Motorists complaining about the state of a newly resurfaced road have been assured its condition will improve.

Work has recently been carried out on various sections of the Old Thanet Way between Whitstable and Herne Bay.

But drivers have been left baffled by the rough and "unfinished" appearance of the carriageway, branding the project a "bodge job".

Whitstable county councillor Neil Baker says he has been inundated with complaints from residents angry at the "poor" workmanship.

But he has reassured drivers the current condition of the road is entirely natural, and will soon improve.

"I've had a few - more than a few - emails and calls about the resurfacing work on the Old Thanet Way amid concerns that it is sub-standard," he said.

"While it does look pretty rough, this is due to it being a micro-resurfacing treatment. Micro-asphalt is poured on top of existing, worn road surfaces and it settles over a period of up to eight weeks.

"I've been caught out myself in the past. When I first saw micro-surfacing in action, I thought someone had utterly bodged the job!"

Micro-surfacing is seen as a cost-effective method of improving the condition of roads.

After the micro-asphalt is applied, traffic embeds the asphalt into the new surface until it has the appearance of a freshly resurfaced road.

The work protects the road from deterioration for about five years.

Once the asphalt has settled on the Old Thanet Way, new road markings will be painted.