Boot fair organisers have dismissed claims admission fees are driving customers and stallholders away.

Organisers of the Ashford fair, which is held every Sunday on the Orbital Park market site, started charging shoppers in February.

They ask for £1 per car and pedestrians entering the sale on foot are charged 50p.

One stallholder - who did not give her name - says the fees are hurting trade.

"This is the first year of it, and you can already see the impact," she said.

"I think it's put people off going there. You used to have to go in early otherwise you couldn't get a stall, but now you can get there at 8am and there will be plenty of space.

'The actual number of people coming into the market has been steady...' - Peter Kingwill

"All the stallholders say that since they started charging no one wants to come here. Last year it was jammed, now it's empty."

Market manager Peter Kingwill, who is from the Ashford Cattle Market Company which runs the event, says numbers have not dropped.

He said: "There is no evidence at all - the actual number of people coming into the market has been steady, particularly coming from the cloudy days of winter.

"Numbers always drop off in mid-summer as so many boot fairs are open until August when the grass ones finish.

"As far as stallholder numbers the last couple of weeks have been down but I think that's more due to weather, it is so hot being on concrete.

"Being blunt about it, the fee contributes towards the costs of running a business and 20% goes towards VAT immediately.

"It's all taken up by things such as rates, refuse collection and advertising."

In February, Mr Kingwill described the charge as a “fair reflection” of what shoppers receive when they visit the fair.

The Ashford market on Saturdays remains free to enter.