A petition has been started calling on the council to reopen a beloved bong shop after claims the business is causing anti-social behaviour.

Margate Bong Shop - which has been running since the 1960s - was slapped with a closure order by Thanet District Council (TDC) last month.

The store’s owner, Thule Letts, was on holiday when the council shut the store saying it was leading to “disorder” in the town.

She is being taken to court, sparking uproar among her supporters who have started a petition asking the council to reverse its decision.

Created by ‘Margate People’, the campaign reads: “The sudden closure of the beloved Margate Bong Shop seems completely unreasonable.

“This place isn’t just a shop; it is a cornerstone of our community where art, culture, and dialogue flourish.

“The decision to shut it down has left a void that can't be easily filled, not just for me but for many who cherished its presence in Margate.

“It was unique in its environment, offering a haven for creative expression through events, workshops, and a myriad of activities that brought people together.”

The petition was started on Friday and has already gathered more than 300 signatures.

Earlier this week, Ms Letts told KentOnline: “We're a local family, and we've always been very adult about what we're doing.

“I went to court this morning, and they say they want to shut my shop for three months. I think what they're ultimately after is me gone, but I've just re-signed a lease.”

Ms Letts says the allegations relate to CBD products that were taken from her shop a month ago by TDC and Trading Standards.

But she says these are 0.2% THC – the compound in cannabis that causes a “high” – and so she says they are legal products.

There are other CBD suppliers in Kent, and Ms Letts says they are all registered through Companies House and paying VAT on their products.

In response to a Freedom of Information request, the Met Police said CBD is legal if it contains less than 1mg of THC, THCV and CBN in the final preparation.

It adds that 0.2% is not a classification of a legal product but a guideline relating to which hemp varieties can be used by licensed commercial growers.

However, the Cannabidiol (CBD) flower, which can be smoked, vaped, or made into tea, is classified as a controlled substance and is illegal.

I think what they're ultimately after is me gone, but I've just re-signed a lease

Ms Letts is due to appear again at Margate Magistrates’ Court on November 6.

Signers of the Change.org petition have expressed their support for the long-standing shop - which previously lived in the now derelict Arlington Arcade, and moved to the High Street in 2011.

Caitlin Kettering wrote: “I remember this alongside the joke shop in Arlington Arcades (when it was still open) in my childhood, early 2000s.

“The shopkeeper is lovely and a real cornerstone of the community. One of the last true bits of Margate left!”

The shop’s website says it sells both traditional and modern bongs - water pipes used for smoking cannabis, tobacco or other drugs.