THE opening of the £62m Dickens World attraction in Chatham Maritime has been postponed - just a week before it was due to open its doors to visitors.

The opening will not now take place until May 25. A spokesman for Dickens World said the opening had been postponed because some of the hi-tech equipment crucial for the exhibits "did not meet the correct standards"

However, a preview day planned for VIP guests on Wednesday will still go ahead, though some of the attractions will not be fully operational.

Dickens World is based on the life and works of Charles Dickens, who had many links with the Medway Towns. The star attraction is a 250-metre long boat ride, which takes visitors on a trip through a Dickensian landscape.

Other attractions include The Haunted House of Ebenezer Scrooge, Fagin's Den and a 250-seat Victorian theatre.

When completed, the complex will include six catering outlets and a nine-screen Odeon Cinema, which is already open.

Visitors are expected from across the UK, Europe and from as far afield as the United States and Japan.