Festive cheer has swept across a seaside town after dozens of post boxes were decorated with knitted Santas, reindeer and nativity scenes.

A group of 17 women aged between 30 and 80 is behind the initiative in Herne Bay, continuing a coastal tradition that has been running since 2015.

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Member Sheila Wilson says it has covered 39 pillar boxes across the town.

She said: “People seem to like it. They’re saying ‘yay, they’re back’ and ‘now Christmas has started’ and are making loads of really nice comments.

“We just want to put smiles on faces. They’re purely there for people’s enjoyment.”

Ms Wilson says her group, which was created last year, will remain nameless.

The toppers, which were placed on the post boxes on Monday, will be taken down after Christmas.

“If we say a date they’ll come down on it may mean that some people might think they can get out and knick one quickly,” Ms Wilson added.

“We do lose some and some do get vandalised, it’s a sad fact.”

Last year, one of the group’s toppers at the junction of Albany Drive and Sea Street was vandalised and another outside Sea Street Post Office was snatched.

In the previous year six of the decorations were damaged or stolen.

Read more: All the latest news from Herne Bay