The testing of 10,000 people in Maidstone for Covid 19 - and in particular for traces of the new South African variant - is proceeding apace.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the measure at lunchtime on Monday, after someone from the area tested positive with the variant and was admitted to hospital.

Teams gathered from the emergency services are dropping testing kits to each household in the selected area - part of the ME15 postcode - and returning a couple of hours later to collect them.

But residents are left to carry out the test themselves.

Teresa Rogers, a lawyer obliged to work from home during the lockdown, received her test kit yesterday evening.

She said: "A fireman delivered it at about 5.15pm and said probably someone would pick it up later, but if not I should hand-deliver it to the YMCA centre the next day, which actually would be no problem as it's quite near me."

On receipt of the kit, the first thing residents have to do is go online to register their details along with the barcode of the test-kit.

Ms Rogers said: "That was actually the trickiest part. The kits are the same ones you can order to be sent out by post and the first thing the guidebook says you will require is your 'order ID' which it says 'will have been sent to you by email.'

"Of course I didn't order a kit and I didn't have an email or an order ID, which was a bit confusing.

"But if you carry on and log on anyway, you find there is another way you can do it without the order number.

"However, you do have to be able to get online and it's not clear what you would do if you are not on the Internet."

The answer is that you dial 119, and the NHS will take your details over the phone and book you in.

Ms Rogers said: "Next you have to blow your nose then wash your hands very thoroughly, before unwrapping the swab.

"Then you have to wipe the swab around both your tonsils - it suggests standing in front of a mirror and using a torch so that you can see where they are.

"Then you use the same swab and put it up your nose!

"It's not pleasant, but the discomfort is only momentary.

"After that it's easy to follow the instructions on how to put the swab in a container which then goes inside two plastic bags and finally in a box, which you seal up.

"The whole process took about 25 minutes."

"A policeman came and collected my test kit at 6.45pm, so about an hour and half later, and that was it!"

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