A sneak preview of an historic firing of guns to mark the royal wedding is on offer today.

Volunteers from the Chatham and Gillingham Artillery Volunteers and the 42nd Regiment of Foot will practice the salute at Fort Amherst.

The fort itself will be closed to the public, but visitors on the Great Lines, in Dock Road, or the centre of Chatham will be able to witness the event at about 12.15pm.

The Fort Amherst Heritage Trust has been given unique permission to fire a 21 gun salute as Prince William and his bride, Kate Middleton, leave Westminster Abbey.

The practice will involve five cannon and between 10 and 15 rounds as the team practice for the event on Friday April 29.

That firing - at about 12.15pm - will be the first time a 21-gun salute has sounded from the fort since Queen Victoria was on the throne.

Appropriately, the salute will be fired from the historic Prince William's Battery.

A spokesman for the heritage trust said: "As this is believed to be the only salute that that will be fired on April 29 we intend to rehearse the firing of five guns.

"This will allow the salute to be fired as efficiently and effectively as possible on the day. We will then be firing from 10 to 15 shots starting at midday from all five guns."