It is tradition for students to throw their mortar boards in the air following graduation.

But, together with academic staff, a total of 422 have celebrated their success by attempting a world record for the stunt.

It took place at Canterbury Cathedral on Friday after the University of Kent's final graduation ceremony of the week and was part of the celebrations to mark the retirement of vice-chancellor and president, Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow.

Each mortar board had to be thrown at least two feet in the air to be classed as part of the record attempt and break the previous best of 290, set in 2012.

The attempt will be submitted to the Guinness World Records for ratification.