One of a town's most unexpected tourist attractions has been gently towed away after featuring on its skyline for almost a year.

The Ran rig, which arrived at Sheerness docks last July, was one of Sheppey's two adopted oil rigs.

Timelapse footage of the Ran rig being towed away from Sheerness. Video: James Bell

The giant drilling platform was pushed and pulled into position next to Prospector 1, which had arrived two months earlier.

Ran finally departed Sheerness on Tuesday. The rig, which was shifted by three tug boats, was built in 2013 in Singapore.

Prospector 1, which was built in 2013 in China and valued at £123 million, had already been pulled from Sheerness docks in October.

Its owner Borr Drilling had secured a contract for the rig in the G18 sector of the Dutch North Sea.

The rigs, which both have three towering legs to jack down onto the seabed when searching for oil or gas, were being stored by Peel Ports while Borr Drilling sought new work.

They can each drill to a depth of 35,000ft in 400ft of water.

Their legs are more than 500ft tall and they can also each accommodate a crew of more than 100.

The rigs had become a quirky tourist attraction for visitors and a popular focus for photographers, especially at night when lit.

Their towering legs could be seen from all over the Island and beyond.

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