BOATS will be decked out with the Olympic rings and images of sporting endeavour at this year's Maidstone River Festival.

Organisers have chosen the Games as the theme for this year’s event on the River Medway on Saturday, July 26.

Proceeds will go towards the £15,000 needed for a statue outside Maidstone Museum, commemorating the achievements of the town’s Gurkhas.

Festival organisers are now pulling out all the stops to raise sponsorship and this week secured their first sponsor, Young and Partners Motors.

Festival chairman David Knight said he had received several entries for the raft race.