A Kent head teacher's issued a warning after a pupil collapsed shortly after using a vape that had been spiked with a deadly synthetic drug.
In a letter sent to parents it says the teenager had just finished classes for the day at Herne Bay High and had been handed the vape by another youngster.
Also in today's podcast, Operation Brock has been put in place on the M20 ahead of the Easter Holidays.
The contraflow system between Maidstone and Ashford allows for lorries to be parked on the motorway if there are delays getting across the Channel at Dover.
A Folkestone man who spent 26 years in prison for a murder he says he didn't commit has told the podcast he'll keep fighting to prove his innocence.
Paul Cleeland was convicted of shooting his friend following a fight in 1972.
Questions have since been raised about evidence presented at his trial - but appeals to clear his name have failed. Mr Cleeland has been speaking to reporter Sean Axtell.
Could a town on the Isle of Sheppey become a tax-free haven like Monaco?
A local historian had been hoping so after discovering an ancient document which excluded Queenborough residents from paying legal tariffs - including duty on wine.
A public inquiry's under way as campaigners near Maidstone try to save a piece of former farmland from being built on.
Developers are looking to put more than 400 homes on the former Bunyards Farm in Allington - but people living nearby want it to be given protected village green status.
As we mark World Rewilding Day, we've been taking a look at some of the conservation work done by animal parks in Kent.
The Aspinall Foundation specialises in reintroducing rare and endangered species and protecting habitats.
New 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. It's Wednesday March the 20th. And a top story today is that a Kent Head teacher has issued a warning after a pupil collapsed shortly after using a vape that had been spiked with a deadly synthetic drug. Well, Lucy joins me now with more on this story. Lucy, thanks ever so much for being on today's episode. Firstly, where did it happen? Well, in a letter sent to parents, it says the teenager had just finished classes for the day at Hearne Bay High. It's understood another youngster had it in the vape and he took one puff and immediately felt unwell before falling to the pavement. Staff on duty outside the school intervened and called medics. An ambulance arrived and the student was taken to hospital. And do we know why he reacted to the vape in that way? Well, it's since emerged that the fluid in the vape had been bought from an unregistered online site and contained spice. If you haven't heard of it before, spice is a synthetic cannabinoid which is illegal in the UK and is sometimes also called K2 or black mumber. Now, after this happened outside the school, police were informed and they're said to be investigating the supply chain of the product. And do we know how the pupil is now, Lucy? Well, the letter goes on to say they have recovered. But sadly, others aren't that fortunate. And between 2018 and 2020, 169 people died from poisoning from those sorts of drugs to try and combat this 15 synthetic opioids of today being made illegal and categorized as class A drugs. The home office says the substances have similar effects to heroin and the potential to cause overdoses and deaths mean time of proposal to ban the next generation from being able to buy cigarettes will go before Parliament today. The tobacco and vapes bill aims to restrict sales so that anyone turning 15 this year or younger won't legally be able to buy them. Now, we've also covered in the podcast recently how work is being done to try and crack down on illegal vapes in Kent, haven't we? Yes, in fact, more illegal vapes were seized in Kent last year than any other place in the country. More than 280,000 potentially dangerous devices were found in our county. Trading standards say many are coming through the port of Dover. Lucy, thank you ever so much. Kent Online News. Other top stories for you today in a man in his 30s has died after a crash on the M26 between Seven Oaks and Rutan. It was driving a van that collided with a BMW on the coast bound carriageway late last night. The other driver suffered minor injuries and Ashford woman's been ordered to pay nearly £3,000 for breeding dogs illegally. Edith Nixon from Moncton Close in Stanhope produced at least 10 liters of Pomeranian puppies in the space of two years without having a license. She advertised the pets on social media, but some of them were sick or even died as well as the fine. She'll have to do 100 hours of unpaid community work. A flat-in-made stone that's been linked to violence, drug use and anti-social behaviour has been issued with a closure notice. Residents have been complaining about noise and disturbances near Wallace Avenue in Parkwood. It'll be off limits for the next three months and any unauthorized people caught inside in that time risk a fine or prison sentence. Four goats have died after being chased by out-of-control dogs near Canterbury. They suffered dislocated joints, hot and lung damage at the Big Bree Camp Nature Reserve. Kent Wildlife Trust are investigating and have put up cameras and signs to encourage owners to keep dogs on leads around livestock. Operation Brock has been put in place on the M20 ahead of the Easter holidays. The contraflow system between Maidstone and Ashford allows for lorries to be parked on the motorway if there are delays getting across the channel at Dover. It also means that all other motorists are 50 mile per hour limit. Well, Toby Howe from Kent County Council and the Kent Resilience Forum has been speaking to Sophia Aiken from our colleagues at KMTV. During each holiday period, whether that's a half-term, Easter, summer, Christmas, etc., the Kent Midway Resilience Forum received data from the Port of Dover and Duraton based on the amount of traffic they're expecting. We then raggrate those. We then look at those and think what is going to be a red day or a green day, which is going to be really, really busy. Based on that data, Easter is usually a very busy period, because it's only a short holiday period. We tend to get a rush at all one time, whereas the summer you've still got six to eight weeks, it's more spread out. Easter is about two, three weeks, so you do get that big rush. Based on the data this year, we do have a number of what we call the red days where there will be an increased number of traffic. It's going to be a busier rush than we see at the beginning of summer. So for that very reason, the decision was taken by stakeholders and partners to implement Brock. And originally, Brock was a system meant for these exceptional circumstances such as extreme weather conditions. We've actually seen local MPs saying that Helen Wakeley saying that it's being put in place too much at the moment, saying that it shouldn't be in for holidays. It should be sort of reserved for those extreme circumstances, as we know it can lead to congestion and on the roads. Were there other options that could have been taken in this circumstance? No, I mean, currently, the only options to hold freight for the resilience forum is Operation Brock and TAP, which is between Folkestone and Dover. So they are all that we have available. And yes, when Brock was brought in many years ago and stacked before that, it was for exceptional situations. So if there was a storm or a big breakdown or strikes, et cetera. Since we left the EU, there are longer passport checks at the portals. Therefore, we do see delays far more. Last Easter in particular, we had huge queues due to the processing time of coaches. What sort of advice would you give to motorists now that this is going to be put in force as well? So the advice we'd give to motorists really is make sure that if you're travelling in the area, you know, drive safely. Brock is there to enable the M20 traffic to still flow in both directions without traffic diverting onto alternative roads. Yes, it's a 50 mile an hour speed limit, but that's to keep the safety. So the advice is please drive safely. Please allow that extra time, maybe if needs be. And, you know, keep an eye on the likes of tent highways and national highways websites. If you are travelling to the port, keep an eye on the timings of those as well. So it's really take extra care and be safe. Don't forget, you can keep it up to date with the very latest travel information via our live blog on the website. Plus, you can hear regular travel bulletins over on our sister radio station, K M F M Kent online reports, we got a special report for you next to folks to man who spent 26 years in prison for a murder. He says he didn't commit. As told the podcast, he'll keep fighting to prove his innocence. Paul Cleveland was convicted of shooting a friend following a fight in 1972. Questions have since been raised about evidence presented at his trial, but appeals to clear his name have failed. Now, MP Damien Collins has asked for it to be looked at by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Well, Mr Cleveland has been speaking to Kent online's Sean Acstle. Could you just describe to me how it felt on that day where you were put in prison and the cell door locked behind you? What went through your mind? Oh, I was totally, I couldn't believe it. It's happened. It must have been a mistake. Someone's made a mistake somewhere. You can't explain those feelings. You imagine stuck in a cell. You're on your own. You've got a bed there. No one to talk to. No, no one to say, listen to age. It wasn't me. There's no one now believes you. You can't think by the state. And you are this dangerous man. And how did prison change you as a person? I do not regret one minute. You understand because it gave me the opportunity to use my brain. And I believe I'm only here today, not for QC's, not for barristers, not for judges. I'm here today because I learned how to fight them. How many hours of law or should I say how many days would you sit and read law during your 20 year spelling prison? Minimum of five hours a day because I was looking for every judgement coming out of Europe, coming out of the high courts. I've only reached this stage, not because I'm more clever in them, because I know just as much as them, which they bury, I can now bring out, because look, they can't shut me up. Just described to me how it felt to leave prison after all of those years and just described also what it was like to adapt to the new world. I mean, obviously new technologies and everything else in society so much had changed. How did you cope with that? For the first week, two weeks, I was beautiful. It was, I'm out. Look, I'm out. Look at this and look at that. And you're living on cloud line. And then when it wears off, you have to face reality. And reality is I was better off in prison. And what makes you say that? Because I didn't have to worry about me, didn't it was coming wrong? I didn't have to worry about me, breakfast was coming. I didn't have to worry about seeing the doctor. I didn't have to worry. I didn't, I didn't need money. I got everything in there in prison and it all got, I've got to earn living now, and I don't forget things I could buy for £10 going back 72. You couldn't even get a pack of eggs. You understand what I mean? Fags were about 12 quid for a packet now. It was beautiful. It was the most proudest day of my life, even though I'd be released on license. But to hear children laughing and to see people on the street, you don't see many people laughing in prison. To see people, and then when they're walking down the road and they're talking and I'm thinking, is he talking to me? No, he's talking about my whole phone in the video. I don't think they're all meds. They're all walking down the street talking to his own. What happens is, I don't care what people think, we can't come out of prison with our heads straight. I was out to see psychiatrists and I'm back to take bed. I'm lucky I'm the shown in no sign of mental illness whatsoever. They never ever have done. But it is a shock. We're living, I'm still suffering shock. We're never right in our head. How can you release? Just imagine someone who did kill someone and then to keep any prison for 25 years. Then you put him out and he knows he was going. There's no coming back. He's completely gone. You don't just walk away from 27 years of your life. But what they don't hear, don't forget the prison system today is entirely different. We had nothing and then we got beat up, got bashed. We give as good as we take. But I've come out of a totally violent society. The day I walked out of a prisoner, I walked out into a totally peaceful society. I've been in bread with violence. What would it mean to you if your name is cleared? To me, I don't think it's going to make any difference because I'm actually literally too long. But my children and my ex-wife, my mother, where God bless wherever she is, my auntie gave her life for me. Both of them got to all those years. I will be out to say, I kept my promise and I promised them I would never give up. That's what it personally may have no difference to me because I don't give two monkeys for them. As far as I'm concerned about it, nobody's ever going to believe me. Anyway, the only time they're ever going to believe me is when I'm cleared. But if they, it's not going to affect me, is it? It's not going to affect my life. You can also read Sean's special report today by heading to the website. Can't online reports? Four teenagers have been arrested following reports of a break-in in Home Bay. A door was damaged and mess-made inside a property on Spa Resplenade on Monday. Two boys and two girls, who were 14 and 15, have been questioned and bailed. A Canterbury restaurant, branded filthy by inspectors, has managed to turn things around and gain a higher food hygiene rating. Alliterke in Northgate was originally given just two stars. After raw meat was discovered stored on the floor, an equipment was found to be dirty. While it's now been given four stars following another inspection, although there were still concerns about the condition of the fridge and walking freezer. It's a warning if you're heading to parts of the Kent coast because oil's been washing up on the shore for more than a week. Buses in Dover issued the alert. After five birds were affected on beaches between Deal Pier and Sandwich Bay, a cleanup is being organised and an investigation's been launched into the cause. Now, could a town on the Isle of Shepey become a tax-free haven like Monaco? You might think it's a bit of a strange question to ask, but a local historian had been hoping so after discovering an ancient document which excluded Queenborough residents from paying legal tariffs, including duty on wine. Now, the 14th century, Queenborough charter states locals are exempt from taxes and tolls. It's been tracked down by Des Cross. The charter is actually quite a powerful one. I don't think I've ever seen one with as much in it. It gives, for example, permission to Queenborough to have two markets a week and the fair, but most significantly for the modern day is the fact that it includes exemption from old tolls and, incredibly, all taxes and all duty on wine. So if someone was to take the legal challenge all the way, it could be that all the residents of Queenborough would suddenly find themselves with no tax liability at all, no council tax, no national insurance, no tax on their earnings or anything else. But, of course, someone with deep pockets needs to take that battle on. Originally, my interest was, or my knowledge of it, came as a result of talking to a counselor here, Cameron Biot, who is now unfortunately not with us anymore. And as a result, I looked to see what was in the charter, because at that time I was looking to start the market, the Queenborough Saturday market, and needed permissions. That was when I first came across it, but I also found a little bit about these intriguing other conditions or other gifts that were in it. Slightly disappointing news is that Swale, Council, say the town, is not about to become a haven for the rich and famous and have insisted that if you live there, you do still have to pay your council tax. Kent Online News It's been revealed, thousands of NHS dental procedures have been cancelled in Medway over the last two years. It comes as half of all dentists based in the towns, say they're under too much financial pressure and are facing bureaucracy and recruitment problems. Morale, within the profession, is said to be very low, with many complaining the system is hard to work in. A terminally ill pensioner from Stockbury fears the switch to BT digital voice could leave him with no way to call for help for his sick wife. Phil Woods lives in a remote area with no signal. His wife has a serious heart condition and they rely on the landline in an emergency. BT have said they can postpone the rollout for vulnerable customers, but Phil is adamant he wants to get this sorted before he dies. He also has the opportunity to apply for an exemption to the rollout of the scheme, and BT say they are working with him to get that in place. Controversial plans to build 240 houses on farmland in Medway have hit another snag. An application for the development near the Radcliffe Highway on the Hoopaninsular has received nearly 30 objections now, national highways have raised concerns about the impacts on the M2 near Rochester and has asked for more data. Meantime, a public inquiry is underway as campaigners near Maidstone try to save a piece of former farmland from being built on. Others are looking to put more than 400 homes on the former Boneyards farm in Arlington, but people living nearby want it to be given protected village green status. Keith, Ian, Lynn and Angela are among those hoping to save the site. The downs are notorious for being beautiful, they are protected, right? This land needs protecting too. It will have that status if it's a village green. I think it's well-being, more than anything, and it's the fact that it's being well-being for 25 years for us. People come over of diffing ages doing different things, a lot of older parents, grandparents like myself, bring over their grandchildren. I know myself with my own grandson, we did a scavenger hunt over here. When you have a land like this, it has been really left to decline. It attracts the foxes and the wildlife and everything, and we see that all the time. It's one of the things that attracts people here. An independent inspector is hearing evidence over the next few days. Campaigners will say the land has been used by dog walkers, kite fliers and berry pickers for two decades, but with the need for housing in the area, some have accused them of being nimbus. Chris Passmore is a local councillor. I mean, we talked to our witnesses about that the whole time, and they are very clearly not nimbus. It's about the benefit of this space to current and future residents. We're talking to again a move away from Maidstone because there's going to be no green space. The inquiry is taking place at County Hall in Maidstone and is expected to come to an end on Friday. Kent Online reports. A new school in Medway is being opened today. Rochester Riverside Primary has been built as part of a multi-million-pound housing development near to the town's railway station. The Bishop of Rochester and Mayor of Medway will be carrying out the honours. They'll eventually have more than 400 children, and we'll have more on this in tomorrow's episode of the podcast. A new outdoor theatre is opening in the grounds of Heaver Castle near Edenbridge. After the old one was damaged in a storm. The roof was hit by a falling tree last July, but has now been repaired and upgraded. It'll reopen in May with performances, including Peter Pan, Romeo and Juliet, and Frozen. And finally, as we mark world re-worlding day, we've been taking a look at some of the conservation work being done by Animal Parks here in Kent. The Aspenall Foundation specialises in re-introducing rare and endangered species and protecting habitats. The charity runs Howlitz near Canterbury as well as Port Limb Reserve in Heif, and is re-wilded dozens of animals, including gorillas, cheaters, lions and rhinos. They're now working on a first-of-its-kind project to send the UK's largest herd of elephants to Kenya. Courtney Mansfield looks after the group at Howlitz. With elephants, it's not been done like this other before, because there's such a big family unit and stuff you can't just break one off and send it on its own, they need to go together, which is why it's such a huge thing, because we've got 13, we've got such a big herd. It's a massive step to get them all together to go, but I believe two planes is the plan at the minute, because there's too many to fit on one. So they'll go onto the crates and then be loaded onto lorries, driven to the airport and then onto the big planes and then yeah, the flight to Kenya. Amos Courage is the Aspenall Foundation's overseas project director and says re-wilding the elephants could also prevent more habitat loss. These ones are well-known and well-loved by the people who visit the parks, so they have a story behind them, and once they're out in Kenya, people will relate to that story and hopefully that will boost local tourism. Kenya's got a lot of wild elephants, about 30,000, so it's not going to necessarily save the species, but the habitat we're sending them to is degraded, and by sending them there, we're investing in resources to protect it. And you can read more about the charity's work in the story today at Kent Online. Well, that's all from us for today. Thanks ever so much for listening. Don't forget, you can follow us on FacebookX, Instagram, TikTok and threads, plus you can get details on the top stories, direct your email each morning via the briefing to sign up just head to kentonline.co.uk. News you can trust. 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