The city council is warning drivers not to park on the pavement or grass verges following the closure of the Aldi car park in Canterbury due to a gas leak.

Its wardens have been slapping tickets on the windscreens of offending vehicles which the authority say are parked irresponsibly along Rheims Way.

The clampdown has caused a backlash on Canterbury Residents Group Facebook page with claims the city council is being unreasonable in the circumstances.

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Residents of nearby flats also claim to have been affected by the restrictions.

But council spokesman Celia Glynn-Williams says owners cannot "simply abandon" their cars on the pavement to go shopping.

She added: "We have a duty to keep the public safe and it is potentially dangerous. The Castle Street car park is only a couple of minutes away."

The problem has been escalating since the leak was discovered on Tuesday afternoon.

Engineers say the fractured gas pipe caused by "a third party" off Rheims Way is complicated and taking longer to fix than expected.

Some residents claim to have lost their supply but gas network company SGN spokesman Chloe Boyce said: "We’re not aware that gas supplies to the local area have been affected so if anyone is experiencing any issue with their supply, they should call the National Gas Emergency Number on 0800 111 999."

She added: "To ensure the ongoing safety of the public and our engineers, St Andrews Close remains closed at its junction with Rheims Way.

"As this has led to parking restrictions, we’d like to apologise for the inconvenience and thank local residents for their patience.

"We working hard to resolve this issue as soon as possible however this is a complicated repair due to the location of the pipeline and conditions of the ground.

"We’re aiming to make more significant progress today. Updates will be available on our website as well as from our senior managers who are managing this incident on site.

While access to the Aldi car park is closed, the store has remained open. Kent County Council has coned off an area off Rheims Way top provide some emergency parking.

Mrs Glynn-Williams added that the gas repair work may continue over the weekend.

She said residents with Bingley Court or St Andrews parking permits may park this weekend in any of the council's pay and display car parks in Canterbury free of charge, provided they display their permits.

However, the free parking does not include the barrier car parks of Pound Lane and Castle Street where the permits cannot be recognised.