A number of gravestones have been destroyed in a cemetery as a result of Storm Eunice.

High winds saw a number of large trees felled in Hawkinge Cemetery near Folkestone on Friday during the storm.

Council workers were forced to make the "difficult decision" to temporarily close the cemetery on Monday to allow work to be carried out to make the area safe for visitors.

However, when the branches were removed, the heart-wrenching damage to the graves underneath was revealed.

The extent of the damage has not yet been revealed, and while the cemetery and crematorium have been reopened, residents have been asked asked to "give the ground maintenance team" time to remove the rest of the fallen branches.

A council spokesman said: "Both Hawkinge Cemetery and Hawkinge Crematorium have now reopened. We have worked hard to make the area safe as quickly as possible.

"Unfortunately the stormy weather has caused damage to a number of headstones.

"We understand this may cause some distress but kindly ask you to give our grounds maintenance team the time to safely remove the trees and fallen branches.

"Our burials team will be getting in touch with the contacts of those with damaged headstones as soon as we can."

The county-wide repair bill is set to reach into the millions following the damage dealt by the storm and yesterday's Storm Franklin.

Thankfully, despite the county's first ever red warning being brought in on Friday for Storm Eunice, no one was killed in Kent.