Gravesham’s Christmas lights display has won a prize in the face of stiff competition from towns and cities all across the UK.

The council took second place in the final of the Revive and Thrive Christmas Light Competition. The £3,000 prize will go towards a new lights display this year around the Clock Tower.

Cllr John Cubitt, leader of Gravesham council, said "The Christmas lights are a mainstay of our now growing and hugely popular Christmas festival.

"While other towns have been losing their lights the council and its partners and sponsors have striven to maintain and improve the quality of the display year on year."

Gravesham council, along with the other finalists, went to Blackpool, to learn behind the scenes about the most famous lighting installation in the UK as well as bring back lots of great ideas to use locally in Gravesend.

The council’s director of communities Melanie Norris and Gurvinder Sandher from Cohesion-Plus, which organises the annual lights parade, presented their application Dragon Den-style to a panel of experts.

Mark Barnes, managing director of Revive and Thrive said: "It was an excellent presentation and a deserved prize winner. What everyone loved was that you were not scared to celebrate Christmas and embrace multiple cultures.

"Where others seem scared to celebrate a religious festival you invited other religions to join in. This wasn’t the only great thing about your presentation but the one that made you stand out."

Ronnie Brown, managing director of Blachere Illumination, which sponsors the awards, said: "We at Blachere Illumination are pleased to be partners with Revive and Thrive on this great competition.

"It was a difficult job getting the entrants down to the shortlist as there were many worthy applicants."

The first prize went to St Leonard’s in East Sussex and third prize to neighbouring Hastings.