Cars have been keyed on a new build housing estate at the centre of a row over a lack of parking places.

The owners of two vehicles parked legally in Lambe Close on the Holborough Lakes development in Snodland have reported damage to Kent Police.

A third car may also have been damaged.

Josh Mayhew's black Audi was one of the vehicles damaged. He said: "They were clearly disgruntled about where the three cars were parked - despite being parked totally legally.

"I believe this was done by someone that lives here due to the malicious nature."

The incidents may have been captured on CCTV and the estate managers are checking to see.

It cannot be known whether the offender on Friday was making some kind of parking protest or was simply a mindless vandal, but the parking issue has caused divisions among neighbours on the estate.

Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch has intervened in the dispute, asking the authorities to "think again" and warning that strict enforcement would cause "misery" for some residents and would likely increase parking problems off the estate.

While a Facebook community called Holborough Lakes Parking Issues Group has attracted more than 200 members, estate resident David Walker said that those opposed to the restrictions were "a minority element of malcontents."

He said: "Holborough Lakes is a development of 1,200 homes and if you do your sums you will understand that those in opposition to parking regulations are small in number compared with the whole residential population.

"Unadopted roads have had strict parking regulations imposed (by the estate management) since the development started as a build.

"When the roads are adopted by Kent County Council the process of applying for a Traffic Regulation Order is followed rigidly and according to law."

He said: "The majority of residents at Holborough Lakes happily accepted the parking restrictions when moving to the development, signed a legal document to that effect, and gladly live at peace with the present parking regulations."

Mr Walker also took issue with the "myth" suggested by Ms Crouch that enforcement would push residents to park on the Holborough Road.

He said: "Even during the relaxation of regulations here at Holborough Lakes, it has always been impossible to park along the Holborough Road and further into Snodland.

"Even so, no one to my knowledge who lives on Holborough Lakes is prepared to park their car at such a distance and walk back to the development."

Mr Walker said: "During the lock down, when parking regulations were relaxed, everyone became accustomed to parking their vehicles outside their front door, even if it was dangerous to do so."

'We are at peace with the parking regulations'

Mr Walker added: "This antisocial way of behaving has been ignored by the authorities because of the very difficult times.

"Now that we are reverting back to normal circumstances, all of a sudden the narrow roads are clear of cars, and vehicles have been placed in their owners' allocated parking spaces and parking bays.

"Prior to this, many of the parking bays and allocated spaces were left empty because car owners preferred to park outside their front door."

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has said it will issue tickets to illegally parked cars from Tuesday, September 1.

Kent Police said: "An investigation is ongoing into the incidents in Lambe Close. Anyone with information is asked to call 01622 604100, quoting reference 46/149277/20."

Read more: All the latest news from Malling