Kent Morning Briefing
Friday, 26 June 2026
The day in Kent · Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority has approved a 12-week public consultation launching 25 June on proposals that could see fire stations closed and response times changed across the county. Residents will also be asked about a council tax rise to fund the service — decisions that will directly affect how quickly help arrives in an emergency.
The day ahead in Kent
Weather
Forecast unavailable.
Warning: Red warning of extreme heat affecting London & South East England; Amber warning of extreme heat affecting London & South East England; Amber warning of extreme heat affecting London & South East England; Yellow warning of thunderstorm affecting London & South East England
Travel
Roads (1 incident): M20 — M20 eastbound Jct 13 entry slip road closure.
Rail: Thameslink: Major disruption between London St Pancras International and Bedford, and also hot weather may affect your journey..
As of 05:00 from National Highways + National Rail.
Coastal tides
Dover: Low 04:00 (1.81m) · High 09:35 (5.54m) · Low 16:31 (1.89m) · High 21:58 (5.70m)
Margate: Low 04:08 (1.04m) · High 10:26 (4.08m) · Low 16:40 (1.22m) · High 22:44 (4.19m)
Tides via tidetimes.co.uk.
5 things to know
- KCC confirms flags on Kent lamp posts can stay unless posing safety risk
- Kent Police urge public to report sightings of wanted man Blake Groom
- Northfleet high-risk sex offender jailed for breaching child protection orders
- Kent fire station closure proposals head to public vote from 25 June
Top Kent Stories
- Kent County Council: Flags Can Stay on Lamp Posts But Safety Comes First
Published 05:52 BST
Kent County Council says its Highways teams won t routinely remove St George s or Union flags from lamp posts and buildings across the county, unless they pose a danger to road users or the public… - Kent Police Appeal for Help Tracing Wanted Man Blake Groom
Published 05:52 BST
Kent Police have listed Blake Groom on their official Most Wanted page and are urging the public to report any sightings through official channels rather than approach him directly. A Name on the… - Northfleet Sex Offender Jailed After Repeatedly Breaching Child Protection Orders
Published 19:02 BST
A high-risk registered sex offender from Northfleet has been jailed after Kent Police uncovered multiple breaches of court orders designed to stop him contacting children online, according to Kent… - Kent Fire and Rescue Service Public Consultation Approved to Launch in June
Published 19:02 BST
Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority has approved plans to put proposals on station closures, response time targets, and council tax to a 12-week public consultation starting 25 June 2026. The…
Crime & Justice
No additional crime stories in the last 12 hours.
Business & Economy
No additional B&E stories in the last 12 hours.
Kent Sport
No additional sport updates in the last 12 hours.
Financial markets
Bank of England (last 7 days):
- The Retail Payments Infrastructure Board launches consultation on the next generation UK payments infrastructure
- Megan Greene’s CV and questionnaire for the Treasury Select Committee
- Bank of England launches policy statement and draft rules on regulating systemic stablecoins
Markets via Yahoo Finance; ONS + BoE via official feeds.
What’s on today
No public events scheduled today.
Coming up tomorrow
No public events scheduled tomorrow.
“Kent was home to England’s first paper mill, established at Dartford in 1588 by John Spilman, royal jeweller to Elizabeth I.”
Kent fact of the day