Schoolchildren from across the county will gather tonight to celebrate the opening of the second Kent School Games.

The two-hour event will kick off with a big Olympic-style opening ceremony held at Maidstone's Mote Park Leisure Centre from 6.30pm.

The Kent Disability Games will take place on June 30 at Sevenoaks School and be followed by the Kent School Games finals running between July 1 and 3.

More than 30,000 children from 545 schools across the county have already taken part, competing for the chance to represent their school and be crowned champions.

Events include athletics, gymnastics, swimming, archery and trampolining.

Organisers said tonight's ceremony will start with a dramatic entrance by 80 members of the Fullston Manor School samba band moving through the audience.

Comedian Dave Lee will compere with Young Ambassador Molly Hyndman.

Leader of Kent County Council Paul Carter and former double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes will be there.

The performances will involve a host of schools performing and demonstrating the Olympic and Paralympic values.

There will be dancers from Brookhill Park Performing Arts College, Herne Bay High School, Hillview School for Girls and Highworth Grammar School.

Pupils from Valley Park Community School, in partnership with Bower Grove School, will also put on a show on the theme of equality.

Performances will then be put on by the Dartford Grammar School African Drummers, two bands from Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School and Star Performers Academy, a Drama school from Canterbury.