The former home of paper production in Maidstone is being levelled to make way for flats and houses.

Once the Whatman Paper Mill, the site off Royal Engineers Road closed in 2015, having become an iconic part of the town for 200 years.

After lying empty and unused for three years, demolition work is currently underway.

Housing developers Redrow South East plan to build 295 homes on the site now known as Springfield Mill.

In February Maidstone Borough Council approved the developer's application to build 218 flats and 77 houses.

For the past month, construction teams have been removing the first part's of the historic site, but much of it still remains.

Darren Banks, senior engineering co-ordinator at Redrow South East, said: "We are retaining the chimney, rag room and beam, all of which will be incorporated into the new development. We will start building work to deliver the first phase of new homes in February.”

The Kent Messenger joined former staff and historians for a look around the abandoned site in August.

In its heyday the Whatman Paper Mill was one of the largest exporters of paper in the country.

It would go on to pave the way for machine-led, steam powered paper production, before later moving onto to providing medical equipment such as filters in the 20th century.