Ice creams were out in force in Gravesend over the weekend as the Met Weather Office declared the town the warmest place in Britain - hitting 17.2C.

People took to the parks and the riverside to take advantage of the short-lived spell as forecasters say temperatures will drop to 13.6C today (Monday), staying that way for most of the week.

"Popular Shorne Park saw a good turnout as families took advantage of the sunshine and mostly dry weather," said a parks spokesman.

Activity was also brisk at the riverside leisure area, encompassing Fort Gardens and the town's rowing and sailings clubs.

Andrew Cunningham, operations manager at the marina whose moorings are just a ten minute walk from the town centre, said: "Good weather brings families out.

"It was quite busy along the front with lots of ices in evidence."

Gravesend is often at the top of the temperature table, mainly due to the sandy soil at Broadness, where the weather station is sited, which heats up well in direct sunshine. In the heatwave of 2003, it briefly recorded the hottest ever temperature in the UK at 38.1 °C (100.6 °F).