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00:00Well, we begin this morning with the debate engulfing Kent County Council. Which flags
00:25should be flown over County Hall. Well, this comes as Reform UK announced a policy that will limit the
00:30types of flags being flown by local councils run by the right-wing party. With some worried what it
00:37will mean for special commemorative flags such as Pride or Ukrainian Solidarity flags. Well,
00:43I'll be hitting the streets of Maidstone to find out where people stand on the issue.
00:47An empty flagpole. But is this a sign of things to come? After sweeping the local elections last
00:54week, Reform UK have announced a new policy for English councils they've taken control of.
01:02No flags to be flown above public buildings except for the Union Jack, St George's Cross and the county
01:11flag. Now, we're British. We're proud to be British on council buildings. I think it's a good thing to
01:17fly flags on appropriate days like Ukraine. You know, we've flown the Ukraine flag down in New Romney
01:23and in Leard and in Folkestone. I think there's nothing wrong with some self-belief. You know,
01:29I'm proud to be British. So I think we should be flying the Union flag.
01:33Maidstone saw six new reform councillors elected. Is this what people on the streets of the county town
01:42had in mind on polling day? Sounds a little pedantic, but frankly, that's democracy. I'm all for
01:47democracy and if that's what the policy is, then let them do it. Absolutely.
01:51Yes, I feel very strongly that we should honour our legacies because, as I've said, the George
01:57Cross and the Union flag seems to have kind of connotations of far right, which is clearly not the
02:05case. So what is the problem with flying them? And then if other flags want to be flied, then they can be.
02:13I possibly wouldn't even notice to be fair. County Hall is no stranger to flying a variety of flags.
02:23The Ukraine flag has been a common sight alongside the Union Jack since the beginning of the war with
02:31Russia back in 2022. But with this new reform policy, it's now unclear whether or not the flag will
02:42continue to be flown. It suggests that the reform party are going to make announcements without really
02:48thinking about what they're saying and what the effects will be because we fly lots of flags here at
02:53Kent County Council. We've had the flag for Armed Forces Day, for Commonwealth Day, for Pride in June.
03:00And these send really important messages. But for many Ukrainians living here in Kent,
03:07support is more than just a flag. There are many ways how people and local governments can
03:15demonstrate and provide tangible support. The demonstration of the flag, that's of course a
03:21very important symbol, but it is a symbol. What matters is the practical support. Kent County Council
03:27have been approached for comments, but just taking a look around Maidstone, it's clear the Union Jack is
03:37here to stay, both on the high street and high above County Hall. Oli Lieder for KMTV.
03:51Now a young driver from Burham, a village in the borough of Tunbridge and Mourley has been sentenced
04:00after drinking and crashing his van, leaving the passenger with life-changing injuries.
04:05Arthur Hewitt lost control of his van and had apparently not realised how serious the condition of his
04:13passenger was and fled the scene. Well, Finn McDermott, our reporter, joins us in the studio to discuss
04:18this. So Finn, talk us through exactly how the accident happened from the beginning.
04:24Well, essentially it all started when Oliver Hewitt had been drinking in his local pub
04:29in the village with his father, brother and his brother's best friend, Joseph Jones. He had several
04:34drinks, while Jones had about seven. And in the statement that Jones later provided, he said he felt
04:40very intoxicated and could only remember leaving the pub with Hewitt, pictured here,
04:45and couldn't remember anything about the crash later waking up in hospital. Hewitt was 19 at the
04:51time, lost control of the van in Pilgrim's Way in Aylesford. It ended up the wrong way around a hedge,
04:56causing Mr Jones, who was only 17 at the time, to have severe injuries to his leg, which was severed
05:02below the knee as he was embedded in the van's dashboard. Hewitt then fled the scene out of apparent
05:09shock and didn't realise the serious nature of Jones's injuries.
05:12And this has obviously gone through court now. We've heard from the prosecution,
05:17we've heard from the defence. What was he sentenced from the judge?
05:20He was sentenced in the end for 18 weeks. He pled guilty to his charges, but because of the genuine
05:28remorse shown and the fact he had no previous convictions, the term was suspended for 24 months.
05:34He was also awarded to carry out £200 worth of unpaid work and pay £6,000 of compensation,
05:41as well as being banned from driving for five years. Now, the chairman of the bench is quoted as
05:46saying, this is the longest driving ban I've issued in the 25 years I've been a magistrate,
05:50and if you breach that, you could be imprisoned. You have to behave yourself,
05:53and this has had a lifelong impact on Mr Jones's life. I can't imagine how traumatic it's been for
05:58him and his family, but by pleading guilty, you saved him from giving evidence. And they also
06:03thanked Mr Jones's father for the way he conducted himself out of the bench. And they would write a
06:07letter so that hopefully the police officer, P.C. Hill, who was off duty and potentially saved
06:12Mr Jones's life, would get honoured for that heroic act. What's been some reaction to this?
06:17Well, it's actually been surprisingly amicable. It's a very small village, the village of
06:28Burham, sorry, it's a very small village. So, while it's obviously been extremely distressful
06:33for Mr Jones and his family, there, according to the people in the court there, wasn't much ill will
06:41between. They were all just sort of looking to make the court process as easy as possible,
06:46especially for Mr Jones, who's had quite a traumatic event.
06:51For Amherst in Chatham, a special VE Day knees up. The community has challenged to celebrate the
06:56event with live music, food, as well as tours of the fort's tunnels, which can be restored to the
07:01original wartime appearance. Tim Foster has been taking us back in time to World War II as they celebrate
07:09VE Day. Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye. The 8th of May marks the 80th anniversary of
07:18Victory in Europe Day. Here at Fort Amherst, they've organised special celebrations honouring the event.
07:24It is a huge event for me to pay thanks to the armed forces and everything they do to protect Britain
07:31and, on this day, Europe. We've had music, we've had some fun entertainment and we've just all had a
07:38laugh really. It's about getting the community together and really enjoying ourselves. During the
07:43Second World War, Fort Amherst played a vital role here in Kent for British defences both as an ARP
07:50station and an anti-invasion headquarters. With a focus on the war overseas, the fort instead aims to
07:57look at the unsung heroes on the home front. Alongside today's celebrations, the fort's tunnels have
08:03undergone a historic restoration. Underground here in the tunnels, you had the anti-invasion
08:09headquarters for the Chatham Garrison, who were going to coordinate the defence of the Medway towns
08:14if the Germans had actually landed. The rooms we're in now form part of what is called the Medway Group
08:20Control. This was the control centre for all the air raid precautions activity in the Medway
08:26town throughout World War II, right until the end of the war. All the bombing incidents were
08:32coordinated here, the rescue responses. The tunnels have been restored to a specific date,
08:37the 28th of August 1940. This was the day that the ARP network very nearly collapsed,
08:43with bombing across Medway stretching the emergency services almost to breaking point. But why is the
08:49anniversary so important to remember? And what makes the event so special? This could be our last
08:55opportunity to say thank you to our veterans that have gone past for World War II. After this,
09:04we will continue to celebrate the veterans, but this is a big day for us. Tim Forster at Fort Amherst for KMTV.
09:12Well, joining us on the line now is Rebecca Nash, the Director of the Royal Engineers Museum.
09:29Morning to you, Rebecca. Gabriel here. Now, the VE Day celebration is still in full swing,
09:34the actual day tomorrow. What can we expect from you guys in the coming days?
09:39So the museum here in Gillingham have a full day of events and activities planned. We're
09:47really privileged to be hosting the Medway Council's flag raising of the official VE Day flag that's
09:58going on in the morning from 9.30 and will be flown on top of the museum throughout the celebrations.
10:05Then in the afternoon, from 2 o'clock until 5 o'clock, the museum has working with Brompton community.
10:14We're hosting a street party for anyone that wants to come. We've got music, games, activities,
10:25and lots of other things going on throughout the afternoon. And we are free for the whole day. I think
10:33the museum felt that the 80th anniversary was such an important day that we wanted everyone to be able
10:39to participate. So we are free to anyone that wants to come and visit the museum all day tomorrow. And we
10:46hope that we get lots of people coming in. It's incredible, isn't it? It is the 80-year mark. I'm
10:52curious because it's such a big occasion this year. How are you ramping it up compared to previous years?
10:57So I think this year, yeah, as the video just showed from Fort Amherst, it's the last year that
11:06we can really say thank you to those that actually fought as sadly then their numbers dwindle. And so
11:15the museum has decided to go all out and actually make it a really community feeling working, as I say,
11:21with the local council and with our local community to host a really wide range of activities. Our evening
11:30tomorrow, our day commences, sorry, our day finishes with the opening of a new Bailey Bridge display at
11:38the museum. And this will be available to anyone, accessible to anyone that visits the museum going
11:46forward. And really, it's our way of marking the 80th anniversary.
12:05And this football team in Maystone has held their annual charity match in memory of its two former
12:11players. Charlie Bolt and Rhys Van Satiema lost their lives in a separate car accident in 2023.
12:20The match not only remembers them, but raises money for the disability-focused club. As a reporter,
12:26Henry Luck has been finding out. They may have been part of their team, but to the Maystone Raiders,
12:33they were family. To honour the lives of Charlie Bolt and Rhys Van Satiema, who both died in separate car
12:40crashes in Sittingbourne and Snodland, a charity match was held at Gallagher Stadium between the Raiders
12:48and the Old Rectory FC. Every year since their death, we've done a charity match to raise money to
12:55pay for the Raiders. If you look at the guys out there at the moment, you'll probably see
12:59someone with RVS shirts on. That's Rhys Van Satiema. So we bought shirts from the last charity match
13:06in his memory and the guys are wearing them today to obviously remember him. A lot of the players in
13:13that team are the players that played with him. So it's coming together and obviously celebrating their
13:20lives. The mayor of Maystone even turned up to show the team his support as the Maystone Raiders host
13:28the third anniversary of these Remembrance matches. Well, it's very, very sad, you know, and something
13:37it's very difficult to, I think, to explain really. But for me, I'm a supporter of Mason United and
13:45to me losing two players is something that's extraordinarily sad. It's sad for the families
13:51and it's sad for the club as well. So it's something we need to keep in our memories.
13:56Money raised from the match will be going towards the Raiders, which will help to fund the local
14:02disability team. Rain Hum runs the disability football for the club and she's done so much
14:09work over the years and see charities as well, charity fundraisers and stuff. So again, as well as
14:15obviously remembering the boys, it's a case of trying to raise money for the local team as well.
14:21It was a close game, but the Raiders managed to take the win 4-3. But not being a league match,
14:28the main focus was to remember Reece and Charlie. There's an even bigger goal here today and that's
14:35making sure that the memories of Reece and Charlie here with the Maystone Raiders is never forgotten.
14:43Henry Luck for KMTV in Maystone.
14:47Now, as England's obesity figures are released, new research reveals that despite a growing interest in
14:55health and wellness, many Brits are still confused about what actually makes a balanced diet.
15:01With one in five unsure, what counts towards their five a day and more than a third unaware of what
15:08nutrients their diet is missing? It's clear there's a growing gap between intention and understanding.
15:14Well, to find out what people here in Kent think about their diets, we took to Rochester High Street.
15:20No, I definitely haven't had my five a day today. I don't think I've had any fruit or veg today actually.
15:28No, definitely not. Very rarely. Oh, never.
15:33I think it has to be a conscious effort. I guess in regards to fruit, I guess some people only have
15:37like certain favourite fruits that they like, but to then eat that on a consistent basis every day
15:41is quite difficult. I would say I don't achieve my five a day very often at all, to be honest. See,
15:47I'm a, I'm a contractor, so I tend to eat, you know, like microwave meals and things like that all the
15:53time. I like sandwiches quite from stores quite a lot, so I can't say I do too well on a five a day.
16:00I'm not a great lover of veg. I like fruit, but veg, no. Well, I cook my own meals, but it's like
16:07expensive to just buy like vegetables, fruit, like things like that. So I don't think I get my
16:13five a day really. Food's cheaper as well if it's processed. It's, um, when you see the offers that
16:18are on in the shops, it's processed food that's on offer. Always an offer. Not like fresh veg,
16:23meats, not so much. Partly expense. Partly it's easier to go and get a meal and stick it in the
16:32microwave. I think if it was like a visible reminder, um, because you get taught stuff when
16:38you're at school and colleges and then you forget about it. Eat your five a day. Excellent. Don't be
16:44like me. Well, joining us now is Dr. Gemma Newman, a GP and nutritionist. Thank you, Gemma, for joining
16:54us. I have to ask, why is there such a big gap between understanding and reality when it comes to
17:02nutrition? That's a great question and good morning. I've got to say it was great to hear
17:07the people of Kent talk about their diet, but they definitely need a helping hand, don't they?
17:12I think the big gap probably arises from a number of reasons. Um, I think a lot of people get their
17:18information from social media, from friends, from family, and they're less likely to really consult a
17:25nutrition professional because sometimes that's not really very easy to access.
17:28Uh, new research by Whitworth states that 41% of people would eat healthier if professional
17:35nutrition advice was more affordable.
17:38We'll really be eating then. What should a balanced diet look like?
17:43Well, obviously our five a day is a great guideline. It was actually developed by the World Health
17:48Organization and the UK government on the fives a day to help people remember to eat more fruits and
17:53veggies. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, pulses, seeds, dried fruits as well. They
18:02count. Well, these are all the kinds of things that we should really be focusing a little bit more on in our diet.
18:10Joining us today is Dr Manalo Gurechi from the University of Kent. Thank you so much for joining us on
18:16the show this morning. Now you've been working with architecture and looking into coastal heritage and
18:21social economic decline on the Isle of Sheppey. What decline have you found exactly there?
18:30Well, um, uh, it's a very interesting good morning. It's a very interesting case study to
18:37use heritage. And in the particular instance of, of, of, of Sheppey, we're working on the abandoned
18:44village of Emily, uh, which has an interesting, uh, uh, local, uh, maritime, uh, history as a vehicle
18:53to, uh, well, broadly speaking, socioeconomic regeneration, but also bring back the, uh, the history,
19:02the stories and the histories of the local communities, which are, uh, virtually ignored
19:07all around these coastal towns in Kent and elsewhere, uh, uh, as a case study to, uh, really
19:15bring back the local heritage as the key for any future regeneration. Insofar as the only instance is
19:24concerned is about, uh, coastal heritage. It's, it's about the natural reserve that is there, and it's
19:31about the history of the community. But this is, as I say, just one case study for much broader, uh,
19:38analysis of coastal towns. And in fact, the next project, uh, which have just submitted to the UKRI, um,
19:47uh, uh, uh, funding body with a particular, uh, uh, grant that is called, uh, LUCIA, which stands for
19:54Locally Unlocking Culture Through Inclusive Access. We are looking at DEAL, which is another
20:00interesting coastal town, a different scale, different case study altogether affected, if I
20:05may use this word, by, uh, uh, significant urban regenerations. Uh, the problem, of course, is that
20:12heritage is hardly ever considered in this process. So that's essentially what we're trying to do while
20:18looking at various case studies in Kent. Really interesting. Something that's impacted vast amounts of
20:24coastal communities. We always hear about the decline of our coastal towns from Sheppield all
20:30the way to Thanet by way of DEAL and Dover. And I'm kind of curious what you hope this kind of
20:36exploration into heritage will actually do in terms of kind of helping regenerate some of these towns.
20:44It's really important work you're doing. What do you hope your findings will help,
20:48will help in the future? Well, that's a very interesting question, which of course has got
20:54several, uh, layers. Uh, uh, the answer is multifaceted. First of all, we need to shift
21:01the attention for pure, uh, economic exploitation, if you like, and you will be familiar with various
21:07nicknames whereby various coastal towns, uh, with various, uh, degrees of success, if you like,
21:14in this respect are either called Hackney on the sea or Islington by the sea or some something or
21:20other, which refers to this, uh, process of gentrification whereby, um, uh, wealthy groups
21:29move and exploit, uh, various, uh, towns that have suffered, uh, decline. And, and Sheppield,
21:36of course, is one particular instance with its own characteristics. Deal is another. We have, uh,
21:42Margate, which is now being the subject of such process for some time, uh, et cetera. So, uh,
21:49so I think we need to shift the attention from this, uh, process whereby certain groups of people
21:56move and if you like, uh, exploit parts at the expense of local communities. And we need to start
22:04thinking in research terms, studying this process. Secondly, there is of course a very concrete outcome,
22:12which is the preservation of heritage. In the only instance, it's about an abandoned village, which
22:17has got quite an interesting history. Uh, in the case of Deal, there's a very rich maritime military
22:25heritage, which is not really much the center of attention as it should be. All the while there is a
22:33lot of rebuilding, uh, which does not consider this rich, uh, uh, pattern, if you like. So you have
22:41unrepresented communities, uh, these are working class areas by and large and their stories and
22:47histories, which of course include, uh, uh, oral, a lot of oral history is, is simply not dealt with.
22:55And that's something that from a research point of view ought to be looked into. But the real,
22:59well, the real quote unquote, uh, uh, outcome of it is how do we regenerate the local heritage and how
23:08do we allow this process of urban regeneration to be more sustainable?
23:13And I'm not talking in terms of sustainability, uh, insofar as, you know, the climate emergency,
23:19which is, of course, it's very important when it comes to, uh, areas like Emily, which is at risk
23:25of being completely flooded, in fact, uh, uh, but we are talking about cultural sustainability by and
23:32large, which essentially is, of course, uh, at the root of any sustainability, including the climate one.
23:55So