VISIT Kent is celebrating a record 40,500 entries to the My Kent Big Weekend free ticket ballot in the first seven days after the event website went fully live.

The website – which is found at www.mykentbigweekend.co.uk – is open for free ticket applications to more than 120 of the county's top attractions, including Knole, Lullingstone Roman Villa and Chartwell, until midnight on February 13.

The Big Weekend wil be held on March 17 and 18, marking the end of the first English Tourism Week.

Sandra Matthews-Marsh, who is chief executive of the organisation, said: "The My Kent Big Weekend has become a highlight of the county calendar and is growing in popularity year on year. In the first week visits to the website have been up 22 per cent on the same period last year so I think we will be breaking all our previous records.

So far, Wingham Wildlife Park, Hever Castle, Leeds Castle, Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, and Dickens World have attracted the most applications for tickets.