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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Abby Hook.
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00:00Hello, good evening and welcome to Kent Tonight, live on KMTV.
00:27I'm Abbey Hook, here are your top stories on Monday the 14th of July.
00:32Safety concerns raised. Police investigate after delivery driver killed in Tenham train crash.
00:40I've been live in a few moments with the details we know so far as investigations continue into the death of the Amazon driver.
00:48Preparing for the worst. RSPCA says welfare incidents peak during the summer months.
00:55Dogs in hot cars, dogs left in hot buildings, those sort of things.
01:00We even get a lot of collapsed animals in the heat, so lots of cats, horses.
01:03And like father, like sons. Late Sheppie manager Ernie Batten honoured with cup match against his children's team.
01:12It was always his dream to bring the football back to the island and to look at it now. I'm just so proud of him.
01:19First this evening, investigations continue today following the death of an Amazon delivery driver after a crash with a train at a crossing near Tenham.
01:39The courier was killed after a van was hit between Sittingbourne and Favisham yesterday afternoon.
01:45A local councillor has now raised safety questions, as this isn't the first incident on the train line.
01:52Well, our reporter Gabriel Morris joins us live now from that crossing.
01:56Gabriel, the investigations continue on today.
02:01They do, Abby. And a little more than 24 hours ago, this was the site of emergency incident.
02:07There was clear signs of fire damage here on the side of the line right now.
02:13There's a large area of shrubbery which is burnt out.
02:16And in that, you can see burnt out motor materials and also discarded parcels on the side of the road.
02:24Not clear whether or not that's from the Amazon van, which did hit a train yesterday on this level crossing.
02:30In the air, you can also smell the smell of burnt out electrical components.
02:35Now, KNTV has seen footage of this incident, but we've chosen not to air it to our viewers this evening.
02:42It shows the fan in a fireball on the sides of the track.
02:48Now, British Transport Police have told us this morning the incident is not believed to be suspicious,
02:53and they are filing a report for the coroner.
02:57Now, this stretch of line, it's not the first time there's been an incident in this area.
03:01We're in between Tenham, which is just in front of me, and further down the line, it's Sittingbourne.
03:09That's the next stop on the line.
03:10And trains come at some speed down here, around 85 miles per hour.
03:15Now, in the background, you will be able to hear the sound of a siren.
03:19That goes about 20 to 30 seconds before a train is arriving.
03:24If I just step to my left, you can see there's a traffic light.
03:30You should just be able to make out on camera, it has red, and it says stop.
03:34And there are some signs there about what to do.
03:38And the train's coming now.
03:39This is a high-speed train.
03:41You can see they do go at some speed, and it's not exactly clear how fast yesterday that train was going.
03:48Now, the correct operating procedure to go across the line is to open those gates first, get your vehicle across, check it's safe again, then come back, close this gate, and the other one.
03:59But there has been some speculation in the area, and there's been some thoughts about the safety of these crossings.
04:06Hence, it's not the first time something like this has happened.
04:09We've been speaking to a local councillor about this.
04:11So I don't think it necessarily needs to be shut, as opposed to what safety measures could be introduced to make it more safe for users.
04:23We've had cases where crossings in the area have been closed by network rail, which I personally don't agree with.
04:33So I would not be in favour of having another crossing shut as a result of a very tragic incident, when other potentially safety measures could be introduced to keep it in operation, and operating well and safely.
04:51Gabriel, what more have we heard from Southeastern and Amazon, too?
04:55Well, Amazon have told us that this is a terrible incident, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the delivery driver's family and loved ones during this difficult time.
05:05And they will work with police and the delivery service provider as they investigate.
05:10And Southeastern's boss, Steve White, has told us our thoughts are with the family as well.
05:15Following the collision yesterday, they confirmed that no one else was injured in this incident,
05:19and they're now fully assisting with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, who will be carrying out an investigation into this.
05:28And she also goes on to say, I'd like to thank emergency services and rail colleagues for their assistance in this area.
05:36What's next, though?
05:37There will be a coroner's report, an inquest.
05:40That's a fact-finding mission to find out how the driver died, but it won't assert blame.
05:44Then there will also be an investigation from the RAIB, which will look at the technical components behind this incident yesterday.
05:52OK, Gabriel, thank you very much for those details.
05:55Now, next this evening, the parents of the man shot by police in Hollingbourne a week ago say he's still in critical condition in hospital.
06:03Catherine and Stuart O'Mara shared with Kent Online that their 37-year-old son had been struggling with serious mental health issues in recent years.
06:11The investigation into what happened and why are still underway.
06:15Well, let's hear a bit more about what the family have said today.
06:18Bartholomew joins me in the studio. What can you tell us?
06:21Well, the parents of Sean O'Mara, Catherine and Stuart O'Mara, have given us a joint statement this evening in that they share their heartbreak at the events of last Monday,
06:30adding how they had previously made repeated efforts to get their son professional treatment that they say he desperately needs.
06:36They say that they're helping with the ongoing police investigation and would like to sincerely thank their friends and neighbours for their continued support during what has been an incredibly difficult time for them.
06:47They have commented on their son's condition. He remains in critical condition in hospital at the moment.
06:52They say their focus is entirely on him as they pray for his recovery.
06:56And they did add that there has been several complications arising from his injuries, which, of course, we reported last week that police had initially described as life changing.
07:04OK, and where are we with the investigation as well?
07:08Well, as we've been reporting, Sean O'Mara was shot by police in that standoff almost a week ago this evening where he was holding a chainsaw and what was suspected to be an imprised explosive device whilst wearing a gas mask and body armour.
07:22Over the past week, police have found nine suspected devices found in the grounds.
07:28Bombsquad have been there to deal with those devices.
07:32If you live in the area and have driven on the A20, you'll be very aware of these intermittent road closures.
07:39I'm happy to report for those who live in the area that that has now closed.
07:43Police have released a statement to us, said that they would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding whilst we conducted these vital searches.
07:50As this complex investigation is still underway, we're aware that these road closures seem to be closed for now.
07:59OK. All right, Bartholomew, thank you very much for those details.
08:01Now, as temperatures rise, so does the pressure on Kent's animal charities, as the RSPCA say the summer season is their busiest time of the year.
08:13On just one day last July, they dealt with nearly 1,200 cases.
08:19That's around 48 every hour.
08:22The charity says many pets are still being left in hot cars or without adequate care in the extreme heat.
08:28Well, Kristen Hawthorne visited their Leybourne Centre to find out just why the figures are so high.
08:38Many of us, including me, think that the Christmas period is the busiest time for animal charities.
08:44But the RSPCA says that it's actually the summer.
08:47This is due to animals like guinea pigs getting heat stroke and with record high temperatures this summer, they fear that that figure could get even higher.
08:56Every day in the summer, it's very busy.
08:59We get a lot of calls, roughly just over 300 a day, which can be roughly one every two minutes, which is quite a lot to deal with.
09:05It's roughly up around 33% compared to previous years.
09:09And there's a number of different factors that really consider the reason why this happens.
09:12It's usually due to, because in the summer months, it's a lot longer days.
09:16There's a lot more light out.
09:17People are out for longer.
09:18They see a lot more things happening, so we get a lot more calls.
09:21Within the summer months, they say that July 10th is the busiest overall.
09:25Last year, they had a total of 1,157 cases in just one day.
09:31When it's warm weather, we always get lots and lots of these sort of jobs.
09:34Obviously, I haven't got a hand to the figures, but I'm guessing it's going to be a lot.
09:37Like I said, it's a very warm, sunny day.
09:38We're probably going to get a lot of calls about dogs in hot situations.
09:41We even get a lot of collapsed animals in the heat, so lots of cats and horses.
09:44So I think it's going to help, well, not help, but it's going to increase the figures drastically.
09:50And he was right, as this year, the number rose to 1,205.
09:55It's been busy.
09:56We've had a lot of animals moving around.
09:57We've had some more animals coming in, some going out.
10:01It's been really hot.
10:03So, yeah, it's been a busy day.
10:05With Kent facing three heatwaves this summer already, the charity say they are worried about the future.
10:11And from everything I've heard, I'm not a climate scientist myself, but from everything I've heard,
10:16things are going to warm up and get more extreme weather conditions.
10:23And the heat does make it harder to look after animals, certainly.
10:28Hershey is just one of the animals rescued by the RSPCA this summer.
10:32He was left outside the Leibourne Centre in a cardboard box with no food or water at just 10 weeks old.
10:38So, with financial strain, heat and neglect all pushing the number of cruelty cases up,
10:44the RSPCA says that the need for help is greatest when it's least expected.
10:48Because for animals like Hershey, abandonment came not with snow, but with a heatwave.
10:54Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV, Leibourne.
10:59Well, Kristen joins me in the studio now.
11:02Tell me about some of the advice to pet owners, especially in the summer months.
11:07Yes, certainly.
11:08So, one of the main things that he said was to make sure that you're researching all about the animal that you have,
11:13not to just trust what you were told by the pet shop that you got it from.
11:19Every animal is different.
11:20I mean, rabbits, they need to be a little bit cooler than some other animals.
11:24And if you just cannot take care of it or you don't have the money,
11:28going to them and making that phone call, showing your face is a lot better than just like Hershey who was left in a box outside.
11:34Yeah, and it's not the first incident we've heard.
11:37We've heard lots of animals left in different places across the county as well.
11:41And it's definitely an important message, their summer cruelty campaign as well.
11:45Kristen, thank you very much for those details.
11:47More news from across Kent after this short break.
11:49See you then.
11:50We'll see you then.
16:02It was a key sport football club in a pre-season match against United, marking the very first
16:04Ernie Batten cup.
16:06As I said, it was always going to be an emotional day for myself and my family,
16:10but again it's a day that we celebrate my dad and everything he's done for the football
16:17club, this was, I know, this was his home, you know, he absolutely loved this
16:20place and you know it is what it is today, because he worked so hard and you know
16:26It was always his dream to bring the football back to the island and to look at it now.
16:33I'm just so proud of him.
16:34Ahead of kick-off, both teams, the officials and the fans applauded Ernie,
16:38who's often credited with making the club a beloved part of the island after its past struggles.
16:43You drive down the road, you see youngsters in Sheppard United kit and tracksuits.
16:49When I was growing up, we didn't have that.
16:50But look what we've got now.
16:52Average gates, 300, 400 people.
16:54The success Sheppard you've had, the FA Cup, the season before last.
17:01So it's fantastic.
17:04And the dad's legacy, what he's left, is this place.
17:07We're happy, we're so proud as a family to come out here and enjoy the facility amongst thousands of people on this island.
17:17In the end, even though Sheppard United did win the match against their lower division rivals,
17:21Sport gave it a good go, ending the fixture with two goals to United's four.
17:26As well as being a fixture for the community, the Cup is also key for making sure both squads are fit and ready for the new season.
17:32You look at today, in this heat, the players get a good workout, a good sweat on them.
17:41So, you know, every friendly we play, whether we play against a team higher in the pyramid than us or lower in the pyramid than us,
17:50we want it to be a worthwhile exercise.
17:53Pre-season games might not seem all that important sometimes, but they can tell you a lot about how the club might perform next season.
18:01But this pre-season game isn't about the future, it's about the past, about what Ernie Batten did for the club and how they can honour his legacy going forward.
18:10Finn McDermid for KMTV.
18:11Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kemp by logging on to our website.
18:20It's, of course, kmtv.co.uk.
18:23They'll find all our reports, including this one, about the first all-electric plane to take flight over the channel.
18:31If you're scared of heights, you might find this electroflying.
18:35But this group of young pilots have shown no fear after becoming the first to take a 100% electric-certified aircraft across the channel from France to Kent.
18:46Aged between 17 and 23, Elizabeth, Gabriel, Yestin and Noam all form the ElectroTour team,
18:54who've taken their electric plane around France and have hopped over the channel,
18:58stopping at airports along the way to recharge their batteries, like here at Rochester Airport.
19:04It started about two years ago now, from yesterday night, did a flight where we wanted to climb as high as possible with the airplane.
19:12And we decided that maybe we could take it to another level and go as far as possible with this aircraft.
19:17So last year, we did the first Tour de France, an electric plane.
19:20Now this year, we've also taken it to another level with the first tunnel crossing, which we did yesterday, actually.
19:27It was an amazing experience.
19:28Next up now is landing in Gatwick, which is also quite a big thing.
19:31Their plane, the Perpestral Velis Electro, is the first fully electric type-certified aircraft,
19:38meaning it's the only which has been truly given the go-ahead from aviation authorities to take to our skies.
19:44So I'm lucky enough to have been able to sit inside the Perpestral Velis Electro.
19:48I must say, it's a lot more space here than I thought it would be.
19:51That being said, with a co-pilot next to me, we'd very much be shoulder to shoulder,
19:54and we'd be able to hear each other too, because being an electric aircraft,
19:58it's a lot quieter than a conventional, just 60 decibels when you're up in the air.
20:03You can hear the sound of the propeller with the wind, so this is not completely noiseless,
20:10but the reduction is 80% less compared to a normal airplane.
20:15So you could just take off the headset and then talk to your friend sitting beside you.
20:21So this is, yeah, the massive difference.
20:24The idea, the whole idea, is indeed to convey the advances of electric aviation to all ages.
20:31You know, the aviation sector is still something that kids can dream of
20:35and think of having a job in the future as an airline pilot,
20:38maybe in an electric plane one day, or all sorts of energy.
20:42The Velis Electro has an endurance of around 50 minutes, plus some reserves,
20:47meaning it's a perfect choice for pilot training.
20:49But without more airports like Rochester offering the facilities to recharge,
20:54it's limited in how far it can travel for now.
20:56Every pilot learning to fly, whether they're going to be fast jets, airline pilots,
21:00or just a conventional pilot enjoying their aircraft,
21:03puts approximately five and a half tonne of CO2 into the atmosphere.
21:07If we can address that with not just the emissions,
21:11but also noise pollution on airfields, especially at weekends, etc., this aircraft does it.
21:16After a milestone landing at Gatwick, the team are now on their way back to France,
21:21where they hope to continue flying the Velis and inspiring the next generation of pilots.
21:26Bartholomew Hall for KNTV in Rochester.
21:28All right, now it's time to take a very quick look at the weather forecast where you are.
21:46Tonight's looking rather mild with clear night skies.
21:49Temperatures of 16 degrees, 15 down in Ashford and Tunbridge Wells.
21:53Into tomorrow morning, some rain across parts of the county, clearer, dry weather in northern parts of Kent.
22:00And warming up into the afternoon, but the wind picking up too, both inland and by the coast there, 19 miles per hour.
22:06Here's the picture for the rest of the week up until Friday.
22:09Warm temperatures, highs of 26 degrees.
22:12Some sunshine behind the cloud though.
22:14Now on to one species actually enjoying the heat.
22:25Well, Kent and the rest of the UK is facing a surge in ladybird numbers.
22:30And this was seen as a swarm of the small beetles distracted cricketers at Lourdes last Thursday.
22:36Well, they may have disrupted the England-India match.
22:38These creatures are essential to our garden's health, keeping pests like aphids in check.
22:43Well, joining me now to tell us all about the increase in the species, not only here in Kent, but actually across the country.
22:50Of course, our climate expert, Daisy Page.
22:52Why are there so many ladybirds?
22:54I counted about 15 on my balcony the other day.
22:58Yeah, so it's actually really interesting.
22:59Like you said, this is something that we've seen across the whole of the UK.
23:03And it's the biggest swarm that we've been seeing since 1976.
23:07And it's coming after the string of heat waves that we've been facing across the country.
23:11Now, in Kent, we haven't been seeing some of the extremes that other parts of the country have been seeing, such as Western Supermware, where beachgoers ended up leaving the beach because there were so many of them there.
23:23And even closer to us here in the county, Essex, there has been such a number found along the beaches there as well.
23:30And as previously mentioned, they even stopped a cricket match.
23:34But I keep mentioning that ladybugs are called, as a group, a swarm, but the correct collective noun for them is actually loveliness.
23:42Loveliness?
23:43Loveliness.
23:43So whether it's quite lovely that they're disrupting your beach day, not quite sure.
23:47But a collective noun is loveliness.
23:49That's not real.
23:50I don't believe you.
23:50That's amazing.
23:51So tell me more about ladybirds themselves.
23:54Is it ladybugs, ladybirds?
23:55Ladybirds, but I call them ladybugs.
23:58I'm not sure if that is actually correct.
24:00So ladybirds here in the UK, we have over 4,000 different species of beetles.
24:08It's estimated that 47 of these species are ladybugs, but this is really quite unique about them.
24:14It's actually, we've got 47 species, but only 26 of these are easily recognised as the bug itself.
24:20So if you were to go out, you might see a ladybird, but you might not actually identify it as that as well.
24:26You actually can call them either.
24:28Ah, there you go.
24:29But ladybirds are more used in the United Kingdom.
24:31There you go.
24:32Yeah, and I didn't quite go into early.
24:34You did ask why are we seeing such an influx of these.
24:36And one of the things is heat, but also because the heat is coming along, we have seen a lot more aphids as well, which is the food that they eat.
24:44And now these are little bugs that suck on the sap of plants.
24:47But I've been speaking with Andrew from Bugs Life to find a bit more about why we are seeing so many.
24:52Really useful insects, and they help to control crop pests.
24:57And one particular crop pest that they feed on, that they help to control, is aphids.
25:02And the warm weather this year seems to have given a bit of a boost to the numbers of their prey.
25:09So there's a lot more aphids and other things flying around.
25:12And some insects are very good at taking advantage of good conditions.
25:17So if there's suddenly a lot of food around, what they're able to do is to very, very quickly increase their numbers to make the most of the extra food resource.
25:25And that's what the ladybirds have done. So there's more ladybird food.
25:28And the ladybirds, thanks to the heat, have managed to speed up their reproduction and breed more and more and more.
25:34And so there's now more ladybirds in response.
25:38So should we be concerned? How concerned should we be for both the ladybirds and us?
25:43Well, when you're seeing such swarms come into your beach, you make loveliness come into your beach, should you be concerned?
25:50And the fact is, no, they actually can't harm you.
25:54And bugs in the UK are declining as well.
25:57So seeing such a burst of these creatures out and about is a good sign for us here in Kent.
26:05OK, Daisy, thank you very much. Lots more coming up as well.
26:08Well, you're going to be talking to us all about some cows tomorrow as well.
26:13So lots of climate news coming this week from Daisy, as always.
26:18Ladybirds, ladybugs, who would have known?
26:20And the swarms called loveliness, isn't that great?
26:23We've all learnt something new today.
26:26All right, time for a very quick break now when we come back.
26:28More on our top stories this evening.
26:30I'll see you soon. Bye-bye.
26:31Bye-bye.
26:38Bye-bye.
27:08Bye-bye.
27:38Bye-bye.
28:08Bye-bye.
28:11Bye-bye.
32:50We've had cases where crossings in the area have been closed by network rail, which I personally don't agree with.
33:00So I would not be in favour of having another crossing shut as a result of a very tragic incident when other potentially safety measures could be introduced to keep it in operation and operating well and safely.
33:18Gabriel, what more have we heard from both Southeastern and Amazon too?
33:26Well, they're both helping out into the investigation. There's going to be two parts to this, Abbey.
33:31First of all, we're going to have a coroner's report. They'll be looking into how and why the courier died.
33:37And then there'll be an investigation from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
33:42They'll look at the technical circumstances.
33:44Amazon said this is a terrible incident and their deepest sympathies are with the family.
33:48And they're working with police and delivery service provider as they investigate.
33:51And Southeastern said, again, their thoughts are with the family.
33:54And they say that no one else was injured in this incident.
33:57And they like to thank colleagues.
33:59Now, if we just come back to me for a moment, you can hear a train coming past.
34:02And that just gives us a sort of a scale of how fast the train might have been crossing yesterday.
34:08But we don't know for certain how fast it was going when it hit yesterday around midday.
34:14Now, as you've seen just there, the rail line is reopened alongside this crossing.
34:18I've seen a number of vehicles, including some heavy goods vehicles, crossing here today.
34:22So it is operational.
34:24But that investigation will now look at whether or not there may have been an issue with the signaling here and the crossing or whether there was some level of driver error on operating on this crossing or something entirely else.
34:38That's what the investigation from the RAIB will look into.
34:42OK, Gabriel, thank you very much for those details.
34:44Now, next this evening, as temperatures rise, so does the pressure on Kent's animal charities, as the RSPCA says the summer season is their busiest time of year.
34:56On just one day last July, they dealt with nearly 1,200 cases.
35:01That's around 48 every hour.
35:04The charity says many pets are still being left in hot cars or without adequate care in the extreme heat.
35:10Well, Kristen Hawthorne visited their lay-borne centre to find out why the figures are so high.
35:16Many of us, including me, think that the Christmas period is the busiest time for animal charities.
35:22But the RSPCA says that it's actually the summer.
35:25This is due to animals like guinea pigs getting heat stroke.
35:29And with record high temperatures this summer, they fear that that figure could get even higher.
35:35Every day in the summer, it's very busy.
35:36We get a lot of calls, roughly just over 300 a day, which can be roughly one every two minutes, which is quite a lot to deal with.
35:43It's roughly up around 33% compared to previous years.
35:46And there's a number of different factors that really consider the reason why this happens.
35:50It's usually due to, because in the summer months, it's a lot longer days.
35:54There's a lot more light out.
35:55People are out for longer.
35:56They see a lot more things happening, so we get a lot more calls.
35:58Within the summer months, they say that July 10th is the busiest overall.
36:03Last year, they had a total of 1,157 cases in just one day.
36:09When it's warm weather, we always get lots and lots of these sort of jobs.
36:12Obviously, I haven't got a hand to the figures, but I'm guessing it's going to be a lot.
36:14Like I said, it's a very warm, sunny day.
36:16We're probably going to get a lot of calls about dogs in hot situations.
36:19We even get a lot of collapsed animals in the heat, so lots of cats and horses.
36:22So I think it's going to help, well, not help, but it's going to increase the figures drastically.
36:27And he was right, as this year, the number rose to 1,205.
36:32It's been busy.
36:33We've had a lot of animals moving around.
36:35We've had some more animals coming in, some going out.
36:39It's been really hot.
36:40So, yeah, it's been a busy day.
36:43With Kent facing three heatwaves this summer already, the charity say they are worried about the future.
36:48And from everything I've heard, I'm not a climate scientist myself, but from everything I've heard,
36:54things are going to warm up and get more extreme weather conditions.
37:00And the heat does make it harder to look after animals, certainly.
37:06Hershey is just one of the animals rescued by the RSPCA this summer.
37:10He was left outside the Leibourne Centre in a cardboard box with no food or water at just 10 weeks old.
37:16So, with financial strain, heat and neglect all pushing the number of cruelty cases up,
37:22the RSPCA says that the need for help is greatest when it's least expected.
37:26Because for animals like Hershey, abandonment came not with snow, but with a heatwave.
37:32Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV, Leibourne.
37:37Kristen joins me in the studio now.
37:39Kristen, start by telling us a bit more about the summer cruelty campaign that the RSPCA are launching now.
37:46So, this is all part of it.
37:48The story that I made is all part of it.
37:50This is why they're releasing the statistics,
37:52because due to the amount of pressure that's being put on services during the summer,
37:57they're just trying to raise awareness and say,
37:59look, we're really busy during the summer.
38:01It may not be when you expect.
38:04And then, obviously, because of the heatwaves and stuff,
38:05they feel like it could get even more busy.
38:08So, this is just all part of it.
38:09Trant doing an outreach for donations.
38:12Yeah, of course, still that Amber heat health alert upon us
38:15and many other parts of the county as well.
38:17It comes at the same time where we're seeing hosepipe bans in different parts of the country,
38:21partly Thameswater.
38:22Now, that's not affecting us here in Kent, that Thameswater hosepipe ban.
38:26But it is in other places, and the water companies are urging people to collect water when you can
38:32and to not waste it.
38:33That is the general sort of message.
38:34And all of these messages coincide with these heatwaves as well.
38:38What are some of the most common calls to the RSPCA about?
38:43So, like I said, it's to do with heatwaves, financial pressures, neglect.
38:48But I did actually ask this question to Adam when I was there,
38:51so I'll let him speak of it first.
38:53I don't think we have that.
38:56Could you take us through some of the things he said instead?
38:58I'll take what he said.
39:00Yeah, so he was just saying, you know, along with the heatwaves and stuff,
39:03people often, they get animals and then during the summer they go on holiday.
39:07They maybe don't think or don't realise they can't afford to get the animal care for when they're away.
39:14So, they're often maybe neglected or left in the house.
39:16Then they get heatstrokes or whatever, and then people might see them through a window,
39:20that sort of thing.
39:21So, there's lots of different things.
39:22There's holidays, heatwaves, just generally financial stuff,
39:26which is affecting, like the heatwaves, everything really.
39:29And how does he recommend people keep their animals cool?
39:32Of course, not all animals have the same requirements,
39:34and the RSPCA take in a wide range from cats and dogs to rabbits that we saw in your piece there.
39:39Yes, exactly.
39:40So, every animal's different.
39:42They all have different needs and different requirements.
39:44Like I seen when I was there, some of these rabbits,
39:47they were in slightly cooler temperatures.
39:50If you have a dog, they should be about the same as humans,
39:53but, you know, if they're older, you might need to take them on shorter walks in the shade,
39:58maybe just walk them around the house, make sure that their hair's not too long.
40:03There's lots of different things.
40:04But like he said, I mean, it's best not to go off of what the pet shops tell you
40:10or what you've just heard online.
40:12Research it fully.
40:13You can call them if you need any assistance,
40:15and it's always better to get help than to be fearful of that.
40:18Yeah, things you can also do is the sort of five-second rule.
40:21Put your hand.
40:22I did it at the weekend when I was walking my dog.
40:24Put your hand on the concrete.
40:25If it's too hot for you in those five seconds,
40:27then it's probably too hot for your dog's paws as well.
40:31And also making sure you're walking them in the early hours or in the evening before it.
40:35It gets too hot at the start of the day and at the end of the day
40:37when it's cooled down quite a bit as well.
40:39Yeah, and if, you know, if you have dogs like pugs and stuff,
40:42they might not be able to breathe as well.
40:43So just making sure you're keeping an eye on that sort of thing as well.
40:46Yeah, and especially asking for advice on particular breeds too.
40:50And just very quickly, what do they recommend people do
40:53if they're no longer actually able to care for their animals?
40:56Because, you know, RSPCS saying we can't keep taking in this many animals,
41:01but they'd rather do that, they'd rather rescue an animal than it be left somewhere.
41:05Certainly.
41:06I mean, I've been to lots of different animal shelters,
41:08and there's always the case where, you know, an animal might be left outside.
41:11Like I said in the story I made there, the rabbit called Hershey,
41:15he was left outside in a cardboard box, no water, no food.
41:19So the best thing to do is just call ahead, let them know.
41:21You don't need to inflict any more on the animal.
41:24OK. All right, Kristen, thank you very much.
41:26Very important message to share as we think about the heatwaves,
41:29how they're impacting us, but also our furry friends too.
41:32Kristen, thank you.
41:34All right, time for a very quick break.
41:36When we come back, more stories from right across the county,
41:39and we'll take a look at the weather forecast where you are as well,
41:41as we've been talking about those heat health alerts and heatwaves coming our way.
41:46See you in a few minutes.
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45:40We'll see you in a few minutes.
45:42We'll see you in a few minutes.
45:46for an evening of music and wonder.
45:50I've made it inside the Leeds Castle Concert.
45:53Let's go and see what's on offer.
45:56Leeds Castle celebrated the 40th anniversary of Live Aid,
46:01an iconic charity concert which raised money for the country of Ethiopia,
46:07which suffered a famine from 1983 to 1985.
46:12We're blessed with an absolutely glorious day.
46:15The weather's been really kind to us.
46:17In front of me I can just see a sea of people and Union Jacks
46:21and people enjoying themselves, family groups, special occasions.
46:25Everyone's having a really great time.
46:27Plenty of people were also encouraged to come in their British best.
46:32Leeds Castle is absolutely fantastic.
46:34It's a great day.
46:35If you choose any day, Leeds Castle Classic Concert is the best package to do.
46:41Every year, the last six years, we've had an absolutely fantastic time.
46:46It gets better every year.
46:48You've come for four years.
46:50You've come for four years?
46:51Yeah, you are, haven't you?
46:53I mean, following years.
46:54Catching up with friends in the sunshine, having lots of drinks,
46:57and clinging the chickens.
46:59Yeah, oh, clinging the chickens is definitely a great one.
47:02There was also plenty of local talent, including the Maidstone Voices Choir,
47:08who performed after winning the Kent Sings Competition.
47:12It's like a 360 anniversary this year.
47:15Yeah, yeah.
47:16What does that mean to you?
47:17It means an awful lot, because it was a time when these wonderful people said,
47:22let's just make almost like a Mexican wave of joy and hope and love across the planet.
47:28At that time, I can't remember what the figures were,
47:30but an astronomical number of people around the globe watched that event.
47:34And I think to just recreate some of the goodwill and the beautiful love of fellow man
47:40through the joy of music has been really lovely for us to be a part of today.
47:45The Leeds Castle concert ended like it started, with a bang, complete with a spitfire, cannons and fireworks.
47:54With it, people will hopefully remember this summer night for years to come.
48:00Henry Luck for KMTV at Leeds Castle.
48:06Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent
48:10by logging on to our website, it's kmtv.co.uk.
48:13There you'll find all of our reports, including this one, about KMFM's
48:17Tons of Tins campaign to get food bank shelves stocked this summer.
48:22Between April 2023 and March 2024, over 3 million emergency food parcels
48:28were distributed by Trussell Trust food banks.
48:31But back for a third year, a local campaign hopes to tackle the issue of food poverty across the county.
48:38To help tackle the food poverty crisis, the team here at KMFM
48:42are bringing back their Tons of Tins campaign.
48:45The campaign sets out to help a variety of food banks and services that offer food banks here across Kent.
48:51They're accepting a wide variety of tinned items and non-perishables.
48:56Tons of Tins calls on anyone to help and donate.
48:59And over the past couple of years, has seen an incredibly positive response.
49:04We are blown away every year by the incredible generosity of our listeners.
49:10The first year that we ran it, we really didn't know what to expect because we had nothing to kind of benchmark it against.
49:17And I remember our kind of initial goal was just completely blown out of the water.
49:23Last year, the campaign donated 9.21 tons of food.
49:28And this year, that goal has increased to 10 tons.
49:32Unfortunately, a variety of people have had to turn to food banks over the last couple of years.
49:37Some areas of the county have seen food bank demand increase by over 250%.
49:43There's a misguided representation as to who uses food banks.
49:49I think people would be quite surprised.
49:51So that's why it's so important.
49:53There'll be people in your family.
49:55There'll be people in your friendship groups.
49:57There'll be people that you work with who are having to dip into food banks here in Kent.
50:01So if we can help even just alleviate a little bit of that pain, then we'll be super happy.
50:07The campaign starts today and runs until Friday, the 1st of August.
50:13There are many ways people can get involved.
50:15One being a donation to a Just Giving page where KMFM will purchase tins of food, supplies and more.
50:23Alternatively, people can go and deliver tins and food in person.
50:28And finally, people are able to do an online shop via their chosen supplier and have it delivered to the KMFM HQ.
50:36So between now and the 1st of August, KMFM are calling on anyone to help donate,
50:42or if not able to donate, to share the campaign across social media.
50:47Etterley Reynolds for KMTV.
50:50And we'll keep you updated on how KMFM's campaign gets on as well.
50:55But for now, let's take a look at what the forecast is looking like where you are.
51:05Tonight, clear skies across the county. Temperatures between 15 and 16 degrees.
51:10Wind picking up tomorrow morning, bringing with it some rain across the county.
51:14An end to the dry spell we've been having.
51:16Some cloud and sunshine in north parts.
51:19The sunshine pushing towards the southern parts of Kent by tomorrow afternoon,
51:24warming up ever so slightly.
51:25And dry weather for the rest of the week.
51:27Right up until Friday, highs of 26 degrees.
51:30Some sunshine behind the clouds.
51:32Now, Sheppier United have kicked off a new tradition in memory of their most successful manager,
51:46Ernie Batten, who passed away earlier this year.
51:49The pre-season cup is a family affair as the side face Sheppier Sports FC.
51:53Mr Batten's sons run the team.
51:56It began with an eruption of applause for the manager,
51:59who's credited with bringing United back from their past struggles.
52:03Finn McDermott was at the match.
52:05Two promotions, six cup finals, four domestic trophies and one incredible FA Cup run.
52:12This is the legacy of Sheppier United's late manager, Ernie Batten, who passed away earlier this year.
52:17He wasn't just a manager, but a father as well.
52:20And to honour him, his two sons led Sheppier Sport Football Club in a pre-season match against United,
52:25marking the very first Ernie Batten Cup.
52:28Yeah, I mean, as I say, it was always going to be an emotional day for myself and my family.
52:34But again, it's a day that we celebrate my dad and everything he's done for the football club.
52:41This was, I know, this was his home.
52:44You know, he absolutely loved this place and, you know, it is what it is today because he worked so hard.
52:50And, you know, it was always his dream to bring the football back to the island and, you know, to look at it now.
52:57I'm just so proud of him.
52:59Ahead of kick-off, both teams, the officials and the fans applauded Ernie,
53:03who's often credited with making the club a beloved part of the island after its past struggles.
53:08You know, you drive down the road, you see, you know, youngsters in Sheppier United kit and tracksuits.
53:13And, you know, when I was growing up, we didn't have that.
53:15But, you know, look what we've got now, you know, average gates, you know, three, four hundred people.
53:20The success Sheppier have had, you know, the FA Cup, the season before last.
53:26So, you know, it's fantastic.
53:28And, you know, the dad's legacy, what he's left, is this place.
53:32And, you know, we're happy, you know, we're so proud as a family for, you know, to come out here
53:38and enjoy the facility amongst thousands of other people on this island.
53:42In the end, even though Sheppier United did win the match against their lower division rivals,
53:46Sport gave it a good go, ending the fixture with two goals to United's four.
53:51As well as being a fixture for the community, the Cup is also key
53:54for making sure both squads are fit and ready for the new season.
53:58You look at today, in this heat, the players get a good workout, a good sweat on them.
54:06So, you know, every friendly we play, whether we play against a team higher in the pyramid than us
54:12or lower in the pyramid than us, we want it to be a worthwhile exercise.
54:18Pre-season games might not seem all that important sometimes, but they can tell you a lot about how the club might perform next season.
54:26But this pre-season game isn't about the future. It's about the past, about what Ernie Batten did for the club
54:31and how they can honour his legacy going forward.
54:35Finn McDermid for KMTV.
54:39Finn joins me in the studio now. What a lovely legacy that Ernie Batten's of course left behind,
54:45but what a way to honour him as well. What was it like at the weekend?
54:48It was really, really moving. I mean, from the beginning, they played one of Ernie's favourite songs.
54:53I wasn't able to grab out exactly what song it was, but that played out across Home Park,
54:57which Ernie had so much involvement in getting them that stadium
55:01and bringing them back from their times of real struggle during the early 2000s.
55:05So, many people on the day were saying, you know, without the efforts of Ernie Batten,
55:09without him giving his life towards the club, it just wouldn't be the same club that it is today.
55:13And it was great. I mean, you can see there, it was an intense match.
55:17I think it was 4-2 in the end, even with a penalty in the late parts of the second half.
55:22But great game, very nice day, very hot, as Tommy said there.
55:25So, all the players got a great workout before the start of the new season.
55:28So, yeah, all around a very good day.
55:30Yeah, really, really, really special for those people taking part.
55:33And managers always remembered, but especially when they've brought a team back into playing form, as he did.
55:41What else can we expect on Invicta this evening? A brand new episode?
55:45Yep, brand new episode. It's an interesting one this week.
55:47We'll take a brief look at several of those pre-season fixtures.
55:50Obviously, the Ernie Batten Cup included.
55:52We'll also look at how Chatham Town fared against Coventry City's Under-21s team.
55:57We also had a long chat with our guest, Bruce Hertogs.
56:01He's a volleyball coach. He coaches a team here in Medway.
56:04All about his own origin story within the sport, but also talking a lot on his juniors team.
56:09You can see them there.
56:10They're so popular, in fact, that he's looking for additional court space or potentially even a new venue.
56:16It was a long interview there, but I have prepared a short clip which we can hear from now.
56:21If I could find a bigger building tomorrow, I could fill it. There's no question about that.
56:27Yeah, the difficulty is that, and you'll know, volleyball has 12 people on a court, six on a side, and you can't really over...
56:38All that and more coming up on Invicta Sport in a few minutes' time. Don't go anywhere.
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