A town centre car park has been closed after its pay and display machine was stolen.

The Gurdwara car park, near the new Sikh temple, is shut after the ticket device, which cost £4,000, was taken.

It is not known when the 120-space car park, in Saddington Street, will reopen or how much money was inside the machine.

Gravesham council says it is now working to ensure the closure causes minimum disruption during the Christmas rush.

In the first incident of its kind in the borough, council CCTV operators are now scouring hours of footage to help police catch those who took the car park’s only machine.

The council said the car park, which it has run on land owned by the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara since February 2006, has suffered "extensive and persistent vandalism".

It advised drivers to use Parrock Street, Milton Place and Rathmore Road car parks instead.

Anyone with information about the theft, overnight on Saturday, November 28, is asked to phone North Kent Police on 01474 366180.