Some of the district’s most talented youngsters performed in front of more than 200 people at the city council’s Reach for the Stars competition.

The 10 acts in the final included singers, dancers and musicians, who wowed the crowd at the King’s Hall in Herne Bay.

They were chosen to compete after sending in audition tapes of them performing.

The judges were most impressed with 16-year-old keyboardist and singer Beth George, who claimed the top prize of an invitation to perform at the opening of this year’s Canterbury Festival.

The runners-up were Archbishop’s School pupil Orla Barker, 12, who sang and danced, and 15-year-old Chiara-Francesca Fox, a singer who attends Spires Academy. Both were awarded trophies and jars of goodies.

The judges were the council’s children and youth manager Alison Small, Executive member Cllr Joe Howes and Alison Chambers from the Canterbury Festival.

Alison said: “It was a fantastic evening. The quality of the acts in the final was very high and it was a very difficult choice.

“We thought the district was full of talented young people and so it proved. I’m sure Beth will do a brilliant job when she performs later this year at the Canterbury Festival.”