A lorry park owner found to be violating planning law has been ordered to clean up his act.

Shepway council says David Morgan, who owns the lorry park behind the Airport Café on the A20 in Sellindge, has flouted drainage and contamination regulations.

The authority will serve Mr Morgan, whose company trades under A20 Truck Stop, with a breach of regulation order this week.

If he fails to safeguard people against contamination the business, which is a separate company to the Airport Café, could be shut down.

A council spokesman said: “This enquiry concerns land at the rear of the Airport Café where planning permission exists for a lorry park.

“We are aware that certain conditions attached to the planning permission have not been complied with and we are preparing a breach of condition notice to be served on the operator.

“The breaches include issues around drainage and contamination.

“The notice will require the operators of the lorry park to take the necessary steps to remedy the breaches.”

Neighbours have also accused Mr Morgan of allowing more lorry drivers to stay than is legally allowed, with some even planning a ‘Lorry Watch’ scheme.

Social media reports say they will monitor trucks that pass through the village instead of heading for the motorway when leaving the Airport Café as evidence Mr Morgan is spurning the rules.

Mr Morgan played down the proposed 'Lorry Watch' scheme and said his company is shelling out £77,000 to bring the park, which can legally hold 15 trucks, in line with regulation.

“We do everything in our power to stop trucks driving through the village and I sympathise with residents who are upset by it.

“We have ‘turn left’ signs up in five different languages to direct drivers away from the village, we have had to concrete the site out and are addressing the drainage issues as we speak,” he said.

"We are a business, yes, but we provide a crucial service to the area. Trucks would be parked all over the place if this didn't exists."

He claimed he felt victimised by Sellindge residents who, he says, were unable to tell if lorries were coming from his park or the Airport Café.

Pat Breen, co-owner of the Airport Café added: “We are a different company to the lorry park, we are a transport café and have been historically for many years.

“And as a café if we want to charge lorries to park on land belonging to us we are entitled to do so.”