Gallons of mud has been sent flooding through a village woodland after developers allowed run-off to pour from their site.

Residents of Sturry are “appalled” by what they call the “complete mess” caused by water escaping the nearby Barratt Homes development.

Construction of the 465-home Woodlands scheme is currently in progress but less than 5% of the planned properties are complete.

The already-controversial estate, which locals fear will worsen traffic and affect road safety, has now sparked further outrage after creating a river of mud which some are concerned could pollute the waterways.

As The Woodlands sits at the top of Herne Bay Road, the run-off is flowing across the adjoining plot - a former shooting range - sparking fears lead shot could cause contamination.

But the Environment Agency investigated the spill and found no evidence of lead being carried into the stream.

Peta Boucher, who lives in Herne Bay Road, told KentOnline: “It wasn’t until we got in touch with the Environment Agency that Barratt seemed to respond.

“If we hadn’t noticed, if local people didn’t walk in that area, would they have done anything?”

She continued: “What trust do we have that they are actually looking after the land properly and not putting the environment into danger?

“There's a large pond that is just full of mud now. It's just stagnant mud now.

“They’ve been caught and they’ve got to do something about it. It’s just a mess, a complete mess. It’s appalling.”

Barratt Homes has assured Sturry residents the company is aware of the issue and is working with the Environment Agency on a solution.

A spokesman for Barratt said: “Our site team and ecologist have already put in place mitigation measures, and will be installing additional filtration fencing, earth bundling and shingle, to resolve any issues. The Environment Agency will be returning to the site soon to assess these measures and confirm that they are working.”

An Environment Agency spokesman said: “We have attended the site where a release of silt went into a stream running through Dengrove Wood in Sturry.

“The silt has been contained to this stream and remediation is continuing on site.

“There is no evidence that lead shot has been carried into the stream.

“We encourage members of the public to report any incidents to our hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”