Part of a town centre car park has been forced to close after rough sleepers set up camp on the top floor.

The top two levels of The Brook car park in Chatham were shut as homeless people moved in with five tents last week.

The multi-storey near the Pentagon shopping centre continued to be accessed from the ground level with parking still available on the first, second and third floors.

Drivers are being asked to use the main entrance on The Brook in Chatham to park in the multi-storey and not the access on Rope Walk, near Medway Magistrates’ Court.

The adjoining Pentagon car park is open as usual.

Access to the mother and toddler bays and the bowling alley has not been affected.

The tents, which were seen last Thursday (May 16), have now gone but the levels remain closed for cleaning work to be carried out.

The Brook site has undergone a facelift with improved stairways, repainted bays, graffiti removed and new windows installed.

Eight extra parent and child spaces have been designated near lifts on the second and third floors.

There are 670 spaces at the 24-hour facility with a maximum of a three-day stay.