A “yarn bomb” explosion has erupted to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a prestigious charity.

A group of volunteers have crocheted, knitted and sewn a series of novelty knits which can now be spotted across Medway to commemorate Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust’s ruby birthday.

And even Chatham’s famous landmark Thomas Waghorn statue gets stitched up.

The monument to the intrepid naval officer has been adorned with a cape emblazoned with a dockyard logo. And to top it all his well-known traffic cone headgear now has a woolly jumper.

It took a team of workmen to scale the statue in Railway Street and kit out the Chatham-born pioneer.

The artwork has been created by Unravel and Unwind, a community interest company which has a workshop on Gillingham Green and members of Gillingham Women’s Institute.

The army of yarn bombers have spent the last six months putting together their whacky collection including a replica of Poplar in London’s East End where Call the Midwife, filmed in the former dockyard, is based.

It includes knitted versions of Sister Julienne and Nurse Crane alongside a new mum with a midwife’s bicycle to complete the picture.

Yarn bombing is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk.

An exhibition showcasing the work is currently on at the historic dockyard until Sunday, August 18.

Elsewhere, there’s a lifeboat - a nod to the 200th anniversary of the RNLI, also in Military Road.

At Rainham Shopping Centre there are two post-box toppers to be found, both honouring the 1940s.

First is a scene dedicated to the visitor attraction’s Salute to the ‘40s festival and the second portrays soldiers in the Second World War.

The vintage locomotives of the dockyard take centre stage in the final post box topper, fittingly near Strood Railway Station.

Faye Lamb of Unravel and Unwind said: “Many of our teen crocheters have learned to crochet during this project and the HM Submarine Ocelot replica really shows how they have progressed over the past few months.

“They’ve surprised themselves with how much they have learnt.

“They have surpassed my expectations and provided a replica of HMS Gannet using repurposed and recycled yarns.

“Medway is blessed with many talented knitters and crocheters who have created amazing post box toppers with a very small brief.”

Faye has been involved in yarn bombing for more than 10 years and recently worked with Nucleus Arts to transform a telephone box into a Dr Who tardis.

Project coordinator Vikkie Mulford, who is the Trust’s public engagement officer, said: “It has been a pleasure collaborating with Unravel & Unwind CIC in the Trust’s 40th anniversary year, on their most ambitious community project to date.

“Seeing the project develop over the past six months, and the creativity of those involved has been an incredibly rewarding experience and I hope the results bring as much joy to others as it has done to us.”