BBC Live: Kent - As it happened

1. Our live coverage has ended for the day
2. Updates on Wednesday 1 March 2017

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Penalties for drivers using phones 'not enough'

Yasmine Djadoudi

BBC Live reporter

Daniel Squire was just 18 when he was killed near Deal, by a driver who admitted he'd been sending text messages before the collision. 

His mother says tough new penalties introduced today for motorists who use their mobile phone at the wheel, do not go far enough.

Penalties for drivers using phones 'not enough'

Make the most of tomorrow's weather...

Rachel Mackley

Weather Presenter

As Friday's looking like a washout. Watch my forecast here:  

South East weather 1 March 2017

Brewery giant boosts revenues to £80m after taking over pubs and restaurants

Kent Messenger

Kent Messenger

Beer and pub company Shepherd Neame increased revenues to nearly £80m in the first half of its financial year after taking over 13 ale houses and five restaurants.  

Read the full story here .

It's the first day of #onegooddeed month

What will your #onegooddeed be in March? Join us as we try to make Kent a better place.

Launch of One Good Deed campaign

River crossing 'creaking under pressure'

Kent search for Donald stand-in

Top school asks parents to pay for textbooks

Yasmine Djadoudi

BBC Live reporter

One of the best performing schools in the country is asking parents to pay for new GCSE textbooks. The headteacher of the Skinners' School in Tunbridge Wells says he can't afford to buy the new materials that are needed.

Skinners' School said it cannot afford to buy the new materials needed

School asks parents to pay £60 for text books

Getty Images

One of the best performing schools in the country is asking parents to pay for new GCSE textbooks because changes to exams mean they fear they'll be left with a bill of more than £20,000.

The headteacher of The Skinners School in Tunbridge Wells has suggested a contribution of £60 per student.

It comes as schools across the South East warn of cuts to school days and subjects in the face of tighter budgets. 

Here's analysis from BBC South East Today's Education Correspondent Bryony MacKenzie.

This is one of the country's best performing secondaries asking for £60 for compulsory science textbooks. Its all because GCSEs have been overhauled meaning current books will be outdated and, according to the school, 'useless' for teaching. If parents decide not to contribute then the school faces a bill for £20,000 for compulsory text books.

The letter comes as a result of financially difficult times in education funding. Whilst the government has re-distributed cash between schools to make it fairer, critics say all bigger class sizes and reduced school days are all on the table as all schools are facing overall cuts of 8% to their budgets

There's an assumption that grammar schools, with a high proportion of middle class parents, would have healthy budgets, but selective schools, which have fewer children from disadvantaged backgrounds, are set to be on average the least well funded. The Department for Education says there are clear guidelines which state schools cannot charge for the cost of books unless the parent want their child to own them. This would be the case at Skinners...

Bryony Mackenzie Education Correspondent, BBC South East Today

Konchesky joins seventh-tier Billericay

Kent Police to use spit hoods

Rajdeep Sandhu

Political Reporter, BBC Radio Kent

Spit hoods are coming to Kent. They're used by police officers and put on a person's head to stop them spitting or biting the officer. 

But they are very controversial and not all police forces use them.

Two years ago Kent Police's chief constable, Alan Pughsley, said he hadn't been a fan. In fact just a few months ago Kent Police had said it wasn't using them because of "the impact on the person having a spit hood placed on them and the potential issues after their use".  

But now he's changed his mind saying these spit hoods would be more "humane".  

Ian Pointon, chairman of the Kent Police Federation, told me it was "inhumane and cruel" for people to spit at officers and quite simply "if you don't spit then you don't get to wear the hood". 

What are your kids dressing up as for #WorldBookDay?

Kathryn Langley

BBC Live reporter

If you're a parent we're sure you won't have forgotten it's  #WorldBookDay  tomorrow...

So which literary character is your child dressing up as this year?

If you're struggling for an idea here are a few snaps from last year that might give you some last minute inspiration...

Here are Ava, Flynn, Oliver, Zanthe, William and Mya.

We'd love to see your photos or videos of this year's World Book Day tomorrow. Send them to us on  Twitter , Facebook , or by sending us an  email .

Marc Dumbleton

Ava, 3, as the witch from Room on the Broom

Darren Edwards

Flynn, 10, as Mrs Twit

Wendy Davis

Oliver, 7, as Where's Wally

Marc Dumbleton

Zanthe, 5, as the star from Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Kerry Hartley

William, 3, as Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs

Anushka Rampling

Mya, 7, as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz

People can have their say on radical plans to reorganise healthcare in Kent

Kent Messenger

Kent Messenger

A series of public meetings will be held on plans to carry out a radical shake-up of health and social care in west Kent.   

Read the full story here .

Robinson scathing of Charlton players

Thieves steal parking machine - but only get £2

Kent Messenger

Kent Messenger

It happened at a council car park in Canterbury and police are investigating.

Read the full story here .