Kent Morning Briefing
Thursday, 5 November 2026
4 stories · 3-minute read
1605: Guy Fawkes was arrested beneath the Houses of Parliament after planting gunpowder in a plot to kill King James I.
On this day in history
The day in Kent · A 19-year-old from Greenford has been jailed for 25 years for a fatal knife attack in Chatham. Ashford Borough Council takes the spotlight on local governance, earning recognition as Kent’s most open council while falling short on complaints and housing. Tonbridge and Malling has secured 20 flats for homeless families.
The day ahead in Kent
Weather
Today: Cloudy morning, becoming mostly clear in the afternoon, clearing in the evening, high 10°C, low 7°C.
Tomorrow: Cloudy morning, turning drizzly in the afternoon, high 11°C, low 8°C.
Travel
Roads: All major Kent routes clear.
Rail: All Kent services running to schedule.
As of 23:30 from National Highways + National Rail.
Coastal tides
Dover: Low 02:46 (1.91m) · High 08:02 (5.99m) · Low 15:16 (1.48m) · High 20:43 (6.01m)
Margate: Low 02:38 (1.42m) · High 08:44 (4.28m) · Low 15:18 (0.72m) · High 21:31 (4.49m)
Tides via tidetimes.co.uk.
5 things to know
- Ashford Borough Council tops Kent on FOI but scores poorly for housing and complaints.
- Tonbridge and Malling secures 20 Quarry Hill Road flats for homeless families.
- Kent Police female officers lead free women’s 5k run in Tunbridge Wells.
- Dartford Borough Council announces events programme from Remembrance Sunday to Christmas.
24 years and 30 days
Prison term after time on remand, for a fatal knife attack in Chatham.
Kent number of the day
Top Kent Stories
- Man jailed for 25 years over fatal knife attack in Chatham
Published 16:51 BST
Why it matters · A jury convicted him of a murder committed in Thorold Road, Chatham. - Kent Council Scorecard: how Ashford Borough Council scored, and what it means for Ashford
Published 05:00 BST
Why it matters · Ashford’s FOI record and housing failures affect residents’ trust in local government. - Tonbridge and Malling Council agrees lease on 20 flats for homeless families in Tonbridge
Published 10:50 BST
Why it matters · Twenty new homes for homeless families addresses a pressing Tonbridge housing need. - Kent Police officers to lead free women’s 5k run in Tunbridge Wells
Published 12:50 BST
Why it matters · Community policing initiative builds trust between Kent Police and Tunbridge Wells women.
Play today’s Kent Daily Quiz
Five questions from yesterday’s Kent Local News stories. One go a day; keep your streak.
Also on KLN Games: Kentle, Where in Kent?, the Kent mini crossword, Headline builder; chess, draughts and the Royal Game of Ur against the computer; and three Kent history games: Dover Castle 1216, the Siege of Rochester 1215 and the Medway Raid 1667; and for a laugh, Never Trust Your Hamster: Hammy has escaped and is running for the Sunday roast. New this week: Quick Sums, timed mental maths for grown-ups: eight games, and every wrong answer costs you five seconds. All games →
Crime & Justice
- Man jailed for 25 years over fatal knife attack in Chatham
Published 16:51 BST
Man jailed for 25 years over fatal knife attack in Chatham. Musa Salih, 19, of Greenford, has been jailed for 25 years for the murder of Harley Purdue in Thorold Road, Chatham, Kent Police said. - Kent Police officers to lead free women’s 5k run in Tunbridge Wells
Published 12:50 BST
Kent Police officers to lead free women’s 5k run in Tunbridge Wells Female officers from Kent Police’s Tunbridge Wells Neighbourhood Policing Team will run alongside members of the public on a free…
Financial markets
Bank of England (last 7 days):
- Summary of the RTGS CHAPS Industry Forum – 13 October 2026
- Regulators explore credit union reforms to support growth, innovation and better outcomes for members
- Minutes of the Meeting of the Court of Directors held on 17 September 2026
Markets via Yahoo Finance; ONS + BoE via official feeds.
What’s on today
- 10:00 · County Council — Maidstone
- 19:30 · Community & Leisure Cabinet Committee — Gravesend
Coming up tomorrow
- 19:30 · Mark Thomas: 40 In Stand-Up Years — Kent
- 19:30 · Laura Smyth: Born Aggy — Maidstone
“Kent is known as the ‘Garden of England’, a title dating back to at least the 16th century, reflecting its historic abundance of orchards, hop gardens and market gardens.”
Kent fact of the day