Families have been left out in the cold and out of pocket after drive-in cinema screenings were abruptly cancelled.

Moonlight Drive-In Cinema had booked in a number of screenings at the Hop Farm in Paddock Wood throughout December.

But when customers turned up to watch The Grinch last Friday, they found no trace of a screen.

Miguel Fenton, head of marketing and communications at The Hop Farm, said: "As far as I know Moonlight Cinema is not operating this side of the new year.

"Like others, we were given barely any notice. Customers are looking for refunds and we are chasing for money too.

"We're doing our very best to see what can be done but it is out of our hands as it's a separate company operating on our land."

Tania Sharp had booked tickets to see The Grinch as a surprise for her three-year-old daughter Beatrix's birthday.

The accounts clerk from Hoo said: "It was me, my husband and our two children, as well as my brother and his three children in another car.

"When we got there it was all in total darkness, we only found the event was cancelled by googling it.

"Later my husband found an email in his junk folder, it was strange because we've been before and emails have come through with no issue.

"There were a couple of other cars looking a bit lost too.

"I was a bit suspicious, once I started looking online I'd seen it had happened nationwide.

"They finally got back in touch with my husband on Monday and said it was cancelled due to weather conditions, but we were there and the weather was perfectly fine.

"We're doing our very best to see what can be done but it is out of our hands as it's a separate company operating on our land..." Miguel Fenton

"They sent my husband a link to rebook, but it didn't work."

Tickets for each event were selling for around £25 a car.

The event's phone number is now out of service and its Facebook page has been removed.

According to its website, which remains live, the event had sold out all of its screenings of 12 different Christmas films at The Hop Farm.

We have approached Moonlight Outdoor Cinemas Ltd, which is responsibile for the drive-in event, directly for comment.