A Dover businessman has launched a blistering attack on Dover District Council, calling for officers and councillors to resign over what he describes as the lack of action on the town's regeneration.

Writing on the Dover Forum website, David Little made his remarks after meeting a man who was visiting the town to see his parents. "He said he was naming the town Derelict Dover," said Mr Little.

"He suggested that until it’s sorted, the townsfolk take a councillor each week and hang them at the castle.

"Are you listening DDC to what visitors to Dover think of the place? Get off your fat backsides and do something instead of just trying to win elections and opening church fetes."

Mr Little is a member of the Town Team which is trying to attract more visitors to Dover and which won a People of Dover Award earlier this month for their cointribution to business.

He said the council had a regeneration officer with staff and dozens of councillors. "What is the point of these people?" he asked.

"They clearly can’t attract business to invest here. They can’t tidy up their own real estate. They make grand anouncements but nothing ever happens.

"They should resign in shame. The regeneration of Dover is a disaster, the people involved need sacking not encouraging."

Mr Little said the appearance of the town needed to be welcoming, new signs were needed to encourage people into the town centre and not just to Dover Castle, Burlington House should be demolished, and the end of Bench Street should look attractive "and not like Beirut".

"Dover is becoming a stagnant pond. A completely new approach is required, local people with the desire to make things happen."

Another forum member Jan Higgins said that while she was also fed up with the snail's pace of improvements, the continued slagging off of DDC "gets us absolutely nowhere".

"We all know the town needs regeneration but when there is little or no spare money developers are certainly not going to rush into things."

She suggested that Mr Little should stand at the next election so he could put every right "at super speed".

Reg Hansell said he thought a unitary authority, rather than separate county, district and town councils, would do more. "District councils are impotent, out of date and past their sell-by date," he said. "Nothing will change while they exist. East Kent as a unit has everything going for it. Divided we have no momentum."