Podcast: 35 stone woman trapped in one room of house in Gillingham

KentOnline

A Gillingham woman who has spent almost 20 years stuck in just one room of her home has told the podcast she often wishes she went to sleep and didn't wake up.

Illa Smyth struggled with her mobility after skiing and horseriding accidents and now weighs 35 stone. She's paid tribute to her loving husband and she describes her quality of life.

Also in today's episode, a woman's facing life in prison after being found guilty of murdering a pub landlord in Maidstone.

Stephanie Langley, 54 from Wilsons Lane in East Farleigh, stabbed her ex-brother-in-law Matthew Bryant to death at the Hare and Hounds last September.

Figures seen by KentOnline show 711 people crossed the Channel to Kent in 14 small boats yesterday.

That's a record daily high this year and takes the total number of asylum seekers who've made the journey since last Friday to more than 1,600.

We get to vote for who we think should be Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner today.

There are three candidates going for the role with the result declared on Sunday.

Council elections are also happening in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells - while two local Neighbourhood Plan Referendums are taking place in Pluckley and Chatham.

An animal conservation centre near Ashford has announced a major new operation to save Lions from Ukraine.

The animals are currently living at a site near Kyiv, but some of them have suffered from shellshock due to the bombings.

A man who's walking from Manchester to Ibiza has now raised more than £20,000 for a Kent charity.

Henry Moores has teamed up with nightclub owner Wayne Lineker, and will travel a total of 2,400 kilometres on foot.

And in sport, Chatham Town are through to the Isthmian League Premier Division play-off finals.

They beat Horsham on penalties in front of a sold-out stadium last night.