CHIMNEY sweeps and Morris dancers from across the country descended on Rochester for the annual Sweeps Festival.

More than 30,000 people braved the changeable Bank Holiday weather to experience the event. Everywhere you looked there were colourfully-dressed Morris dancers or sweeps with blackened faces and a brush thrown over their shoulder.

Jean Milton, 78, had travelled from Tonbridge to see the events. She said: "I had always heard about it but never been. It is nice to see people walking around dressed up. Everyone is in a good mood and is very friendly."

Chris Burton, and his wife Karen, had brought their six-year-old daughter, Holly, along from Ashford. Mr Burton said: "We brought her up to see the sweeps. She has seen them on Mary Poppins and has been very excited to see them in real life."

While the Morris dancing groups, some from as far away as Scotland and Cumbria, occupied much of the three-day programme, there were also a host of other activities for tourists and residents to enjoy.

Fresh from the recent closure of the West End musical Buddy, the Big Boppa, otherwise known as Rochester resident Simon Rawlings, led the rest of the cast in performing a selection of Sixties hits.

The present day pop scene was also represented by the appearance of eight-year-old Declan Galbraith. The singing sensation from Hoo performed a variety of songs outside City Wall wine bar, in the High Street.

As well as music there was also a host of different dances to keep people entertained.

The Castle Gardens played host to the 1st Impressions Dance Troupe and Maypole dancing on Saturday before making way for Alfie Smith's children's fair on Sunday.

A craft fair and an instrument fair were held at the Corn Exchange, Northgate. The finale to the festival, now in its 11th year in its current format, was a mass procession through the High Street by all the Morris teams who had taken part, the chimney sweeps and the Jack in the Green.