The front of County Hall has been turned into a sea of red to mark the start of Kent’s Poppy Appeal.

Five former service men and women helped pin the wave of large poppies to railings as the 2012 campaign got under way.

The five, who range in age from 29 to 91, have all been helped by forces charity The Royal British Legion.

They included Steven Seager, 29, from Sittingbourne, who joined the Army in 1999 and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder after leaving in 2004.

He asked for help from the Legion after going bankrupt, and was able to secure clothing vouchers and funding towards a plumbing course.

Another person present was Nathan Dodsworth, 49, from Rochester, supported by wife Julie.

He saw his life fall apart after leaving the forces in 1993, when his post-army career as a teacher was cut short in 2010 when he suffered a second brain haemorrhage.

The Royal British Legion was able to give him a 10-day break and help make improvements to his home, so he could move around more easily.

More than £1.3million was raised in Kent during last year’s Poppy Appeal and the Royal British Legion expects to receive 1,600 requests for help in the county this year.

Clare Saunders, the charity’s community fundraiser for Kent said: “The veterans who attended this event have turned to the Legion for help and it is through money raised from our annual Poppy Appeal that we were able to offer them the support they needed to put their lives back on track.”