A plea for Dover to join Deal in becoming a Walkers Are Welcome town was made at the White Cliffs Walking Festival.

The festival ended on Wednesday, with more than 1,000 people going on the festival’s 32 walks, all in the Dover-Deal area.

Organised by the White Cliffs Ramblers, the south Kent branch of The Ramblers, it was started on Thursday at a ceremony held on Dover seafront by Cllr Pam Brivio, the Mayor of Dover.

The opening was also attended by Kate Ashbrook, The Ramblers’ national president, Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke, Deal mayor Deryck Murray, district council chairman Sue Nicholas and Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate Clair Hawkins.

Deal became the first town in the South of England to get Walkers Are Welcome status, where towns are encouraged to be attractive destinations for walkers with good quality walks, in 2009.

Miss Ashbrook - who is also national patron of the Walkers Are Welcome network, which has more than 100 towns - said: “Walkers Are Welcome has grown at an astonishing pace, and Deal has set a fine example.

“As the first Walkers Are Welcome Town in the South, it has shown the value of walking to the local economy and it offers a warm welcome to walkers. I do hope that Dover will soon follow suit.”

The opening ceremony was followed by a choice of two 5-6 mile walks– either taking a bus to Capel and walking back along the cliffs or a walk taking in some of Dover’s attractions including the Bleriot memorial.

Cllr Brivio, a member of the White Cliffs Ramblers who went on the Bleriot walk, hopes that a working party can now be set up to get Walkers Are Welcome status for Dover.

She said: “Walking is good for people’s health and it is very good for a town’s economy.”

The festival included history, heritage and special interest walks of a few miles, 10-12 mile rambles and the 32-mile White Cliffs Challenge, organised by the Long Distance Walkers Association, which followed a route from St Margaret’s village hall and took in the white cliffs.

This walk was started by Mr Elphicke, who welcomed the 97 walkers who took part, saying: “Our corner of Kent has a wealth of history and beautiful countryside. This festival helps more people see what a stunning area our White Cliffs coast is.”