Yes.
22:37Back in my theatre days I was in the production of Into the Woods.
22:40Yes, played the narrator.
22:41It was a great time.
22:43Anyway, away from my musical background, let's go to your final location now.
22:49See if you can guess where this is.
22:51Oh, hang on.
22:52Close to home.
22:53Hang on just a moment.
22:54We say close to home.
22:55This is almost like virtually outside the street.
22:57This is Chatham Dockyard.
22:58This is Historic Dockyard, Chatham.
23:00You're absolutely right.
23:01And there's many, many films that you can choose from here.
23:04So what have you got for us?
23:06Well, I mean, we've got the new Mission Impossible film, The Dead Reckoning, coming out in May.
23:10So that's the one that comes to mind.
23:12That is a good one.
23:13Obviously there aren't so many.
23:14I picked out Sherlock Holmes, 2009, the Robert Downey Jr. version.
23:18A little picture we've got coming up of them sort of in the dockyard there.
23:23In one of the hangars or workshops or something?
23:26Yes.
23:27Big, big warehouses, naval rigging.
23:29Great film as well with Robert Downey Jr.
23:31This was sort of just before the Benedict Cumberbatch version.
23:34So I think it does get overshadowed.
23:35But yeah, still a great one.