Police were called after 50 WI women were left trapped in a village hall by a badly parked car.

Eight Women's Institute groups from across Kent were attending the district annual general meeting Hollingbourne on Tuesday (July 4).

Members received a talk on astrophysics from Dr Becky Parker, but were brought back to Earth with a bump when they emerged from the hall at 9.20pm only to find a Silver Mercedes Coupe blocking the car park exit.

They were stranded off Eyhorne Street for more than two hours.

Kathy Taranzuk, the secretary of the Roseacre branch, said: "Everything at the meeting went fine until we came out and we realised we couldn't get our cars out because somebody had just parked in the road.

"There were around 50 ladies, some of whom were disabled and very elderly."

The 69-year-old Beechurst Close resident said the owner of the car lives on Eyhorne Street, which is linked to the village hall by a single track road pictured above. He is known to one of WI members but refused to talk to them when they knocked on his front door.

After Mrs Taranzuk called 101 police contacted the driver but he still did not move his car.

Rescue came when staff from the nearby Windmill Pub and Restaurant moved their cars at 11.30pm, allowing the WI members to drive across some grass onto the road.

Mrs Taranzuk criticised police for failing to intervene. She said: "If 50 old ladies stranded in a car park waiting for help is not an emergency I don't know what is.

"I know police are stressed and are under pressure but that is no excuse. I think when you have 50 elderly ladies stranded in a car park it would have been worthy of sending somebody out.

"I would like to thank staff from the Windmill for their help, they were fantastic."

Val Williams, secretary for the Hollingbourne WI, which hosted the meeting, said she was also disappointed with the apparent lack of concern.

She said: "We just sat, made a cup of tea and finished the cake.

"We were lucky to have Professor Parker to come and it was so embarrassing when she couldn't leave."

A spokesman for Kent Police, said they did not send out an officer to the incident as it was a civil matter and they were busy dealing with a number of serious emergencies.

She said: “While Kent Police understands the frustration of those affected, there was no suggestion of lives being in danger."