New Dartford crossing could cost £5billion
Options for a new Thames crossing include a scheme that would pass through "environmentally sensitive areas" and cost up to £5 billion.
Tracey Emin warns Government not to downgrade art
Artist Tracey Emin, from Kent, has warned the Government not to downgrade art in the school curriculum.
Funerals for soldiers who died in WW1
Relatives from Hampshire and Kent have travelled to France to attend the funeral of two soldiers who died in WW1.
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Victims of crime 'very poorly served' in Kent
Kent Police fails to record some crimes properly, and has an 'institutional bias' towards chasing performance targets instead of criminals. Fred and Sangeeta link to David Johns
Chief Constable of Kent Police 'disappointed'
– Ian Learmonth, Kent Police Chief ConstableI would like to reassure the people of Kent that we are fully committed to delivering a high quality service to victims of crime.
The report states that 9 out of 10 victims of crime receive a good service from us. I am disappointed this is not even better and will be doing all I can to improve on this.
Every officer and member of staff within Kent Police strives to deliver a high quality service to the communities of Kent every day. I am proud of their achievements and will continue to seek to make that even better."
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Kent Police 'fully accepts' report's recommendations
– Kent Police StatementThere is nothing more important in policing than integrity. The force demands the highest standards, and the public has an absolute right to expect them.
Kent Police acknowledges the report and fully accepts the recommendations. We welcome HMIC’s finding that there is no evidence of bad practice or corruption. We are committed to delivering a high level of service to victims of crime in the county and the findings of this report have allowed us to focus on key areas so we can continue to improve our service."
HMIC report: 'More needs to be done by Kent Police'
– Zoë Billingham, HM Inspector of Constabulary for the Eastern RegionOur inspection has found that appreciably more needs to be done by Kent Police to make sure its crime figures are as accurate as they should be. The force has been addressing the issue of crime recording and has made significant progress in this area. However, we found that the force had under-recorded approximately one in every ten crimes of the sample we examined – this means some victims are not getting the service they deserve...
Crime report criticises Kent Police
A review of crime recording in Kent by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has found that much more needs to be done before people in Kent can be confident that the crime figures published by the force are accurate.
The inspection found that the public is being offered a good service from call handling staff but the processes that followed would sometimes deteriorate, as crimes were not being recorded correctly. HMIC concluded that there's been an institutional bias towards chasing targets for solving crime.
HMIC says the force has recognised the target-driven culture as a major problem and that the Chief Constable is determined to change this.
You can read the full report at http://www.hmic.gov.uk/publication/crime-recording-in-kent/
17 years behind bars for armed robbers
Two armed robbers who stole thousands of pounds of jewellery from a Deal shop were sentenced to a total of 17 years in prison.
Oguzhan Kaya, 18, from Hinchcliffe Way, Margate, and Michael Spencer Delsignore, 29, from Mill Road, Deal, were found guilty at Canterbury Crown Court.
The court heard how the pair were involved in a robbery at Simmonds Jewellers in High Street, Deal, on Wednesday October 31st last year.
Three masked raiders entered the store with a sawn-off shotgun and a hammer and threatened staff.
They smashed glass display cabinets and helped themselves to earrings and watches worth around £3,000.
Police later discovered a van used during the getaway hired to Delsignore, containing price tags and labels relating to some of the items stolen during the raid. Delsignore was arrested on November 1st.
Six days later a warrant was carried out at an address in Bath Road, Margate, where more stolen property was unearthed. Officers found Kaya hiding in the basement and he was arrested along with Kayleigh Somerville, 22.
Kaya was found guilty of robbery and possession of a firearm and Delsignore guilty of robbery. Somerville pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods at an earlier hearing.
Kaya was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Delsignore was given a seven year prison sentence while Somerville, of Bath Road, Margate, was given a four month sentence, suspended for two years.
Det Const Nathan Scamp said: "This was a planned armed robbery designed to threaten and scare staff and make as much money as possible in the shortest amount of time. The staff at the store genuinely feared for their lives."
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Calligrapher awarded MBE for services to Heritage Crafts
Patricia Lovett, a professional scribe from Sevenoaks in Kent has been awarded an MBE. She is the first person to ever receive the honour for Services to Heritage Craft and Calligraphy. Her experience includes work as an illuminator, teacher, lecturer and an author. She gave her reaction.
Report into claims crime figures were massaged
A report will be published on Monday into claims that Kent Police officers have been encouraged to massage the county's crime figures.
Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Ann Barnes, commissioned an inspection from the police watchdog, the HMIC, to determine whether residents can have confidence in the statistics.
It followed allegations that were made in November last year that some officers were being put under pressure to let criminals go as part of a practice involving taking other offences into consideration.
The allegations emerged after five officers were questioned in an anti-corruption probe.
Lyme Disease ruins Sarah's life
by David Johns (@davidjohns_itv)A woman from Ashford who contracted Lyme Disease after being bitten by a tick is trying to raise awareness of the condition. Sarah Bignell was bed-bound for months and left in agonising pain after being bitten on a trip to the Scottish Highlands.
David Johns has our report, speaking to Sarah Bignell as well as Dr Sandra Pearson from Lyme Disease Action.
You can find lots of information about Lyme Disease at http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/
Revival for Darling Buds of May
Video. The family farm where TV series The Darling Buds of May was filmed could become our newest tourist attraction. Fans of the comedy drama about idlyic rural Kentish life may get the chance to relive the life led by the Larkins.
The show featured David Jason as Pop Larkin and shot Catherine Zeta Jones to fame. And now the new owner has some plans for the site which was once a film set. We sent our reporter Nashreen Issa along to find out more.
She talked to Simon Coulson, Buss Farm owner and Paul Mill, Buds Classic Car Show organiser.
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