Kent Morning Briefing
Wednesday, 29 July 2026
The day in Kent · Kent Police have arrested four people on suspicion of fraud and money laundering after elderly residents in Whitstable and Herne Bay were allegedly conned into paying for solar panel upgrades that were never installed. The arrests signal a wider warning to vulnerable homeowners across the county about doorstep energy scams. Residents are urged to verify any trader’s credentials before handing over money.
The day ahead in Kent
Weather
Today: Clear morning, high 34°C, low 16°C.
Tomorrow: Clear morning, high 29°C, low 18°C.
Travel
Roads (1 incident): M25 — M25 Clockwise Jct 13 to Jct 14 carriageway closure.
Rail: All Kent services running to schedule.
As of 00:30 from National Highways + National Rail.
Coastal tides
Dover: Low 06:44 (1.50m) · High 12:05 (6.22m) · Low 19:08 (1.36m) · High 00:21 (6.11m)
Margate: Low 06:49 (1.08m) · High 12:57 (4.44m) · Low 19:25 (0.75m)
Tides via tidetimes.co.uk.
5 things to know
- UK borrowing hits £24.3bn in April, running above OBR forecast
- UK regular pay growth holds steady at 3.4% through May 2026
Top Kent Stories
- UK Government Borrowing Runs Ahead of Forecast at Start of 2026-27
Published 23:51 BST
The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that public sector borrowing in the first quarter of 2026-27 is running slightly above its official forecast, after ONS figures showed April 2026… - UK Regular Pay Growth Holds at 3.4 Per Cent in Three Months to May 2026
Published 19:51 BST
Office for National Statistics figures show annual regular wage growth unchanged from the previous period, while total pay including bonuses came in at 4.3 per cent. Regular pay across Great Britain… - Kent Police arrest four over solar panel fraud targeting elderly residents in Whitstable and Herne Bay
Published 19:51 BST
Four people have been arrested on suspicion of fraud and money laundering after elderly residents in Whitstable and Herne Bay allegedly paid for solar panel upgrades that were never carried out. Kent…
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):
- Letter from the Governor to the Daily Mail
- PRA consults on updated guidance for friendly society amalgamations and transfers
Markets via Yahoo Finance; ONS + BoE via official feeds.
What’s on today
No public events scheduled today.
Coming up tomorrow
- 09:15 · Regulation Committee Appeal Panel (Transport) — Maidstone
“Whitstable’s harbour is one of England’s oldest, with records of oyster trading there dating back to Roman times.”
Kent fact of the day