Kent weekly round-up: 20 April - 26 April 2024
PA Media The story about a Kent singer earning a "golden buzzer" on Britain's Got Talent proved a popular read this week.
A variety of local issues featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Kent and BBC South East Today.
We have picked five stories from the past week in case you missed them.
Illustrator's shock finding design copies on Temu
Elizabeth HarbourA Kent-based illustrator and designer has described her shock at finding copies of her designs on retail site Temu.
Elizabeth Harbour from Wateringbury, Kent, runs her self-titled business selling wooden decorations, mantle ornaments and cards.
However, she told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme she was shocked to see her designs on Temu: "I think what was so frightening was they were direct copies, and you think how has that happened?"
A Temu spokesperson said: "We take IP (intellectual property) infringement seriously and acted immediately to investigate when contacted by Elizabeth on 14th April 2024 and removed the infringing listings on 15th April 2024."
Concerns for P&O staff jobs amid new crew law
PAThere are fresh concerns for the jobs of P&O workers as new legislation limits the amount of time crews can spend on board ships.
A letter sent to staff, seen by the BBC, said a new French law will mean crews can spend a maximum of up to 14 days on the ferry.
Concerns raised by a union are that current staff, many of them from the Philippines and Indonesia, would prove too costly to repatriate on the revised schedules.
A P&O spokesperson said the company had "always called for a level playing field among ferry operators" to ensure a "thriving sector".
Hornby sales hit by attacks on Red Sea shipping
ShutterstockModel train manufacturer Hornby has blamed falling sales on delivery delays linked to attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
The Kent-based company, which specialises in toys and collectibles, said its sales declined 8% in the last quarter.
It said the decline was partly driven by delays to deliveries via the Red Sea, with the movement of some container ships being pushed back from March to April.
Container shipping firms have been forced to re-route around the Cape of Good Hope in response, adding weeks to voyage times.
YolanDa Brown named University of Kent chancellor
Louise Haywood-SchieferDouble Mobo award winner YolanDa Brown has been appointed as the University of Kent's new chancellor.
The saxophonist and broadcaster succeeds former BBC Newsnight journalist Gavin Esler, who retired after almost 10 years in the role.
Ms Brown graduated from the university with a first-class undergraduate masters degree in European management science with Spanish.
She described her time at the university as "life affirming", and said "every single time I am on campus a new memory returns, so you can imagine my joy accepting this role as chancellor".
Queen Victoria's billiards table on sale
Local Democracy Reporting ServiceA billiards table once owned by Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace is on sale in Kent for £150,000.
Sarah and Michael Hudson bought the antique from a West London social club 15 years ago.
The couple run John Bennett Billiards Ltd in Queen St, Paddock Wood, where they restore and build billiards and snooker tables.
The 12ft by 6ft (3.6m by 1.8m) mahogany table has an ornate badge which states it was installed at Buckingham Palace in 1842 and removed in 1897.
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