Catch up on the latest news from across the county with Abby Hook.
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00:02 - Good evening and welcome to Kentonite Live on KMTV.
00:27 I'm Abbey Hook, here are your top stories on Tuesday,
00:30 the 19th of September.
00:32 The depths of despair and injustice.
00:35 The words of a Medway whistleblower
00:37 as inquiry into detention center reveals danger and abuse.
00:42 - What's sad for me today is reading the report
00:46 echoes what we've heard time and time again.
00:51 - On the verge of bankruptcy,
00:53 latest financial reports calls for Medway Council
00:56 to take action to avoid trouble.
00:59 Living in fear, Kent police cracks down on shoplifting
01:03 as businesses scared for staff safety.
01:06 - My staff's not happy to work.
01:08 Everyone coming make a trouble.
01:11 (upbeat music)
01:15 - First tonight, violence, homophobia and humiliation.
01:25 The shocking findings at an immigration removal center
01:29 all witnessed by a whistleblower from Medway.
01:32 The Brookhouse inquiry has revealed a toxic culture
01:34 among staff at the detention site in West Sussex
01:38 back in 2017, following a BBC investigation.
01:42 Reverend Nathan Ward from Raynham St. Margaret's Church
01:44 used to work at Brookhouse and was a senior manager
01:48 for G4S, the security company.
01:50 I spoke to him earlier and started by asking him
01:53 about his connection to Brookhouse.
01:56 - Until 2014, I was a senior manager for G4S
01:59 working at Gatwick in both Tinsley House and Brookhouse.
02:04 So I'm the person with the inside knowledge
02:07 on how G4S were running the contracts
02:09 and had first hand experience of the culture
02:13 that was at Brookhouse.
02:14 - Can you take us through some of those things
02:17 that you saw while you worked there?
02:20 - So when I was working there, I raised concerns
02:23 about the culture of Brookhouse being one
02:27 that was dehumanizing towards the detainees,
02:30 the vulnerable people that were being held there
02:33 for indefinite amounts of time.
02:35 And what's sad for me today is reading the report
02:40 echoes what we've heard time and time again.
02:44 Interestingly, there's been before today
02:46 1,100 recommendations on improving immigration detention.
02:51 And it seems that no one has listened and enacted those.
02:56 Today, we hear in the report that there's been 19 incidents
03:01 of inhumane or degrading treatment of detainees,
03:05 widespread unlawful use of force.
03:09 And they describe Brookhouse
03:11 as a breeding ground for racism.
03:15 - Now, the Home Office have told us
03:16 that the government has made significant improvements
03:19 since the abuse that took place back in 2017.
03:23 They're upholding welfare and dignity of those detained,
03:26 including strengthening safeguards,
03:28 promoting culture of transparency,
03:30 and improving the oversight of contractors' performance.
03:34 I suppose my question to you is, is that enough?
03:37 - Well, actually, the report directly states
03:42 that these things, in the chair's opinion,
03:45 are still continuing to this date,
03:47 which counters that narrative that you've just read out,
03:51 that things have changed.
03:53 What has changed is people highlighted in the report
03:57 as being present where abuse has been meted out
04:01 have actually now become senior managers within Brookhouse.
04:05 So the changes are in completely the wrong direction.
04:09 I need to push back on the Home Office rhetoric,
04:13 and it's a rhetoric that comes out time and time again.
04:16 There's been high court rulings
04:18 of systematic abuse already, historically.
04:22 - I've got the Home Office statement in front of me.
04:24 They thank the chair, thank the inquiry team for the report.
04:27 They're carefully considering every recommendation.
04:30 So perhaps this is them backing down and saying,
04:33 "Yes, we've made mistakes,
04:34 and we are rectifying this situation now."
04:37 Do you think that this will change?
04:41 - So the Home Office haven't today come out
04:43 and said those words, "We've made mistakes."
04:45 They haven't said, "We've got it wrong."
04:47 The law has been in place to say
04:49 that you shouldn't unlawfully restrain people.
04:51 The law has been in place for many years
04:53 to say that you shouldn't treat people inhumanely.
04:57 And yet what we see is recommendations
05:01 pointing out the obvious,
05:02 that actually act by the rules, act within the law.
05:07 And that's what we're asking for.
05:10 And it's the same Home Office, we need to remember,
05:14 that actually went to the High Court
05:16 to try and stop this public inquiry in the first place.
05:20 - Very simply put, Nathan, do you think that this call,
05:24 this urgent call for systematic changes
05:27 in immigration detention, do you think this will happen?
05:30 - I'm always hopeful.
05:34 As a person of faith,
05:35 we always believe that there's hope to change.
05:39 - Reverend Nathan Ward speaking to me earlier now,
05:42 a Home Office spokesperson said,
05:43 "The abuse that took place at Brookhouse in 2017
05:46 "was unacceptable.
05:47 "The government has made significant improvements
05:49 "since then.
05:50 "They remain committed to ensuring safety and security
05:52 "to learn lessons from Brookhouse.
05:54 "They're thankful for the report
05:55 "and are carefully considering every recommendation."
05:58 And G4S, that company that Nathan used to work for,
06:01 has provided its full support to the Brookhouse inquiry.
06:04 They say they'll carefully consider
06:05 the inquiry's recommendations.
06:07 They say they're appalled when in 2017,
06:10 a number of former employees acted in a way
06:12 that was contrary to their values, policies,
06:14 and their training, and for that, they are sorry.
06:17 This behavior was unacceptable,
06:18 and the company took swift action,
06:20 dismissing a number of individuals
06:22 and commissioning an independent review.
06:24 An inspection in 2019 found no evidence
06:26 that the behaviors seen in the BBC program were present.
06:29 That's their statement there.
06:31 Next tonight, the leader of Medway Council says,
06:33 "Bankruptcy is very likely,
06:35 "according to a financial report which projects
06:38 "the council could face budget shortfalls
06:41 "of almost 40 million pounds within two years.
06:44 "It could see the council issuing a section 114 notice
06:48 "and central government getting involved
06:49 "in running the local authority.
06:51 "The scale of the budget gap suggests drastic changes
06:54 "will be necessary to avoid that bankruptcy."
06:57 Well, joining me with more on this
06:58 is our reporter, Gabriel Morris.
06:59 Gabriel, what can you tell me?
07:00 - Well, Vince Maple, he is the leader of Medway Council.
07:03 He took over control four months ago
07:06 in May at the local elections.
07:08 Well, he's told our colleagues over at Kent Online today
07:10 that it is very likely that the council could face bankruptcy.
07:15 This was not what he would like to see
07:17 four months into the role,
07:19 but we know that inflation is a challenge
07:22 for all local authorities at the moment,
07:24 just like it is for individuals.
07:26 And also, councils are reporting a real-terms cut
07:30 in central government funding.
07:32 They'll be looking towards the November autumn statement
07:35 from the government to see
07:36 if there'll be any improvement on that.
07:38 Now, we're talking about this today
07:40 because the documents for the medium-term
07:43 financial outlook report,
07:44 which will be discussed in next week's cabinet meeting,
07:49 projects a 38 million pound budget gap for '24 to 2025.
07:54 That's on top of a 17 million budget cut,
07:57 currently a gap, sorry, being faced this year.
08:01 And that number is set to grow in a year.
08:03 So, Vince Maple and his colleagues
08:06 will be looking at ways forward,
08:07 ways to reduce that gap.
08:10 If not enough is done,
08:12 the council does face a real prospect
08:14 of a section 114 notice.
08:17 That effectively says the government is bankrupt
08:20 and the central government would have to come through.
08:22 We've seen Birmingham City Council
08:24 having to issue that notice in recent months,
08:27 and the government will be stepping in there
08:29 to help on some finances.
08:30 It would also mean that discretionary spending is cut.
08:34 So, people might see less services in the parks,
08:38 community grants being cut,
08:41 but statutory services such as bins
08:43 and adult social care would continue.
08:45 Thank you, Gabriel, for keeping us up to date.
08:47 We'll have more, hopefully tomorrow on KMTV as well.
08:50 Next tonight, Maidstone has been identified
08:53 as one of the high streets most targeted
08:55 for shoplifting in Kent.
08:57 The number of people charged for the offence in Maidstone
09:00 has increased by 50% in the last year,
09:02 despite this business owners saying they're living in fear.
09:06 Sophia Akin met with Kent police
09:07 who say they're cracking down on catching offenders.
09:11 More than 400 incidents of shoplifting
09:13 were reported in Maidstone last year,
09:16 with thousands being reported across Kent.
09:19 Officers have increased patrols along the high street,
09:23 with 40% more people being known to the police
09:26 for committing this crime in the past year.
09:29 Five minutes into their Monday patrol,
09:31 they got a call from a community ambassador
09:34 reporting someone they suspected had shoplifted.
09:37 So, we turned straight out to it.
09:39 They're two individuals that we know very well anyway,
09:42 and then a number of other allegations
09:43 have been made about shoplifting.
09:46 We've searched the mail and found some stolen goods.
09:48 Our chap's been searched and on his way,
09:50 and then we'll take these items back to the shop.
09:51 So, we've just taken the stolen goods
09:53 back to where we believe they're from, Wilkinson's.
09:55 They've confirmed they are from the store,
09:57 so we'll just get a receipt from them.
09:59 Someone check and see to be for us now
10:01 to find out how he's gone about stealing it.
10:04 He'll be invited in for an interview at some point.
10:07 We'll go back and just do some evidence capture for it,
10:09 write some statements.
10:11 This was one of two calls on suspected shoplifting
10:14 that they got out on patrol within about 15 minutes.
10:17 In the last year, 231 charges of shoplifting
10:21 were authorised by Kent Police.
10:24 That's an increase of 50% from the previous year.
10:27 But businesses are still living in fear,
10:30 like this shop owner, who has 16 CCTV cameras installed.
10:35 Some businesses will put CCTV in to try and prevent
10:38 shoplifting from taking place, but this business here
10:41 says even though they've had CCTV since they've been open,
10:44 they still get people trying to shoplift here
10:46 every single day.
10:48 Before, one person enough for work.
10:50 Now, we need three person because the people are stealing.
10:54 I need help because my staff is not happy to work.
10:59 Everyone coming make a trouble.
11:01 Move your expensive goods from the front door,
11:04 put them in the shop a little bit more.
11:05 Potentially, if you can afford it,
11:07 get CCTV, just the basic crime prevention.
11:10 But more importantly, if it happens, phone the police
11:13 and tell us that it's happened.
11:14 Get it reported so that we can start looking at the trends
11:17 that potentially some shop owners may not
11:19 want to phone the police and tell us about.
11:22 As police patrols continue, businesses
11:24 hope soon they can open their doors
11:27 without fearing for their safety.
11:29 Sophia Akin for KMTV in Maidstone.
11:34 Now, time for a very quick break.
11:35 But coming up, Westland School in Sittingbourne
11:38 is on the government's new list of schools
11:40 which have been found to have that infamous rack concrete.
11:44 And also, the online safety bill has passed.
11:46 The NSPCC say it's a momentous day for children
11:50 across the county.
11:51 See you soon.
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15:11 Hello there, and welcome back to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
15:16 The government has today released a new list of schools
15:18 which have been found to have rack concrete, including one
15:21 in Swale.
15:22 Western School in Sissingborne was
15:24 included on the updated list.
15:26 However, the school has told us in a statement
15:28 that it will remain open with minimal disruption to learning.
15:31 It comes after a back to school season
15:33 which saw headteachers struggling to relocate pupils
15:36 into temporary classrooms.
15:37 And as we heard in our report yesterday,
15:39 the Orchard Theatre in Dartford has had its closure
15:42 extended until October.
15:43 You can find Gabriel's report on our website.
15:47 Now, children across Kent and the rest of the UK
15:49 will be better protected according to the NSPCC,
15:53 as this afternoon the online safety bill has passed.
15:57 The bill has been years in the making
15:58 and taken years to agree.
16:00 It means firms will have to remove illegal content
16:02 and protect children from some legal but harmful material.
16:06 Helen Westerman from the NSPCC joins me on the line
16:09 now to discuss this.
16:10 Thank you so much for joining me, Helen,
16:12 at such short notice as well.
16:14 Now, it's been described by the NSPCC chief
16:18 as a momentous day for children here in Kent,
16:21 across the county, across the country too.
16:23 Why is that?
16:26 Well, after years of campaigning,
16:27 we finally have a bill where tech companies will
16:30 have a legal duty to protect children
16:33 from sexual abuse and harmful material on social media
16:36 sites, gaming apps, and messaging services.
16:39 It's taken us five to six years of campaigning,
16:42 and we thank all of our supporters
16:43 today who have created the space for children
16:46 to be safer online.
16:49 Why do you think it's taken so long to get to this place now?
16:53 I think it's been really contentious.
16:55 And we know every day, we hear from children every day
16:58 that contact us through Childline,
17:00 they have difficult and negative experiences online.
17:04 They are exploited.
17:05 They're seeing content that's worrying,
17:06 and they're groomed in that online space.
17:09 And in the five to six years that this bill
17:11 has taken to come to fruition, we
17:13 know that there are 34,000 cases of grooming crimes recorded
17:17 by UK police forces.
17:19 That simply isn't acceptable.
17:22 But we now know that from today, tech companies
17:24 will be legally responsible for keeping children
17:27 safe on their platforms.
17:29 Partly some of the reason that this
17:31 has been such a contentious issue, as you said,
17:33 is some critics have said that it
17:35 would allow a regulator and tech firms
17:37 to dictate what may or may not be said online.
17:40 So an element of control there.
17:42 NSPCC say that's control for the safety of children.
17:45 But that level of control, that's
17:47 what's been in question, I suppose.
17:49 So what would you say to those critics?
17:52 We have to put the very most vulnerable people
17:54 in our society, children, at the front of this bill.
17:57 We cannot allow for children to experience harm
18:01 at the record levels that they are in this online space.
18:05 And our supporters and the government
18:07 have now recognised that that's important.
18:09 And we will scrutinise the bill and ensure
18:12 that it is enforced properly.
18:14 And our work in that space has just begun.
18:17 It's taken a long time to be passed, a long time for us
18:20 to be having this conversation now
18:21 that you've been campaigning for for so long.
18:23 So how quickly will this actually practically
18:25 come into action?
18:26 How long till this is on our phones, on our devices?
18:30 We hope that it will be fairly soon.
18:31 As you say, it's taken so long to come into force.
18:36 And we've spoken to survivors of abuse, bereaved parents
18:40 during that process to really strengthen and make
18:42 this bill as robust as it possibly can be.
18:45 So we hope that it's going to be enacted quickly
18:48 and tech companies will start to respond and start
18:52 making safety a key feature of what they do online.
18:56 Thank you very much for your time today, Helen.
18:57 There'll be more steps for the bill
18:59 to finish off its passing now.
19:01 But thank you so much for your time today.
19:03 Really appreciate you coming on at such short notice as well.
19:08 NHS staff in Kent and across the UK
19:10 are staging their first joint strike
19:12 in the history of the health service.
19:15 Consultants are walking out today.
19:16 Tomorrow, they'll be joined by junior doctors,
19:19 all down to an ongoing pay dispute.
19:21 Emergency care will be covered throughout the strike action.
19:24 But NHS bosses say patients are still in danger.
19:27 Medway GP Dr. Julian Spinks says some doctors are leaving
19:30 the service altogether.
19:32 We're seeing doctors leaving the country.
19:34 We've had a recent survey which suggested 30% of medical
19:37 students are saying they're not going to stay in the UK
19:41 either immediately after qualifying
19:42 or after doing their first two foundation years.
19:45 And we desperately need those doctors because otherwise,
19:47 we don't have the staff to do the work.
19:49 And we're back to waiting lists.
19:51 You can't clear waiting lists down
19:53 unless you've got the staff to do the work.
19:55 And the evidence is that we are hemorrhaging stuff out
19:58 of the NHS faster than we can actually replace them
20:01 with people being trained.
20:03 So just pouring more and more people into the training process
20:06 is not going to solve the problem.
20:07 We need to make it more attractive.
20:09 And part of that is to do with pay and conditions.
20:14 Now, with stormy weather approaching,
20:15 let's take a look at our forecast here in Kent.
20:18 Looking fairly mild this evening,
20:26 warmer than some past evenings.
20:28 Highs of 17, lows of 16.
20:30 Cloudy tomorrow morning, warming up just slightly.
20:33 That main thing, that wind coming in,
20:35 40 mile per hour winds plus.
20:37 The same by the afternoon, warming up slightly as well.
20:40 A bit of sun, but mostly cloudy.
20:43 And the next few days look like this.
20:45 Some sun returning Saturday, bright sunshine,
20:47 no clouds after quite a bit of rain Thursday, Friday.
20:51 And then a bit of sunshine again on Saturday.
20:53 And then a bit of sunshine again on Sunday.
20:55 Well, it's the remnants of Hurricane Lee
21:05 bringing that gale force winds to the UK today and tomorrow.
21:08 And for us here in Kent,
21:09 the Met Office has brought in yellow alerts for rain
21:12 for much of the east.
21:13 But just how bad will things be affected for us in Kent?
21:16 Well, we spoke to Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill
21:19 earlier today.
21:21 And he said that as we go through Wednesday,
21:23 a heavy band of rain is going to push its way eastwards.
21:25 And this is in association with Lee.
21:28 And it's going to cross Kent
21:30 as we go through Wednesday afternoon,
21:32 probably clearing during the early hours of Thursday morning.
21:35 And it is going to bring a lot of rain.
21:37 We're talking the potential for 40 to 50 millimetres of rain.
21:40 And we are looking at how much rain is actually going to happen
21:44 across Kent and other parts of the southeast.
21:46 And I think there's a fairly good chance
21:48 that when we re-evaluate the intensity of the rain
21:51 that's expected through the afternoon, evening and overnight,
21:54 a warning may be required.
21:57 Now, it's time for us to take a look at the sports headline
21:59 this evening from Kent Cricket
22:01 to a highly anticipated FA Cup replay.
22:04 Here's Bartholomew Hall.
22:06 (upbeat music)
22:09 First from me, and Kent are continuing their mission
22:18 to escape relegation from Division One
22:20 of the county championship
22:22 as they visit Taunton to take on Somerset this week.
22:26 Rain delayed the start to the action today.
22:28 Kent won the toss just before 1.30 in the afternoon
22:31 and chose to bowl first.
22:33 Zach Crawley is missing from Kent's squad today
22:36 as he's preparing to captain England
22:38 during their three-match ODI series against Ireland.
22:41 Whilst Kent's one-day skipper, Sam Billings,
22:43 has also been left out of Kent's Division One squad this week,
22:47 head coach Matt Walker says there just isn't room for him
22:50 in this week's squad after struggling in Red Bull cricket
22:53 throughout the summer.
22:54 And as of course, as always,
22:55 updates throughout the week's action
22:57 is available on Kent Online Sport.
22:59 Dover Athletic says a growing number of complaints
23:03 from supporters about language and behaviour of some fans
23:07 is having a detrimental effect
23:09 on sponsorship and crowd numbers.
23:11 In a statement, the club says it does not tolerate
23:15 racist, homophobic, sexist
23:17 or any other discriminatory language or behaviour.
23:21 It comes after the club has won
23:22 its first home game of the season,
23:24 beating Hastings United 3-2
23:26 in the FA Cup second round qualifying.
23:29 In response to repeated warnings that had minimal impact,
23:33 the club will now take strict measures,
23:35 including the removal of offenders from the stadium
23:37 and the revocation of season tickets without refunds.
23:42 Now, Gillingham FC are hoping that George Lapsley's
23:45 latest injury is only temporary
23:47 after returning for just two games
23:50 following a two-week recovery from a concussion.
23:53 The opening goal scorer
23:54 from Saturday's home win against Morecambe,
23:56 Lapsley left the pitch with a hamstring strain
23:59 after winning possession to help create
24:01 Gillingham's winning goal just 23 minutes in.
24:04 Despite not being short of attacking options,
24:06 manager Neil Harris believes Lapsley
24:08 is a hugely important player.
24:11 We had to. Yeah, we really felt that Thursday,
24:14 Friday, he started to look the part again.
24:17 Better than any stage during the start of pre-season,
24:21 almost, to be honest.
24:23 He's a hugely important player for us.
24:27 George is a player you don't overly coach,
24:30 just let him run.
24:31 He's like a Duracell battery, just runs and runs and runs.
24:33 And he pops up in the right place.
24:35 And we're not a team to call him
24:36 the natural finisher in the group.
24:38 He's the only one we've got, natural finisher.
24:41 And other lads, you know, George is one
24:43 that gives a real goal scoring threat.
24:44 And, you know, we saw it today.
24:46 He just pops up in the right place
24:47 at the right time, time and time again.
24:48 And that's done for the last three or four years.
24:51 And lucky for those in the Gilles squad
24:53 looking to recover, it's no Tuesday fixture
24:55 for them tonight.
24:56 For them in League Two,
24:57 it's up against Doncaster on Saturday.
24:59 But that doesn't mean we aren't short of any games
25:01 this evening.
25:02 The highly anticipated FA Cup second round replay
25:05 between Margate and Folkestone after that two all draw
25:08 will kick off at 7.45 this evening.
25:11 It's the third derby between these two sides
25:13 in the past month, a highly competitive fixture
25:15 for those looking to attend.
25:17 And in the National League, as we just saw,
25:19 Ebbs Fleet are visiting Woking after two consecutive
25:22 National League losses.
25:23 Manager Denis Kutryb says he's looking forward
25:25 to playing a tough Woking side who are, of course,
25:28 in the EFL promotion playoffs last season.
25:31 The Fleet currently sit 10th in the league.
25:33 And of course, you can keep up to date
25:35 with all those results overnight on Kent Online.
25:37 Well, that's it from me with the sport for today.
25:40 Bartholomew there with the sport.
25:52 Finally, this evening, some incredible sights
25:56 lighting up the skies in Kent.
25:58 On Facebook, a resident of Maidstone, Chris Cork,
26:01 posted a time lapse from last night's Aurora
26:04 at Recolvet Beach.
26:05 Absolutely stunning.
26:07 It's famously seen in places like Iceland,
26:10 in the far northern and southern polar regions.
26:13 You don't usually see these sights down here in Kent.
26:15 Usually, they're only visible from Scotland
26:17 and parts of northern England, if you're lucky.
26:19 But those of you near Herne Bay were treated
26:21 to a display of colour last night in the sky.
26:25 Make sure you send in all your videos and photos
26:27 if you manage to capture it as well.
26:29 Unfortunately, tonight, looking a bit cloudy.
26:33 Well, that's all we've got time for this evening.
26:35 You've been watching Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
26:38 Right after the break, there's another episode
26:40 of Made in Kent with our presenter, Sophia Aitken.
26:43 Stick around for that.
26:44 I'll see you again tomorrow.
26:45 Bye-bye.
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