Kent weekly round-up: 27 April - 3 May 2024
Kent Police/Getty ImagesThe story about Ryan Clarke reacting to a Kent Police e-fit he was compared to 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.
Probe launched into mass fly-tipping on farmland
An investigation is under way into another case of large-scale illegal waste dumping in Kent, described as “systematic destruction” of large swathes of countryside.
Piles of waste, mostly shredded plastics, are being brought to the site at Iwade, near Sittingbourne, by a regular stream of lorries, according to local residents.
It follows other cases of tipping at Hoad’s Wood, near Ashford, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and at Borstal, near Rochester, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
At this latest site on farmland at Iwade, drone pictures shot by the BBC show what appears to be waste being tipped.
More than 700 people arrive by small boats in a day
Getty ImagesA total of 711 people were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats on Wednesday, the highest number on a single day so far this year.
Provisional figures from the Home Office show the total number of migrants arriving by small boats so far this year now stands at 8,278.
This is 34% higher than the total at the equivalent time last year, (6,192 people) and 19% higher than the total at this stage in 2022 (6,945 migrants).
Some 14 boats were detected on Wednesday, which suggests an average of about 51 people per boat.
Woman guilty of murdering pub landlord
Kent PoliceA woman accused of stabbing a landlord to death has been convicted of his murder.
Stephanie Langley, 55, from East Farleigh, Kent, stabbed Matthew Bryant, her former brother-in-law, three times with a kitchen knife.
Mr Bryant was pronounced dead as he lay in the street in front of the Hare and Hounds pub in Maidstone, Kent, last September.
She will be sentenced at a future date, but was told when she was convicted on Wednesday that she is facing a life sentence.
Tonnes of seized illegal meat pose health risk - port
DPHASheep carcasses transported to the UK without temperature controls, with blood dripping on other food such as pig parts, chicken, beef and cheese, were seized at the Port of Dover days before new controls came in, officials said.
Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) said it seized 3.4 tonnes of illegal meat on Friday and Saturday, highlighting the importance of its work at the Kent port.
DPHA has criticised government plans to move biosecurity checks from the border to a facility at Sevington, 22 miles (35 km) inland from the port, and has called for a purpose-built, temperature-controlled facility at Dover to be used.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said checks of medium and high-risk goods were now taking place, including at Sevington.
Plans for new stadium and 3,500 homes approved
Gravesham Borough CouncilA football stadium and thousands of homes will be built on brownfield land in Kent.
Plans by Ebbsfleet United FC for an 8,000-capacity stadium and 3,500 homes have been approved by Gravesham Borough Council.
Buildings on nearly 50-acres of land in Northfleet, including the club’s current Kuflink Stadium, will be demolished.
The plans received 330 letters of support and 61 objections. A number of people raised concerns about the loss of a local wharf to the area.
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