The first employee of one of the county's top PR agencies has retired after 25 years with the firm.

Former Daily Mail journalist Alison Hardy was the first on the payroll of Maxim, based in Tunbridge Wells, when it was founded in 1995.

But the account director bid farewell to the firm this week.

She said: "I have loved my time in PR but the time has come to move on to other things.

“I have seen so many changes in the way we communicate our clients’ messages which has been incredibly exciting – if not hard to keep up with!”

Philip Jones, co-founder of the firm, added: “Alison has been a wonderful colleague and friend over the past quarter of a century. Her expertise was instrumental in helping to get Maxim established and she’ll be very much missed by all of us.

“We wish her all the best for the future and a very happy retirement with her husband, children and growing number of grandchildren.”

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