Fewer people claimed unemployment benefits in Kent last month.

Dole queues across the county shrank to 18,215 jobseekers in September, a fall of 105 on the previous month, according to the Office for National Statistics.

However, the figure is 1,618 higher than this time last year.

The largest fall was in Shepway, which saw its claimant count drop by 60 to 1,295, but it was a mixed picture across the county with small declines offset by similar rises in other districts.

Other significant falls were in Medway, down 45 to 3,435 and Ashford, down 35 to 1,110.

“We had the McArthurGlen jobs fair a couple of weeks ago, with over 30 companies represented, which was smashing for us..." - Hamera Ahmed, Ashford Jobcentre

The largest rises were in Canterbury and Gravesham, both up 20 to 1,310.

Ashford Jobcentre manager Hamera Ahmed said: “We have had an amazing month. We had the McArthurGlen jobs fair a couple of weeks ago, with over 30 companies represented, which was smashing for us.

“Out of that came closer working with McDonald’s and Blue Arrow.

"We have also had success with Smyths Toys and Costa in Ashford Retail Park in Sevington.”

Nationally, the number of people out of work grew by 10,000 to 1.66 million in the three months to August.

Across the South East, unemployment remained flat at 176,000 over the same period, compared with the previous quarter.

The South East had the UK’s lowest unemployment rate of 3.7%.

Across the region there were 4.52 million people in work, up 10,000, putting the employment rate at 62.9%.

Nationally, there were 31.81 million people in jobs, 106,000 more than for March to May.

The employment rate of 74.5% is the joint highest since comparable records began in 1971.