New statistics show Ashford town centre saw thousands of extra visitors in September thanks to the Snowdog art trail.

The figures, released by Ashford Borough Council, show footfall was up by 122,000 compared to August.

The town’s tourist information centre also reported its busiest day ever and September’s weekend footfall around the town was up 13% on previous years.

Snowdog fans from as far afield as Bristol have made the trip to see the public exhibition, which will run until Sunday, November 18.

The trail has also prompted small business owners to open on Sunday.

Visitors using the Snowdog trail app’s pedometer have recorded 1.5 million steps since it launched, with approximately 1,300 individuals having found all 35 sculptures around Ashford.

Cllr Mike Bennett, portfolio holder for culture at ABC, said: “The trail has been incredibly well received by the people of Ashford and beyond.

“The success of the trail has far outweighed anything we could have possibly imagined when the idea was initially brought to us.

“We hope the Snowdogs continue to spread their magic far and wide across the borough.”