Two days of celebrations will be held in Dartford to mark St George's Day.

Dartford's popular St George’s Day parade is to return as part of the festivities, with the town centre set to be filled for the occasion for the first time since 2019.

With St George’s Day falling on a Saturday, Dartford Council and Cohesion Plus have arranged for a schools parade on Friday April 22, to be followed by town-wide celebrations on Saturday.

Eight local schools will be taking part in a parade from the Civic Centre to Central Park’s bandstand, with the parade set to feature huge puppets of St George and the dragon, along with fusion drummers, brass bands and street entertainment.

Leader of the Council Jeremy Kite said: “We know how much local people have missed our St George’s Day parade and we’re really excited to bring it back with an extra day of activity.

“We’ve always been proud of our national day and after a difficult couple of years we will be making up for lost time so everyone can enjoy themselves. We’re also busy planning lots of events for later in the spring and summer so that people in Dartford can enjoy a great summer of activities.”

Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of organiser Cohesion Plus, said: “The Saint George’s Day celebrations in Dartford are one of the highlights of our year.

“They are a great example of the communities of Dartford coming together to celebrate not just Saint George but also the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough. I feel the celebrations are a beacon that other parts of the country could learn from."

On Sunday, April 24 there will be another event, when Dartford Scouts with Dartford Guides hold their parade at the bandstand in Central Park from 10.30am to 11.30am.

This year will be a milestone in Dartford Scout’s history because a new youth section will be on parade.

It is the first time in 37 years The Scout Association has opened a new section.

This new provision is open to children aged between four and six and is called Squirrels.

The 9th Dartford Scout Group is the first group in the district to open a Squirrel Drey, and the event will be the first time the next section will be on show.

Their distinctive red uniforms will make them stand out from the crowd.