A town crier has been in Maidstone this morning ahead of the re-opening of the Hotter shoe shop in Week Street.

The Mayor is to cut the ribbon on the shop, which has been refurbished following a devastating fire a in June last year.

Five businesses were damaged by the blaze and Hotter is the first to re-open, although Boots opticians and travel agent Thomson relocated to other branches in town.

John Scholey, the town crier for Tunbridge Wells and Westerham, has been out and about in Maidstone town centre to make the public aware of the ceremony.

He has been a town crier for more than 10 years, and is a member of the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers.

"We can shout at people and they still smile back, it's great," he said.

"We very rarely get a negative reaction from people."