Health and safety issues have put the skids under a popular monthly car show at Chatham’s Dockside Outlet Centre.

Enthusiasts from all over the South East have been converging on the centre’s car park for the Medway Cruise for the past five years.

But Dockside staff say the get-together, which now attracts hundreds of modified American, classic and hot rod vehicles, has spiralled out of control.

They pulled the plug on it after issuing an ultimatum in October to organisers to tighten up on regulations and get insurance to protect the safety of Dockside customers.

It means that Thursday's planned meeting, the first of the season which runs from April to September, had to be cancelled.

While some say the drivers in their souped-up vehicles have caused traffic problems around the centre and surrounding restaurants, traders say they will miss their custom.

Caroline Ribbins, manager of the American-style Dean’s Diner, said: "It's a real shame. It used to get manic here on their meets. Not just for us but for other businesses which will lose out.

"It started off with just a few enthusiasts, but got bigger and bigger. It is really a victim of its own success and towards the end there were a lot of boy racers who turned up. I can understand for health and safety reasons why it had to stop."

A spokesman for Chatham Maritime Car Parking said: "Over the last five years classic car enthusiasts have gathered in the Dockside car park.

"Over time this has gone from a handful of enthusiasts to hundreds of vehicles.

"The event needs to be regulated and until this happens we are unable to accommodate this number of enthusiasts without assistance in marshalling and organisation to prevent potential incidents or accidents."

The spokesman added that organisers of the Medway Cruise were notified about this in October and help has been offered to find an alternative venue, but "to no avail".

Andy Dixey, Medway Cruise co-ordinator, said: "It's disappointing and a lot of people have asked about it being relocated somewhere else but it is difficult because of the size of the meet.

"It really took off; at the beginning we were getting a couple of hundred people and last year we were getting around 500.

"We used to get all sorts of cars, from American breakdown vehicles, buses, a steam driven car. You name it, it was there.

"We have been getting a lot of messages saying it will be sorely missed."

Mr Dixey added that Dockside used to provide public liability insurance and stewards for the event and that he would not be able to afford to do so.

Classic car fan Wayne Heathfield, from the Isle of Sheppey, has been visiting the car show for several years.

He said: "It started off with a group of us. Families with young children used to come over to look at the cars. And it was good for business with people buying food.

"But it got out of hand and started to get silly with boy racers having arguments."