A look back at Kent's biggest stories of 2025

The last year has seen a variety of stories across Kent which have hit the headlines both within the county and further afield.

From the impact of "dining and dashing" on business owners to a school reunion 60 years in the making, reports have featured people and communities from Dartford to Dover, Dungeness and beyond.

Here is a selection of the stories from Kent, which have either delighted readers or tackled important issues facing residents.

In May, residents in West Hythe were met with the sight of a World War Two spitfire making an unexpected landing in a nearby field.

The plane, which had seen action in the Netherlands in 1944, was forced to make an emergency stop after losing power over the Kent skies.

The pilot was uninjured, while a passenger suffered minor bruising.

An investigation was launched by the Air Accident Investigation Board (AAIB), leading to a safety notice being issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Plane owners Fly a Spitfire said it fully supported the investigation findings.

Former classmates from Loose Primary School, in Maidstone, came together in August to reminisce about their school days 60 years on.

Over the course of five years, two friends had traced 20 of their 36 classmates, and 16 people came together to retake their old school photo from 1966.

Lynne Higson said it was "wonderful to catch up" with pupils and their former teacher, 86-year-old Shirley Arnold, who said she was "thrilled" to be there.

Ms Arnold was also presented with a book filled with what her former pupils had been up to over the past six decades.

In Canterbury and Faversham, restaurant manager Marian Pandos shared how brazen dine and dashers had become.

Mr Pandos said customers had eaten food and drink outside Posillipo in Canterbury before running away, and one diner had even injured him after being confronted.

Meanwhile, a Faversham restaurant manager, Amadeo Grosso, said he had installed high definition cameras to increase security, and he believed the problem was getting worse.

A BBC investigation heard from restaurant bosses across the South East speaking out about the financial and mental health impact caused by dining and dashing.

Many drivers are caught speeding on the Kent roads each year, but few are going as fast as the person in charge of the Seat Leon caught doing 164mph on the M25 in Swanley in 2022.

The offending motorist was found to be one of the fastest speeders in England following a Freedom of Information request in January.

Kent Police's head of roads policing, Ch Insp Craig West called the consequences of high-speed crashes "devastating for families and friends".

Department for Transport data showed 2023 had the most speed deaths in a decade across the UK.

Many will have fond memories of watching Only Fools and Horses star Patrick Murray on their screens, and co-stars paid tribute to the actor following his death in October aged 68.

Murray, who lived in Kent and died in Rochester, revealed in July 2021 he had been diagnosed with cancer, which returned in April 2023 after previous treatment.

The late actor also had roles in 1979 film Quadrophenia, as well as The Bill and Bergerac.

A BBC spokesperson said: "We are very sad to hear of the passing of Patrick Murray, much loved for his role as Mickey in Only Fools And Horses.

"Our thoughts are with his friends and family."

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