A debate may have raged last week over the importance of celebrating St George's Day but Surrey Comet readers were in no doubt about their love of the English patron saint and held events and parties across the region.

A group of Chelsea Pensioners helped celebrate the launch of a St George's Day beer festival at Kingston's Willoughby Arms pub.

The festival included 68 traditional cask beers and nine English farm ciders, all of which helped ensure the pensioners did not get too thirsty in the name of St George.

Pupils from Asquith Nursery in Hampton commemorated George's dragon slaying past by coming into school wearing red and white and painting the saint's flag on their faces.

Cobham High Street was awash with white and red after the local chamber of commerce decorated shopfronts with the flag of St George.

And ethnic minority staff at Kingston Hospital were keen to show their support for St George who was Turkish and never visited England when they celebrated on Friday.

Many other events, parades and parties were held across Kingston borough and in Surrey.