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Kent weekly summary: August 3

Jadzia Samuel/BBC Dover Street Cyclist Pastors Jadzia Samuel/BBC

Street Pastors help vulnerable people who are out at night by providing water, food or advice on getting home

Wild crow chick ‘missing’ for first time in 200 years

Thinkstock A mountain crow chick Stock of thoughts

There are thought to be fewer than 450 pairs of red-billed crows left in the UK

The first wild red-billed crow chick to be born in Kent in more than 200 years has been missing for a month after it went missing in high winds.

The Kent Wildlife Trust says wild red-billed crows have not been seen in the area for two centuries, due to habitat loss and historic persecution.

The trust’s 40-year project to restore chalk meadows and create suitable habitat around Dover Castle has seen many of the birds to be introduced The region was entered last year.

Among those released, a young pair successfully bred this summer and the first chick began flying in June, but the cub is said to have been lost.

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Tents on main road dangerous – homeless charity

Phil Harrison/BBC Tents on the pavement of the main roadPhil Harrison/BBC

The tents have been set up on Pin Hill, one of the main roads leading into Canterbury city centre

A homeless charity in Canterbury said it was dangerous for people to sleep on the side of a busy main road in the city centre.

Since the beginning of July, five tents have been set up in a grassy area next to Pin Hill, a busy two-lane road.

Catching Lives, a homeless center, is located nearby and although it does not own the land where the tents are set up, it does provide support to the tent occupants by providing food and showers.

Canterbury City Council said providing suitable accommodation for those sleeping on the streets was one of its top priorities and it was working with Catching Lives to support those sleeping on the streets in Pin Hill.

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“It’s like a small community here,” says the tent dweller.

Residents threaten legal action over wood waste

A bird's eye view of Hoad's Wood

Forest area cleared for dumping waste

Campaigners fighting to clear thousands of tonnes of waste illegally dumped in urban woodland are threatening legal action against the Environment Agency (EA).

Solicitors Leigh Day have written to the body, saying a contractor needs to be instructed urgently to clear Hoad’s Wood, near Ashford.

Local residents said they wanted the work to begin after the former Environment Minister took office last month. In May, an official ministerial instruction was given to EA It has been reported that work will begin to finance and carry out the cleanup, but there is no date yet for when the work will begin.

The Environmental Assessment said it was working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to appoint a contractor to carry out the clean-up as soon as possible, adding: “In the meantime, all environmental monitoring work is ongoing and no adverse impacts have been seen.”

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Two arrested after protesters gather in Chatham

Protesters outside the Holiday Inn in Chatham

Police were at the scene in Chatham

Two people were arrested after anti-immigration and counter-protesters gathered in Chatham.

On Maidstone Road, anti-racism protesters held signs and chanted slogans in support of refugees.

Kent Police later said they had been contacted by “a small number of people with opposing views”.

Police said officers were at the scene to prevent any crime or disorder and arrested a total of five people throughout the evening.

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Fishermen upset over funding for port upgrade

Daniel Esson John Nichols Daniel Esson

John Nichols, former chairman of the Thanet Fishermen’s Association, described the loss of funding as ‘extremely disappointing’

Fishermen in Thanet say they are being “swept aside, forgotten and ignored” after money earmarked for new facilities was diverted to plans to reopen Kent’s port.

Thanet District Council (TDC) said it had no choice but to divert £3.5m earmarked for fisheries improvements to the reopening of Ramsgate port due to government rules.

This move brings the total budget for the Ramsgate Port project to £7.2 million.

Two of the biggest improvement projects in Ramsgate are the harbour works and the improvement of fishing facilities in the town.

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