Villagers are demanding a rethink after train company Southeastern introduced station parking charges without warning.

The result has been chaos, after all but a handful of drivers, objecting to having to pay to park at the station, boycotted the normally packed 60 parking spaces.

They opted instead to use on-street and private parking areas causing inconvenience to many villagers.

Charing parish council chairman Tylden Reed has been leading the protest against the rail company’s decision, made without consultation.

He said: “They are forcing people to pay and the streets surrounding the station and throughout the village are being used. It is nonsense and the decision should be reversed.

“We have protested that we are not happy with a strong letter to the rail company. It is causing chaos in the village and affecting our shops as people cannot park.”

Among the most seriously affected is the nearby village doctors’ surgery.

Practice manager Tony Gooden admitted it had been a fraught couple of weeks since the parking charges were introduced.

Doctors coming in for 7am surgeries have found commuters cars parked in areas reserved for patients.

He said: “It is a difficult situation if patients cannot park and has been making some late for appointments.

“We are going to erect new signs, have a car park attendant to monitor the situation and may have to consider bringing in a clamping company.”

Southeastern spokesman Nigel Jarrett, said: “We realise that introducing parking fees will be unpopular, as no one likes to see prices increase. Sundays and public holidays will continue to be free of charge, and at Charing, Saturdays, too.

“We have invested in improvements to the car parks, and we believe it’s reasonable that customers using car parks pay towards the cost of maintaining them.

“Not all passengers who use our train services will use car parks, and so it is unfair that they should subsidise these facilities through fares.”

He said in general the charges compare favourably with those of local authorities and other car park operators, and whereas there is often a high turnover in the use of spaces at many public car parks, railway station spaces tend to remain occupied by just one vehicle throughout an entire day, limiting income.