Crowds lined the streets of Whitstable for the opening parade of the town’s annual Oyster Festival on Saturday.

The first catch was brought ashore and blessed before the procession set off through the town with oysters handed out to pubs, restaurants and cafes along the route.

This year, the parade was one of the biggest ever and was headed up by

Whitstable’s own samba band, followed by town giant Captain Sam and his friends.

Lord Mayor Cllr Carolyn Parry said: “This is unique to Whitstable. This is something that we look forward to all year and is a highlight of our summer.”

For more parade pictures and more on the festival, see this week’s Whitstable Gazette, out on Thursday.