Newsagents across Maidstone are furious that they have been unable to deliver the morning news to their customers because of late deliveries from their wholesale distributor.

Mike Patel who has operated Betty News in Upper Fant Road, Maidstone, for 21 years said he was at his wits end.

His delivery of the national daily papers, via Menzies Distribution, is supposed to be with him when he opens the shop at 5.30am every day – but is sometimes not arriving till 11am or midday.

He said: "It's impossible. I have regular customers waiting to have their paper delivered, but by the time the papers arrive all my newsboys have gone. They have to go to school."

He and his family are then obliged to go round themselves delivering the papers, placing them under intolerable pressure as they also try to run the shop.

He said: "It's not fair on my customers who are missing out on having the paper to read with their breakfast.

"And it's not fair on us."

His wife Rupal recently found she was out delivering papers instead of celebrating her birthday, while the whole family had to delay the start of their Diwali celebrations this month, because of a late delivery.

This is not a new problem associated with Covid or Brexit restrictions.

Mr Patel said it had been going on for years.

He has complained to Menzies but says the company has a monopoly on distribution.

Mr Patel said: "They are sucking the blood out of my business."

Dean Martin has run Broadway News by Maidstone Bridge for 10 years. He said: "It's been a terrible service for several months, with the papers frequently coming late.

"When it's happened in the past I've contacted the National Federation of Retail Newsagents, our industry body, and they've leaned on Menzies and things have improved.

"But this time even they don't seem to be able to help.

"When you trying complaining to Menzies you find you are dealing with their head office in Scotland, even though the distribution centre is here in Aylesford.

"I live close to it, but when they are late delivering, they won't let me pick the papers up from the distribution centre, they insist I wait until they deliver them, perhaps hours later."

He added: "Menzies just don't seem to care."

Steve Kullar runs Kullar News in Maidstone High Street and is thankful he is on the other side of the river.

He said: "My deliveries have only been late once in recent weeks – they came at 12 o'clock. But I am on a different delivery round from my colleagues across the river. I know they have been having terrible problems."

Mr Kullar said he had not complained to Menzies about the late delivery. He said: "There's no point. You just get an answerphone message.

"They have a monopoly, so it's not as though you can threaten to take your custom elsewhere."

A Menzies spokesperson said: "Menzies Distribution is committed to its role in the newstrade end-to-end supply chain.

"We are grateful for these issues being brought to our attention and are working to address them.”