Tickets for a new £2.5million Christmas venue in Kent are set to go on sale next week - ahead of the festive attraction receiving planning approval from the council.

Father Christmas World, soon to be opening near Tunbridge Wells, is set to be one of the UK's biggest seasonal attractions and hopes to deliver an impressive festive experience.

Organisers say tickets are going on sale as a result of early demand - but they have yet to secure planning permission.

Ticket holders attending the event will experience riding a Tinsel Train, dressing snowmen in a giant igloo and meeting a magical polar bear called Bing.

They will also be able to browse the shops and stalls of Christmas Square and wander through the Snow Dome - where it snows every single day.

Markerstudy Leisure, the company working in association with the attraction has said more than 1,000 people have already registered for tickets.

Nick Moore, commercial director of Markerstudy Leisure, said: "In the unlikely event that our attraction does not go ahead as envisaged, then naturally full refunds will be made by Father Christmas World Ltd."

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said the planning application would be considered by the planning committee at the end of this month.

A spokesman said: "The current expectation is that this planning application will be determined by the planning committee in late September now that the additional documentation has been received and is out for consultation."

The council said it is a commercial decision for the company to make about the sale of tickets so it could not comment.

To buy tickets, visit www.fatherchristmasworld.com or visit the Father Christmas World shop in Neville Street, Tunbridge Wells, which opens on Monday.

The attraction will open to the public daily between 10am and 6pm from November 15 to December 31.