Deal's first Business Showcase, sponsored by the Mercury, has been hailed a massive success.

Organiser Jane Langstatf said: "Wow! What a show, what a stunner. Many thanks to the people at the Kent Messenger Group.

"My particular thanks go to newspaper sales manager Phil Lines for sending down the two A-boards which we positioned outside the Landmark Centre.

"It was shame one of them said Medway Messenger instead of East Kent Mercury, but this particular problem was resolved by cutting off the offending words."