Most people know the Kent Showground as the place to go for concerts, events and conventions but today it was transformed into a military operated mass coronavirus testing centre.

The site in Detling is one of 14 new symptom-free testing stations, available to people who live and work in Kent, which have opened in a bid to drive down infection rates.

Last month there was traffic chaos around the showground when the festive event Winter Wonderland left people stranded in their cars for four hours.

But this time round, gridlock on the A249 is unlikely to become a problem as people arrive during their pre-booked time slots for the test which only takes around 20 minutes.

On arrival people had their temperature taken by military personnel before sanitising their hands, registering online and then going onto the self-testing booths.

One of the first to take a test was Robin Taylor from Allington who booked a slot after being encouraged to by his work.

The 70-year-old said: "Although I'm furloughed at the moment, it's still important for me to have one.

"My wife has just had open heart surgery so I can't be too careful, I don't want to bring anything back that could harm her."

When asked how the test went he said it was very efficient and well organised but warns those yet to have theirs, to be prepared to fill out an online form on arrival.

He added: "It's not as simple as just turning up.

"I had no signal on my phone but the military guys in there were very helpful and managed to help me do it."

Also at the site were sisters Lorna, 23, and Emily Mills, 20, from Snodland.

Emily, who is in her first year at university studying occupational therapy in Canterbury, needs a negative result before she can continue her studies.

She said: "My course is still able to run and I need to have a test every three days so now I've had this one, I'll have to book another one."

Lorna added: "It was really easy and a lot quicker than I thought it would be, I was in and out in about 20 minutes.

"We also look after our nan so we just wanted to make sure we're still okay to check on her."

In Detling alone, 1,570 tests can be carried out each day at the site which is operated by 22 troops.

It was already being used as a training centre for those in Kent Resilience Unit so it only took the team half a day to adapt into a fully functioning testing site.

Long socially distanced queues started to form from around 11am but these quickly went down with 35 people leaving when we observed a half an hour time period.

Once people have had their tests, the results are sent through to their phones within an hour.

If positive, they will be told to self-isolate, follow the national guidance and instructed to have a further test to confirm the positive result.

If they are negative, they must continue to observe social distancing guidelines, wear a mask in public and regularly wash hands.

Another symptom-free testing site to open today was at Kemsley Village Hall in Ridham Avenue, Kemsley, near Sittingbourne.

Lee Maggs, 35, from Sittingbourne said he came along because he “just thought it would be best to get tested to rule anything out."

When asked what he thought about Swale’s high infection rates, Lee said: “It’s difficult really as so many of us have been doing everything we can, by the book, but there are a lot of selfish people out there.”

He added: “We should have had a testing centre before now.

“But my advice to people is to just get tested.”

Geoffrey Dollé went to get tested, along with his wife Jenna and their daughters Alaia-Rose, five, and Isobelle, one.

The 40-year-old, from Sittingbourne, said: "I'm a dog trainer and walk for a lot of key workers and vulnerable and elderly people so before I went back to work, I wanted to make sure I wasn't a carrier of the virus.

"All of us were tested and it was good, everyone's really nice."

Jenna, 42, said: "I'm hard of hearing so masks and shields are difficult for me, but they were very helpful and patient. They were very good with the kids too, making them feel happy and chatting to them."

Alaia-Rose added: "When I had my nose done after my mouth, it tickled."

Medway was the first to open fast coronavirus testing stations across the towns on December 5.

Then followed stations at Sheerness East Working Men's Club in Halfway, and Ramsgate Port on December 17.

With all 14 sites now open, more than 13,000 tests for people showing no symptoms can be carried out in Kent every day.

They will be open daily from 9am to 7pm for those who have booked online.

For a full list of other sites available, click here.

To book a symptom-free Covid-19 test near you, use this link: kcc.healthit.org.uk

If you have symptoms, book a PCR test at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

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