A comedian has been left frustrated over his show being cancelled by a council due to the Queen's death.

Mark Steel tweeted saying Medway had stopped his gig as the nation is in a period of mourning.

The 62-year-old is an author, broadcaster and stand-up comedian from Swanley near Sevenoaks.

He is currently on a UK tour and would have been performing at The Brook Theatre in Chatham tonight.

He posted a message to apologise to his fans and explain why it had been cancelled.

The country is currently in a period of national mourning after Her Majesty's passing last Thursday.

Many regional and national events have been cancelled out of respect, as well as this Monday being declared a bank holiday for the state funeral.

The post, which now has more than 6,000 likes, states Medway has cancelled the show due to the "period of mourning".

Mr Steel adds: "Clearly the best way to mark the passing of a monarch who ‘was dedicated to duty and always carried on regardless’ is to cancel everything."

Many took to Twitter agreeing with the comedian, with one saying: "Two-minute silence, quick round of God Save the King then off we go, so much for keep calm and carry on...where is our freedom of choice."

Another commented: "Is this a joke? That's the second event I had booked as a present for my husband's 60th birthday that has been cancelled. As a staunch republican, he is not impressed!

"I guess Medway Council are worried you might say something 'controversial' and cause a riot."

However, some others disagreed. David Eprof commented: "Too soon Mark. I know, I know before you start, but people are mourning for many reasons so we should respect that."

Ruth Gregson said: "Maybe we need the break. We’ve all been through so much over the past three years.

"I think we need to shut up shop for a few days, use the Queen’s funeral as an excuse for mass compassionate leave, so we can get a bit of headspace. People are feeling very brittle at the moment."

The Central and Brook theatres posted an update on Facebook saying: "Following the sad news, we are sorry to say An Evening & A Little Bit of Morning with Mark Steel has been postponed.

"If you have a ticket for this show, the box office will be getting in touch via the contact details you have given us, with an alternative date and time once confirmed by the promoter.

"You will be able to transfer your ticket to the new date or request a full refund.

"Please bear with us during this busy time."