A proud community has rallied together to defend a town after a “cheap shot” viral TikTok clip depicted it as a dump.

Traders and residents have brushed off a contrived 10-second video portraying Folkestone as a down-at-heel seaside location on a glum day.

Attracting 24,000 likes recently, TikToker oliviarose1uk’s montage knits together clips of the landmark Grand Burstin Hotel and dilapidated former Debenhams building in Sandgate Road.

It also portrays boarded-up shops among a handful of rundown buildings, including the Middleburg Square multi-storey car park, with the caption “Come to Folkestone on the bank hol [holiday], they said.”

Set to an obscure soundtrack, the video has sparked ire on the streets and online, with many highlighting how Folkestone was recently crowned the best place to live in South East England.

Many point out the video omits ambitious attractions and regeneration projects - The Harbour Arm, Old High Street, Creative Quarter, The Leas, and Zig-Zag path, for example, all set against a coastal backdrop with views across the English Channel to France.

Branded a “cheap, negative shot” by traders, the jibe has left town centre business owners frustrated by those trying to run the town down.

Toby Tozer, part of the team opening Petticoat Lane Emporium in the former town centre Wilko building on June 27, told KentOnline the area and Sandgate Road as a whole have a lot going for them.

“You feel slightly mugged off really, don’t you [on seeing the clip]? Seeing someone posting horrible stuff about your town,” he said.

“It's very strange, really. It makes me question what drives people to do these things?

“I don't personally understand what goes through people's minds.

“Everyone wants to look out for each other, everyone wants to see this top end of town thriving.”

Mr Tozer stressed the hugely popular Harbour Arm, an out-to-sea promenade peppered with dozens of food stalls half a mile away, attracts the majority of footfall.

“But in our end of town, we have between 200 and 300 traders we could potentially have on board with us. That alone should bring a much larger number of people here,” he adds.

“It feels like Folkestone’s got a lot of positives coming to this end of town, and everyone, you can see quite clearly, is really trying.”

William Brown, who runs a dessert shop dedicated to his deceased son, has urged residents and tourists to look beyond the jabs.

“I just found it quite offensive, that's by no means a fair representation of Folkestone,” he said.

“I don't even know who made the video, but they’ve obviously just gone around and taken images of the worst places in Folkestone, probably just to get hits.

“The images captured in that TikTok, which is really just a cheap, negative shot of Folkestone, you could do in any town, by the way, quite easily.

“We've probably got the most amazing coastal park and beaches in Kent, you've got amazing bars and restaurants with pretty much every sort of genre of food and drink available to a really good, high-standard quality.

“And you've got the Harbour Arm, which is a really quirky place to come.

“It's just a really nice, relaxing town, which is just idyllic for families.”

Left frustrated by the treatment of their beloved town, residents took to social media to share their favourite pictures of the area and its landmarks.

Countless images of pets, beauty spots and everyday life were posted online as people showed the town’s lighter side.

Will has now put together the images to create a response, encouraging the world to visit Folkestone for a bank holiday.

“It's a show of togetherness in Folkestone, not just business owners but actually also lovers of Folkestone,” he said.

“Everyone is really supportive in the town and, as sort of Folkestonians, we're very proud of the town.

“It's a good kickback to turning something very negative into something very positive through using the people.”

At the time of writing, the clip has generated more than 450 online comments - the majority coming out in support of the town.

In one of the most popular posts, Sian Shuter wrote: “Folkestone is lovely.

“Why did you go to all the horrible parts instead of the nice parts?”

Marlow Eville added: “You went to the wrong bit.

“You need to go to the coast starting at Zig-Zag path, then walking up to the harbour and Creative Quarter.”

A Folkestone & Hythe District Council spokesperson said: “Our residents – the people who live and breathe in Folkestone every single day – have adequately made the case for the town and wider district on social media and we echo these sentiments wholeheartedly.”