Catch up with all the news across the county with Bartholomew Hall.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kentonite live on KMTV, I'm Bartholomew Hall.
00:29Here are your top stories on Tuesday the 19th of November.
00:33Not backing down, Kent farmers take the fight to Westminster over inheritance tax.
00:39Because this is a turning point and it really will be the straw that breaks the camel's
00:42back.
00:43Inked out, £15,000 lost as bailiffs shut down New Ash Green tattoo parlour.
00:50It was essentially I went to bed with a shop and woke up without one.
00:54And 30 years of winning as the National Lottery celebrates its 30th birthday, we're taking
00:59a look back at some of Kent's luckiest players.
01:02Now we don't have to worry about any future care she might need because we don't know
01:06what the future holds for her so it just means that financially we'd be able to support her.
01:22Good evening.
01:23After nine days of thousands of people searching, 16-year-old James Gibbons from Cuxton has
01:27been found safe.
01:29The local community, alongside search and rescue teams, covered a combined 675km across
01:35the village and beyond.
01:37Since the teenager was found, a Facebook page created to find James has been changed.
01:41It's now dedicated to finding missing children across Medway.
01:44Our reporter Finn McDermott joins me in the studio now.
01:47Finn, we haven't learned anything more about the disappearance today but what more can
01:50you tell us?
01:51Well, right now we don't know the exact circumstances like you said there.
01:56All we know is that he is safe having been found last night.
02:01The police are yet to release an official statement but the family have asked for privacy
02:06at this time.
02:07And let's talk about that Facebook group then because it's not shutting down although the
02:11appeals have been removed now.
02:13It's kind of changed its objective.
02:15That's right.
02:16So a post on the Facebook group yesterday after James was found said that they were
02:21removing all posts about James and then changing the group to go ahead and help missing children
02:28in Kent.
02:29And that sort of stemmed because the group is now so large.
02:32In the nine days that James was missing, they amassed more than I think 5,000 members, all
02:38of whom are helping out with the search and helping with that cause.
02:42They catalogued routes they found, compiled maps, even just saying, oh I put a poster
02:46up in this shop window, everyone was very keen to help.
02:51It's definitely interesting because of how young James is and because there's such a
02:54small community there in Coxton that so many people were willing to help out.
02:59And what will be interesting is how the group will continue like that, how they will work
03:04alongside police during these searches.
03:07Yes, it's interesting you mention the police there.
03:09Obviously when a child goes missing it's always a very sad situation but such a concentrated
03:14effort there from the community.
03:16When if at all will we expect to hear from the police?
03:18Well unfortunately we don't have a concrete timeline at this point.
03:22We don't really know.
03:23We spoke to them briefly for comment and they told us that the story is still, it's very
03:27fresh and no more information is going to be released today.
03:31Finn, thank you very much for those details.
03:34Next, farmers from Kent have joined thousands of others on the streets of Westminster to
03:39protest changes to inheritance tax.
03:42Farmers warn that the changes are a threat to their way of life.
03:45The government says the policy to partially remove property relief for estates worth over
03:50£1 million is a balanced and fair approach.
03:53Oliver Leader de Sacks has been down to the capital to speak with those protesting.
03:58It was always going to be controversial but the government probably weren't expecting
04:04quite this level of backlash when they announced their budget.
04:09The damp and the cold that has soaked me to the bone has done nothing to dampen the anger
04:14of farmers from Kent and beyond that are swarming Parliament Square with anger and
04:20frustration at a budget that they say could kill their way of life.
04:24At the end of the day it's quite easy, at the end of the day nobody's going to want
04:28to continue farming.
04:29We as smaller farmers cannot survive with that.
04:33Everybody thinks, or a majority of people may think that we're wealthy, that we're big
04:38land owners.
04:39We're not.
04:40I mean the total land area that I own is 400 acres.
04:43The rest of it's rented.
04:45I don't have a succession plan for any of my children.
04:48They're all moving out of the industry.
04:50From 2026 inheritance tax will apply to farms worth more than £1 million, the point at
04:57which agricultural property relief ceases to kick in.
05:01But farmers say that while they may be asset rich, that doesn't translate to real terms
05:06wealth and that this budget will now make it impossible to keep family farms going.
05:14We need to get them for a start to raise that threshold, £1 million.
05:18All that protects is people from within places like London that come out to places where
05:23I live in Lincolnshire, buy a house and they'll probably buy 20 acres and that's £1 million
05:29and they're protecting the wrong people, they're not protecting family farms.
05:33If my son wants to go on farming, things have got to change because it will rip a heart
05:37through the Garden of England, the land owners and they won't be able to continue and it
05:42will be a generational thing but it's not just that, it's the whole budget.
05:47It's supposed to be an investment budget and it's just crippling everything associated
05:51with this.
05:52By the time speeches started at 11.30 there were simply too many people to march to the
05:57Palace of Westminster as planned.
06:00Though it did not deter the two largest opposition parties from lashing out at the government.
06:06You have had it hard and this government doesn't seem to realise that.
06:10This policy is cruel, it is unfair and it is going to destroy farming as we know it.
06:17But it was a certain TV personality cum farmer who got the biggest cheer of the demonstration.
06:24Now I know a lot of people all across the country in all walks of life took a bit of
06:29a kick on the shin with that budget.
06:32You lot got a knee in the nuts and a light hammer blow to the back of the head.
06:40In a joint statement both the Chancellor and Environment Secretary said they are steadfast
06:46in their commitment to Britain's farming industry and that the property relief will ensure wealthier
06:52estates pay their fair share.
06:55But with so much anger visible from rural communities like those in Kent, will the government
07:01be able to withstand mounting pressure?
07:04Oliver leads the sats for KNTV in Westminster.
07:09Next night three businesses at New Ash Green shopping centre have been unexpectedly closed
07:14by bailiffs after property managers claimed the units were being unlawfully rented.
07:19The owner of one of the shops, Bissell Inc, recently invested £15,000 of savings but
07:24now they're closed says that money has been lost and they aren't sure when or where they'll
07:28be able to reopen.
07:30Our reporter Kristen Hawthorne has been speaking with them.
07:33It was essentially I went to bed with a shop and woke up without one.
07:37£15,000 of investment.
07:40That's how much Charlie and his partner poured into their business only for bailiffs to change
07:44the locks unexpectedly leaving them fearing they've lost it all.
07:49Three businesses at New Ash Green shopping centre were shut down after property managers
07:54claimed the units were being unlawfully sublet.
07:57The site, owned by LTP New Ash Limited, was bought at auction last year and is managed
08:02by KMP Solutions.
08:05Charlie, the owner of Bissell Inc, was given no warning about the closure and is concerned
08:09for his partner who does piercings at the shop as well as their 12-week-old baby.
08:15She's unable to drive because of how traumatic both physically and mentally this birth has
08:20been for her.
08:21So the fact that I was able to stay close by and support her in many ways was a massive
08:25benefit for us.
08:27Charlie says that bailiffs arrived early in the morning while they were asleep despite
08:31being told he'd be kept informed if there were any property issues.
08:35I mean with regards to the fact that these three businesses have invested in those units
08:41that's absolutely true.
08:42They've put a lot of their own money and time into making those studios suitable and we
08:50don't believe that they did anything wrong at all.
08:54Losing an average of £500 a day as well as a deposit they'd saved for a family home,
08:59Charlie has been offered alternative properties but insists hygiene standards are crucial
09:04for his parlour and he can't move just anywhere.
09:07Lots of customers have already paid deposits for upcoming tattoos which he can't afford
09:11to give back.
09:12Paint that is medical grade and wipeable, make the surfaces wipeable and everything
09:17up to a good standard to make sure that of course what we deal with is blood pool pathogens
09:21and infections and wounds and such is such a mammoth task that it always takes us months
09:28whenever we move into a premises to get it up to a standard.
09:31In a statement KMP Solutions said that it is possible that the three businesses may
09:36not have been aware that their use of the premises was not under lawful terms.
09:40We recognise that they are likely well-meaning small business owners.
09:45Charlie says that trying to work through all these issues is like finding a needle
09:49in a haystack and he needs a permanent location soon rather than a temporary solution for
09:54his customers.
09:55Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV in New Yashgreen.
10:00Now just before the break, winter isn't quite here yet but you wouldn't be mistaken for
10:04thinking otherwise.
10:05A weather warning for ice has been issued for Kent by the Met Office.
10:10It will last until 10am tomorrow.
10:12The advice is to take care on the roads and plan journeys.
10:15Also a cold weather health alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency with
10:20warnings of a greater risk to life for vulnerable people.
10:23That one's in force until 6pm on Saturday.
10:26But in the forecast, no snow as they've been having up north.
10:30In the meantime, let's take a look at the forecast where you are for this week.
10:38As I said, no snow on the cards.
10:40That will be partly cloudy across the county with temperatures of around 4 degrees.
10:44Moving into tomorrow morning, we'll see clear skies across Kent, though temperatures will
10:48drop to an average of 1 degree, so be prepared for a chilly start to the day.
10:52Continuing into the afternoon, sunny skies will remain.
10:55Temperatures will warm up ever so slightly to an average of 4 degrees.
10:59And here's the outlook as we head to the rest of the week.
11:02Thursday and Friday will remain largely the same.
11:04Saturday will bring a change.
11:06Again, no rain, no snow, just rain.
11:10I might be a fan of the snow if you can't tell.
11:19Time for a short break now.
11:20We'll be looking back at 30 years of the National Lottery after it, and some of Kent's luckiest
11:26winners from over the decades.
11:28And it's back live here on KMTV, we'll be speaking with Daisy Page about a new episode
11:32of Kent on Climate, covering all the latest environmental news from across Kent.
11:38All that and plenty more news made just for you after this break.
14:38Thanks for watching.
15:08Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
15:12Now on stage during surgery, one man from Herne Bay is taking on another challenge after
15:17completing his solo performance on the operating table.
15:31Thirty years have passed since the first National Lottery.
15:34That was Colin Miller we saw just then, playing his guitar whilst undergoing brain surgery
15:39so that he wouldn't lose mobility in his hands and fingers and could continue his beloved
15:43hobby.
15:44Well, he kept the surgeons entertained, as you saw then, while he was having his tumour
15:49removed at King's College Hospital.
15:51Well, now he's embarking on another mission to raise money for research.
15:54Not only can he still play a tune or two, he's been walking 65 of a planned 99 miles
16:01that he has for this month.
16:04Time to move on now.
16:05Next night.
16:06Well, how lucky are you feeling today?
16:07Well, it marks 30 years since the very first National Lottery draw on TV.
16:12And over the years, a whole host of lucky players from right here in Kent have become
16:16richer overnight, with many even becoming millionaires.
16:20But the lottery isn't just in the business of making a very small number of people a
16:23whole lot wealthier.
16:25It also funds and contributes to arts, community and heritage projects across the UK and including
16:30right here in Kent.
16:33Thirty years have passed since the first National Lottery balls were called and the first of
16:37a very few lucky people have become much, much richer up and down the country, including
16:43here in Kent.
16:44From the peculiar Mr P, who won a million pounds to go on holiday, to the 100,000 zipped
16:49by Mrs Z.
16:51Not all of Kent's lottery winners have chosen to go public over the years, but for those
16:55who do, it's clear just how much the windfall can change someone's life.
16:59Check Adam and Amy from Maidstone, whose winnings meant the financial freedom to be
17:03closer with their disabled daughter.
17:05Are you sure out of the bedroom?
17:08Yeah, to get my phone screen to light up, just to make sure there was as many zeros
17:11there as I thought.
17:12It just means that now we don't have to worry about any future care she might need, because
17:16we don't know what the future holds for her, so it just means that financially we'll be
17:20able to support her through whatever.
17:22And also it means, you know, if it comes to a point where we can't care for her or we're
17:26not around anymore, we can afford the best possible care for her.
17:31Or Desiree Holm, who used her winnings to write a book about how she went from a cancer
17:35diagnosis to winning big in the space of a decade.
17:39At the time, however, she told us the first thing she bought was none other than a toilet
17:42seat.
17:43Well, when we moved into our little mobile park home, it had a toilet seat that wouldn't
17:48stay up properly, and you'd put the seat up and it'd go clang, clang all the time, and
17:55I said I wanted a soft-closing toilet seat, so when we won the lottery, I said to Wayne,
18:01can we have a soft-closing toilet seat, please?
18:05Away from the winners, money raised by the National Lottery has gone towards a huge number
18:09of projects here in Kent, from funding the journeys of some of our Olympic and Paralympic
18:14winners to bringing back the remnants of Kent's cultural history.
18:18The Focus in Lees-Lift was established in 1885 for almost, well, it was closed for the
18:24last eight years, but when it reopens again, it will be 140 years since it was, since it
18:32originally opened.
18:33So because of the help of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are basically able to put
18:39in place our 6.6 million restoration project of the Focus in Lees-Lift, which is about
18:47to start.
18:48So it's, yeah, very exciting times ahead.
18:50But I think without the Heritage Fund, we wouldn't have been at all near where we are
18:55now.
18:57So it's made a huge difference that they were able to step in and support us.
19:01You might have your lucky numbers, but just like any other form of gambling, the odds
19:05are stacked against you.
19:07In order to win the lottery, you have to be one in 50 million.
19:10Statistically speaking, there's more chance of you being struck by lightning or becoming
19:14an astronaut or winning an Oscar.
19:17For free help and advice, head to gambleaware.org.
19:21Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.
19:24Next, it's been more than 18 months since a landslide in Swanscombe closed off a key
19:29route.
19:30Businesses say they've lost money.
19:32Locals say the traffic is a nightmare.
19:34Kent County Council says it's looking into various design solutions and costs to fix
19:39the collapsed cliff.
19:40But local residents say it's already putting pressure on the already stretched local infrastructure.
19:46Dawn Johnston, the Chair of Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents' Association, joined
19:50me in the studio earlier today.
19:52I wanted to start by just asking about the Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents' Association.
19:59Tell me a bit about the history behind it and why it stands.
20:02So the Residents' Association is about 40 years old now and it was developed really
20:07to support and to be a voice for the neighbourhood of Swanscombe and Greenhithe.
20:14The difference really I suppose we have is that A, we're by residents, for residents.
20:21We're not affiliated with any national party.
20:24So we genuinely can be a voice for the residents.
20:29We do not have national policies that we need to adhere to.
20:33And let's talk about some of those local issues then.
20:35Obviously, one of the biggest ones over the past year and year and a half really is Galley
20:39Hill and the landslip that happened there.
20:43It's obviously been an ongoing issue that's had its consequences on some of the local
20:47infrastructure including the roads.
20:49How would you like to see that whole issue sort of resolved moving forward?
20:56Galley Hill Road is 18 months now and we are no further forward except some surveying I
21:01understand has taken place.
21:04We accept that it will take a while for it to be sorted out but in the meantime we have
21:09to look at the systems and processes in respect of traffic that there is in the surrounding
21:16area, particularly Swanscombe.
21:18And it's only KCC that can deal with that and at the moment we've got a huge increase
21:22in cars, lorries and when the AE2 is closed or gridlocked as a result the traffic moves
21:30up there.
21:31So we've got neighbours' cars being crashed into, we've got payments being done.
21:39We really feel there is now a need to consider red routes which will allow us to have cameras,
21:45one-way systems.
21:46We need to move forward because the current situation cannot continue and it is only KCC
21:52that can deal with this.
21:53And I know KCC are worried about one-way traffic and things like that because it could enhance
21:58speeding but honestly with the congestion we have I don't think you'd be able to speed
22:02in a one-way system.
22:03And I know infrastructure is one of the issues that you're concerned about and with some
22:07of the developments that have been put forward for Swanscombe, some of that investment that's
22:11been sort of suggested for the area, how would you see that infrastructure is dealt with
22:17if those were to go ahead?
22:19So it is very clear any development requires an infrastructure.
22:23The infrastructure includes transport.
22:26Transport is not just roads, it's bus services.
22:29The other services are your GP services, your schooling, your recreation, you know, library.
22:35And it is our experience, you know, one of the issues that we've had to fight for is
22:40that they are sort of last on the list, they sell the houses and then the roads, the infrastructure,
22:45the community centres are last on the list.
22:48And again by being a local voice we can actually ensure that Dartford Borough Council, Kent
22:53County Council actually adhere to section 106 of the planning application.
22:59Well we should mention Dawn is one of the candidates in the upcoming Swanscombe and
23:02Green Hive Kent County by-election this Thursday.
23:05The other candidates are as follows.
23:08Laura Helen Kearady for the Green Party, Carol May Gale for the Conservative Party, Thomas
23:14Mallon for Reform UK, James Martin-Willis for the Liberal Democrats, Victoria Akintemwidi
23:21for the Labour and Co-operative Party.
23:29Finally this evening after the break we'll be seeing the return of Kent on Climate here
23:33on CAME TV.
23:34It's the show which explores all the environmental issues across the county and highlights what
23:38the community is doing to help.
23:40Well to give us a sneak peek into tonight's show is Daisy Page.
23:44Daisy's here dressed for the part in your zebra print.
23:47Daisy what can we expect in tonight's episode?
23:48So coming up after the break we're going to be talking a bit more about the farms that
23:52you saw earlier in today's show.
23:54We're looking at the buses in Dover and a bit about behind that.
23:59But one of, I'm not sure if you're allowed to say favourites, but one of the things that
24:02I find most interesting about tonight's show is actually a report on a rare and legally
24:08protected fungus that has been found here in Kent.
24:11So a bit of a spoiler for those who might be watching it, it is a lion's mane.
24:17Now this is also known for its medicinal purposes.
24:20I'd done a package on it a while ago about how mushroom farming might be the new form
24:25for farmers in Kent as well.
24:28But this has been found and now it's legally protected meaning people can't pick it.
24:33And if someone does, unfortunately, they could be facing up to a £5,000 fine or six months
24:39imprisonment.
24:40That sounds very, very interesting.
24:41But there are some changes that we can expect to the show.
24:44If people have watched previous episodes, you've now got a quiz, a new segment all about
24:48Kent's creatures and a round-up too.
24:50Tell us about some of those changes.
24:51Yeah, so I come from a wildlife conservation past.
24:55Obviously, we always have the news part, but I wanted to add a little bit more educational
24:59for those at home that might not know about the species that we find here in Kent.
25:03Isaac done a really fun quiz about leaf slater, which people at home can take part in.
25:08They might do a little bit better than me, but I did manage to get one right from my
25:11past knowledge.
25:12We do love a quiz here on KMTV and I'll be taking part as well and we'll see how well
25:16I did.
25:17And then tell us about that round-up then as well.
25:18Yep, so the round-up, the focus on that is to have a look at all the positive things
25:22happening in Kent, whether it's just animal news, something's doing well, or if the community
25:28have come together to help clean a river.
25:30So Kai has put that together today and I've got a little sneak peek as well for the viewers
25:34at home.
25:37Palacewood Primary School in Maidstone is participating in a contest to donate the most
25:41amount of plastic in order to win a playground frame entirely made from recycled plastic.
25:47TerraCycle, who have partnered with Sistema, are holding this competition as part of their
25:51new recycling programme, with aims to get communities excited about protecting the planet.
25:56The school is asking locals in the community to contribute any plastic food containers
26:00or water bottles in an effort to win the contest, which is running nationwide.
26:04Runners-up in the competition will also receive a lunchbox and water bottle for every student.
26:09Next, a nesting box has been built on top of St. Lawrence Church to provide a safe space
26:14for a couple of Peregrine Falcons, which are the fastest species of bird in the world.
26:18The pair often have their nest destroyed, so Ramsgate's oldest church has had a new
26:22box installed to ensure that these native British birds have a shelter.
26:26Having once been classed as an endangered species, these birds have seen a rise in population
26:31returning to stable numbers.
26:33The box was also carefully placed and is freestanding to make sure no damage will be done to the church.
26:39Well, that's coming up after the break, but that is it for me. Good night.