It's not long before the festive lights begin to twinkle in Sheerness.

The lights will be switched on at 5pm at the clock tower today.

It will follow the town's lantern parade at 4pm and the third annual Sheppey Seaside Santa Saunter at 3pm ending in a Christmas conga.

There will also be a Christmas market from 10am.

Miley Riddick, eight, of Ash class at St George's Primary School, Minster, will be turning on the Christmas lights.

More than 350 children entered a competition to draw and colour a picture of the town clock. More than 3,700 envelopes were handed out.

Each envelope returned contained a donation towards the Christmas lights. Almost £450 was raised.

Town Team chairman Brian Spoor said: "We were delighted with the response for a first time and are looking forward to inviting Miley to turn the lights on for us."

The drawings were put in a hat and the winning entry, above, was picked out at the Sheerness Times Guardian office in the High Street.

News editor Stephen Waite said: "The standard of the entries was so high. There was lots of inspired use of colour and some amazing clock tower designs, particularly taking into account the children’s ages."

He added: "Miley's drawing really sums up the Christmas spirit."

Another five picked out for special mention were: Finley Povey, nine, from Halfway Houses; Sophie Coulson, five, from Thistle Hill; Ellie French, 10, from Eastchurch (St Clement's site); Suzie Knight, eight, from Queenborough School; and Roxi Mai Guyer, 11, from West Minster Primary.

Queenborough's Christmas Lights Parade will take place tomorrow.

It sets off from King George's playing field, Castlemere Avenue, at 4.30pm, finishing with a firework display on the seafront.

There will also be a Christmas Tree Festival on today and tomorrow at Holy Trinity, Queenborough, in partnership with Queenborough Town Council and Queenborough and Rushenden In Bloom.