Kent Online has more visitors than any other local press website in Kent.

Statistics from leading online information service Hitwise show how Kent Online is more than 5,000 places ahead of its closest county rival in the UK rankings.

Of almost 2,000,000 websites monitored across the UK, the KM Group site was the 3,955th most visited in February. It ranked 393rd among more than 12,000 UK news and media sites.

Of the rival press sites thisiskent.co.uk, run by Northcliffe, publishers of several Kent papers including the Kent and Sussex Courier, was the closest. It was 9,223rd overall and 702nd in the news and media category.

Kentnews.co.uk, run by KoS media, publishers of Kent on Sunday, was ranked 24,005th overall and 1,271st in the news and media category while kentonsunday.co.uk was ranked 223,820 overall.

KM Group’s commercial director, Brin Bucknor, said: “The Hitwise findings are very gratifying and confirm what a very busy and popular site Kent Online is. Having independent verification that we are leading the way in Kent will be of huge benefit to customer confidence in these difficult times."

The statistics come almost a year after KM Group launched nine local websites to support its newspapers and kmfm radio stations.

Online editor Sandra Hembery said: “As well as the success of Kent Online we have seen visitors to these local web sites grow steadily month after month as we have developed our multimedia skills.

“Our newsrooms can break stories immediately online or on radio, sometimes backing up with video coverage, and then follow up for their press deadlines. It’s fast and furious – but it works.”

Hitwise tracks how more than eight million UK internet users interact with websites from 165 industries each day.