Striking staff are causing disruption across Kent today, with crown court cases being put on hold.

Industrial action at Elmley Prison, on the Isle of Sheppey, has led to delays to a triple murder trial.

Proceedings at Maidstone Crown Court - hearing evidence from a car salesman accused of murdering his wife, son and father-in-law - were delayed for more than two hours when he did not show up.

Defendant Danai Muhammadi, 24, of Britannia Street, Coventry, had still not been put in a prison van by 10.45am.

The same was true of co-defendant Farhad Mahmud, 35, of Fernhill Road, Maidstone.

The High Court judge presiding over the trial spoke of his frustration: “I had no idea of this happening yesterday”.

Mr Justice Sweeney told the jury: “Because of the industrial action the two male defendants have not been released by the prison service to the transport service to bring them here.

“I have ordered that they be brought here. The transport is standing by.”

Delays of up to three hours were also being experienced at Canterbury Crown Court today because of the strike.

Maidstone Crown Court has been affected by the strike

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 UK Border Agency staff, including workers at the Port of Dover, began a 24-hour strike in an ongoing row over pensions and job cuts today.

The Public and Commercial Services union will lead workers in a rally at Dover Eastern Docks.

Pete Norris, from the PCS union, said: "I don't think in my 38 years in this organisation and its predecessors I have known morale as low as it is now.

"We are facing unrelenting attacks. We are facing pay freezes and are expected to pay more for our pensions."

Today's strike also involves immigration and customs staff at Eurotunnel, which has a terminal at Folkestone, while teachers represented by the University College Union (UCU) are set to join picket lines.

Members include those who work in further education colleges, Canterbury Christ Church University and the University for the Creative Arts.

The walk-out is unlikely to lead to the level of disruption seen last November, when industrial action forced dozens of Kent schools to close and left ambulances able to respond only to life-threatening emergencies.

Workers on strike at Medway Council's Gun Wharf in November

Hundreds of Kent police officers will also descend on London later today to protest over "criminal" budget cuts of 20%.

The Kent Police Federation, which claims the cuts will jeopardise public safety, expects around 470 of the county's off-duty officers to join the march through the capital.

Ian Pointon, chairman of the body that represents rank-and-file officers in Kent, described cuts to the policing budget as an "unwarranted and unprecedented attack" by the government.

He said: "Instead of picking a fight with the criminals that blight our communities, they've picked that fight with police officers. Police officers are angry and they're telling me enough is enough."