Canterbury council may have to wait several months before it gets back any of the £6million invested in an Icelandic bank, according to Kent County Council.

County Hall finance chiefs say they are increasingly optimistic KCC and other authorities in Kent will eventually get their cash back but admit they are unlikely to know for sure for some time.

It follows a visit to Iceland by finance officers from KCC and the London borough of Barnet for a series of meetings with the banks’ administrators.

KCC has £50million locked into three banks while Kent Police is exposed to the tune of £11million.

Cllr Nick Chard, KCC’s cabinet member for finance, described the meetings as positive.

"It was the first step in quite a complex process which we expect to take several months," he said.

"We are certainly on course to get most, if not nearly all, of the money back but it is early days.

"We have a dialogue with the banks but it is only the start of the process."

He revealed it was still not clear what the value of the banks’ remaining assets were in relation to their debts and as a result, a second trip would be made to Iceland in early December.

He insisted there would be no repercussions in the county council’s budget next year for either council tax bills or services if there were delays in retrieving the money.

"There will not be an immediate impact on either council tax bills or services, as we have got money in reserves," he added.