Kent Morning Briefing
Tuesday, 22 September 2026
8 stories · 4-minute read
1914: A German submarine sank three British cruisers in just 70 minutes in the North Sea, killing almost 1,500 sailors.
On this day in history
The day in Kent · Kent Police’s summer-long crackdown on antisocial behaviour across Thanet, Herne Bay and Whitstable dispersed more than 350 people between May and August, marking one of the force’s most sustained coastal enforcement operations in recent years. Separately, two people have been arrested after an early-hours fire at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone, with investigations ongoing.
The day ahead in Kent
Weather
Today: Cloudy morning, becoming clear in the afternoon, high 25°C, low 13°C.
Tomorrow: Clear morning, becoming cloudy in the afternoon, clearing in the evening, high 23°C, low 13°C.
Travel
Roads (1 incident): M25 — M25 Clockwise Jct 30 carriageway closure between entry and exit slip.
Rail: All Kent services running to schedule.
As of 01:30 from National Highways + National Rail.
Coastal tides
Dover: Low 03:19 (2.56m) · High 08:54 (5.35m) · Low 15:54 (2.30m) · High 21:28 (5.43m)
Margate: Low 03:31 (1.78m) · High 09:39 (3.80m) · Low 16:10 (1.36m) · High 22:25 (4.00m)
Tides via tidetimes.co.uk.
5 things to know
- Herne Bay mural tagging at East Cliff cost Canterbury taxpayers hundreds of pounds.
- Canterbury Council launches planning toolkit helping villages legally shape local development.
- Stolen van recovered within 16 minutes; two men arrested in Gravesend.
- Blinatumomab drug may replace chemotherapy cycles in children with blood cancer.
- FCA takes Hunter Jones Group to High Court over alleged unauthorised loan note sales.
350+
people dispersed across Thanet, Herne Bay and Whitstable in summer antisocial behaviour crackdown
Kent number of the day
Top Kent Stories
- Over 350 people dispersed in east Kent coastal crackdown
Published 22:51 BST
Why it matters · A major police operation directly affected hundreds of east Kent residents and visitors. - Two arrested after fire at Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone
Published 20:52 BST
Why it matters · Arson investigation at a prominent Folkestone seafront hotel raises public safety concerns. - Mural tagging at East Cliff cost Herne Bay taxpayers hundreds of pounds
Published 16:51 BST
Why it matters · Vandalism cost Herne Bay residents money that could have funded local services. - Canterbury Council publishes planning toolkit to help villages shape their own future
Published 10:51 BST
Why it matters · New toolkit gives Canterbury villages real legal power over local planning decisions. - Stolen van recovered and two men arrested in Gravesend
Published 18:52 BST
Why it matters · Swift Gravesend recovery shows local policing response to vehicle crime.
Crime & Justice
- Over 350 people dispersed in east Kent coastal crackdown
Published 22:51 BST
Kent Police used dispersal notices, arrests and school presentations between May and August 2026 to tackle antisocial behaviour across Thanet, Herne Bay and Whitstable. More than 350 people were… - Two arrested after fire at Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone
Published 20:52 BST
A man and a woman from the local area have been arrested and released as Kent Police investigate an early-hours blaze at the seafront hotel on Marine Parade. Kent Police were called to the Grand… - Stolen van recovered and two men arrested in Gravesend
Published 18:52 BST
Stolen van recovered and two men arrested in Gravesend Patrolling officers in Gravesend recovered a stolen van and arrested two men in connection with the theft, Kent Police has said. The vehicle was…
Business & Economy
- FCA takes Hunter Jones to High Court over alleged unauthorised loan note sales
Published 20:51 BST
The Financial Conduct Authority has begun High Court proceedings against Osborne Baldwin Limited — which trades as Hunter Jones and Hunter Jones Group — alleging the firm has been selling loan notes… - ONS to host webinar on Blue Book 2026 GDP revisions on 30 September
Published 18:51 BST
The Office for National Statistics will explain how methodological changes in Blue Book 2026 have lifted the estimated level of UK GDP in 2024 to around £2,905 billion, about 0.5 per cent higher than… - FCA says protection insurance pays out well but most UK adults still lack cover
Published 14:51 BST
The Financial Conduct Authority’s interim market study finds a 98 per cent claims acceptance rate for existing policyholders, yet around 58 per cent of UK adults hold no pure protection policy at…
Financial markets
Bank of England (last 7 days):
- Bank of England announces new office space in Leeds
- Foreign Currency Reserves 2026 – Market Notice 21 September 2026
- Minutes of the Transaction and Post-trade Reporting Harmonisation Taskforce – July 2026
Markets via Yahoo Finance; ONS + BoE via official feeds.
What’s on today
- 10:00 · Policy and Resources Cabinet Committee — Maidstone
- 13:00 · Licensing Sub-Committee — Tunbridge Wells
- 18:30 · Licensing Committee — Tunbridge Wells
- 19:00 · Standards Committee — Sittingbourne
- 19:00 · Cabinet — Chatham
- 19:00 · MOVED – Cabinet — Sevenoaks
Coming up tomorrow
- 10:00 · Scrutiny Committee — Maidstone
- 10:30 · Licensing Sub-Committee — Canterbury
- 14:45 · Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Joint Committee — Maidstone
- 18:30 · Planning Committee — Chatham
- 19:00 · Shadow Margate Town Council — Margate
- 19:00 · Planning Committee — Gravesend
“Folkestone’s Grand Burstin Hotel sits on the site of the former Metropole Hotel, once a billet for troops during both World Wars.”
Kent fact of the day