KENT'S businesses have been urged to make the most of the "magic" of the Olympic Games.

Regeneration, economic development, tourism, and volunteering are among the areas that can benefit from London’s hosting of the Olympics, delegates were told at the official launch of the Kent Strategy for the 2012 Games.

Mike Hill, chairman of the Kent Olympic and Paralympic Advisory Board, explained how the strategy had been created to ensure Kent maximised the opportunities afforded by the Games.

Stephanie Holt, Kent Manager for the 2012 Games, said: "We have to look at using the Olympics as a catalyst to achieve our long term goals."

Dame Kelly Holmes CBE, double gold medallist at the Athens Games in 2004 and patron of the Kent Campaign, said that Kent had made greater strides than other areas of the country in how to use the Games.

She said: "It's the chance of a lifetime. It's a chance not only to make a difference to your business, but to get behind this opportunity and leave a lasting legacy of sport.

"The whole country can benefit from the Games, I travel the country and see the enthusiasm, but Kent is one step ahead of other counties."