Join Gabriel Morris and Kristin Hawthorne with all the latest news for Kent, in the morning!
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00:00Now frustrated Sheppie families facing a 60-mile round trip to get their children to secondary school say that they would take KCC to court.
00:28Last night, parents gathered at a public meeting on the island expressing their concerns over what they're calling unrealistic allocations.
00:37It's thought that around 25 families are impacted so far, but KCC claims that they're following statutory guidelines and additional offers will be made.
00:46Local democracy reporter Gabriel Morris has the story.
00:50How do you feel about it all?
00:51I'm pretty upset.
00:54And why is that?
00:56Because...
00:58I'm just going to be away from all my friends and that.
01:04Right, what homework have we got today?
01:08Finding a secondary school is meant to be a joyous occasion, but for this family on the Isle of Sheppie, it's turning into a nightmare.
01:16The council has offered their son a place at a school in Faversham, more than 20 miles away and off the island.
01:23It's just not suitable.
01:24It's just not suitable. I mean, there's safeguarding concerns straight away there, you know, not only that early in the morning, but him doing that amount of travelling on his own, letting him be in an unfamiliar town that he's not even familiar with.
01:37It's just a whole shambles, to be fair.
01:40The council will have to take us to court for not sending him, and then we'll ask the judge if they feel that it's the right place for him to be.
01:48Because at the end of the day, they have to be accountable for doing it.
01:53And we can't send an 11-year-old on journeys like that every day for the next five years.
01:59Now, due to Kyle's parents' work commitments, he wouldn't be able to get a private car to Abbey School in Faversham.
02:06KCC have sent parents this journey planner.
02:09Now, if I take it from this bus stop here, it says it would take Kyle 7 hours and 42 minutes by walking, cycling 2 hours, public transport 1 hour and 37 minutes.
02:21And that would involve both trains and buses.
02:25Two new schools replaced the failing Oasis Academy after Ofsted rated it inadequate in 2022.
02:32Since then, more families have chosen to stay on the island rather than send their children to Sittingbourne, which could be behind the shortage of places.
02:41Last night, some of those affected gathered at a public meeting.
02:45Their frustration was clear.
02:47I will not be sent to her then.
02:49She bought the bread on this island.
02:51She can't be going to school on this island.
02:53I can walk to the near family for my house.
02:56They take the air down, go to Stilda, literally walk in this room.
02:59And they're telling me I'm too far away.
03:01For many, I don't like a favourite pair of them.
03:04Kent County Council says 56 Sheppey families were offered places off the island.
03:09Since 60 more years, seven places have been found.
03:13But around 25 families are still waiting for a place on the island.
03:18And now they want answers.
03:19Yes, I would like to know why those numbers don't quite add up.
03:24And what's really frustrating this evening for a lot of the parents, they haven't been able to get that information out from Kent County Council.
03:31In a statement, KCC says it will make its next full round of offers on the 24th of April.
03:36Then, the school-based appeals process will begin in line with national statutory requirements.
03:43And when it comes to school transport, they say deciding who is eligible is also a statutory process.
03:48And they will apply the legislation in line with every other local authority.
03:52At a meeting, parents signed an open letter demanding answers and accountability.
03:57Many said they may have to quit their jobs to home school if no solution is found.
04:02Now, last summer, Maureen Rickards was arrested on suspicion of murder following her husband's reported disappearance.
04:13Well, eventually, his body was discovered in the garden of their house in Canterbury.
04:17Well, now, she's been found guilty and been handed a life sentence in prison.
04:23Yeah, warning.
04:23This report from Finn McDermid does contain some topics some may find distressing.
04:28She googled how to kill her husband, recorded herself abusing him, stabbed him and dumped his body in their garden.
04:35And now, Maureen Rickards has been sentenced to life in prison.
04:39After her husband was reported missing for six days, Maureen was arrested last summer on July 11th on suspicion of fraud
04:45after CCTV showed she had been shopping with her husband's bank card after he had been reported missing.
04:51Carpet cleaning products, stain remover and an air freshener were some of the products she bought.
04:57But she was re-arrested and charged with murder on the same day once the body was found.
05:02During a four-week trial earlier this year, Canterbury Crown Court heard that Rickards had extensively cleaned her house
05:08to cover up her crime, including removing all his belongings like his passport, clothing and wedding ring
05:13and even creating a false narrative about her husband's whereabouts.
05:16She sent WhatsApp messages to herself and their daughter from his phone, suggesting he was working in Saudi Arabia
05:22and when she began to accuse their daughter of causing her father's death, she reported him missing to police.
05:28Officers investigating his disappearance went to Rickards' accommodation and said her room smelt of death
05:33and found the body at the bottom of the garden, tucked away under overgrown plants and buried under a mound of grass cuttings.
05:39The court heard how Maureen had filmed herself physically hurting and threatening to kill her husband
05:45and revealed she had even googled how to do so, with one of these videos lasting as long as 15 minutes.
05:51During the trial, Maureen was quoted as saying good riddance to bad rubbish,
05:55but said she had neither beaten nor stabbed her husband.
05:59In the end, she was found guilty with a unanimous verdict and will have to serve 22 years in prison
06:04before her release could be considered by the parole board.
06:07Now, a terminally ill dad from Hempstead in Medway has raised more than £80,000 for charity
06:17after taking on a challenge to walk 25 million steps.
06:21Paul Dennington was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2021
06:25and he was recently named the overall winner at the Pride in Medway Awards.
06:30Well, after walking marathons, hosting charity football matches
06:34and completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge on a cross trainer,
06:39Paul's using his story to encourage others to get checked for prostate cancer as soon as possible.
06:43I spoke with him earlier.
06:45I think your story is absolutely inspiring and it's clearly touched so many people
06:49that you've now been given this Medway Pride Award.
06:53Take us back, though, to that moment in 2021 when you did get your diagnosis.
06:58What went through your mind and at what point did you think you're going to turn that energy into something so great?
07:04Some people go to very dark places.
07:06I didn't fully understand that, but I didn't really.
07:09So my main negative feeling actually at the time was guilt.
07:13And it was guilt because I was going to have to put my wonderful family through this terrible journey
07:19and it was because of me and my body.
07:22So that was, I guess, the most negative thing.
07:24But then pretty well immediately I wanted to focus on what I could influence
07:29as opposed to what I couldn't change so I could influence how I reacted
07:33and what I did with my prognosis and my time.
07:37So pretty well straight away, as soon as I told the kids,
07:40I started my first challenge, which was a 25 million step challenge
07:45and started it from there, really.
07:49And talk to me a bit more about this 25 million step challenge.
07:53How did that come about and where are you at with it all now?
07:57So I decided I want to do something big,
08:00something that would probably try and grab people's attention.
08:03I had no idea how well it would work.
08:07So it was getting that kind of number that would attract people.
08:11So it worked out at about 14,000 steps a day and I had to do that for five years.
08:19So that would get me from Medway right through to New Zealand virtually
08:25and it would take five years.
08:28Five years was important because my prognosis was five to eight years.
08:31So I thought, well, as well as doing a great thing to raise awareness
08:35and for the charity, it meant that when the five years came up,
08:39if I was still able to walk 14,000 steps a day,
08:42then I was doing pretty well versus my prognosis.
08:45Now I was in a really good, healthy position.
08:46So it was kind of a combination of the two.
08:49And of course, you've raised more than £80,000 for such a great cause.
08:55What's been your sort of favourite moment of it all?
08:58I know you've got a fair few stories.
09:00Is there even an Elvis moment in there, if I'm not mistaken?
09:02There was an Elvis moment, yes.
09:07We did a kind of mini street party.
09:10That was one of the fundraisers we did.
09:13And the guy's actually, he's Gay Elvis.
09:15And he came and performed at the street party.
09:19So that was pretty impressive.
09:21Bless him, he did it free of charge for us.
09:23So that was a great fundraiser.
09:26In terms of the physical challenges, I think the hardest one or the hardest two I've done
09:35were the Yorkshire Three Peaks, which is 25 miles with 5,000 feet of the sand.
09:42You've got to do it inside 12 hours.
09:44But I did it with two guys who were both also prostate cancer sufferers,
09:49one of whom was actually cured because when it's caught early, it's very treatable.
09:53But the other one, like me, had been given a terminal diagnosis.
09:58So it was a very poignant walk for the three of us to do the peaks.
10:02And we kind of named one of the peaks each for us.
10:05And, you know, if it gets to the point where one of us sadly loses our fight,
10:10then the other two have to go back and climb that peak again and toast the other person.
10:15So it sounds a little bit, I don't know, morbid, I guess.
10:18But it wasn't, actually.
10:19It's really, really positive and part of that kind of camaraderie that we did it.
10:24And then locally, probably the toughest one I've did was a sunrise to sunset
10:29around the kind of Hampstead, Parkwood, Rainham area.
10:33And I did 43 miles in one day.
10:36A former senior college lecturer could get up to, sorry, let me get my notes in front of me,
10:45could get up to £450,000.
10:49Yeah, it comes from an employment tribunal, which was held after a college was recorded
10:54mocking her and spreading false racial abuse claims.
10:58Well, Daisy Page is here to give us the update on this one.
11:01Daisy, take us through this story.
11:03Yeah, so it's a really big story.
11:05It's currently top on Kent Online as well, if you'd like to go and read into it and have
11:08a bit more detail.
11:09But Dr Sharon Turton was a former senior college lecturer at Mid-Kent College in Gillingham,
11:14and she taught psychology.
11:16She could be receiving a huge payout after a colleague was recorded mocking her and was
11:21found to have spread false racial abuse claims.
11:25She received this treatment before she was forced to take voluntary redundancy.
11:30This happened in June 2022.
11:32She and two other lecturers were informed that they were at risk of redundancy due to a reduction
11:37in student numbers.
11:39The doctor argued that she felt that it was constructive dismissal.
11:43Now, this means when a business kind of forces you to leave or makes work in an environment
11:48so uncomfortable that the person feels the need to resign.
11:52Yeah, a landslide on a major road near Dartford collapsed onto an industrial estate, sending
12:10the area into chaos.
12:12Bus routes cut, lorries causing damage to homes and a solution years away.
12:16Our local democracy reporter, Gable Morris, has taken a look back as the Swanscombe marks
12:21the second anniversary of the Galley Hill landslip.
12:25The very day when it happened and we were coming up this road, and as we were coming up, I said
12:31to my wife, look, that looks like it's cracked there, that road.
12:36Lo and behold, a few hours later, the road actually collapsed.
12:39So we were very fortunate that it could have happened, you know, as we were passing it.
12:44Once, a busy A-road, now blocked, left in disrepair, though not forgotten.
12:51This chalk spine collapsed onto this local business two years ago today.
12:56So my first thought was just, like, this minimised the damage, so I pulled all the vehicles out
13:01that I could that were in the proximity.
13:02We set up an exclusion zone and I just watched from a distance as sort of a family business
13:07was being destroyed.
13:10Now, thankfully, this happened on a bank holiday.
13:13However, if this was a normal working day, a mechanic would have been working right at
13:18the back of this warehouse here.
13:20It could have been a different story.
13:23Do you think it will ever be fixed?
13:25Well, let's hope so.
13:26I mean, it's not just us.
13:28Obviously, the residents, they need to get back to some normality and stuff.
13:31And obviously, it's such a major road, it's just disruptions everywhere, so, yeah.
13:35And they're not alone.
13:39On Galley Hill Road, this motorcycle shop used to rely on passing trade.
13:44That lifeline has now been cut off.
13:47Owner Mick says business rate relief from the borough council has helped him keep the wheels
13:52turning, although staying afloat is still a daily battle.
13:57I pay rates on the main road, and I'm not on the main road.
14:02You know, so, basically, that's what the problem is.
14:05For me, with that road being shut, I'm not going to get no passing traffic.
14:11You can't call traffic through Swanscombe passing traffic, because it's not.
14:14It's not on the main road.
14:16You don't have a motorcycle shop on the main road.
14:19And it's not just businesses.
14:22People across Swanscombe say they've suffered too, holding a protest just last weekend,
14:28calling for action for a return to normality.
14:31With Galley Hill Road still closed, access to Swanscombe is limited, and narrow streets
14:37become easily gridlocked.
14:39If there's anything, major accidents, on any of the roads or the Dartford Tunnel, this section
14:45gets gridlocked.
14:46You cannot move.
14:48If anybody needed an ambulance, they wouldn't be able to get here quick enough.
14:51They would die.
14:53And take a look at this.
14:55Last June, a lost lorry ended up in a children's park.
14:58There is an official diversion, and locals say it is regularly flouted.
15:04Everything comes through Swanscombe now, don't matter what it is, they just can't find
15:08no alternative routes.
15:10What needs to happen?
15:12Well, this has got to be fixed.
15:14This has got to be fixed to get a lot of the heavy stuff off it.
15:18These protesters say they feel cut off.
15:21The chalk spine has long been the main route, in and out of the community.
15:26It's an ancient right of way, ancient road that goes through the Kingdom of Kent, linking
15:31London with Dover.
15:32As long as there's been human beings, there's been some sort of a trackway, stroke road on
15:39this site.
15:40Now, a solution may be in sight.
15:43Kent County Council revealed two preferred repair options at a public meeting a few weeks
15:48ago.
15:48So, what we had to do was really bring it down to a realistic approach, because we had
15:53a deadline that we needed to get into government to be able to actually put pressure on to
15:59get that funding.
16:01One is to bridge the area, so it would be a similar bridge to what crosses HS1 at the
16:06moment further down the road.
16:07Secondly, it would be a reinforced earth embankment.
16:11But after two long years, residents are asking how much longer they'll be left waiting.
16:16I think what shocked people was that they weren't even full, detailed proposals.
16:22It was the fact that even if the government approved funding today, it would take them six
16:28months to work up a full business case, come up with some detailed plans, another six months
16:33to actually put the contracts out to tender, and then 18 months to two years to build.
16:38So, you know, yeah, we've got a sketch on the back of an envelope, basically.
16:42KCC has admitted it doesn't have the funds to pay for the repairs.
16:49The local MP is due to meet the roads minister later this month to push for government support.
16:56She has knowledge of the situation here on the ground.
16:59Go in and talk to her about finding a funding solution.
17:02It would almost certainly have to be a loan from government to Kent County Council to be
17:07paid back over a period of time into the future, because it's Kent's responsibility to fix this.
17:12But if we can get a loan from the government, we can actually start work, hopefully in a reasonably
17:18compressed timetable and give people in Swanscombe hope that this is going to be solved soon.
17:24It's an unhappy anniversary for these protesters.
17:27But for the first time in two years, a fix finally on the table.
17:32Until now, pressure has been on local authorities.
17:35But now, all eyes on London, hoping Westminster stumps up for cash.
17:42Gabriel Morris in Swanscombe.
17:44From damaging cinema behaviour to Easter-themed films, we're joined by the Kent Film Club presenter,
17:53Chris Deasy, to discuss all things film-related.
17:56Chris, thank you very much for joining us today.
17:58Really good to have you here.
17:59It's always a highlight of my week, is our film chat.
18:02And something that's making the headlines at the moment in the film scene is the Minecraft movie.
18:06You're telling me that you saw it last night.
18:08I took my scene at 8 o'clock last night at the Curzon in Canterbury and I thought,
18:12is it a bit late for them?
18:13But there were loads of them.
18:14In the box office, it's doing so well.
18:16It's raking in millions.
18:17So it's an interesting sort of dynamic there.
18:20It definitely has its audience.
18:21And we can show you a clip, actually, of a sort of TikTok trend that's been going around
18:25at the moment concerning the film.
18:27Here's the clip.
18:28So this is what some youngsters, some cinema goers are doing across the world at the moment,
18:34taking things to the extreme at certain points in the film.
18:38I know that there's a few lines that have sort of been very popular online.
18:43Obviously, this isn't condoned at all.
18:45You know, you'd be the first to tell us about movie theatre etiquette.
18:48I can.
18:49Nothing, nothing of the sort.
18:50Although I feel slightly better because they were actually rolling out of the cinema yesterday.
18:54They were obviously doing something that they'd learned from the film.
18:59And I thought, why are you doing that?
19:00But obviously, this happens.
19:02And you mentioned, you know, etiquette in cinemas.
19:05I mean, there are cases where this has happened.
19:06And we have that, the sing-alongs.
19:08But I went to see Mamma Mia 2 back in, what, 2018.
19:11And I remember there was some women in the front row.
19:14It was a Saturday night.
19:15And they were singing along.
19:16And they were completely in the spirit of the film.
19:17And somebody, a bit of a Scrooge figure, I guess, behind me,
19:20had a bit of a go at them.
19:22You know, you ruined the film for me.
19:23But that's the thing.
19:24It's audience interaction.
19:25That's part of it.
19:26I'm going to play some clips.
19:28Audio clips for some films.
19:29Okay.
19:30If either of you can guess them.
19:31And then bonus points for anything else that you can tell me about the film.
19:34Year, actors, et cetera.
19:36Okay.
19:37So, first clip.
19:37If we can have it now.
19:38You are going to be the Easter Bunny.
19:41You need to get it together, get rid of these drums, and get your priorities straight.
19:46Okay.
19:46What do we think?
19:47Do you know?
19:48I'll tell you what.
19:49I'm sure it isn't the answer.
19:50But I know in the Santa Claus 3, the Easter Bunny appears.
19:54That's probably way too lateral.
19:56It's a...
19:57I can't remember the name of it, but it's the modern film with the Easter Bunny that's
20:02like an animated film.
20:03Yeah.
20:03It's kind of the one that people will think of nowadays.
20:06It's called Hop.
20:07Oh, yeah.
20:08Okay.
20:08Yes, of course.
20:09So, this is the kind of, you know, if you think of an Easter film, this is the most recent.
20:12We've got a picture of it here.
20:13Hop.
20:14Don't know if we know the year, if anybody knows it.
20:16I haven't got it written down.
20:16I won't have a clue.
20:17No?
20:18Okay.
20:18No worries.
20:19In the last 10 years, I'm sure.
20:21Right.
20:21Let's go to our next clip now.
20:22You've got to hide your paper.
20:23I do.
20:24Yeah.
20:24I don't want you to see it.
20:26Next clip.
20:27Total?
20:29I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
20:32Wizard of Oz.
20:331939.
20:34Victor Fleming.
20:34There we go.
20:35Okay.
20:35How many bonus points do I get for that?
20:36This is leading.
20:37Maybe we'll give you three points for that.
20:38Wizard of Oz, of course.
20:40Yeah.
20:40Very good.
20:41Kind of a New Beginnings type link to it.
20:43I'm sure it'll be a lovely one to watch over the Easter break.
20:45Next one for us.
20:48But you go in all the time.
20:50That's my character flaw.
20:51You get your own character flaw.
20:53Come on, Benjamin.
20:54Why does he get to go?
20:55Yeah.
20:56Why do I have to go in?
20:57Because that's his character flaw.
20:59That's James Corden, but I can't imagine.
21:00It is James Corden.
21:01It is James Corden.
21:01I don't think that's Gavin and Stacey.
21:03Nope.
21:04Not Gavin and Stacey.
21:04And it couldn't be Nativity.
21:06And it's not the film for cats, is it?
21:10No.
21:10That wouldn't.
21:11Is it...
21:11This is a very distinct Easter thing.
21:13Is it Benjamin Button?
21:14No.
21:16Shall we reveal...
21:17The one with James Corden in.
21:19Is he in that?
21:20Is he in that?
21:20This is a very distinct Easter time.
21:21It's Peter Rabbit.
21:22Oh, of course.
21:23Yes, James Corden plays Peter Rabbit.
21:26Yes, he does.
21:27Yes.
21:28Oh, have you seen them?
21:29Yeah, I have seen it.
21:30Next one.
21:30This one's got more of a spring theme to it.
21:32Let's see if we know number four.
21:34Let's start at the very beginning.
21:41Judy Andrews.
21:42A very good place to start.
21:45Sound of Music.
21:46Sound of Music.
21:47Do we know the year?
21:481965.
21:50I'll tell you what, I don't have it written down, so I'll just take one.
21:51Oh, what a lovely song.
21:56Yes.
21:57Oh, another film.
21:58This is an interesting one.
21:59Let's go for the next one.
22:03Oh, that's a beauty.
22:07Now, all we're going to do is get him and his little mates through the tunnels to the top
22:11and we'll have ourselves Easter.
22:13Well, I recognise the Australian voice there.
22:18I'm not sure.
22:19I have no idea.
22:21I love how we both lean in to listen to it as well.
22:22It's funny, isn't it?
22:23Yeah, I know.
22:24I'm not sure about that one.
22:24Okay, so let's reveal.
22:25This is number five.
22:26This is Rise of the Guardians.
22:28Oh, I don't know.
22:29This is another Easter, sort of family-friendly film, as of recent, has Easter Bunny in it.
22:34And Father Christmas by the look of it.
22:36Yeah, it looks like, yeah.
22:37Another family favourite here that maybe is a good watch for over the Easter period.
22:43I love this film myself.
22:44Let's hear it.
22:46Moses, you will never have to carry a burden like the crown I will pass to Ramesses.
22:53He must not allow himself to be led astray.
22:58Not even by you, my son.
23:00This is animated film.
23:02It's the Ten Commandments.
23:04Yes.
23:04Oh, no, it's called Prince of Egypt.
23:06Oh, yes.
23:081990.
23:09That's Ralph Fiennes, I think.
23:10I remember watching this at school.
23:11Great movie there.
23:12Okay, and our final one today.
23:15I'm bad at this.
23:18That a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
23:24I could do it in that.
23:25The medicine go down.
23:26More Julie Andrews.
23:27More Julie Andrews.
23:28Mary Paul.
23:29Mary Paul.
23:291964.
23:301964.
23:31Oscar winning.
23:32I'll take your word for it.
23:34That was our Easter film quiz.
23:35Some lovely films there.
23:37I'm sure we could watch.
23:38There we go.
23:38We've got the poster.
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