Church leaders serving up free soup to those in need have been left in disbelief after getting a hoax call from someone claiming to be from environmental health.

St Peter's Church in Sandwich hosts the service every Sunday as part of its mission to provide a warm space for anyone struggling in the cost of living crisis.

But the church's community hub manager, Annemarie Huigen, says volunteers were shocked to receive a call from someone claiming to be from the council, saying a food hygiene complaint had been received.

It has since emerged the call was a prank, with Dover District Council confirming it had no record of the complaint.

Mrs Huigen says she cannot believe someone would take the time to pose as someone from environmental health.

"When somebody rings up and says they are concerned about the hygiene in the church, you don't think twice, you just go into panic mode," she said.

"They claimed they'd had a report that we were cooking soup in the church. They asked me if we had a hygiene certificate.

"I went through all the facts that we do and that the soup is made off site in a licensed kitchen.

"But it was all a lie, and they have caused a great deal of stress to me and my volunteers."

Mrs Huigen says the situation has really upset her and she thinks someone has done it to panic her.

"I feel worse about that than the prospect of Dover District Council ringing me up," she said.

"It is awful that someone has taken the time to find my number and ring me and put me into complete and utter panic mode about the fact that I was doing something wrong in the church.

"It is completely wrong. I am going to report it to the PCSO.

"I am more concerned that someone has done that to me and got my phone number."

Mrs Huigen says after she got the phone call, she was left with a "bitter taste in her mouth" as she knew everything the church was doing was above board.

"We've been serving soup in the warm space in the church on Sundays so people can have free soup and free hot drinks amid the cost of living crisis," she said.

"All the soup is made in registered kitchens, but we were told someone had reported us to food hygiene because they thought we were preparing and cooking it at the church.

"We aren't - we haven't got any cooking or kitchen facilities in the church, we just serve it.

"We have already had a check at the church and have a five-star hygiene rating as we have a pop-up cafe in the summer."

Mrs Huigen says herself and the church volunteers were initially upset to hear of the "complaint".

Before she found out it was a hoax, she said: "It's a really nice feel here but then you get people complaining that we are doing something wrong when we're not, and it just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

"We were quite upset when we got the call. The church, myself and the volunteers do quite a lot for the community.

"Although we sell items, if people come in and desperately need clothes, toys or furniture we would tell them to help themselves.

"We do a lot behind the scenes and when you get a complaint like this, it just makes us wonder why do we bother.

"People don't just come in for the free drinks and soup on a Sunday, they come in for company.

"They might bring in old pictures of Sandwich to share with others. It's a meeting place."

She added the church has faced complaints in the past over other initiatives it has set up.

"The trouble with Sandwich is a lot of people don't like what we are doing at St Peter's Church because they would like it to be an empty building with nothing in it," she said.

"We've turned it into a community space. We have donated items in there and sell donated items, we also have Sandwich pantry, we have the 'warm space on a Sunday', and we have a pop-up cafe in the summer for a charity.

"We do an awful lot at the church but as it is a historic building, the Church Conservation Trust (CCT) allow us to do it because it is creating revenue.

"There are certain people in Sandwich who don't want to see that - they just want to see it as an empty space, but unfortunately that doesn't pay the bills.

"I think they would be more upset if the roof fell down and the CCT decided not to repair it and a developer bought it and turned it into flats."

Mrs Huigen posted about the "complaint" on Facebook and was happy to receive a positive response from the community.

"When something like this happens, people in Sandwich are very supportive of us so that is really lovely," she said.

"It is just the odd minority who are against us but looking at some of the comments we have received, it's heartwarming that people are so supportive of us."

Church leaders started the warm space initiative in January after Dover District Council asked if they could create one for the community, and provided heaters for a corner of the building.

Known as 'Warm space on a Sunday' the service is set to run until the end of March when the weather improves.

When it began, Mrs Huigen says there were only a few people who came in, but now there is usually 10 or 11 people every week.

The fake complaint is the most recent blow for the church, which was targeted by a thief last month.

The suspect is reported to have entered the building wearing a face mask and hat, and created a distraction - asking for items from a different room - before carrying out the crime.

A credit card was also taken from a volunteer's bag and £130 from the till at the church's charity shop.

A CCTV image was released as part of the investigation.

Enquiries are still ongoing and anyone with information is urged to call police on 01843 222289, quoting reference 17-0767.