A hospital has become the first in Kent to get a machine designed to stop children feeling scared of scans.

The Kitten Scanner is designed to help children who are worried about having an MRI and has been unveiled at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford.

With the use of a computer game-style Avatar, the Kitten Scanner gets the children playing a game where they follow the journey of their chosen character as it has its own MRI scan.

Children can put their favourite toy buddy into the scanner, which kicks off a fun and educational video.

Different characters like Ollie the elephant, Chris the crocodile, and Doris the chicken then guide the little patients through the process, helping them understand the strange sounds of an MRI and offering tips on staying still which is an important part.

They can then hopefully feel more comfortable as they copy the character in the MRI machine.

Before the machine was introduced at the hospital, children with a fear or anxiety of having an MRI were sent to London to use their Kitten Scanner.

Costing more than £23,000, the equipment was bought with funds raised by the Dartford Lions Club.

President Avtar Sandhu said: “This is one of the largest donations our club has ever made to a single project. This one purchase will affect the lives of so many members of the local community.

“It’s the support of our residents that makes projects like this one possible.”

Professor Seshadri Sriprasad, deputy chief medical officer at the hospital, said: "Young children are apprehensive about getting a scan done.

"The Kitten Scanner goes a long way in allaying their fears and is a welcome development. We are thankful to the Dartford Lions Club for making this happen.”