Matt Ramsden

The Criminal Cases Review Commission has begun screening Simon Edgecombe’s claims that his 1983 conviction for stealing money from a Rainham sub-Post Office was a miscarriage of justice. Edgecombe, who served 10 months in prison, says the money was taken with the shop owner’s authorization and that a young employee known as Jane was also wrongly convicted. The CCRC will assess 26 legal grounds and can obtain evidence before deciding whether to refer the case to the Court of Appeal. Newly located witnesses, including former paperboy Michael Baker, may support the claims, while MP Helen Whately is seeking to have the case fast-tracked and plans a meeting with Justice Minister Catherine Atkinson.

Simon Edgecombe, who was convicted of stealing from a Rainham sub-Post Office in 1983 and spent 10 months in prison, is preparing a new application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission after the Court of Appeal declined to quash his conviction because key documentation could not be found. Edgecombe says the prosecution overlooked evidence that he sold a van to the sub-postmaster and that the trial omitted important evidence and witnesses. New potential evidence includes testimony from his former co-defendant Jane and Michael Baker, who recalls being paid from the Post Office till. Edgecombe’s MP, Helen Whately, is supporting the application and plans to raise the case with the Justice Minister.

Nigel Farage resigned as MP for Clacton-on-Sea to trigger a by-election, framing the move as a battle between voters and the establishment amid investigations into undeclared donations, including £5 million from Christopher Harborne and assistance from George Cottrell. He denied wrongdoing and criticised political opponents and the media. Local and former Reform UK politicians accused him of acting to pre-empt possible suspension and deflect attention from funding controversies, while figures across parties questioned his motives and highlighted internal issues within Reform UK. Polling suggests significant gains for Reform in Kent as the by-election approaches.

Former paperboy Michael Baker has come forward with memories supporting Simon Edgecombe’s claim that people working at a Rainham shop were paid from the sub-Post Office till. Edgecombe was convicted of theft and imprisoned in 1983 after a disputed van transaction led to a cash shortfall, but records of the prosecution have not been found. Baker says he was sometimes paid from the same till and is willing to testify, potentially providing independent evidence for Edgecombe’s appeal. The Court of Appeal is expected to reject the appeal because key prosecution documentation is unavailable, while Edgecombe continues seeking testimony from other people connected with the shop.

Simon Edgecombe says he was wrongly convicted of stealing money from a Rainham Post Office in 1983 after Post Office investigators treated a legitimate £750 van payment as theft. He spent nearly a year in prison, lost his home, job and relationship, and says the prosecution evidence and records have since disappeared. His efforts to overturn the conviction have reached the Court of Appeal, but judges warned that the absence of contemporaneous documentation makes success unlikely. Edgecombe is appealing to former witnesses and anyone with relevant information, while the Post Office says it has no evidence that it led the prosecution.

Trevor Sturgess, the former Kent Messenger Group business editor, has died aged 78 after experiencing breathing difficulties. Colleagues and friends remembered him as an award-winning, trusted and influential journalist who established the group’s business desk, co-founded Kent Business and helped organize the Medway Business Awards. He later served as a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent and supported literacy initiatives through the Acorns Read and Grow Charity. He leaves his wife Sue and daughter Zoe; his funeral is scheduled for January 6 at St Nicholas Church in Otham.

The Kent Politics Podcast features Labour politician and longtime local-government figure Roger Truelove discussing his political career, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and the proposed 8,000-home Highsted Park development in Swale. The episode also covers £20 million in unspent public money, a proposal to convert a Premier Inn into housing and a continuing road collapse. Hosts Simon Finlay, Robert Boddy and Dan Esson, with regular contributor Nikki White, examine politics across Kent and Medway.

A Kent Police investigation into alleged financial irregularities at Medway Commercial Group, a company owned by Medway Council, has entered its sixth year. The concerns relate to activity between 2017 and 2019, with four people arrested or interviewed under caution and remaining subject to inquiry. Police cite the complexity of reviewing substantial financial documentation but provide no timetable for completion. Former chairman Howard Doe said the investigation was complicated and that he had opened the company’s books, while council leader Vince Maple said the authority was cooperating and had strengthened governance, transparency and accountability procedures for its trading companies.

Gravesend prankster Dan Jarvis claimed responsibility for playing recorded sexual noises during a live Match of the Day broadcast from Wolverhampton’s Molineux stadium. A mobile phone had reportedly been taped behind a studio chair, prompting the BBC to apologize and investigate how Jarvis entered and exited unseen. Gary Lineker later said he found the stunt amusing. Jarvis has previously carried out other high-profile pranks and has 17 prior convictions.

A 75-year-old pedestrian was seriously injured after being struck by a red Skoda Fabia turning into the Wheatsheaf pub car park on Herne Bay Road in Swalecliffe, near Whitstable, at about 8am. He was taken to a London hospital. Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam or CCTV footage to assist their investigation.

A 31-year-old man was arrested after a serious assault on Borstal Street near Rochester left another man needing hospital treatment in London. Police closed the road in both directions near St Matthew’s Church while forensic officers examined the scene, and it reopened around midday. The victim’s injuries were not life-threatening, and investigators appealed for witnesses and dashcam or CCTV footage.

Tom Cruise is believed to have flown by helicopter from central London to Chatham to film a major movie at the Historic Dockyard. A lighting rig and cordoned-off areas were observed near the Victorian ropery, but the production’s identity and any connection to filming at Sheppey’s Kingsferry Bridge had not been confirmed. The dockyard has previously hosted productions including Bridgerton, Les Misérables, Sherlock Holmes and Call the Midwife.

The Tudor Rose pub in Borden near Sittingbourne is set to reopen after former licensees Stuart George and Kelly Tompkins return to run it. The couple previously operated the pub from 2011 to 2021 and currently run the Dover Castle in Teynham. Shepherd Neame said they will manage both venues, with reopening planned as soon as possible, following confusion after temporary licensees Nikki Richens and Mark Godfrey left and the pub closed again.

A £1,200 memorial bench installed at Rochester Esplanade in memory of former oil-rig engineer Phillip Jenner was scorched and partially melted after two disposable BBQs were placed on it. His daughter Helen Clarke condemned the apparent vandalism and said the bench had deep significance for the family. She plans to contact Medway Council about displaying the damaged surface as a warning about the dangers of using BBQs on unsuitable materials.

Rik Waller has paid tribute to Darius Danesh, his fellow 2001 Pop Idol contestant, following Danesh’s death at age 41 in Rochester, Minnesota. Waller described Danesh as supportive, infectiously positive and a genuine gentleman, while recalling that Danesh helped him during the auditions. Danesh later achieved success with the song “Colourblind” and in West End productions including Chicago, Guys and Dolls and Funny Girl.

BAE Systems’ Rochester operation has launched LiteWave, a compact, lightweight head-up display designed for installation in commercial and military aircraft. The system projects flight information, including speed, altitude and runway location, into the pilot’s field of view, helping maintain situational awareness in poor visibility or at night. BAE Systems says LiteWave uses less power, can be fitted in four hours and is suitable for a wider range of aircraft than existing systems. The company plans to begin flight trials and take the product to market after investing up to £23 million in its development.

Kent Police questioned two additional people, a man and a woman in their 50s, without arrest as part of its investigation into alleged irregularities at Medway Commercial Group between 2017 and 2019. Three other people were arrested in June 2021 and later released. The council says projects outside the company’s core business delivered inadequate returns, while the police are reviewing evidence to determine whether to refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service. Medway’s council leaders called for a thorough investigation before conclusions are drawn.

Frankie Wright, a 25-year-old lorry driver from Sheerness, died after his BMW M6 left the M2 near Chatham, reportedly after a suspected tyre blowout. His family and friends remembered him as a popular, funny and mechanically skilled car enthusiast. Friends held a roadside vigil, collected tributes for display at Sittingbourne’s Eurolink trading estate and planned a vehicle convoy for his funeral at the Garden of England Crematorium on March 4. Police appealed for witnesses to the crash.

Medway Light Nights transformed Rochester’s historic town centre with projected performances, light and sound installations, a lantern parade, outdoor film, fire displays and a poetry trail. The festival, organised by Medway Council in partnership with Emergency Exit Arts, involved local communities and young people and included several Charles Dickens-themed attractions. The event ran from 6pm to 9pm on 11 and 12 February 2022, supporting Medway’s ambition to strengthen its cultural identity.

A £76,000 Range Rover SVR was stolen from engineer Jim Wenban’s home in Cliffe after a thief drove into him, causing knee injuries. The thieves abandoned both the Range Rover and a Vauxhall Corsa after the vehicles were damaged during their escape. Kent Police launched a major search, including a helicopter operation, but had made no arrests by publication. In a potentially related incident, officers found hundreds of suspected stolen Range Rover parts in a container at Medway City Estate.