The county council has told outraged family and friends that it is not responsible for removing a roadside memorial they made for a young driver.

The shrine had been created on the Old Thanet Way at Herne Bay for 23-year-old Adrian Stroud from Margate who was killed in a crash on April 19.

It featured his name in large letters surrounded by flowers, photographs and messages.

In September, Kent County Council said there had been complaints it was causing a distraction to passing drivers and presented a traffic hazard.

But the threat that it might have to be removed sparked a Facebook campaign to keep it in place.

At the time council spokesman John Todd said: "We have to sensitively balance their interests with those of local residents. As a result, we have approached a member of the crash victim’s family to discuss the matter."

Family and friends had suspected the KCC of removing it and posted angry comments on Facebook.

Rebecca Myatt wrote: "All that time, effort money and most of all love and respect went into building a site that was everyone's way of remembering Ade. For someone just to come and ruin it.

"I say no matter how many times someone fights against this, it will be back soon."

But today the authority insisted it had not. Spokesman Ella Hughes said: "We have been talking to the family but certainly would not have taken it away without telling them."

Now mystery surrounds who has cleared it away and why.

Adrian's father, Andy Stroud, also from Margate, said: "It looks like someone smashed it up too which I am sure the KCC wouldn't have done."

But he said he did not wish to comment further as "it does no good."

Adrian’s death sparked an outpouring of grief across the county, with hundreds of people flocking to the scene of the crash to pay tribute.

A 20-year-old from Sittingbourne arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving but later released without charge.