A mum has praised her son for saving her from a fire at their home near Dartford. The blaze broke out in a bedroom of the property on Capel Place in Wilmington, setting off the smoke alarms. Loren Ringshall has lived there for 16 years and initially attempted to fight the flames, before being dragged to safety. She's been speaking to reporter Ben A…

Frustrated neighbours say “rude and lazy” school-run parents are making their lives hell by parking and driving recklessly. Residents in Ashford say vehicles are regularly left on double-yellow lines, across dropped kerbs and even on driveways by people dropping children at the nearby schools. Also on today’s podcast, a cleaner at a school in Sandw…

The son of a Gravesend man who was attacked by an XL Bully says he was one bite from death. The 69-year-old suffered injuries to his arms, legs, shoulder and upper thigh after being mauled by the animal while on his evening walk. Also in today’s podcast, police have had to cordon off a town centre street after a man and a woman were found dead. Eme…

Kent’s first homeless pods are set to launch later this year with 23 currently being stacked on an industrial estate in Ashford. They’re designed to be an energy-efficient alternative to building new homes and will offer temporary accommodation to rough sleepers. Also in today’s podcast, plans to drastically scale back the number of children eligib…

Labour have swept to victory in the general election. Sir Keir Starmer is the country's new Prime Minister after going to meet the King following the official resignation of Rishi Sunak. Labour claimed more than 400 seats across the country with the Tories suffering their worst results in history. In Kent, the political picture is very different wi…

A primary school teacher from Gravesend has been banned from the profession after she was caught drinking wine during her lunch break. She was in her car at the time and was later called into the office for questioning. Also in today's podcast, a former soldier from Canterbury has been telling KentOnline how medicinal cannabis "changed his life" af…

It’s been confirmed four Kent restaurants owned by the same company will be closing. They’re all owned by Whitbread, which is also the owner of Premier Inn, which earlier this year confirmed plans to convert 112 of its low-performing restaurants into hotel facilities and to sell 126 of its branded restaurants. Also in today’s podcast, a woman has n…

The family of a teenage boy who suffered severe brain damage after jumping off a pier into the sea at Margate have described him as 'amazing but as wild as they come'. Jack Dolan was knocked unconscious after performing a flip off Stone Pier last month. The 15-year-old was flown to a London hospital but a scan revealed no brain activity. Also in to…

People living in a village between Folkestone and Dover say plans to build 90 more homes is "concreting over countryside and will spoil views". Developers have lodged plans to transform farmland in Capel-le-Ferne - and it's already raised more than 100 letters of objection. Also in today's podcast, a woman's described the moment a car crashed into …

A dad has told of his heartbreak following the death of his kind, loving and talented daughter - aged just 16. Sasha Ghosh, from Smeeth, near Ashford, had been competing internationally in gymnastics before being diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer two years ago. Also in today’s podcast, you can hear from election experts on which was the cou…

The company behind a £30 million regeneration project in Canterbury has been put into administration. It means the development of the former Nasons department store in the city is now in doubt. As the fall out from the election betting scandal continues, the KentOnline Podcast has been hearing your thoughts about those involved. Earlier this week t…

A frustrated patient waiting in a busy A&E has been involved in a stand-off with staff after his friend brought in a mattress for him to lie down on. The make shift bed was dragged onto the floor of the emergency unit at Ashford's William Harvey hospital. Also in today's podcast, we've got an extended chat with a Chatham woman who was taken into ca…

The head of a Kent grammar school is calling for a non-selective secondary nearby to re-open. David Clark is in charge at Cranbrook school and says a replacement for the High Weald Academy, which closed nearly two years ago, is desperately needed. It's because a lot of homes are being built in the area and many parents face sending their children m…

A Chatham woman who hid a sawn-off shotgun in her garden has avoided being sent to prison - after waiting eight years for the case to come to court. Police were called to 47-year-old Wendy Allen's home on Weeds Wood Road in April 2016 after an anonymous tip-off. Also in today's podcast, figures seen by the KentOnline podcast show a 45% rise in drug…

A man has been left needing six stiches following an unprovoked attack while visiting Canterbury. Sergio Pagliarini was walking back to his car after dinner when a man punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Also in today's episode, a horse rider has spoken out about the moment her pony was attacked while she was riding with her family…

Dog walkers have been wrongly accused of flouting new restrictions and threatened with fines near Whitstable. Officials have been approaching pet owners along Tankerton slopes and insisting the area is covered by a new Public Spaces Protection Order, which bans owners from letting dogs off their leads. Aldo in today’s episode, election candidates h…

An inquest has heard a popular workman described by loved ones as “the greatest partner and father” died after falling down a manhole in a tragic accident. The specialist labourer from Deal fell into the opening after being distracted by a passing road-sweeping vehicle while working at a new housing estate. Also in today’s podcast, we bring you an …

An Ashford dad who hit rock bottom after divorce and redundancy says he was drinking two bottles of vodka a day before he was saved by a Kent charity. He’s turned his life around and is preparing to open his own gym in Dover to help others through their struggles. Also in today’s podcast, residents in Gravesend are furious after they were “kept in …

Seven people have been arrested after protestors stormed a Kent factory that's used to make equipment for the Israeli military. Video at KentOnline shows people from Palestine Action breaking into the Instro Precision site in Sandwich and smashing computers and machinery. Also in today's podcast, as we mark Refugee Week, a woman who came to Kent fr…

Upset residents say they were horrified after watching a group of boys “torture” and kill birds with catapults. The teenagers also allegedly kicked and threw a duck against a wall by the River Medway near Fremlin Walk in Maidstone. Also in today's podcast, you can hear from a first-time voter who says politicians should be consulting young people m…

A carer is being investigated after she was caught on camera apparently spitting on her patient’s doorstep following a row over a damaged wall. The patient, who lives in Strood, says the incident has left her feeling “disrespected” and as if she was “disgusting”. Also in today’s podcast, a desperate appeal has been issued to pregnant women in Kent …

Neighbours have spoken of their shock after a woman died in a house fire in Chatham. Crews were called to Sharon Crescent in Walderslade on Monday evening - a cat also died in the blaze. Also in the podcast, a Fawkham man is locked in a battle with his local church over the headstone he's chosen for his wife's grave. Dave Clarke wants a pink-tinted…

The Kent candidates for the general election have been confirmed. Nominations had be in by Friday and they've now been checked and verified and published for each constituency. This time around there are 18 seats up for grabs in the county - hear from our local democracy reporter Dan Esson. Also in today's podcast, the head teacher of a Kent gramma…

People living in a new-build block of flats in Ashford say its “inefficient” green energy system is making their bills much higher than they should be. Residents say the building is always boiling hot and they would never have moved in had they known how much they would have been forking out for heating - including covering payments missed by their…

A Medway mum says she'll fight to keep her swimming pool after being ordered to remove it from a communal yard outside flats in Chatham. Chelsea Davidson was contacted by management company MHS Homes last week, and told to get rid of the 12-foot paddling pool in Silverweed Road. Also in today's podcast, a Gravesend man who set up a funding group af…

A major rescue mission has been launched in the English Channel as 84 people - including a six-month-old baby and two other children - ended up in the water. British and French vessels took part in the operation halfway between Calais and Dover. Also in today’s podcast, you can hear from a Whitstable veteran as we mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day…