Picture: The KM Big Quiz trophy is presented to members of the Unicorn team by Louise Hopkins of Shepherd Neame.

KENT'S top quiz teams battled it out for the honour of being crowed KM Big Quiz Champions at an event staged at the Shepherd Neame brewery's headquarters in Faversham on Friday night.

The county final of the KM Big Quiz was an invitation event with the top teams from the Canterbury quiz, held in March, the Maidstone wine and wisdom, held in July, and the Ashford Big Quiz, held in November, all making up the eight teams competing for the New Appointments Group-sponsored trophy.

The county final proved to be a fascinating occasion for organisers who were keen to see who would come out on top. Although it was a close-run thing, the Unicorn team who have won the Canterbury Big Quiz for the last five years, beat off the competition by two points.

The Six Bells from Woodchurch, near Ashford, who won the Maidstone wine and wisdom and have come second to the Unicorn at the Canterbury event for the last three years, had to join the Weakenders from New Ash Green in second place.

Question-master and organiser Simon Dolby was delighted with the £1,000 raised for the children's road safety charity Kent Walking Bus Project.

This year the KM Big Quiz evenings raised £17,800, shared between eight Kent causes with the Kent Walking Bus Project receiving more than £5,500.

A range of businesses and organisations supported the final with Nicki Mattin of MinsterCollege, Sheppey and Celia Buxton of CanterburyHigh School acting as scorers and staff from KM and the Walking Bus Project assisting on the night. Prizes for the night were donated by P&O Ferries and shops including Whittard of Chelsea and Thorntons.

   County final results

• The Unicorn (from Canterbury, Canterbury winners) 47
• Six Bells, Woodchurch (from Ashford, Maidstone event winners) 44
• Weakenders (from New Ash Green, Maidstone event runner's up) 44
• Medway Marauders (Maidstone event runner's up) 40
• Hio Polloi (from Maidstone, Maidstone event runner's up) 39
• New Inn (from Canterbury, Canterbury runners' up) 31
• Moomins (from Canterbury, Ashford event winners) 29
• It's a bit of fun (from Dover, Ashford event runners-up) 16