Shocking figures have revealed the smoking rate in one town has nearly tripled in one year - while the rest of Kent has seen an overall decrease.

Statistics show Dartford has seen a hike from 9.9% to 26.4% between 2018 and 2019.

Broken down by local authorities, this means it now has the worst rate in the county.

Thanet has the second highest and has also seen an increase compared to the year before - from 19.7% to 21%.

There are also "major concerns" in Dover, Gravesham, Maidstone and Sevenoaks which saw a rise in the number of people with the habit.

But county-wide figures show a downward trend, as Kent went from 15% in 2018 to 13.7% in 2019.

It is expected this number will reduce further this year as more smokers seek to quit amid the coronavirus pandemic - after studies revealed they can have more severe symptoms.

Ashford has seen the most dramatic fall in its smoking rate as it more than halved in one year.

Tunbridge Wells and Canterbury had the lowest figures in 2019 - recording 8% and 8.4% respectively.

The estimates are based on local surveys and showed men are still more likely to smoke than women and the numbers are highest among routine and manual workers.

Kent County Council's director of public health Andrew Scott-Clark said the authority is pleased more people than ever across Kent are quitting.

But he also said investigations will be taking place to find why some areas are now showing an increase.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that smoking increases the severity of the symptoms and by quitting, you can reduce the chance of needing to go to hospital," he said.

He added "you're never too old" to quit and see the health benefits of doing so.

Read more: All the latest news from Dartford