Volunteers handing out free bottled water during Sheppey's burst pipe crisis are reported to have been fined £100 for parking in a shopping centre.

Kent Search and Rescue set up an emergency distribution centre at the Neats Court retail park at Queenborough along with Sheppey Coastguard but some volunteers were caught by automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR).

Since new rules were introduced in June to cut down on anti-social behaviour, no one is allowed to use the free car park after 10pm on Mondays to Fridays or 5pm on Sundays unless they are members of the Snap Fitness gym, which is open 24 hours a day and has a special terminal to log cars..

Some volunteers who worked throughout the night to hand out bottles ended up with £100 fines after having their cars clocked by the security cameras.

Richard Sunderland, spokesman for the park's new owners M7 Real Estate, said: "We were approached at short notice on July 12 by the local authority who requested the ability to distribute bottled water from the car park for a couple of days in response to water shortages caused by a burst pipe.

"Kent Search and Rescue have been in contact since receiving Parking Charge Notices. We have requested copies and will arrange for the charges to be cancelled once this information has been received."

But Martin Kingman of Kent Search and Rescue, who was in charge of the Neats Court operation, said: "KSAR responded with their partners from the Kent Voluntary Sector Emergency Group, whose members include HM Coastguard and South-East 4x4.

"We understand that while some of their members received tickets, no members of KSAR have at this time as we entered our members' car details into the machine on site."

He added: "We would like to thank the landlord for allowing us to use their car park to deliver water to the vulnerable on the Island.”

Shoppers have also fallen foul of the new 'no return in two hours' rule.

Rebecca Griffin, 48, from Thistle Hill, Minster, was snapped on Friday, July 15.

The mum-of-two, who works for gas provider SGN, bought juice at lunchtime for her diabetic daughter and then returned after work to complete her shopping.

She admitted: "I went twice after work as the garden chairs I brought at B&M had legs missing so I had to return them. The cameras caught me going in three times and coming out three times but they only seem to have picked up on my first arrival and my last leaving."

She has written to Euro Car Parks to have the fine quashed.

Mr Sunderland said: "We have set procedures with the ANPR operator to exempt vehicles from receiving Parking Charge Notices when vehicles are on site for an extended period for a bonafide reason.

"The terms of the parking allow multiple visits but subject to a no return time of two hours. This is adequate for most visitors and the terms are well sign-posted.

"To reemphasise, our intention is not to penalise genuine customers. In the case of the termination of PCNs, each case will be considered on its merits."