A shopping centre manager has apologised after his mall failed to hold a two-minute silence on Remembrance Day.

Neil Avis, 53, runs the Thamesgate Shopping Centre in New Road, Gravesend, but formerly served in the Royal Navy during the Falklands War, as a leading seaman on the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, and later on the Royal Yacht Britannia, for two years.

He said: “I'm gutted. I’m ex-services so this is in my blood. All I can do is apologise to the public.

“I wasn’t there and it was meant to happen but because of other incidents, such as shoplifting and security being involved with them, we were run ragged.

“If I was there, the two-minute silence would have happened. It should have happened but it didn’t.”

The apology came from Mr Avis after an anonymous message was sent to KentOnline's sister paper the Gravesend Messenger by a disgruntled sales assistant from a Thamesgate shop.

She said: “Instead they had music blaring whilst the majority of the shops paid their respects. Personally I found it very disrespectful.

“On previous occasions the two minute silence has been observed.”

Mr Avis said there would be a commemoration in the centre to commemorate the Armistice today.