A grieving mum has been ordered to remove a popular roadside floral tribute to her son after council bosses branded it a "hazard" to motorists.

Anne Harlow has been given until the end of next month to take down flowers attached to barriers on the Herne Bay bridge where 32-year-old barman Lee took his own life last summer.

Colourful tributes have been left at the spot - where Bullockstone Road passes over the A299 Thanet Way - since the tragedy on August 24.

But Kent County Council (KCC) has now written to Ms Harlow telling her to clear the memorial - despite saying just weeks ago that it could stay.

The Canterbury district manager for KCC Highways wrote: "I sympathise with your wish to create a memorial at this location and an extensive assessment has been undertaken, and regrettably, for safety reasons, the site is not appropriate for a memorial, being on the bridge over the Thanet Way as this is hazardous to road users travelling on the Thanet Way.

“KCC do not allow attachments to our street furniture or structures and I respectfully request the number of flowers attached to the railings are reduced, along with the lighting as this is a distraction to motorists.

“I would also ask the remaining floral tributes are removed from the bridge by the end of February 2022.”

The memorial has gradually grown in size since the tragic death of Lee, who best-known for pulling pints at the Diver’s Arms, Druid’s Head and the Prince of Wales.

A complaint was first made about it in December, at which time Ms Harlow says she was told by KCC to take down the tribute by the end of January.

But the authority insisted no such order had been made, telling KentOnline: "In line with our duty as the highway authority we investigated and found (the memorial) does not present a safety hazard and will therefore not ask for this tribute to be removed."

However, this week KCC wrote to Ms Harlow, who regularly visits the bridge, informing her its position on the matter has changed again.

She said: "I understand the tribute can't stay forever, but it's not doing anyone harm.

"I can see both sides of the story because I am a fair person, but it did hurt me when the letter came.

"If I take the flowers down, I’m not responsible for people going to put their stuff on the bridge. I can’t be there 24-hours a day.

“If other people put stuff up there, it is not going to be secure or looked after, like I have done.

“Once I take them down, I walk away from any responsibility.

“If members of the public go up there and put bunches of flowers there, they are more likely to fall in the road.

“I cannot stop that from happening because the feeling is very strong from people still wanting that on the bridge.”

Ms Harlow also insists the lights that have been placed in the tribute have not been working “for months”.

A KCC spokesperson said: "Since our original safety inspection of this site, it has been identified fairy lights have been added to the tribute.

"These could distract drivers and cause a hazard to other road users. It is with that in mind that we have asked for these alterations to be made.

"We sympathise with Mrs Harlow and her family at what must be a difficult time."