Fed-up residents say broken and uneven paving on a busy main road in Tenterden must be repaired before someone is hurt.

Highbury Lane was patched up by Kent County Council (KCC) as recently as June, but the work has been labelled a "bodge job" by town councillor Sue Ferguson, while Mayor of Tenterden Pam Smith said the state of the lane was "totally unacceptable".

In a further blow, Tenterden Town Council (TTC) has learned that the cost of full repairs to Highbury Lane has more than doubled in as many years, putting the work in doubt.

Concerns were expressed at a town council meeting, when the deteriorating state of the pavement and gulleys in Highbury Lane was on the agenda.

Councillors heard that in 2016 KCC had received a quote for £22,000 for the repairs but due to budgetary restrictions work was not carried out. The latest quote for the work has shot up to £47,000, a figure KCC has not accepted.

Broken paving appears to have been stuck down with crude infills of cement leading Claire Ashby, 38, who is concerned for her elderly parents living in nearby Henley Meadows, to slam the repairs.

She said: "I could have done a better job with sticky fixers and Lego.

"Tenterden should have decent streets that are safe to walk on and I'm concerned that my parents could trip over. It's a tardy job and it's not acceptable."

Highbury Lane resident Shelia Homewood, 84, said she has complained to KCC about the state of the road and added: "Sitting in my garden I've seen a number of people who have tripped or fallen over in the lane and people who get their walking sticks or wheelchairs stuck in the gulleys."

John Hazell, 60, who runs book fairs and events at Highbury Hall with his wife Caroline, said: "Highbury Lane is never in a good state. As soon as the cement is put in to repair the road the paving comes adrift.

"Cars and trucks go through and it loosens again and the vehicles make a noise as they go over it. The drainage area is particularly damaged.

"Parents has said to us they are worried that pieces of brick will chip out as cars go past and hurt their children."

Anna Sciacca, co-owner of eaterie Bottega Montalbano in the lane said: "We spend a lot of money on our forecourt to keep it in tip-top condition and the roads should be the same.

"Cars make quite a bit of noise when they go over the bricks."

Mrs Sciacca added that the lane was too narrow for two-way traffic and she would like to see it being made one way.

Cllr Ferguson added: "I'm very disappointed in the quality of the work. It's a bodge job and quite shocking."

Kent County Council has been approached for a comment.

TTC is seeking a meeting with Cllr Mike Hill, the KCC councillor for Tenterden, to press for the decision to be overturned and the work to go ahead.