Three empty town centre shops, including a former M&S and a Co-Op, have had a makeover to brighten them up.

It comes as local young people, together with Mid Kent College and AJD Solutions, transformed the premises in Week Street, Maidstone, with original artwork.

Andrew Dennis from AJD Solutions held workshops with local young people and a professional photographer to learn techniques and practical skills.

They then had several sessions around the borough taking photos of interesting or unusual areas and the parts of Maidstone they liked best.

Eleanor Bailey was one of the students who took part in the project.

She said: “Thank you so much for allowing me to experience something I have never done before. I really enjoyed it.

“It has taught me some skills as well as some confidence growth to take photos in public and to have a clear mindset.”

Graphic design students from Mid Kent College were then asked to create graphics panels to include in the finished artwork.

Martyn Jeynes at Maidstone Borough Council said: “This wonderful photography has been incorporated in these stunning graphic panels and installed in three shops on Week Street, both the former M&S stores and the former Co-Op.

“It is sad to see empty shops anywhere and we hope they will be occupied again soon.

“We know that how an area looks can impact on how people feel about it and that anti-social behaviour can increase in areas that are not looked after.

“So we are doing all we can to keep the town looking it’s best wherever we can. We have used funding from the national Safer Streets initiative to involve our young people in brightening up our town centre”