Bob Geldof yesterday launched a TV channel in Kent, where he has been living for the last 20 years.

The music legend opened Kent TV, a 24-hour online channel that will offer news and information about the county from its Maidstone studios.

It became the UK's first ever county council-funded broadband channel after Geldof's company, Ten Alps plc, won a contract to operate the station on behalf of Kent County Council.

During the launch, Faversham-based Geldof said: "It’s pretty cool; it’s very experimental and potentially very interesting.

"I think it’s very smart of whoever came up with this on the council and it’s fairly brave of it to go ahead and give this the thumbs-up."