A serial conman from Maidstone has been jailed for defrauding two companies straight after leaving prison for the same offence.
Darren Carvill was locked up in 2019 for taking £260,000 from his work in Strood and changed his surname when he was released.
More food parcels have been handed out in Medway than any other part of Kent according to new figures given to KentOnline.
The Trussell Trust say they delivered over 15,000 parcels in the year to the end of March - up from 5,800 just 6 years ago. We've been speaking to the campaigns manager at Medway Foodbank.
It's now illegal to export live animals from ports in Kent.
Government data shows up to 40 million farm animals have been sent from Britain for further rearing or slaughter since the 1960s. Our political editor Paul Francis has been chatting to Emma Slawinski who is director of policy at the RSPCA.
Ten years on from the closure of a Kent airport, the KentOnline Podcast has been told action must be taken to stop campaigners preventing it from re-opening.
Plans to develop a cargo hub at Manston were approved years ago, but several legal challenges have stopped any development. Hear from North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale.
We're being reminded which emergency service to call if we see someone in trouble in the water in Kent this summer.
While it's the coastguard at the beach - for rivers and lakes it's firefighters. Kent Fire and Rescue have launched a new campaign supported by Maidstone Park Run.
And, a new heated indoor pool has opened in Kent - for dogs!
The facility at Mockbeggar Business Park in Cliffe allows canines of all breeds to bond - even XL bullies.
get rid of this question. This is the Kent online podcast. Nicola Everett. Hello. It's Wednesday, May the 15th. I pray. OK. Thanks ever so much for downloading today's podcast. And on top story today is that a serial con man from Maidstone has been jailed for defrauding two companies straight after leaving prison for the same offense. Well, Lucy joins me now with more details on this one. So tell me, Lucy, how this happened. Well, a bit of background first. Darren Carville was initially locked up in 2019 for taking 260,000 pounds from his employer in Strewd. He worked as an accountant at the head office of National Car Servicing Company, Mr. Klutch. A court heard he spent the money on drugs and escort parties before being caught and jailed for two and a half years. After being released, he changed his surname to Medhurst and got a job as a finance assistant with a seven oak space travel agency. He stole 76,000 pounds from 360 travel limited in the space of three weeks in the summer of 2022. After being challenged by the firm, questioned by police and released under investigation, he then started working at Holiday Inn in Rochester. In April last year, he helped himself to a further 13,000 pounds from that company. On the very day, he was due to meet with management over the discovery of his criminal past and what happened when he appeared in court. So prosecutors gave details of how he managed to gain access to funds from company bank accounts and covered his tracks by noting it as expenses. When he was interviewed voluntarily by officers, he admitted taking the money and said he did it to make himself feel better. He was eventually arrested after police found him lying face down and intoxicated. On a grass verge at the side of a road in Maidstone, a judge described his actions as breathtaking dishonesty. The 43-year-old from Albert Reed Gardens in Tovel pleaded guilty to two offences of fraud by abuse of position and one of theft. He's been sentenced to three years behind bars. Lucy, thank you ever so much. Kent Online News. Bit more crime news next and a man's been punched in the face in a road rage attack near Favisham, the driver of a Volvo reportedly confronted a younger motorist on Courtney Road in Dunkirk on Sunday. A row broke out over who had the right of way police are investigating elsewhere. Police have released images of a man they want to speak to after women and a child were approached by a stranger in Maidstone. The suspect is said to have followed people in the Allington area. We've shared the pictures via Kent Online on socials and a man's been charged after a report of indecent exposure in Rochester. Ian Hardy from Boundary Road in Chatham was arrested after the incident near City Way last Thursday. The 43-year-olds also charged with possessing drugs, forging a registration document and driving without a license or insurance. Now next today, more food parcels have been handed out in Medway than any other parts of Kent, according to new figures given to Kent Online. The trust or trust say they delivered over 15,000 parcels in the year to the end of March, up from just 5,800 only six years ago. Well, Mike Evans is the campaign's manager at Medway Food Bank. He's been speaking to Lucy. I think the principal reason is the low level of benefits, particularly universal credit. Universal credit does not cover the essentials of life. The level of universal credit isn't set to any scientific measure of how much items actually cost. It's an arbitrary figure. So the standard allowance of universal credit is £91 per week and I defy anybody to live a good life on £91 per week. From that, people have to find money for their food utilities, their phones, their travel expenses, clothes and any sort of incidental things like having a haircut. £91 a week is a bit of low sum of money to live on. Have you seen a change in the type of person as well that are coming to you for help? Because a lot of people who are in rented accommodation, that's another factor in the rise in demand is the unaffordable level of housing at the moment. But a lot of people who are in work, we've noticed, has been a large increase in work poverty because of low paid work and insecure contracts. So that's been a surprise to us, is the number of people coming to us who are actually in work. But the cost of living generally has driven demand. I know quite a number of the food parcels that have been given out are for children as well. I mean, that's just heartbreaking, isn't it? To think of a family who can't afford to feed their children? Well, absolutely. It's heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking to see the number of children who are growing up in poverty in 2024. It's an absolute scandal. And we're very aware that a huge number of our food parcels are going to people with families and with children. That children are having to rely on those food parcels. It's heartbreaking and it's a scandal. And how do you cope as a charity with this increase in demand? Well, one of the problems is because of the cost of living crisis, our levels of donation have fallen back slightly. Not so much in terms of the amount people are donating financially. But what a five pound donation a few years ago would go an awful lot further than it will now, because of the cost of living crisis. And of course, the cost of living crisis impacts on our utility bills, rent and so on. So for all those reasons, it's a very, very difficult time. What could the future look like if numbers continue to grow at this rate? Well, that's a very good question. At the moment, trussle trusts have a campaign to try and reduce the number of food banks, because we're concerned that food banks are becoming too much embedded into the fabric of society, they're becoming part of the nation's infrastructure, the last line of defence against destitution. And that was never really what the idea was when trussle trusts set up their first food banks. It's the job of the benefit system to be the last line of defence against destitution, not food banks. And if we see the continuing growth in food banks, well, it's a very, very poor reflection of society in general, isn't it? Now, those figures also put the towns in the top five authorities in the southeast for those struggling to afford the essentials. Kent Online reports. Police searching for a man who went missing from Swanley have found a body. 66-year-old Christopher Miller disappeared on Sunday evening. Officers made the discovery in North Fleet, his family's been told and the death is not being treated as suspicious. A woman stewing court accused of stealing from shops in Faversham and attacking staff. Coffee, food and laundry products were reportedly taken from Tesco, Aldi and Co-op in the town between last October and this month. A 33-year-old from Hampshire has been charged with seven thefts and two assaults. An Asford takeaway has regained its five-star hygiene rating, just months after being criticized by inspectors. Co-opadacia Cabab House was given just a one-star in January after a visit uncovered mold in a freezer and out-of-date food. Well, now the site on Station Road has the highest possible score with managers saying they're over the moon. The first part of an 800-home development on Countryside in Medway has been approved. It'll see 91 properties built on East Hill, off North Dame Way in Lordswood, not far from Capstone Farm Country Park. Planning bosses have given it the go-ahead, despite 99 letters of objection which raise concerns around air pollution. It's now illegal to export live animals from ports in Kent. Government data shows up to 40 million farm animals have been sent from Britain for further rearing or slaughter since the 1960s. Many of those travelled from ports including Dover and Ramsgate. Well, Emma Slavinsky is director of policy at the RSPCA. She's been speaking to our political editor, Port Francis. I mean, it's an absolutely momentous day for animal welfare. You can't overstate it, really. And that's because this is an issue that people have been campaigning on for 50 years, longer than that in some instances. Certainly the RSPCA has been working on it for decades alongside other organisations. And finally, finally, finally, today has come and we're going to see an end to the live export of animals for slaughter and fattening. We've always believed at the RSPCA that the trade could have been banned at any point, but certainly Brexit has made it easier from a legislative point of view. I think also there has been a growing momentum around this campaign. We know that the British public love animals, that they value animal welfare, and it's been a bit of a stain on our reputation really for a long time. And I think people have just had enough. And I should mention in that as well, all the local campaigners and some of your local MPs who have done a fantastic job in making sure this issue stays on the agenda. The number of animals being exported goes up and down, but it wasn't that long ago that it was around a million animals every year that were suffering these horrible journeys. So it really is a great day to see that finally come to an end. I'm all right in thinking you've joined some of the protests at Ramsgate in Dover or elsewhere, is that right? I've been at the protests in Ramsgate in Dover. I've seen the ships sail with the animals, seen the lorries go past, loaded up. And it's really when you see it for yourself, and you can smell what comes off of those lorries, and you can hear the cries of the animals, particularly as they go on to the boat and then disappear off over the horizon. You can still hear them calling. It does haunt you. So it's a great day of personal satisfaction for me that we're finally seeing this trade come to an end. Ken's online reports. A former Kent Superbike rider is suing for more than a million pounds in compensation following a crash that ended his career. Shane Byrne from Sittingborne suffered spinal injuries when his bike plowed into a tire wall at Sneterton in Norfolk in 2018. The 47-year-old six-time champion says better protective measures should have been in place. Parents have described a children's center in deal as a lifeline and say they fear new mums and dads will struggle. Now it's set to close. The Blossom site is one of 33, shutting their doors as the county council sets up family hubs instead in a bid to save money. Well it's not known yet where the new facilities will be based, but the authorities say they're creating new groups and content for those who need them most. Dover MP Natalie Elfick has withdrawn plans to convert a garage into a house following her defection to labour. An application for the work on Bay Hill in St Margaret's Bay had already faced delays because of concerns about road safety. Ms Elfick says she doesn't want the issue to be unfairly politicised. It's understood she'll put in another bid for the conversion after she stands down at the next general election. Now 10 years on from the closure of the Kent Airport, Kent Online's been told action must be taken to stop campaigners preventing it from reopening. Plans to develop a cargo hub at Manston were approved years ago, but several legal challenges have stopped any development. I've been speaking to North Fannet MP Sir Roger Gail and started by asking him to remember the day the airport closed. It was the most appalling day. A very large crowd gathered at the airport on the day of the closure and I think it's fair to say that that crowd was entirely unanimously hostile to the actions being taken by Mrs Anglogue who at that time owned the airport. Mr Glogue had only a few months previously bought the airport, telephoned me at the house of common said I've acquired the airport. I'm going to put millions of pounds into it and I'm giving it two years to try and turn it round. Within three months she'd closed it and that was disgraceful in my view. And an awful lot of people in Fannet out of work. I mean it must have had a devastating impact on the local economy and all of those local people at the time. I can recall very clearly indeed a number of people obviously were made redundant. There was a little girl I attended a meeting at Ecole Village Hall. There was a little girl in the front row who said my dad is a works at the airport. Can you please help save his job? And I promised her that I'd do my level best to get his job back for her. Well that little girl is probably now a grown woman and here we are 10 years later and I'm still trying to get his job back. Of course we've lost a lot of expertise people who worked on aircraft, aircraft engineers, air traffic controllers, all sorts of people, very skilled people and very specialised people. But I firmly believe that with the support that we've got locally which is massive we shall get Manston Rio. How frustrating has the whole episode of Manston Airport been for you over the past decade because it just seems to be legal challenge after legal challenge and there's nothing to kind of bring that to a halt and just get on with it as a lot of people would say they want to see happen. Over election after election at local level, at county level, at parliamentary level, candidates who have stood on the platform to reopen Manston Airport have succeeded and that has been my pledge from the day the airport close actually from the day before the airport closed. But we are where we are. It is to me a nonsense that a handful of objectors are able to effectively hold the wish of the vast majority to ransom through judicial review after judicial review. But please God, the court hearing was three weeks ago now. We hope and believe that that may be the final court hearing that the judgment will go in favour of the Secretary of State because it's Secretary of State for Transport who is being challenged over his decision to grant the development consent of order for the airport. We want to see that squashed. We want the airport to go ahead. We want to be able to get on with the job. We are losing potential hand over fist and we know that there is a desperate need for a freight airport and then a subsequent passenger airport to serve southeast England. The freight at the moment being flown into European destinations and then trucked from those destinations through the channel tunnel or by ferry into the United Kingdom. That's a nonsense. All that freight could and should be landed at Manston and we should be able to export from Manston as well. And I hope and believe that with the multi-millions of pounds worth of investment, money that East Canada has never ever seen that like of before. With all that investment available to us, we should be able to create a state-of-the-art net-zero airport, make it succeed and then on the back of that reopen the passenger services that I know most of my constituents would like to see. With all of the legal challenges that have happened, do you think there need to be changes in future if someone looks back at this whole saga and says nothing should be dragged out like it has been for 10 years. There should be a limit on how many legal challenges there can be so that a project like this can get off the ground and can get up and running. The development consent order process, ironically, was designed to enable the sexual state to grant planning consent to matters of national infrastructure and national importance without the interference from local authority, local objectives so that people could actually get on, create the jobs and create the wealth, create the boost in the economy that we all want to see or 98% of us want to see. It is a nonsense that judicial review process has been abused over and over again and I think that this or a future law minister is going to have to take this in hand and deal with it. It is absolutely right that people should be able to challenge in-law either unlawful decisions or bad decisions, I suppose, but it is equally wrong that people should be able to use the law to over and over and over again frustrate the will of the people. The outcome of the most recent legal challenge should be known in the coming weeks and you can read Chris Breicher's special report on the history of Manston at Kent Online. Kent Online News. It's a year since Bison were introduced to Woodland near Canterbury as part of a pioneering project to boost biodiversity. The idea is the animals create a more climate resilient landscape within Westbleen and Thorndon Woods. Within the first 12 months, experts have already discovered a beak off that have previously been declared extinct. Elsewhere, the Environment Secretary has described an illegal waste dump in Woodland near Ashford as 'holy unacceptable situation'. A group of wildlife charities have joined forces to call on Steve Barclay to take action so the site in Hodes Wood can be cleared. He is replied to say he's been briefed by the Environment Agency and will look at what options are available. We're being reminded which emergency service to call if we see someone in trouble in the watering tent this summer. While it's the coast guard at the beach for rivers and lakes, it's firefighters. It comes as current data shows Kent is the joint third county in the UK for the highest number of accidental drownings. Joanimatic is from Kent Fire and Rescue Service. You're absolutely right in saying that public should call 999 to speak to the coast guard if they need any help around the sea, in particular for rescues. Any rivers, ponds, lakes, anything else though, still call 999 but ask for the fire service. We can get the right people to that incident as quickly as possible but also we can speak to the member of the public on the phone about the survival guidance and safety guidance tips whilst they are helping the people that they have found in need. And I know you've got some data about water safety and the number of incidents in Kent. Can you talk us through those? We've found that since April 2023 to March of this year, we've attended around 40 water rescues so our aim is very much to reduce this number and to help members of the public feel more confident in making that right call to speak to us as a fire service for any river related incidents. And can you tell us a little bit about your crews and how specially trained they are and the sorts of kit that you have to work on the river and to carry out some of those rescues that you mentioned earlier? So every fire engine does have a significant amount of water safety related equipment on board. 24/7 crews who are on station every day and every night are highly trained in being able to put on specific kits to wade in the water and to perform rescues. We also have in-land boats and inflatable boats which are really in particular for those middle of the river rescues where things are getting more dangerous and a little bit more complicated. They are even more skilled up to to use boats and other lifesaving equipment to get people from that water ASAP. I've also been chatting to Chris Getch who's the director of Maidstone Park Run which runs along the river midway. Every Saturday morning we have three to four hundred people coming to park run and obviously running down the towpath in Maidstone. It does get in our own places as well and we do a lot to kind of maintain the towpath also with the new campaign from you know Kent Fire and Rescue you know there is a risk that people could fall in the river so we want to make sure that we're doing the right thing and obviously they're making the right call you know in terms of phoning you know the correct emergency services is the best thing that we should be doing really. Obviously you see that river at all times of the year you know what it's like in the glorious summer sunshine as well as the winter. Tell us a bit about what that particular stretch of river can be like at various points. Yeah it is subject to flooding from time to time as well and the current can be really strong and having actually been in the river festival, been in a boat in there as well. I know exactly what the tide is like in there really so yeah obviously if someone does go into the water then that would worry us really we want to make sure that we're able to follow the guidance that Kent Fire and Rescue have given us recently about keeping people safe really how to survive. And what have you guys been taught and have you passed that on to the rest of your team you have an amazing bunch of volunteers who are marshals along the route. They're always keeping everyone motivated and keeping everyone going. What sort of information have you been able to pass on to them? Yeah so obviously there are a lot of volunteers there so we do you know primarily cheer people as they go along but we know we're briefing people now so for anyone that comes to the park run for the first time we have what we call the first time is briefing and so we make sure that anyone that's either brand new to park or visiting maybe doing a bit tourism they know you know what to do in terms of if they do happen to fall into the water also we've got our sort of pre-event safety briefing as well so what we've done now is weave that into into that in terms of making sure that they follow the advice that we were given is that we don't actually enter the water despite the temptation you might have to go in is that obviously we'd encourage people if they do happen to fall into the water to swim if they can if not it's like you say float on your backs like a star try and stay calm shout for help and obviously to ring 999. Kent online reports. A hidden door has been found at Dover Castle. It dates back to Jordan Times and is covered with the initials of servicemen and historic graffiti the discovery was made in St John's Tower and is due to go on display this summer as part of a new exhibition. Actor Jonathan Reese Mayus has been filming his latest movie on Rochester High Street The Tudors and Bend It Light Beckham Star was spotted at the old Tapa Spa and restaurant. You can see pictures by heading to the website and finally today a new heated indoor pool has opened in Kent. The dogs the facility at Mach Beggar Business Parking Cliff allows canines of all breeds to bond even XL bullies and the people behind it say it's also suitable for anxious dogs or those who struggle to behave. Well our reporter Keely Greenwood has been along and has been chatting to Carly Fernandez from K9 Paws Academy. We're offering Kent's first purpose built indoor swimming pool which is heated to 28 degrees and inclusive of everybody so it's every breed big or small and any handler. We also give handlers the opportunity to swim with their dogs which is amazing and you can always book it online. And you say that it's welcome for XL bullies. Yeah XL bullies are ensured to be in the building with us so we do require a little bit of a process. The insurance certificate and exemptions certificate needs to be emailed to us prior. The muzzle is to be worn into the building but as soon as they're in the pool area the muzzle can come off and they can have a great time. So we wanted to create a somewhere that was inclusive of everybody so again whether that's breed or whether that is handler we like everyone to feel like they've got somewhere that they can go to to work with their dog not only just for obedience but to build that relationship with that person and we're really really into handler and dog relationships so we just want to like build that bond between them so we do that via our tricks workshops general obedience training we also offer something called settle and socialise which we give you the tools to be able to take your dog out into general public coffee shops, picnics and just learn to be the dog that just does nothing so that's something we like to do as well. So if they're not like any swimming pool that dogs could just go to for fun. So there are a few outside ones dotted around yes and there are inside hydrotherapy pools that do offer fun swims and what we offer is a 24 foot long pool it's about four foot deep and heated 28 degrees so we like to offer something that's a little bit in between them both and of course we can operate all year round as well which is great so when it's absolutely raining and freezing we can still open in the winter which is great. Not all dogs love swimming all dogs will swim after a bit of persuasion but what we would say is have a go first and if your dog really loves it then obviously you can come back and if they absolutely don't then that's also okay a little bit like people we're not all born swimmers so sometimes it takes a little bit of encouragement we do offer a doggy lesson so we charge 12 pounds and we are in the pool with you guiding little puppies or your dog's first swim every step of the way. We also have life jackets for every read and every size of dog on hand that you can use when you come as well. And you can see a video of the dogs in action at Kent Online. Kent Online Sports. For ball and former Gillingham striker Danny Kebwell has been appointed as the new manager at Ashford United. The 40-year-old takes up the position after leaving his role as Chatham Town's assistant boss he says he'll be looking at getting new players in as well as talking to the current squad. Cricket and Kent's head coach Matt Walker is hoping Jack Leaning can score more centuries to help kickstart this season. He finished on 179 not out in their draw against Worcestershire on Monday. Kent have played five county championship games so far with only one victory they travel to take on Somerset on Friday. And a Tumbred Wells woman has won her first senior sailing medal at the European Championships in the south of France. 22-year-old Freya Black got bronze in the 49er FX event with her partner Saskia Tidy. They're both in the team GB squad for this summer's Olympics. That's all for 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 via the briefing to sign up. Just head to kentonline.co.uk News you can trust. This is the Kent Online Podcast.
