The delivery of almost 10,000 surge Covid testing kits to part of Kent after a "worrying" case of the South African variant was detected has been completed.

The initiative was announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Monday and by the end of yesterday, 9,633 kits had been delivered.

Named Operation Barton, the object was to determine whether there were any other cases of the South African variant of Covid-19 after one man from the area fell ill with it without having a link to the country.

There are fears the variant may spread quicker and be more resistant to the vaccines, explaining the efforts to stamp it out.

Kent Search and Rescue co-ordinated the campaign with the police a the request of Public Health England.

Tests kits were delivered and collected by personnel from Kent Police, Kent Search and Rescue, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Kent County Council, with more than 300 staff involved.

Some 84% of the test kits were returned at the doorstep with the balance returned to a mobile testing unit at the YMCA building in Melrose Close.

Kent Search and Rescue's operations officer, Stewart Baird, said: “On behalf of all the emergency services involved in this operation, we would like to offer our thanks to the residents of ME15 for their support and co-operation."

He said: "We delivered over 9,600 home testing units within 72 hours – a mammoth task. With more than 84% of tests returned immediately, the success exceeded our expectations.”

There will be no further activity in ME15 and no further COVID testing kits delivered to homes at this stage.

Any resident wishing to have a test can attend the testing unit at the YMCA, until early next week.

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