By jwright@thekmgroup.co.uk (Joe Wright) A man given infected blood during the NHS’ biggest-ever scandal felt like he was “living life with his shoelaces tied together”, an inquest has heard. Steve Dymond, who lived the final years of his life in Broad…
Bid to remove static caravan from Westgate clifftop after it ‘suddenly appears’
By bharper@thekmgroup.co.uk (Brad Harper) A static caravan has “suddenly appeared” on a clifftop in a quaint seaside town. The portable home was dumped on council-owned land near the beach in Sea Road, Westgate. The unusual situation has prompted Thane…
Asbestos closure of Swale House, Sittingbourne, is costing nearly £4,000 in hire charges
By jnurden@thekmgroup.co.uk (John Nurden) The asbestos closure of Swale House is costing taxpayers nearly £4,000 in extra hire charges. Alternative venues have been booked for 25 meetings which would normally have been held in Swale council’s headquart…
Plan to convert abandoned Sheppey Light Railway track to a ‘greenway’ for cycling and walking gets up steam
By jnurden@thekmgroup.co.uk (John Nurden) A bold plan to convert what is left of the former Sheppey Light Railway into a track for cycling and walking has passed its first hurdle. Around 50 people turned up for a public meeting to hear Sheerness town c…
New images as work starts to construct new £250k skate park at St Mary’s Rec in Swanley
By sdelaney@thekmgroup.co.uk (Sean Delaney) New images have been released as work gets underway to construct a new Olympics-inspired skate park. Skaters have long called for an upgrade to the uneven surfaces and rusty ramps found at St Mary’s Rec in Sw…
Kent County Council pledges £11m to help with the cost-of-living crisis
By ajsmith@thekmgroup.co.uk (Alan Smith) Residents across Kent struggling with the rising cost of living will be in line for help – as campaigners say families face a “bleak” winter. County council leader Roger Gough announced a range of measures expec…
Road checks and fines in Dartford as police step up ‘boy racers’ crackdown
By ajsmith@thekmgroup.co.uk (Alan Smith) Twelve fines have been issued to motorists as police step up their crackdown on boy racers in a Kent town. Officers carried out road checks and monitored the speeds of vehicles in Dartford last night following c…
We pick nine of Kent’s best live music pubs, based on Google reviews
By slawrie@thekmgroup.co.uk (Sam Lawrie) There’s nothing quite like spending your Friday night with a cold pint of beer and a brilliant pub band. Kent certainly isn’t short of boozers so, to help you narrow it down, we’ve rounded up some of the best li…
Tracey Emin on life in Margate, Arlington House, the town’s regeneration and her £2.3m painting
By mbowles@thekmgroup.co.uk (Millie Bowles) Throughout Tracey Emin’s career she has been famed for her outspoken views and controversial artwork. And when asked by KentOnline what she thinks about Margate, she was as candid as ever. In an exclusive int…
Police clamp down on Crossways Boulevard and Bluewater ‘boy racers’
By ajsmith@thekmgroup.co.uk (Alan Smith) Police have acted to clamp down on “boy racers” in Greenhithe after scenes described as “like the opening of Brands Hatch”. Truck drivers had complained they were unable to access their depots off Crossways Boul…