People across Kent have been branded 'snow heroes' for coming to the rescue of hospital staff and carers left stranded by the Beast from the East.

Reports have come in of good Samaritans going to extraordinary lengths to help out strangers in difficulty such as towing - or in some cases pushing - trapped vehicles out of the snow or doing a 36-mile round trip to drop them to work.

Among those nominated was van driver Andy Williams, who is said to have rescued at least 50 motorists stranded in the snow in the last two days.

Using his Mitsubishi L200 Warrior he even managed to pull clear a fuel tanker that was blocking a slip road on the M2 at Blue Bell Hill last night.

The self-employed Maidstone resident has also done 36-mile round trips to give lifts to carers and other key workers who found themselves stranded with no way of getting to work or making it back home from a shift.

It all came about after he took to social media to offer his services to people in need.

But the 34-year-old's generosity came at a price though as his clutch burned out and his prized 4x4 is now out of action.

Mr Williams said: "My partner Alicia is a carer herself and doesn't drive so I took her to work and and I knew there were other people that needed a lift as well so I picked them up as well.

"In the end I was out from 6am yesterday till late last night.

"I've probably rescued in the region of 50+ vehicles that were stuck around the back roads.

"I don't see it as going out of my way, as I was off work anyway and wouldn't be doing anything.

"I've been stuck myself and I know what it feels like."

Another 'snow hero' is Eric Moore, a caretaker at St Simon's Primary School in Ashford.

Parents and staff say he has gone above and beyond the call of duty by walking in from home - a journey of more than a mile - at around 6am to grit and clear the playground and pavements outside of snow to ensure it remained safe to open today and yesterday.

"Eric has been a star," said head teacher Peter McCabe.

"He is usually in at 6am and we could not have opened but for the fact that he made the place safe.

"He had an emergency plan and cleaned around the classrooms and playground so the children could play outside too.

"A lot of them not have seen any snow before.

"The parents have been very appreciative. A lot of them work in the service industries so they would have had to take a day's holiday had the school closed."

A video of 11-year old Gillingham schoolboy Drew Stanton helping cars avoid crashing into each other on a hilly road in the town has gone viral - with 83,000 views.

Video: Drew Stanton helped out cars on a hilly road

Other acts of kindness include a man who reportedly single-handedly cleared snow from Hilton Drive in Sittingbourne using only a shovel so neighbours could get off the estate and staff at St Mary of Charity Primary School in Faversham offering to collect and walk children to class.

Shoun Bearup and Martin Boakes have also been praised for spending most of yesterday and getting up at 4am today to use their snow ploughs to clear roads in Upchurch and the surrounding villages as far away as Hempstead Valley.

Staff at PF builders in Aylesham, Dover, have also been clearing paths for the elderly and offering to help collect shopping.

Meanwhile, while a staff member at Pennies Day Nursery in Bearsted, who lives in Walderslade, picked up three colleagues to make sure it could stay open.

They all arrived just after 9am and she then dropped each of them home at the end of their shift.

Another act of kindness saw a taxi driver in Canterbury offer free lifts to people with hospital and doctor's appointments unable to make it on public transport.

Parents of pupils at The Academy of Woodlands have also thanked staff for their hard work as it appeared to be the only school still open in Medway.

Snow ploughs belonging to Medway-based company AC Goatham & Son were also seen out and about clearing roads in the Hoo Peninsula.