KentOnline

The parents of a Kent baby who died after choking on pasta at nursery have described a six-figure settlement as "the end of a long road".

Nine-month old Oliver Steeper was fed chopped up penne bolognese by a member of staff at Jelly Beans in Ashford - despite not being weaned onto solid food. Oliver's dad Lewis has told us how the battle for accountability has been really tough.

Also in today's podcast, a couple who run a pub in Northfleet say they're having to leave after 16 years because of rising costs and financial pressures.<...

A Kent mum has told us how her son has been suffering from anxiety after being lured to a railway station car park and attacked.

13-year-old Kian was punched and kicked by an older teenager after travelling by train from Appledore to Rye. Layla Sullivan has described the impact it's had and what she thinks of the punishment.

Also in today's podcast, a change.org petition has been set up as part of our campaign calling for reforms to the Blue Badge system.

We want cancer patients and those with short-term but serious...

People living on a road in Sheerness say they are having sleepless nights and suffering 'horrendous noise' coming from a house being turned into an HMO.

The podcast has been told work at the property on Alma Street has been going on for more than two months. Hear from a neighbour who claims it has also caused damage to her home.

Also in today's episode, a Kent charity that supports young refugees has criticised the government's plans to overhaul the asylum system.

Under proposals announced yesterday, most will have to wait 20 years to...

A mum-of-four from Folkestone has described how she feared she was going to die after her jealous boyfriend put his hands around her throat and squeezed until she couldn't breathe.

Gina Aiano has bravely described what happened after her attacker was jailed for 27 months.

Also in today's podcast, a man from Faversham says there is a lack of dignity for patients receiving corridor care at a Kent hospital.

Paul's mother is in her 80s and spent days on a trolley in a corridor behind the A&E department at the William Harvey in...

Dozens of people have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a shed company in Lenham suddenly shut down.

Some have staged a protest outside Sheds and Shelters Limited's headquarters on Ashford Road - demanding answers. Hear from our reporter Sean McPolin who has been following the story.

Also on today's podcast, there'll be disruption to NHS services in Kent today as resident doctors begin a five-day strike.

They were previously known as junior doctors, and are involved in the day-to-day running of hospitals.

Meantime, pregnant women in Kent...

A hearing has been told how a 95-year-old man from Herne Bay stabbed his partner of 30 years while suffering from delirium, days after being discharged from hospital.

Ernest Gray killed Margaret Day - who was 86 - at their home in Broomfield Road in November 2023.

Also in today's podcast, we've been hearing from a Kent supermarket worker as a new survey shows more than 70% have suffered verbal abuse.

Retail trade union Usdaw say nearly half of workers have been threatened and 9% have actually been assaulted. In the run up to Christmas, one worker has...

A car dealer is still in limbo more than four months after a wall collapsed onto his forecourt, leaving him hundreds of thousands of pounds out of pocket.

Tom Bowles, who runs the business in Sittingbourne, said his “heart sank” when he arrived to find many of his vehicles had been crushed by the fallen rubble on July 2.

Also in today’s podcast, the mother of a 16-year-old girl killed in a car crash almost two years ago says she feels her daughter has been “forgotten about” as the long-running police investigation continues.

Alisha Mar...

More than 50 couples who had their dream weddings cancelled after a popular Kent venue went under with just 62p in the bank will not receive any of their money back.

It’s after the Blazing Donkey Country Hotel fell into administration in September owing more than £380,000 to those booked to be married there.

Also in today’s podcast, Reform UK council leader Linden Kemkaran has raised fears that an upcoming BBC documentary may “splice together” things she has said to “make her look bad”.

The leader of Kent County Council posted told social media followe...

Two men who left another man with a “broken face” after it was claimed he had made inappropriate comments to children have been spared jail.

A court was told the attackers repeatedly kicked and punched their victim in a Lydd street on learning he had supposedly remarked he "liked little boys" and made a lewd gesture. 

Also in today’s podcast, an American-themed eatery loved by TV production companies has reopened following a major revamp.

The Detling Diner closed almost 18 months ago following a devastating fire which started in its stockroom due to an elect...

It looks like a derelict hotel on the A2 near Gravesend will be turned into a petrol station and M&S food store.

Plans for a £10 million redevelopment of the Tollgate site have been recommended for approval.

Also in today's podcast, a Kent turkey farmer has told us it's 'business as usual' despite restrictions coming in to try and stop the spread of bird flu.

There has been at least one confirmed case in the county - with more than 60 birds having to be culled at the Happy Pants Ranch near Sittingbourne.

A couple are getting a £1,200 refund for furniture that did not arrive after threatening to take The Range to court.

It’s after they ordered four electric recliner armchairs from the retailer in September – some parts arrived two days later but other pieces didn’t show up at all. 

Also in today’ podcast, a lorry driver who had more than 40 migrants in the back of his trailer is among several caught this year amid a spike in arrests in Kent.

You can hear from the National Crime Agency who’s warning hauliers are being targeted...

A mum from Margate has died just three months after being diagnosed with cancer.

53-year-old Michelle Bailey was told in July she had an incurable form of the disease after initially suffering what doctors thought was a stroke.

Also in today's podcast, the leader of Kent County Council has hit back at the Chancellor, after she criticised the local authority during a speech at Downing Street.

Rachel Reeves was speaking ahead of her Budget later this month. Hear what she had to say and the response from Reform UK's Linden Kemkaran.

 T...

Developers who wanted to rebuild a cherished country pub which burnt down after being struck by lightning say they’ve had to “abandon the dream” after costs “ballooned”.

Plans to restore The Green Man were approved in April, with the intention of renting it to someone who would create a nice community pub.

Also in today’s podcast, an XL bully owner agreed to have nine puppies put down when police warned him of the kennel costs he faced after they were seized.

It’s after he failed to register his adult dogs in time for a...

Police have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in his 40s in Chatham.

He was found with stab wounds at a home in Castle Road on Saturday morning. Hear from our reporter who has been at the scene today.

Also in today's podcast, residents in part of Maidstone are calling for urgent action to fix unsafe cladding on their flats.

Material on the roofs of the buildings at Kingfisher Meadow was deemed to be too flammable following a survey after the Grenfell disaster in 2017.

The MP for...

A grieving mum says she’s being treated “like a criminal” after being fined £300 for placing her late husband’s clothes by a donation bin which was full.

She placed the two bin liners of clothes on the ground “neatly” beside lots of other bags but was approached by a warden who issued the fine for fly-tipping. 

Also in today’s podcast, we’ve been hearing from people on the streets of Kent as we mark six months since Reform UK took over the leadership of Kent County Council. 

It follows a difficult few weeks for the p...

A decision has been made by the rail regulator which could open the door for international trains stopping in Kent again.

Eurostar services haven't called at Ashford or Ebbsfleet since the pandemic.

Virgin Trains have now been given permission to use the Temple Mills depot in London - which is the first step in a process which would allow them to go through the Channel Tunnel.

Hear reaction from Ashford MP Sojan Joseph, and Tudor Price who is the chief executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce.

Also in today's...

A former nurse who groped a lone woman near a shopping centre whispered, “You’re not like the other ones who usually scream.”

He’d spotted the stranger before subjecting her to the terrifying ordeal near Ashford Designer Outlet in broad daylight. 

Also in today’s podcast, the boss of an animal sanctuary says her “heart is numb” after revealing her birds are at the centre of an outbreak of avian flu - and will all have to be culled.

Amey James, who runs Happy Pants Ranch in Newington says several ducks, turkeys and cockerels fe...

Owners of a huge holiday park have unveiled plans to replace it with hundreds of new homes and oust “illegal” occupants.

Hundreds of caravan users, many of which are said to be living all-year round in breach of the rules, off a site on Sheppey could be asked to leave.

Also in today’s podcast, a shocking case of illegal dumping first uncovered by KentOnline has been singled out as evidence of “multiple failings” by environmental authorities.

A House of Lords committee has written to the environment secretary calling for an independent review into how ag...

An abandoned nightclub has been destroyed after a fire ripped through the building last night. 

The Grade II listed site of the former Portlands Factory club in Northfleet went up in flames just before midnight. 

Also in today’s podcast, a couple say they have lost £18,000 worth of stock after after a blaze tore through an historic building on a regenerated quayside. 

In the early hours of yesterday, fire crews were called to Standard Quay to a fire that seemed to be coming from inside The Pottery Room.

A Kent man who cam...

A woman who won tens of thousands on Premium Bonds, sold her home and spent a year abroad before falsely claiming thousands in benefits on her return to Kent has avoided prison. 

Between 2021 and 2024, she received more than £23,000 after making false statements to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Also in today’s podcast, you can hear from the Ashford MP who’s weighed in on the troubles being faced by Reform UK at County Hall. 

Sojan Joseph has been telling us why KCC leader Linden Kemkaran should lose her job. 

Resident...

Residents are calling for action to solve traffic “chaos” caused by lorries struggling to make it up a slippery hill.

They say they are kept up at night by screeching tyres and reversing alarms as stranded HGVs retreat back down for another run-up, and fear there will be a serious accident.

Also in today’s podcast, Kent has been battered with strong winds and heavy rain as Storm Benjamin hits. 

It’s caused travel disruption with trees down and local flooding reported across the county. 

Reform UK councillors have lodged official complaints...

An alleged abuser has been called a “coward” after he took his own life the day before he was due to stand trial.

The 69-year-old was found at HMP Elmley earlier this month – the family of one of the accusers have shared their anger at not getting their day in court.

Also in today’s podcast, you can hear audio from the moment a prolific thief was arrested by police as he hid under a bed.

Billy Bird carried out a two-week spree of thefts across Faversham and Ashford, targeting multiple stores and stealing h...

A court has heard a man “saw red” on the night his town centre bar was closing down and thrust a broken bottle into another man’s head.

Steven Harwood-Brown threw one of his employees to the floor at Folkestone venue Picklebacks, before stabbing the victim, who had intervened to stop the fight.

Also in today’s podcast, pressure is growing on the leader of Kent County Council after seven MPs demanded she quit and an eighth labelled her behaviour ‘unacceptable.’

In a letter to Reform leader Nigel Farage, the Labour MPs said Cllr Linden...

Reform UK has suspended four county councillors after the leaking of a video showing a private Zoom meeting of senior party members.

The four have had the whip removed “pending investigation, following evidence they brought the party into disrepute”.

Also in today’s podcast, fed-up residents say they’re paying hundreds of pounds in service fees for a children’s play park which, in reality, amounts to little more than a wooden log.

Over the past four years, garden city residents have been paying property management agency, FirstPort, thousands of pounds to maintain play equip...

A hugely respected taxi company boss has died just a week before giving his daughter away at a dream wedding in southern Spain attended by more than 160 guests.

Lance Ridden suddenly passed away after suffering a suspected heart attack in the luxury resort of Marbella.

Also in today’s podcast, University of Kent bosses have reignited fury by pushing ahead with plans for a huge 2,000-home estate on nearby countryside – despite the land being ruled out of Canterbury’s housing blueprint.

The acting vice-chancellor has written to campaigners confirming the institution is pressing on with...

The sister of a much-loved young man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning wants to warn others about the “silent killer”.

“Popular and kind” Elliot Bourne fell asleep on a sofa in front of a coal fire in Hythe and was found unresponsive the next day.

Also in today’s podcast, a jury has heard a violent axe and cricket bat attack on two men as they drove along the A2 ​had its background in human trafficking.

Those involved in what is alleged to have been a bid to kill the driver of a Seat Leon a...

A former Dartford council worker who swindled her employer out of almost half a million pounds while in charge of housing benefit payments has been spared jail.

A court's been told how the 44-year-old set up fake claims in the names of people she knew, and fraudulently received £493,000 over a nine-year period.

Also in today's podcast, a man who stabbed a stranger in Chatham while on day release from a psychiatric hospital has been convicted of attempted murder.

Ray Chirisa, 34, had been reported missing from the Trevor Gibbens Unit in Maidstone just 30 minutes b...

The owner of a dog that seriously injured a young girl in Rainham has been ordered to pay compensation to the child.

A cockapoo called Reggie bit the three-year-old's arm on Mierscourt Road in June.

Also in today's podcast, residents of a street in Snodland are calling on the council to officially change the address to resolve mail delivery problems.

People living in Rayfield Court say their road is independent from neighbouring Willowside, but when their postcode is put into most search engines it defaults to an address in Willowside. 

A K...

A Gravesend tenant says he's living in constant fear of his council home falling down around him due to ongoing subsidence issues.

Sunder Khutan moved in to the mid-terrace property off Windmill Street in 2019 - only a few months later he notices cracks in the walls and ceilings.

Also on today's podcast, a person's died after being hit by a train in Medway.

Police were called to Otterham Quay Lane in Rainham this morning forcing the road to be closed near to Leigh Academy secondary school. Hear from our reporter who was at...

A grieving mum who lost her four-year-old son in a bus tragedy is hoping to raise money to buy her own home so she can bury him in the garden.

Little Zaahir Jan Feizi was laid to rest after being knocked down outside the QEQM Hospital in Margate in August, but the cemetery is a long journey from his mum's home.

Also in today's podcast, a woman who was sofa surfing with her young daughter and two bin bags of clothes has revealed how she turned her life around.

Jodie had fled a...

The owner of an ice cream van says he has received death threats after being falsely linked to suspicious behaviour in Tonbridge.

A young girl reported seeing three men running in her direction and was possibly grabbed on the arm while walking through the cemetery last month.

Kent Police have been forced to confirm the Drifters Whippy van, which was parked nearby, is not linked in any way - despite rumours online.

Also in today's podcast, one person's been arrested and the bomb disposal team called in after "suspicious items" were found in...

A woman who feared she would die at the hands of her controlling husband has told of her horror after he avoided prison despite years of abuse that left her with life-changing injuries.

She says what began as “the most incredible love” turned into a suffocating and terrifying relationship in which she was constantly monitored, isolated and attacked inside her own home. 

Also in today’s podcast, you can hear the moment a man was arrested after a drone was allegedly used to deliver drugs to inmates at a prison in Maidstone. 

Police called af...

A Dover woman has been detained in a psychiatric unit after randomly attacking a stranger in the street with a kitchen knife.

The victim was taken to a London hospital for treatment after she was stabbed in the back while walking down Biggin Street in January.

The KentOnline Podcast has been told 90% of retailers in Tunbridge Wells have complied with new rules around single use vapes since they were introduced in June.

That's 10% higher than in other parts of the county.

The town was the first in Kent to take part...

An Asda employee has faced court after abusing a company taxi account to fund more than £6,000 worth of personal journeys – including a 115-mile round trip to visit his mum in London.

He repeatedly booked cabs on the supermarket’s tab despite having no right to use the system, exploiting it for weeks before being caught.

Also in today’ podcast, bosses in Medway say red routes will be repaired - after pictures revealed the painted lines in one town have already worn away.

The double lines were controversially introduced on busy routes - including the A2 i...

Campaigners are gathering on the Kent coast this weekend to protest against sewage leaks and rising water bills.

SOS Whitstable says Labour aren't doing enough to tackle the issue, more than a year after winning the general election.

Also in today's podcast, police in Kent have told us they're providing reassurance to the Jewish community in the county following a terrorist attack in Manchester.

Two people died when a man drove into crowds outside a synagogue before attacking people with a knife. Hear how MPs in Kent have reacted to what happened.

An inquest has heard a mum stabbed her daughter in the back with a 12-inch kitchen knife while she was cooking a family meal - before fatally turning the blade on herself.

She’d told a psychiatric nurse of her fear of being sectioned just hours before the tragedy unfolded in Ashford in June. 

Also in today’s podcast, a family has accused planning officers of acting “cruelly” following the “flawed” refusal of an annex for their severely disabled son.

The family say the outbuilding extension in Hoo could provide a suitable home for their son...

An investigation by KentOnline has uncovered the scale of bed blocking in Kent's hospitals with some patients waiting months to be discharged.

Over the past year, almost 40,000 people in two parts of the county were kept in wards after their treatment had finished - costing the NHS around £50 million.

Hear from the daughter of a woman who ended up in hospital for a month longer than she needed to be.

Also in today's podcast, the government is being urged to invest more into GP surgeries as a survey in Kent shows the workforce i...

People living in part of Dartford say lives are being put at risk by mounds of hoarded waste in a garden.

Pictures at KentOnline show the state of the land outside the bungalow on Joyce Green Walk in the town, and a fire that recently broke out there is being treated as suspected arson. Hear from reporter Alex Langridge who has been covering the story.

Also in today's podcast, police have cordoned off part of Rochester High Street following reports of a suspicious item.

The bomb squad was called to a residential property...

A hearing's been told how a young man died in a tragic accident on a railway line in Kent as he attempted to leave the UK.

An inquest was told the 25-year-old Albanian national was trying to cross the tracks near the Motis Lorry Park last September.

Also in today's podcast, There's been a mixed reaction to new bus fares that've come into force in parts of Kent.

Stagecoach have increased their prices by 10p for short or medium-length journeys. We've been hearing what people in Maidstone think while Stagecoach have told us...

A "greedy and manipulative" gambler who fleeced family, friends and teammates out of life-changing sums of money as he blew more than £4 million on betting sites has been sent to prison. 

Kenny Sanders convinced some of those closest to him to part with their savings, inheritances and pension pots, assuring them he was investing their cash in a thriving IT company.

Also in today’s podcast, the family of a British couple detained in Iran have said they have “no clear information” on their upcoming court appearance, claiming UK officials are also “in the dark”.

Lindsay...