Kent's biggest annual celebration of the LGBT community is set to return - after it was wiped from last year's calendar by the pandemic.

Canterbury Pride organisers have revealed that the event will take place on September 11.

Committee member Jon Fitter-Harding says the team running the festivities decided to hold it towards the end of summer, rather than in June, because it wanted to have a date it could be "confident in".

"We really want to reach young people, so the university students are a key demographic for us and we know by late June many of them will have left the city," he said.

"When you're introducing yourself to new people in September, coming to Pride is a great way to be who you are and set yourself up for the year.

"It will take away the worries about coming out [to fellow students]. Hopefully Pride will sort that."

Since its creation, Canterbury Pride has become one of the city's biggest crowd-pleasers, drawing in crowds from across the county and beyond.

Its last event in 2019, drew about 20,000 people to the area. But it had to be cancelled last year, following the outbreak of coronavirus.

Mr Fitter-Harding says organisers are close to finalising a deal for September's headline act.

"Although restrictions would potentially allow us to have an event in July or August, we don't want to postpone again and have a date we can be confident in," he continued.

"By September, I think we'll be able to have a safe and great event.

"I think Pride will be one of the first big events to happen in the city."

Meanwhile, former Canterbury Pride boss Edd Withers has launched a new organisation called Kent Pride, which he hopes will become the largest LGBT celebration in the county.

It will kick off with an "online extravaganza" this year, which he says could be an evening of live-streamed entertainment.

A date for the inaugural bash has yet to be set, but he says it will be held at a location in west Kent.

"If we can do it this year, then we will have it this year. It will be the biggest in the county, set over an entire weekend, and we expect it to have up to 25,000 people," Mr Withers added.

"We also want to eventually support people to start new Pride events.

"If a place has its own Christmas lights switch-on, then it can probably have its own Pride."

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