There are calls for a review of Dreamland's licence as it's emerged more than 20 teenagers ended up in hospital after a gig at the venue in Margate.
A 17 year-old girl had died after attending a drum and bass event at Dreamland.
Emily Stoke suffered from a suspected MDMA overdose - and it's now emerged 21 other teenagers also ended up in hospital.
Also in today's podcast, Figures seen by KentOnline show a 70% rise in fines issued to parents in Kent for taking their children out of school.
More than 13,000 penalty notices were handed out for unauthorised absences last year - up from around 7,700 the previous year.
The founder of an organisation set up to help people with neurodiversity in east Kent says their services are at risk due to funding issues.
Lucie Chiocchetti set up Neurodivergent Friends Thanet after being diagnosed with autism and ADHD as an adult.
Dozens of people in Larkfield have objected to plans to knock down an old workshop and replace it with a new building and offices.
Neuxpark Limited have submitted an application to Tonbridge and Malling council for The Shed off Lunsford Lane.
Students at a martial arts school in Gravesend have been selected to join Team GB in the world championships of stick fighting.
The sport sees participants in protective gear using using slender, wooden batons for one-to-one combat.
(air whooshing) - Kent Online News. - News you can trust. - This is the Kent Online Podcast. Nicola Everett. - Hello, hope you're okay. Thanks ever so much for downloading today's podcast on Tuesday, July the 16th. And our top story today is that there are calls for a review of Dreamland's license after it's emerged more than 20 teenagers ended up in hospital after a gig at the venue in Margate. Well, Lucy's here with more details on this story. So Lucy, tell me what happened. - Well, we heard a couple of weeks ago that a 17-year-old girl had died after attending a drum and bass event at Dreamland. Emily Stokes suffered from a suspected MDMA overdose and it's now emerged 21 other teenagers also ended up in hospital. They're all under the age of 18 and one remains in a medically induced coma following the worried about Henry Festival on the 28th of June. It's understood around 7,000 people were at the gig. - And what have police said about their response on the day? - A report by a superintendent says they were made aware of several people being thrown out of the venue because they were intoxicated. Officers were told that some had been taken to hospital, believed to be suffering the ill effects of a drug overdose. A man had also been found with suspected illegal drugs and was arrested on suspicion of intent to supply. When they heard about Emily's death, emergency talks were held about whether to pull the plug on the event and called in the area off as a crime scene but police say they allowed the gig to continue to avoid a large-scale public order incident and to help identify and support any further casualties. A major incident was later declared and an investigation is ongoing. - And I understand temporary licensing measures have now been introduced for Dreamland. - Yes, that's right. There's now a ban on drum and bass events and all under 18s must be accompanied by someone aged 25 or older. Dreamland bosses have also been ordered to increase the ratio of security staff for higher risk events and display zero tolerance signs regarding drug use and possession throughout the venue. Can police are calling for a review but insist they don't want to see the license revoked. Their report says the venue and strategic partners are all really well engaged in ensuring all efforts are made to minimize the risk in the future. A spokesperson for the venue has previously said they're working with detectives. Lucy, thank you ever so much. - Kent Online News. - A Westgate man who beat, strangled and imprisoned, his former girlfriend has been sent to prison for four years. A court heard Elliot Scott carried out several attacks on his victim, leaving her with broken bones, bruising and severe psychological harm. The 22-year-old from Belmont Road has 16 previous convictions for 32 offenses and will spend three years on license when released. Police have released a picture of a person they're hunting after a number of cars were broken into in Ashford. The vehicles were targeted in the Kings North part of town earlier this month. Follow Kent Online on socials to see a picture of a man that officers want to speak to. Now, figures seen by Kent Online show a 70% rise in fines issued to parents in Kent for taking their children out of school. More than 13,000 penalty notices were handed out for unauthorized absences last year. That's up from around 7,700 the previous year. The majority were for holidays during term time. What David Jones is the head teacher at Valley Park School in Maidstone. - I think we can recognize that since COVID, pupil attendances dropped and that parents are not perhaps valuing school in the way that they were pre-COVID and students aren't valuing it in the same way that they pre-COVID as well. And that then needs to be a deterrent from students being absent from school because that's the place where they're safest and their education is most secure. - And why is attendance at school so important? - Oh, give me a couple of hours on that one because what do schools really do? Schools are not just about places of education, they're places of safety, they're places to socialize, you know, the places that instill values and create the young people that are gonna go out and be the citizens and leaders of our communities for tomorrow, schools offer that hub for young people to go off and really develop themselves in a way that offers them the safety to do that. I think without a solid school environment, without a decent attendance, students are missing out on a lot of opportunities to establish who they are going to be as the adults they're going to be in the future. - And have you noticed a rise in the number of unauthorized absences? - We've certainly noticed a downturn in attendance since pre-COVID, I mean, I know it's a national numbers, it's not any different, we as a school sit above national average, which is good for us, I think that talks to the type of school that we are and the offer that we offer to our young people. But we're seeing more parents try to take kids out for unauthorized holidays during the course of the academic year and find opportunities for students not to be in school and feeling that they have other legitimate things for them to be doing. The curriculum is so densely packed nowadays and we talk about education, but actually education is built on a series of curriculum from each subject and the curriculum is built in such a way that if you miss a portion of it, you're missing out on a section of learning that you may not return to for another academic year and therefore you're missing out on a key chunk of learning that will support you past your exams or some such later on in your career. So I think if you're tuned to not in school and they're increased numbers of unauthorized absences, what you're saying is that there is a high probability that the outcomes for young people further down the line will be less than they should be. - I think something we learned from kind of people and parents who spoke into you today is that they found that going abroad during the school holiday is so expensive, which is why they're taking their children after in term time. And another thing they said is that one of the reasons they take their children after school during term time is because they find that it's obviously cheaper, but also they think that holidays are a way to be educational as well as having, you know, the national curriculum and whatever they learn at school and I was just wondering, you know, as a teacher what you think about that and kind of what you're responsive to that would be? - I think that's a convenient explanation for a holiday. I would certainly say my parents tried to educate me on a number of times when I was taken on holiday as a child, most of the time, let's be honest, people are enjoying themselves and taking a break. And that's what holidays are for. I mean, that is the nature of a holiday. Few and far between I think you find people who are going to look at the pyramids for a purely academic or scholarly reason. So I don't believe that that is the best excuse. I think it's the excuse that people use, but I'm not agreeing with it. - Now from August, the government is introducing new rules that will increase the amount of money parents will need to pay if they're fined for taking their children out of school. The current penalty is 60 pounds, which rises to 120 if it's not paid within 21 days. Well, from later this summer, the fine four school absences will rise to 80 pounds or 160 if paid within 28 days. The Department of Education says that rate rise is in line with inflation and is the first increase since 2012. You can let us know what you think today. Would you take your child out of school to take them on holiday? You can let us know by commenting on the story at Kent Online or following us and leaving a comment on our socials. - Kent Online reports. - This is one of the most read stories on the website today, pub landlords in a part of Ashford are worried about a drop in trade when a road closes during the summer. Six weeks of works to install electrical cables are due to take place on Newtown Road, which connects South Wilzborough to the town center. Now it's due to shut on July the 22nd and won't reopen until September the 5th. It charges to collect garden waste as set to be introduced in Medway for the very first time, while one brown bin will remain free in the towns. Anyone who needs a second will have to pay 40 pounds a year. The authority is currently the only one in Kent that still offers a free weekly food and garden waste collection service. There are calls for the government to block plans from multi-million pound waterfront development near Gravesend because of the impact it will have on existing businesses in the area. Kent Invictor Chamber of Commerce wants new Secretary of State Angela Rainer to step in to stop the North Fleet Harbour side project. Now outline planning permission was granted by the Council in May. The application includes more than 3,000 homes, new shops and office spaces along with a football stadium. Next, and the founder of an organization set up to help people with neuro diversity in East Kent says their services are at risk due to funding issues. Lucy Kirketti set up neurodivergent friends Thanet after being diagnosed with autism and ADHD as an adult. The 33-year-old from Broad Stairs wanted to meet others with the same traits so they could support each other. - Well, I remember asking my GP, is there any support group or any place I can find some help or support to better understand myself? Like I've just discovered that. Just trying to find peers as well to compare experience as well and maybe what are their strategies to change your lifestyle so that it supports them better with how their brain works. And my GP surgery just said, well, I can Google it for you, but you can do that yourself. So basically they didn't have any more information that what Google could offer me. For sometimes I was like many people very much online trying to find people, but there's a point where you're like, no, I need to actually meet with people to actually find that kind of more direct support or... I don't know, finding a space where I can finally feel like I belong 'cause I always thought that I wasn't really belonging anywhere, any group that I've been part of. - Did your diagnosis surprise you? Or did you suddenly think, do you know what? That makes perfect sense. And now I understand more about myself and how my brain is working. - For me, that day in my life when it clicked, something very powerful happened is that I was at a time in my life where I was in such a difficult, very, very difficult mental health state. And I was really struggling post-COVID. Like many late diagnosed people, I think the isolation kind of like magnified all of the traits and experiences do stress that's before I would probably associate with, well, I just have a busy life. Or like, there's so many reasons for why this is happening. And quite frankly, a lot of the reason that I would give to a lot of the things that I would struggle with is that I'm not good enough, or I'm not capable, I'm not trying hard enough. Because of like how I've lived my life and everyone around me not knowing that my brain was working differently and therefore internalizing all that guilt and shame about things that I'm just not pushing hard enough because that's the feedback that I would get. And actually, no, I was just not pushing us really in the right way or right direction. And obviously now you really want to work with other people and help other people, but you messaged us because funding is quite an issue, isn't it? Can you tell us what you're wanting to do and how much that's costing? - In my mind, since the beginning, I always thought we have to be neurodivergent-led and a 100% neurodivergent team because there's so many organizations that try to support our community who actually do not have lived experience and sometimes can do more harm than good. And I have faced some of them. We've got about two weeks, just about that. We've got until the 24th of July to raise another 10 grand to be successful or we will lose all of the funds that we already have, which in my right mind, I can't imagine having to lose that opportunity to support our local community. - With a non-profit group has reached 60% of their crowdfunding goal, but only has two weeks to raise another 10,000 pounds to ensure monthly meetups continue. - Ken's online reports. - Bosses in Maidstone have backed a campaign to save ancient woodland that's under threat from plans to extend hermitage quarry. Kent Wildlife Trust say Oakon Wood is a local wildlife site that contains irreplaceable habitat that will be lost if the expansion goes ahead. Well, Maidstone Borough Council have now officially objected to the proposals. Dozens of people in Larkfield meantime have objected to plans to knock down an old workshop and replace it with a new building and offices. Nox Ltd have submitted an application to Tumbridge and Moreling Council for the shed of Lunsford Lane. But neighbors are worried about an increase in noise, traffic and privacy. Pixie Hart and Maria Conja are among those who aren't happy with the plans. - I was first aware on the 26th of June when the notice from the council arrived through the post. And I actually had to take a double take of it because I was so shocked. I knew that planning permission had been granted for a residential for veteran home there. And whilst it's very close to my listed building and yes, I guess I could have objected, I understood that there is a need for housing and it was a sensible application. It was for one home and it fitted in with the rest of the agricultural and farm yard setting because over the years, the whole of the farm yard has been developed into residential living. But when I saw an application for light industrial workshop and office use, I thought I had misread the location because firstly, I didn't understand how they could possibly fit all that into what would be an appropriate size for a four bedroomed house with a garden. And secondly, I couldn't quite fathom why somebody would choose to purchase a site that had planning for a residential property. Smack in the middle of one, two, three, four grade two listed buildings. - I became aware of planning application when my neighbor called me because I didn't actually receive the planning letter through. And I was just modified, horrified with just this ridiculous request because we knew that the property had already been sold for to build a lovely house for a family. So really looking forward to new families coming into the community and not what the planning is now for. - So it came into like a total shelf? - Yeah, absolutely. I just, yeah, it's just absurd. - New spark limited has been contacted for a comment. Videos emerged of a Chinook helicopter flying extremely low over sandwich. It was spotted along the coast yesterday evening. You can see the footage at Kent online. We have asked the RAF for more information. And the RSPCA in Kent is looking for a forever home for two cats that have been in care for more than 500 days. Marion came into their care after being rescued from a multi-cat house where she wasn't treated very well. And Panda was found as a stray with the animal charity, says they both deserve a second chance and wants to see them rehomed as soon as possible. - Kent online sports. - Cricket and Kent are still bottom of the T20 blast South Group table heading into their next game tonight. The Spitfires take on Glamorgan who are two places above them. Play at Canterbury's due to get underway at 6.30. We'll have details of the result in bulletins over on our sister radio station, KMFM. Tomorrow morning, plus we'll have details in tomorrow's podcast too. And students at a martial arts school in Gravesend have been selected to join Team GB in the World Championships of stick fighting. Now the sport sees participants in protective gear using slender wooden battens for one-to-one combat. The five students will be heading to Poland for the global stick and blade alliances World Championships next month. We've been finding out a bit more about it. - My name's Lewis Tando and I'm from Valley Martial Arts in Gravesend. We started the team about two years ago and we wasn't, because we were nobodies, it was like a, they wanted to give it a try. And when we went there, everyone wasn't expecting much from us because no one had heard from us. And then we actually did quite well and we started getting some gold medals and then gradually over time we've done all right. And yeah, about two months ago, I got an email from the head of the GSBA, the Global Stick and Blade Alliance in UK asking us to join Team GB to fight in the World Tournament in Poland. - And obviously what does that mean to you? I just go into it, obviously the members of the school that have got into the team. - No, it's, I don't want to speak on their behalf because it's different for different people. I can only say from my perspective as an instructor, I was, my eyes were welling up when I opened the email. I've never been, well, you know, I've had proud moments before but like as an instructor is, you don't often get other people that you respect like the heads of that system or recognizing your students for being well-class. I mean, they're basically saying you're good enough to do that or they're good enough to do that. And the opportunity that gives them, I was just thinking about, and also they get invited to the squad training by the best people in the country. Even if they didn't compete, they can join this squad training and learn from the best people. Like you can, if you went to do a private lesson with a grandmaster, it's like per hour, depending on who it is, it could be like 50 pound an hour, it could be like 60, 70 pound an hour and they're getting it for free because they're good enough to be on that team. And it's an opportunity that I, you know, I was super, super, super happy that they got 'cause people don't normally get that. They're hoping to raise 2,500 pounds to help the team get there. And that's all from us for today. Thanks ever so much for listening. Don't forget, you can follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and threads. You can also get details on the top stories, direct your email each morning via the briefing to sign up to that just head to kentonline.co.uk. News you can trust. This is the KENTONLINE podcast. (dramatic music)
