Dolphin Dave honoured with award

An angler has created a website dedicated to Dave

A dolphin who has been entertaining visitors to the Kent coast throughout the summer has won a tourism award.

Dave has been seen swimming 100ft (30m) out to sea on the reef between Folkestone and Seabrook since April.

The mammal was honoured with an outstanding achievement to tourism award from Kent Tourism Academy in Hythe on Wednesday evening.

Dave has attracted hundreds of people to Shepway and was nominated for an award by a visitor, a spokesman said.

"This is the first time we have held the Pride in Shepway awards, which recognise people who deliver outstanding customer service to all our local residents and visitors," Kerstin Beeching said.

"Judges agreed that he had certainly been swimming that extra mile to attract people to Shepway."

The dolphin was represented at the ceremony at Hythe Imperial Hotel by a local angler and marine life enthusiast who launched a website dedicated to Dave soon after he was first spotted.