There's been a delay to work on a busy roundabout in Sittingbourne - because of a dormouse.
Contractors due to start work on the key Street junction this summer have discovered a nest.
Also in today's podcast, KentOnline's been told asylum seekers in Kent are worried after violence broke out across the country.
Hundreds of people have been arrested after riots in towns and cities following the stabbings in Southport last week.
We've been speaking to Kay Marsh from Samphire Project in Dover and also have reaction from Cohesion Plus in Gravesend and Imam from a mosque in Gillingham and a group of councillors in Medway who's calling for unity and calm.
Thames Water - which covers areas around Dartford and Sevenoaks - is facing a £104 million fine for sewage spills and other failings.
Two more companies - Northumbrian and Yorkshire Water - are also part of record combined action by the regulator.
And, work's started on converting a building in Ashford after plans to turn it into a nightclub were scrapped.
The former Downtown Diner in ParK Street is going to be made into a restaurant and event space.
It's hoped it'll open in September.
In sport, Kent's Dina Asher-Smith is safely through to the final of the 200 metres.
She finished second in her semi-final last night and will go for a medal in this evening's race.
10. Kent online news news you can trust. This is the Kent online podcast. Nicola Everett. Hello. Hope you're OK. Thanks ever so much for downloading today's podcast. It's Tuesday, August the 6th and Kent online's been told asylum seekers in Kent are worried after violence broke out across the country. Hundreds of people have been arrested after riots in towns and cities following the stabbings in Southport last week. In Rodram, a hotel housing refugees was trashed. I've been speaking to Kay Marsh, who's from the Samfire Project in Dover. It's been absolutely shocking. You know, obviously we do see far right activity from time to time. But over the last few days, the last week or so, it's been absolutely devastating for people in our sector. Just the idea that people are using, you know, the deaths of innocent children to incite hatred and violence across the country is just absolutely shocking. And yesterday in particular, I think it was footage from Rodram, a hotel that was housing asylum seekers was being targeted in particular. How did that make you feel? It's extremely distressing. The fact that people are taking it upon themselves to set buildings on fire, you know, to complete disregard for human life. And yeah, it's just shocking. It's terrifying, really. Thankfully, we haven't seen any of the protests down here in Kent. But how concerned are you because obviously events have continued over several days now, haven't they? Yes, we're getting a word of more demos and more protests that are planned across the country, including down in Kent and closer to us in Dover. As a support organisation ourselves, we're having to put extra security in place. You know, it's scary as a worker in this sector. And you're just trying to protect people and you're just trying to do the right thing, you know, and uphold people with human rights. And, you know, you're scared about your safety and what might happen, it's awful. Would you mind elaborating a bit on what you've had to do as an organisation, what sort of measures you've had to put in place? Well, we've been putting extra security in place over the last year or so anyway, because far our right activity has been creeping. But, you know, we're taking a lot more work from home days now. Any days that there are anything planned in Dover, really, all of our staff will be working from home because it's just not safe for us to be in town. It's not potentially there will be calls for people rioting. You know, it's just, it's a really scary prospect. Some of the people that you support are presumably they've been in contact. How are they feeling right now? People are very scared. You know, over the last year or so, with the ever-changing situation around migration in the UK, particularly down here in Kent, people already feel very unsure and that their futures are very much uncertain. And it just seems to get worse every day. And then things like this happen. And, you know, that uncertainty turns to real fear, you know, a fear for your life and for your safety. It's not right. Our colleagues at KMTV have also been speaking to Safir Khan, who's an imam at Mazir Mosque in Chelingham. Yeah, I've experienced some hate towards us. Individually as well, verbally, from time to time you can hear people commenting or saying different things. I think it's a sad situation. I think this is something that should have been dealt with with a long time ago. I think it's years of neglecting or brushing aside Islamophobia. I think naturally when you see these things happen across the country, you do feel a little bit unsafe. None of our activities at the mosque have stopped. We continue to pray. We continue to come for congregation and do our activities. However, we have to be vigilant. We have to be careful and we have to be watchful because you never know. You never know what's going to happen. Now, there hasn't been any trouble in Kent and communities are very keen to keep it that way. Kavinda Sander is from Cohesion Plus in Gravesend, which puts on events to promote diversity. It's been really upsetting seeing what's been going on around the country. And to be honest, I want my country back as well. The country where we can understand shoulder to shoulder, where all faiths are respected and all communities are respected. We can't have this situation where people, particularly from minority communities, are scared of going out and have been randomly attacked. When I was growing up here in Gravesend in the 70s and 80s, myself, parents, friends, families, we lived through that film. That isn't the country that we are today in 2024. And we are stronger when we all come together. So it's really difficult and upsetting to see really. And the one good thing that's come out of this is the majority of people, the majority of residents, how they've stood shoulder to shoulder with our conno diverse communities and our diverse faiths. And I think that is good. And that conno represents the best of our country. But even so, you know, from what we've seen, that isn't the country, but that isn't Great Britain, that isn't a country that I love and in the country that we live in. So these people do not represent us. You mentioned there how some people may be feeling very afraid at the moment. What sort of message would you have for them? What would you say to them? It's very difficult. Generally, I mean, this morning, that it's Monday, Monday morning, my phone's been going off to hook. We've had a number of phone calls from local businesses. I've been talking to local faith organizations, talking to members from the local residents. And there is this genuine fear that something could happen here in Ken. It could happen here in North Kent, particularly where there's a very large, obviously diverse population. But really, we can't let these people win. You know, we need to be going out about our day-to-day business. But on the proviso that, you know, everyone just needs to be a little bit careful at the moment. And a simple example of my son just traveled to Birmingham. He works in Birmingham. So I just checked in and made sure he was okay. And it's those kind of little things. So nothing we really do need to stand together. I think as a county of Ken, we really need to show what we're about. And that's about standing shoulder to shoulder and supporting each other, regardless of faith and background. And that's what we try to do here at Kayesian Plus. You said you've been incredibly busy today, so far, speaking to people. I mean, I guess for some, they would want to stay indoors if they do feel frightened. But I guess that that gives the wrong impression, doesn't it, if you try and, you know, hide away? As you say, we should all be standing shoulder to shoulder. We should be standing shoulder to shoulder. I particularly feel for local businesses because as an individual going about their business, we can make that decision, whether we want to go out or we don't want to go out. But places of worship, local businesses, you know, public servants, like the police and NHS, they got no choice. They need to go out. They need to do the duty. They need to open their shops. So that's why I think it's just so important that hearing Ken, that we do stick together, we respect our neighbors, we love our neighbors and we make sure that what's happening in other parts of the country doesn't spread help. And finally, in Medway, political groups have joined forces to condemn the violence and call for calm. The Green Party, Lib Dems, an independent group in the town, have issued statements of unity. Lucy's been chatting to Jeremy Spiby-Stiensten, whose co-chair of the Medway Green Party. I think at this moment, really, we need to be looking at listening to people and making sure that people feel that their political parties will take their concerns. And if you look at, for example, some of the riots and chaos that have happened over this weekend, and they've happened in areas of the country where poverty is really high. And it's not a coincidence. These are people of which are upset at what they're seeing, but their anger and aggression is being directed at vulnerable groups and groups of people which have had no role in creating the issues. So I think this is a call for our politicians to send out a message, to ask people to become, but to actually go further, beyond this, is to make the difference and to spend time in the communities and redirect where people should be angry because it isn't vulnerable groups. It isn't at particular religions and ethnicities or people that are seeking asylum. It's the reality that people are poorer and poorer year after year. And it's got nothing to do with those that are coming to the country. It's got absolutely everything to do with those in power who control the flow of money in society. Do you think this is something that's kind of been building up for quite a while? And this incident up in Southport with the knife attack last Monday has really been the trigger point and it's kind of been used almost as an excuse for a lot of people to go out and make their feelings known. Yeah, absolutely. This has been brewing for many years and the rhetoric that's been used in mainstream politics around issues to do with migration and religion have continuously inflamed tensions in different communities. If we look at, as I said earlier, where these rights have happened, they're in places where people are the poorest and have the fewest opportunities around them to develop towards their passions and their careers and their prospects. So these are people that are upset at the system but they've been made throughout years to feel unkind and for some hateful towards groups which have had no part at all in creating the issues that have happened. So that's why we think sending out a message of unity and calmness is really important to bring the community together. Wherever these rights have happened, almost swiftly the next day or even overnight, the community has come out to rebuild what's been damaged or to work together to clean up different parts of mess or vandalism. And I think that's what we should aspire to in Medway is that collectivity. Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced an army of specialist officers who had cracked down on rioting in the streets. Almost 400 people in total have been arrested and they've now started to appear in court, including a 14 year old boy. It can follow the very latest developments on this story by heading to the national pages of Kent Online. Other top news for you today and a motorcyclist has died following a crash near Canterbury. The Yamaha he was riding was involved in a collision with a car and horse box in Stone Street yesterday afternoon. A 36 year old from Dim church was pronounced dead at the scene. Crash investigators are keen to hear from any witnesses. Stickers with razor blades stuck to the back of them have reportedly been found at a Kent railway station. British transport police have confirmed they're investigating a post on socials at Dunton Green, near Sevenoaks, urging anyone who spots a similar sticker not to try and remove it. If you follow Kent Online on socials, you can see a picture of a man police are hunting after a sex attack in Gillingham. A woman was touched by a man she didn't know in Trafalgar Street. He then fled the scene into Canterbury Street. Of course, her tower, a serving police officer from Kent sent flirtatious messages to a witness during a burglary investigation. Matthew Peel, who's based in Canterbury, is accused of misconduct in a public office. The 47-year-olds pleaded not guilty and the trial continues. Firefighters have spent the night damping down the scene of a paper mill blaze in Scotland. It broke out in Mill Street yesterday afternoon. If you live nearby, you've been told to keep windows and jaws closed because of the smoke. Next today, in Thameswater, which covers areas around Darford and Sevenoaks is facing a 104 million pound fine for sewage spills and other failings. Two more companies, Northumbrian and Yorkshire Water, are also part of record combined action by the regulator. Of what's Chief Executive David Black says their two-year investigation found a catalogue of failures. So each company is an obligation to maintain the minimum level of capacity and that ensures they only discharge sewage into waterways and exceptional circumstances. What we've uncovered today is widespread discharges outside of the exceptional circumstances which they're permitted to discharge. We set the rules on what charges they can recover from customers and so we make absolutely no provision for fines in their levels of bills that are set for customers. A customs career should these fines sit with the investors, not with customers. We're very clear the sector needs to change. We need to see a turnaround in performance from water companies, including Thameswater. And so what we're sitting out today is the enforcement of the law. We've also announced recently an 88 billion pound investment plan for the sector to drive performance above and beyond the current legal requirements. And so we think that the sector can and we do see signs of change. So we do see signs of companies recognizing these issues. There's a lot of work to be done but we're very confident the sector can turn around its performance and can regain the trust of its customers. Kent Online Reports. This is one of our most read stories on the website today. There's been a delay to work on a busy roundabout in Sittingborne because of a doormouse. Well, Lucy's here with more for the podcast. So Lucy, how are something so small stalled such a major project? Well, contractors due to start work on the Key Street Junction this summer have discovered a nest and basically it's an offence to disturb doormice or damage any place used for shelter or protection. That's because they're a protected species and populations have dramatically declined in recent years. And that's a busy bit of road, isn't it, Lucy? Yes, is used by thousands of drivers every day. It's the main roundabout which connects roads heading to Shepey, Maidstone and Medway. The changes that are planned include closing the existing A249 Maidstone Bound entry slip lane and then when it's finished motorists will drive down the adjacent Chestnut Street where there'll be a new roundabout just before the Tudorose pub where a link road will connect to the A249. The current slip road will also be landscaped. And this is all being done ahead of new homes being built, is that right? Yes, the wisest lane development in Borden includes 600 homes and also a new rugby facility and primary school and other 50 properties are being built at Man of Farm nearby. Kent County Council is overseeing the roadworks and have now said they'll start in the autumn and should be finished by next year. Lucy, thank you ever so much. That recalls Figuello lines near a busy Junction on Romley Marsh to improve safety. At the moment there aren't any parking restrictions at the corner of Ratesfield Avenue and the A259 in Dimchurch but people living nearby say there are a regular near missus, a request has been put into the council. A tree house built by teenagers in Woods Near Maidstone has been destroyed after being deemed criminal damage. A group of friends had created the den on Landoff Bartlett Way but it was dismantled by a developer building homes nearby. The council had instructed them to take action but parents say they're outraged. You can see footage of that den by heading to the story at Kent Online where you can also let us know what you think. There are fears of more flooding if extra homes and a wetland are built in part of Ashford. Plans have been submitted for a development on Landoff, Kennington Road in the Wills Police part of town but residents are keen for the 40 acres site designated as wetland to remain farmland instead. And even more homes could have to be built in Kent to meet proposed new targets set by Labor. Deputy PM and Housing Minister Angela Rainer has set out how the party plans to get Britain building, something you may recall as a pledge that they made during the election campaign. Well, it could see local authorities in the county building, 5,000 more homes every year. Details on how that would impact where you live are at Kent Online. Kent Online reports. The businessman who founded Kent's leading winery has been ordered to pay millions of pounds in compensation after misleading shareholders. Richard Balfour-Lynn is said to have made a series of sham transactions while the boss of a property company called MWB Group. The case is completely unrelated to the Balfour winery near Staplehurst. Plans to open a bar at a hotel in Folkestone for longer with live music and movie screenings have been rejected. An application was put in to make changes to the license for Kepel's bar at the Grand, but the Council Committee turned it down over safety and noise fears. Elsewhere work has started on converting a building in Ashford after plans to turn it into a nightclub was scrapped. The former downtown diner in Park Street is going to be made into a restaurant and event space. It's hoped it'll open in September, where Holly Millen is the operations manager at DJB and has been speaking to reporter Leanne Castle. We have finished the rip-out stage and now we're going into furnishings and the fit-out of the kitchen. And how long has it taken you to get to this point at the moment? Has it been quite a big job? It's been a big job. We started in May. And tell me just a bit about what to expect from this one. It's fully up and running. I know you were saying earlier, each level has got its own idea with it. So, could you explain that to me? Yep. The ground floor is going to be an 85 seat restaurant called DJB the Smoke House with a takeaway area. Upstairs will be DJB the venue. It will be open until midnight. It will have special events, function hire, Prosecco brunches, famous DJs, bands and community events. So, who's the ideal audience here? Is it for everyone? Or are you looking into target specific people? The restaurant will be targeted at families, young people, older people, anyone local who likes to eat out. It will be quite self-serve QR code, but then also anyone not wanting to order on an app can go up to the teal or pay cash so that there will be options for people that don't feel comfortable with a more modern way of ordering. So, downstairs different events will target different people. So, for example, maybe on a Monday night we would have a sit-down quiz which would be a broad age range, but we might have a Saturday night DJ that might target those in their 18s to 25s. The Marine Terrace title pool in Margate Beach is now great to listed. It was built on the main sands back in 1937 and will now be given extra protection so it can be maintained for future generations. And finally, firefighters have broken into a mum's flat after her Alexa played 10 hours of loud music while she was away for the night. Neighbors called 999 after hearing the tunes coming from Emma Jane Netlinton's property in Ramsgate. The 33-year-old only realized what had happened the following morning when she woke up to messages. She's promised to unplug the device in future. To the Olympics in Paris and Kenzdena, Asha Smith is safely through to the final of the 200m. She finished second in her semi-final last night and will go for a medal in this evening's race. It follows huge disappointment in the 100m at the weekend when she failed to make the final. That's all from us for today. Thanks ever so much for listening. Don't forget, you can follow us on Facebook, 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 Kent Online Podcast. (dramatic music)
