Baffled customers have been left scouring an Asda store car park for something to put their shopping in amid a "ridiculous" lack of trolleys.

The shortage at the Ashford supermarket has been blamed on people taking them home - or chucking them in the river.

The problem is understood to have persisted for some time and when KentOnline visited the Kimberley Way store this week, there were just five small trolleys available.

A few minutes later, six of the larger versions were wheeled out - by which time the smaller ones were all gone.

Disgruntled shoppers say they have never seen such a scarce offering of trolleys in the main bay at the front of the supermarket.

Customers Mary and Tony were among the lucky few who managed to grab one on Thursday.

"People take them home with their shopping in," Mary said.

"They could have been thrown in the river or abandoned too."

The dumping of trolleys has become such an issue that the South Willesborough Litter Pickers retrieve about 15 from the East Stour every time they meet for monthly clean-ups.

It is clearly taking its toll on the number available at the Asda store.

Another shopper, also called Mary, described the situation as "ridiculous".

"I have no idea where they've all gone," she said.

"It's going to make people's shopping very difficult."

Another shopper who went to the store earlier this week says the problem needs to be sorted out quickly as it's an inconvenience.

"I was looking for a small trolley in the main bay outside the entrance but couldn't find any," he said.

"So I started walking around the car park and I only managed to find one at the third bay I got to.

"It's an inconvenience. Fortunately I was fit enough to walk around the car park, but if I was an older person, there could have been a difficulty.

"They really need to sort it out - there seems to be a general lack of trolleys for some reason."

The South Willesborough Litter Pickers have previously asked Asda if they could donate a grapnel anchor for £17, four heavy-duty litter pickers which are £23 each, and four new garbage bag hoops which are around £14 each.

But the supermarket said it was not able to help as its community fund "cannot be used outside the store".

Chris Pimm, who joined the group four months ago, said: "We have got loads of stuff to do with litter, we don't need the Asda trollies to sort out too.

"They could even send two employees out once a week to drag them out but they don't.

"They collect trolleys in the car park, why don't they collect them out of the river?

"Asda once told me a disabled trolley costs £800, so they are not cheap. We are saving them money and they won't help."

Frustrated customers have also taken to Facebook to raise their concerns over the lack of trolleys at their local supermarket.

"This poor behaviour of some shoppers will just force the supermarkets to only offer baskets," one wrote.

"Then everyone loses because of a minority."

"Put it back to putting a pound in them then you'll get them back..."

Another resident said they saw about seven trolleys being stolen within the space of 40 minutes while she was at the play park behind the store.

Some have calls for Asda to re-introduce the one pound usage charge.

"Put it back to putting a pound in them then you'll get them back," she wrote.

While another resident replied that the cost should be upped to £2, then they will get returned.

Asda has been contacted for comment.

The South Willesborough Litter Pickers meet on the first Wednesday of every month to clean up the streets, starting from the Swan Centre from 9am.