Podcast: ‘Handsy’ Folkestone police officer who groped colleagues barred from all forces

A “handsy” Kent police officer once praised for bravery has been barred from all forces for life after groping two colleagues.The Folkestone-based PC would have faced dismissal this week had he not already resigned after his lurid actions.Also in today’s podcast, Ofwat has announced it has opened an investigation into South East Water following the major water outage in Kent.It comes as thousands of homes and businesses across the county continue to be left without supplies – we’ve spoken to a farmer who’s criticised a lack of provision for livestock. Utility companies who flout the rules while carrying out road works are in danger of being prosecuted. Kent County Council hopes that its get-tough policy will mean highways will be safer, flow more freely and force contractors to speed up the work.A town’s mayor has lashed out at people who have repeatedly vandalised a toddlers’ playground – saying “it needs to stop”. The site in Sevenoaks has seen a spate of attacks costing the local authority time and money. And a defiant Canterbury man is threatening to chain himself to a historic lamppost if council bosses attempt to tear it down.He says the Victorian structures are “precious” features that must be “preserved at all costs” rather than being replaced with “grotesque” modern replicas. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.