A father-of-two was thrilled to take “magnificent” photos and a time-lapse video of the Northern Lights off the Kent coast.

Chris Cork from Maidstone captured the footage at Reculver Beach in Herne Bay last night as colourful glows illuminated over the water.

The professional photographer and photo printmaker then posted the images in a social media community group where it attracted almost 500 likes and scores of comments and shares.

Mr Cork, 42, says it took him about an hour-and-a-half to capture the time-lapse and was amazed to see the results.

“When I saw the pink and purple colours straight away I was like, ‘wow’,” he said.

“I was was excited to see the Aurora, it’s quite rare to see it in the South East, we’ve gone out looking for It before but the conditions have never aligned before.

“But this time it was really exciting because we caught the peak of it and we’re really pleased with the results, it was a bit more subtle with the naked eye, but it’s clear as day on camera.”

Reacting to Mr Cork’s post on Facebook, residents raved over the “magnificent”, “amazing” and “incredible” shots.

“Absolutely stunning - I wish I'd been there to see it,” said one user.

“Truly magical,” added another.

The Northern Lights – scientifically knowns as the Aurora Borealis – is a natural light display mostly seen in high-latitude regions.

The phenomenon is caused by particles coming from the sun called the solar wind interacting with the Earth’s atmosphere.

Despite complimenting the photographs, one commenter, who apparently went to some trouble to see the Northern Lights abroad, was annoyed to learn the spectacle could have been witnessed right in her own back garden.

“Amazing and frustrating as I spent thousands going to Iceland to see it and I didn’t. Could have just travelled 45 minutes down the road, fantastic pictures,” they said.

Mr Cork says he is planning a trip of his own to next month to try to get more photos of the night sky.

“I do a lot of astro photography, that’s my hobby while my main business is printing.

“But this was the first time I stayed up until 3am editing a photo – I’ve just brightened it a bit to make the colours come out.

“I like the shooting in the evening, because all the glowing lights, it’s really relaxing, my work can be really busy so its nice to get some fresh air.”