An insulin-dependent man from Eastry has told of the moment he was unable to get vital medical equipment from his car after it was locked in a multi-storey car park.

Philip Combes of Liss Road drove into Ramsgate town centre and parked in the Leopold Street car park at around 6pm.

After returning to his car later that evening, the type-1 diabetic realised the building - which is operated by Thanet District Council - had been locked an hour later at 7pm.

The 49-year-old then made multiple phone calls to the numbers displayed on the wall and then to the council but received no answer.

He even called the police and was told nothing could be done - he would have to wait until morning.

He said: "I had an absolute nightmare of an evening, my insulin pen and blood testing equipment were left in the car.

"My son came to pick us up and I had to guess at my sugar content in my blood and how much insulin to use when I got home. I used an old pen, it barely worked.

"If I had any issues outside the car park I could've ended up in hospital. It is disgusting to be honest and I was so infuriated" - Philip Combes

"If I had any issues outside the car park I could’ve ended up in hospital. It is disgusting to be honest and I was so infuriated.

"If someone had a heart condition and couldn’t get to their car they could have died.

"And what about if a dog had been left in there?

"No less than five couples turned up while I was on the phone, all with the same issue.

"Two were from Birmingham on a weekend away and said they’d never come back. That’s hardly good tourism for Ramsgate."

He claims signs, alerting users about the closure of the car park, were not prominent.

"I got my car back at 7am the next morning because I was waiting outside, desperate to get my medication."

TDC head of operational services Geoff Dunne said it is reviewing the signs in the car park to ensure customers know who to contact in the event of an emergency out of normal office hours.

He said: "Unfortunately this incident was not alerted to our out of hours emergency service.

"Had this been the case we would have worked to ensure that we did everything we could in order to assist.

"We ensure that closing and opening times are clearly stated on signs at the entrance and exit as well as on the ticket machines and on signs displayed around the car park.

"If a member of the public leaves their vehicle in the car park after 7pm they will not be able to retrieve it until the next day when it reopens at 7am.

"In the event of an emergency however the council will ensure that the public are more clearly advised about how to alert our out of hours service in order to assist."

The council’s out of hours emergency service can be contacted on 01843 577000.