A breathtaking parachute display team will open this year’s Herne Bay Air Show, organisers have revealed.

Talented parachutists from the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment will land on the seafront to start the spectacular show in August.

Show bosses say the squad – called the Tigers Freefall Team – will offer something different to previous years.

Senior organiser Gerald McCarthy said: “It will be a good opening to the show. There won’t be any aircraft before them.

“They will be dropping from several thousand feet on to the beach, ahead of the Red Arrows.

“It’s a very bright, colourful display and they come down with a big Union Jack.

“They were scheduled to open the show in 2014, but mother nature intervened and they weren’t able to.”

The Tigers perform various display routines, with commentary provided by one of the team members.

The squad was formed in 1986 and has performed at a number of events, including as far afield as Berlin, Kosovo and Cyprus.

Mr McCarthy, from the BayPromoTeam, added that work is continuing to add to this year’s line-up.

He said: “It is dependant on the Eastbourne air show. Once they have confirmed their line-up, we will know who is displaying and they will be able to combine some of the costs because they can do some displays in the region.

"With the amount of work involved, we wouldn’t want people saying the show wasn’t as good as before..." - Gerald McCarthy

“We might be able to get some decent rates, so we are waiting for that and we then might be able to add some more. We are not finished yet.”

Last year, 70,000 people lined the seafront as the Red Arrows headlined an event thought to be the town’s biggest ever.

This year’s show – to be held on Sunday, August 14 – will also be led by the world-famous display team.

Mr McCarthy said: “We are looking for funding – it’s all on target and everything is full steam ahead for this year’s event.

“We always try and raise the bar. With the amount of work involved, we wouldn’t want people saying the show wasn’t as good as before.”

To make a donation or for more on sponsorship and funding, visit www.baypromoteam.co.uk/herne-bay-air-show