It was more Mr Motivator than barking Sergeant Major as a new way of getting in shape came to Canterbury.

Ex and current armed forces members gave a fitness class with a difference at the Victoria Memorial Recreation Ground as training group British Military Fitness (BMF) expanded to the east of the county.

With circuit training, running, press ups and fitness games BMF's classes are designed to offer a different way to get the heart pumping, away from the confines of a gym or dance studio.

Some 40 people of all ages and fitness levels turned up for the first hour-long session on Monday night.

BMF operations director Kevin Lomas said: "The first thing you get here you won't get at the gym is motivation. When you go the gym usually no one talks to you and it is not very social.

"People pay a lot of money to use those facilities but they don’t actually get the results. We will actually get the results, we will make it challenging but we will also make it fun at the same time."

The classes in Canterbury will run every Monday and Wednesday evening from 7pm and every Saturday morning at 9.30am.