James Pallant

1 week ago | kentonline.co.uk | James Pallant

Every day, people in Kent endanger themselves and others by getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol or taking drugs. The consequences can be tragic, with one drink-driver jailed last week for causing a crash that left a teenage girl with life-changing injuries.

2 weeks ago | kentonline.co.uk | James Pallant

A transgender pool champion is suing one of the sport’s governing bodies over its decision to ban male-born players from women-only events. Harriet Haynes, who lives in Faversham, has taken legal action against the English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF), which has excluded transgender women from its ladies’ tour and county tournaments.

2 weeks ago | kentonline.co.uk | James Pallant

A grammar school that boasted the top Ofsted rating of ‘Outstanding’ for 12 years has been downgraded across the board following an inspection. Marking Dover Grammar School for Girls as “Good”, the education watchdog praised its “ambitious environment” but found class discussion is not promoted enough. In a report published today, inspectors wrote: “Pupils enjoy coming to school, and their attendance is high. “Parents and carers are very positive about the school’s work.

3 weeks ago | kentonline.co.uk | James Pallant

Additional reporting by Julia RobertsA “promising” university graduate is behind bars after crashing his dad’s Range Rover into a taxi and killing the rear-seat passenger. Shiam Sugarnan, 22, was driving on the wrong side of a dual-carriageway towards Dover when he caused the almost head-on collision at more than 50mph. Despite Sugarnan’s efforts to revive him, Martin Waters, 57, was pronounced dead at the scene in the early hours of September 2, 2022.

3 weeks ago | kentonline.co.uk | James Pallant

Operation Brock will be back in force for three weeks this month as Kent is braced for a spike in travel over the Easter holidays. The unpopular contraflow system slows traffic on the M20 to 50mph during busy periods and when there is disruption to travel across the English Channel. Operation Brock will be in place for three weeks in AprilAshford MP Sojan Joseph says he was previously assured by Kent County Council that the scheme would only be implemented in emergencies.