A homeless charity has said it may not be open over Christmas after an unexpected water leak shut down its operation.

The Bus Shelter Kent Community Hub has been helping between 30 to 40 homeless people every weekday from its base at Phoenix House in Sittingbourne since it started in 2016.

But now the charity has warned it cannot go ahead with its Christmas Day plans, to open up and offer a warm space to those that need it, due to the leak.

Founder Tony Cooper was closing for the day on Saturday, December 10 when he saw water gushing down into the electrics room.

He phoned Skanska, the building firm contracted to maintain the building, which said it wouldn't be fixable for a week while it waited for the necessary parts.

But by Wednesday, Tony had been told by Kent County Council (KCC), which owns the building, it would not be footing the bill for the repairs.

Tony said: "I'm gutted. I don't know what to do because the charity does everything from there.

"We cook and hand out hot meals from Phoenix House and do clothes handouts too but we've had to let people down who are coming for help.

"It's not nice closing it five minutes before Christmas. They know what we do from that building."

The Bus Shelter Kent Community Hub had two dates booked in for last week including a Christmas meal on Thursday and the charity's birthday celebrations on Saturday but the latter had to be cancelled due to the closure.

The Christmas meal would have been cancelled too, but St Michael's Church in High Street, Sittingbourne, stepped in at short notice and offered its facilities, which helped to feed 36 people on the day.

With Christmas Day only a few days away, Tony has warned if the team cannot find anywhere else to work from, the charity will have no choice but to cancel its plans.

Tony said: "I'm not worried about myself on Christmas Day, I'm worried about them [the people we help].

"I have a wife and a boy and we spend our day down there with them, then celebrate our own Christmas in the afternoon."

Iwade Village Hall has offered its space for December 25 but Tony is worried how people will get there, as it is about four miles away from Phoenix House, or an hour's walk.

The Bus Shelter project was offered sole use of Phoenix House as a temporary base in 2021 after previous lease holder, Swale Community Centres (SCC), ceased all operations there in December 2020.

It came after SCC was served notice to quit by KCC in 2012.

The building had been earmarked as part of the Spirit of Sittingbourne regeneration project but was to be used as a temporary home by Sittingbourne Adult Education Centre in between the SCC lease ending in February 2013 and the regeneration project beginning.

But KCC then decided to offer the lease to SCC until February 2017 which was then extended again until February this year.

In 2018, the building's heating system started to fail and repairing it would have set KCC back more than £100,000.

A spokesman for KCC said: “We have every sympathy with the challenges faced by the charity shortly before Christmas and are pleased that it has identified alternative accommodation.

"Phoenix House was due to close two years ago after the departure of Swale Community Centres.

"At that time, this timber-framed building was already approaching the end of its economic life and it was clear that extensive repairs would be uneconomic. However, KCC permitted some organisations to remain for a short while to allow them time to find a new home.

"Bus Shelter has been in occupation for two years and was aware that occupation was only temporary. KCC did not request any rent over that period.

"Unfortunately, water issues have recently affected the electricity supply to the building, and it was clear that the building could not be used safely."

KCC says it is will now be considering its "future plans for the building" and is understood to be filing for a possession order.

Though the charity may not be open for Christmas, it has been offered a new permanent home at the old Wheatsheaf pub in East Street, Sittingbourne.

Bus Shelter provides hot meals, food and clothing parcels as well as advice and guidance to those in need.

The charity also helps homeless people find emergency accommodation and get them set on the path to properly work their way through the local authority's housing support system.