Oliver Leonard

1 week ago | kentonline.co.uk | Oliver Leonard

Empty town centre shops – once filled by Dorothy Perkins and Clintons – are now up for sale for £650,000. The two units in Biggin Street, Dover, have hit the market as one site, and are being listed with commercial agents Whozoo on Rightmove. Together, they span more than 10,000 sq ft, with the site including two self-contained shop units across three levels – lower ground, ground, and first floor.

1 week ago | kentonline.co.uk | Oliver Leonard

Disturbing images reveal the shocking state of a home dubbed the “flat from hell” following the arrest of a woman on suspicion of child neglect. The condition of the property near Faversham has left neighbours fearing for their health as it remains filled with filth some four months after it was abandoned. One says the stench from the flat was so bad they initially feared someone had died inside, so they alerted police.

1 week ago | kentonline.co.uk | Oliver Leonard

Police were called to a farm’s family fun day after vegan activists targeted the event - with some parents saying young children were “upset”. Officers were pictured at the spring fair in Willesborough, Ashford, as the protesters handed out leaflets promising a “fun-packed tour of your local abattoir”. Some people saw the funny side of the stunt - but one mum says her six-year-old daughter “almost burst into tears”.

1 week ago | kentonline.co.uk | Oliver Leonard

A graffiti-covered former pub that has sat derelict for two decades will finally be demolished after plans to redevelop the site were approved. The Two Bells in Canterbury Road, Folkestone, has been a blight on the town since closing in 2005, becoming a magnet for vandalism. But Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) has now granted permission for the crumbling structure to be replaced by 12 flats - despite concerns over parking.

2 weeks ago | kentonline.co.uk | Oliver Leonard

Plans put forward by a young business owner to revitalise part of a high street that “doesn’t really offer anything” have been refused amid privacy concerns. Abigail Adams, 22, had hoped to build a two-storey development on land next to her Capelli Hairdressers business in New Romney. Her proposals – which included a cafe on the ground floor and a two-bedroom flat above – were designed to “offer something new” to the western end of the high street.