A troublesome town centre park which has been at the centre of anti-social behaviour will be closed at night.

New gates have been installed at Brenchley Gardens in Maidstone to stop it being entered after dark.

From Monday, January 30, Maidstone Borough Council will shut the gates at dusk each night until 7am the following morning.

During these times there will be no route through the park or to the station after dark.

Cllr Martin Round, lead member of the council's environmental services, said: “In order to stop anti-social behaviour taking place at night in Brenchley Gardens we have decided to close the park at dusk each night.

“Brenchley Gardens is a beautiful park, which is used and enjoyed by many people during the day.

"It is a great shame we have had to resort to these measures after dark. One of our key aims is to make sure Maidstone is a safe place to live and we want our residents to feel safe.

"We want to protect and where possible enhance our environment and make sure our parks, green spaces, streets and public areas are high quality by ensuring they are looked after, well managed and respected.”

The committee decision to install gates and close the park at night was taken by the former Communities, Housing and Environment Committee.

There were previously plans for a security hub to be added to the town centre gardens.

In the past couple of years a number of violent incidents have happened at the park and that side of the town, close to McDonald's and KFC, has been described as "lawless".

Previously, some locals said the addition of more security around the notorious park was a good idea.

"I think it's a really good idea because there has been a lot of trouble up this end of town for the last few years," said Michelle Sinclair.

"People don't really feel safe coming up this end of town especially in Brenchley Gardens and coming off the train."