The BBC's flagship religious programme Songs of Praise is coming to the county.

Presenter Aled Jones will be visiting Sheppey this month to record the TV programme, which is expected to be broadcast before Christmas.

The news was announced by Steve Chalke, founder of Oasis Community Learning, which runs the Island’s academy.

He said: "This is brilliant news and will really help put Sheppey on the map.”

Mr Chalke had been in talks with BBC producers to get them to visit the Island as part of a publicity campaign masterminded by the newly-formed Sheppey Development Forum.

It is expected cameras will visit Ray Featherstone's Sheerness County Youth Club.

The news comes after the Royal Hotel appeared in Channel 4 show Four In A Bed last week.

Mr Chalke said: “We want to get the message out to everyone, on and off the Island, that Sheppey is a great place to live and work and come for a holiday.”

Producers have already been in touch with organisations and individuals.

They include Ray Featherstone who runs the Sheerness County Youth Club in the former Methodist church in The Broadway, Sheerness.

Mr Chalke said: “Ray’s youth club is one of the best in the country.”

He added: “I have worked in TV and have presented Songs of Praise so I know it is hard to turn promises into reality.

“But it is extraordinary we have managed to secure this.”

The theme is Love Thy Neighbour.

Welsh-born Aled Jones, 47, made his name covering The Snowman’s theme Walking In Air when he was a boy soprano.

By the time his voice broke at 16 he had sold more than six million albums.

The dad-of-two, who fronted The One Show in 2011 and has appeared on Cash in the Attic and Escape to the Country, has been a presenter of Songs of Praise since 2004.

He is to visit the Island on Wednesday, November 14.

The push to boost Sheppey is part of the group’s 10-point manifesto to raise civic pride .

It aims to improve the perception of Sheppey by raising civic pride and promoting its heritage, art and history to develop tourism.

It is also hoped it can help to recruit more health and education professionals to the Island.

Mr Chalke said: “The future of the Academy is linked to the Island and vice versa.

“We all need to work together to improve things.”