The name of a new bridge has been revealed.

The £3million structure was installed over Brielle Way in Blue Town, Sheerness, last month and today, its name was announced.

It will be Wildfire Bridge in honour of the Island's naval history, following a competition open to the community.

The 230m crossover will span the length of the road and was named after beating other suggestions Blue Town Bridge and Samuel Pepys Bridge.

David Brown, a retired tug master and operations manager, submitted the winning name which won the public vote. He will open the bridge later this year.

He said: "I’m absolutely honoured that my name was chosen as the overall winner of the public vote.

"I’m really interested in the history of the area, and with the recent Wildfire III parade this month, it was a fitting suggestion."

It references HMS Wildfire III, the British naval establishment which formed part of the Sheerness base, and HMS Wildfire, which was reponsible for coordinating ships sailing for Dunkirk in 1940.

He added: "Not many people are aware of the role HMS Wildfire played in the rescue operation to Dunkirk in WWII.

"Hopefully the new name will help more people remember the historic events that took place so many years ago."

The bridge will connect the current Peel Ports site to the Wellmarsh development on the site of the old steel mill.

Paul Barker, port director for London and Medway, said: "Wildfire Bridge is the perfect name to honour the naval history and heritage of the area, and we are excited to officially announce this to the community.

"We had some excellent nominations and it was hard to pick just three for the final shortlist. All the names were great but we are confident that the public have made the right choice.

"The bridge is a major part of our 20-year masterplan for growth at Sheerness. It will allow port vehicles to move safely and securely between the port estate and the new Wellmarsh site, improving access for customers and reducing port traffic on public roads.

"We recognise that finding the appropriate name for the new bridge is a matter of considerable interest locally. It was therefore absolutely right that people of the Isle of Sheppey had the final say on the identity of this important project."

In aid of its new name, Peel Ports has made a donation to the Queenborough and District Naval Ensign Association, which organises the yearly Wildfire parade.