Ashford Mayor Rita Hawes was up bright and early today to watch the East Kent Morris Men greet the beginning of summer.

Dancing the Dawn Up is a ceremonial dance to celebrate the coming of summer and promote fertility in field, flock and mankind.

For more than 10 years the Morris Men have celebrated the event on Wye Downs but this year they decided on Dover.

Just after 5am, the group, accompanied by the Ashford Mayor and the Mayor of Dover, Cllr Bob Markham, made their way to the seafront to take part in the ceremony.

It was witnessed by a few hardy Dovorians who went along and several bemused Dutch and German holidaymakers who were woken up in their camper vans, as the group performed a selection of Morris dances.