Royal Mail Centre opens in Kent
A huge new sorting office for Kent has opened in Rochester
Schools switch to Academies
New Government figures show there are now more than ten times as many Academy Schools in our region as there were two years ago
Rabies: Second person tested
A second person is being tested for rabies two days after a woman from Kent was diagnosed with the disease.
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Southend bucks the house price trend
Southend has seen the biggest rise in house prices among the country's major towns and cities over the past year.
According to the Halifax the average selling price in the seaside resort was 14.8% higher than the previous year, rising to £198,418 by the end of 2012, compared with an improvement of 2.1% on average across the whole of Essex.
Basingstoke in Hampshire experienced the second biggest rise in house prices with a 14.7% gain, while three more towns within commuting distance of London - Rochester, St Albans and Dartford - make up the top five.
Man rescued from house fire
Kent Fire & Rescue Service have led a man to safety after a big fire broke out at his home.
Fire crews were called to the address on Kingsley Avenue in Dartford at 00.41am this morning. Four fire engines were needed to tackle the flames - the ground floor was well alight.
The fire is believed to have started in the utility room. An investigation into the cause is underway. Fire crews will be in the area over the next few days, offering safety advice to neighbouring properties.
– Watch Manager Vicki Brown, Kent Fire & Rescue Service"Fortunately we found that three members of the family had managed to get out okay but a 21-year-old man was still upstairs so we walked him down a ladder at the rear of the property. Three people were taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening."
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Royal Mail Centre opens in Kent
by David Johns (@davidjohns_itv)
A huge new sorting office for Kent has opened in Rochester
Read the full storyNew mail centre - first pictures
Royal Mail's new flagship postal centre is opening in Rochester today. The £70 million plant will process all mail posted to and from Kent - replacing four existing mail centre sites in Dartford, Canterbury, Tonbridge and Maidstone.
Man loses eye in catapult attack
Officers are appealing for information after a man lost his eye following an assault outside his home.
The 31 year old is due to have his eye removed after the attack in Birch Place, Dartford on Friday, September 7th.
At around 8pm two men approached his home, knocked on the door and confirmed his name before shooting him with a catapult.
He was taken to Maidstone hospital but nothing could be done to save his sight.
The two men were then seen running towards Hayes Road and getting into a white van.
Both are described as white and in their 20s. One around 5'8", stocky with dark straight short hair. The second taller, slim, tanned with mousey hair.
They were seen briefly talking to a man and woman on Stone Recreation Ground a short while before the assault.
Police are appealing for information.
– Det Const Roger HarrisA number of children were playing in the garden during the assault which has left a man with severe injuries which will not only affect the rest of his life but will undoubtedly have a devastating impact on the rest of his family who were at the house during the assault."
Pictures released of bold jewellery robbery
Mobile phone pictures of a jewellery robbery in Kent have been released to the public.
Two men smashed the display window of Bourne and Kemp jewellers in Longfield, near Dartford and ran off to a stolen silver Mercedes.
Bespoke jewellery worth tens of thousands of pounds was stolen.
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South East schools switch to Academies
The critics claim they're creating a two tier system in our children's education. The Government maintains they're driving up standards.
Meridian can reveal that there are now ten times more academies than two years ago. All of which have control of their own finances and curriculum.
Across the South East hundreds of secondary schools have switched. Medway has the highest number, 15 out of 18 are now academies, that's 83 per cent.
In Kent, the country's largest education authority, the figure is 61 per cent. In neighbouring Sussex, the number is lower just over 20 per cent in Brighton.
John Ryall reports
John Ryall spoke to former pupil Jacqui Nicholls and Principal Phil Karnavas. He also spoke to pupils Elli Kingsford, Philip Parrett and Ells Coumbe. Alisdair Smith from the Anti-Academies Alliance contributed to this piece.
Schools switch to Academies
New Government figures show there are now more than ten times as many Academy Schools in our region as there were two years ago
Read the full storyMajority of secondary schools in Kent now academies
Almost two thirds of secondary schools in Kent are now academies according to new government figures.
But primary schools are not taking up the new initative with just eight percent of schools making the change.
Nationally fifty four percent of secondary schools are already academies or are in the process of becoming academies.
Tolls suspended at Dartford
As a result of severe congestion on the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing, the Highways Agency has temporarily suspended Charges northbound on the Crossing until further notice.
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