Keep your nose out of our business, that is the message from Tankerton Beach Hut Owners’ Association to the Whitstable Society which claims the huts have become the town’s "icons of greed."

The owners are incensed at allegations by society chairman Graham Cox that hut prices had been artificially inflated by the city council’s policies and their owners are out to make a profit.

Association founder Ken Tappenden said: "I lived in and served Whitstable as a police detective in the days when beach huts were in a dilapidated state, continually broken into and an eyesore, which did nothing to enhance the town or tourism. The Whitstable Society has a selective memory if it cannot recall these days.

"Mr Cox’s memory also conveniently forgets the hut owners who then neglected their properties and gave them up to go on cheap foreign holidays.

"The present owners have made their huts inviting and attractive.

"We have suffered more than 350 incidents of damage and burglary in the last four years and most repairs are done by local tradesmen, so helping the economy."

Referring to last week’s Whitstable Gazette headline Icons of Greed, Mr Tappenden said: "The newspaper headline should have read ‘icons of self sacrifice and dedication keeping Tankerton a scene of beauty’."

Mr Tappenden, who is secretary of Tankerton Bay Beach Hut Neighbourhood Watch, added: "Who does Mr Cox think he is to preside over the right of sale or assignment of the hut leases?

"Would he sell his property to the lowest bidder to satisfy his wish to sell to locals?

The city council is carrying out a review of its beach hut operations and, after lobbying by owners, is recommending that they can continue to sell to who they want to at the whatever price they can get.

Mr Cox is threatening to report the council to the Local Government Ombudsman for maladministration but the council insists it is still investigating "the complex issue" and any complaint would be premature.