Kent Police is one of the worst forces in the region for recording complaints, according the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Of the complaints initially rejected by Kent Police last year, 66% were upheld after an appeal was made to the IPCC. Only Sussex Police fared worse at 67%.

Kent Police said the overall satisfaction of people needing its help is "very high".

However, Deborah Glass, deputy chairman of the IPCC, said: "I'm disappointed to see people in the south east are still finding their complaints aren't being recorded by their local police force.

"This is not only of great frustration for people who should have had their complaint recognised, accepted and dealt with properly at a local level, it's a waste of time and resources for everyone involved."

The IPCC figures show 778 complaints were made against Kent Police in 2010/11 – a slight increase on the previous year.

The commission received 171 appeals last year, 39 of which were upheld.

However, a spokesman for Kent Police said: "We have tens of thousands of interactions with the public every day and overall the satisfaction of people requiring our assistance is very high.

"We expect the highest of standards from officers and staff and take a zero tolerance approach to those whose conduct falls short.

"We have a very positive working relationship with the IPCC and we're always working hard to improve our recording practices.

"The amount of complaints upheld by the IPCC has fallen from 66% to 0% and we are continuing to monitor this."