For years Charing has proudly boasted having the best village Christmas lights in Kent.

This year will be no exception when illuminations and festive trees will again decorate the entire village at a cost of more than £5,000.

Credit for the annual fund-raising drive to pay for the illuminations is down to a committee of four - Anita Grudge, Margaret Sage, Linda Anderson and Anne Winegrade, who are known the Ladies of the Lights - but they could not do their work without the backing of the whole community.

On Saturday more than 70 people attended the latest lights fund-raising evening in Charing Barn.

Lata and Vin Patel who run the village stores, helped by their daughter Krupal and Mr Patel’s father Ramesh, and a team of village volunteers created and cooked a selection of curries, with the feast raising £570 for the fund.

Now they are planning further events including a magic night, entertainment evening, and coffee morning, before the November erection of this year’s lights in time for the early arrival of Father Christmas in the village.