A three-day festival celebrating the Romney Marsh character Dr Syn is set to return this summer after the last staging was scrapped because of Covid.

The Days of Syn event will be held once more in Dymchurch on the August bank holiday weekend, and organisers are appealing for volunteers to come forward to help put the festivities on.

A bi-annual celebration of the tales of novelist Russell Thorndike, who set his most famous creation on the Marsh, the fete and pageant has grown since it was first held in 1964 and before the pandemic thousands would attend.

Sheila Jones, who is a member of the not-for-profit group which helps organise the event, says the fun of the festival will be just what people need after the last two years.

"Everyone needs a bit of light-heartedness," she said.

"Anybody's welcome to come to our meetings. It's not a closed-shop or anything, we're always grateful, everybody's welcome to come to the meetings to join us. Anybody that wants to come is very, very welcome."

A meeting of the organising group is being held in the village next week to start drawing up the plans for this summer's event.

Visitors to the celebrations can expect to see battle re-enactments between smugglers and Revenue Officers, a court trial, historical demonstrations, Morris dancing and the Grand Procession.

The inaugural event in 1964 was organised by the Parochial Church Council of St Peters and St Paul to help fund a new church roof, and writer Russell Thorndike permitted the organisers to use the name of the lead character from his tales of smuggling on the Marsh, the Reverend Dr Christopher Syn.

Thorndike's books were inspired by 18th century tales of gangs bringing ashore contraband smuggled from the continent, and the battles which the smugglers found with the men from the Customs office.

The event - which is free for visitors - remains true to its original charitable motive, and fundraising bodies will once again be invited to set up their pitches for free, ensuring all money raised goes to good causes.

Anyone who would like to assist with the organisation of this year's event should contact Sheila Jones by email at sheilamargaretjones@yahoo.co.uk. You can find out more information about the Day of Syn festival at www.dayofsyn.co.uk