A community hospital has had to replace its fleet of wheelchairs and bring in new security measures after patients failed to return the equipment.

Gravesham Community Hospital, in Bath Street, received five new wheelchairs this week.

General manager Geoff Perrott said the previous chairs, which had served the emergency ward, went missing despite being fitted with vertical poles which made them very difficult to get into cars, to try and prevent this accidental or deliberate loss.

A chaining and signing in and out system has now been put in place to try and prevent any future loss.

A spokesman for Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, which runs part of the site, said loss of equipment was a problem across the NHS.

Virgin Active, which runs the in-patient ward at the hospital confirmed its supply of wheelchairs was unaffected.