Gillingham have completed the free transfer signing of striker Ben Williamson.

The 26-year-old joins the Gills on a two-year-contract after rejecting fresh terms at former club Port Vale.

He has been with the Valiants for the past four seasons, forging a fruitful partnership with the prolific Tom Pope, who also recently left Vale Park, for Bury.

Williamson scored 10 goals for Vale last season in 47 appearances, including the first in a 2-1 win over the Gills.

The big, powerful striker will also add pace to Gills attack for next season and arrives to bolster the club’s slender strike force.

Gills boss Justin Edinburgh said: “A number of clubs were interested in him but the fact he has chosen to come to us shows how ambitious he is to be a part of what we are trying to build.

“He will prove a handful for any defense in this division and he provides us with something a little different to what we already have."

London-born Williamson spent the early part of his career playing non-league football for Worthing. He also played for the Glenn Hoddle Academy before being snapped up by Bournemouth.

He joined Port Vale in 2011 and was part of the team who finished third in League 2, behind Martin Allen’s Championship winning Gillingham team.

Williamson leaves them after making 149 league appearances, scoring 21 goals.

The Gills followed the signing of Williamson by snapping up Bradley Garmston from West Brom and then keeper Glenn Morris penned a new one-year deal later the same day.