A small business has hit out at Virgin Media after parking bays outside of their shop were blocked for nearly two week - with no prior notice.

Owners of Maxims pet shop on Margate Road, Ramsgate, have said that because parking bays were cordoned off by the company, it has had a major impact on their business, with fewer customers dropping in.

Cathy Newbury, Maxims pet shop owner, said: "They have finally moved it today after putting it up nearly two weeks ago - a week last Friday.

"We were given no prior notice that it was happening, so we didn't have time to let our customers know or anything like that.

"The problem is, as the road is so fast moving, people would have seen that the bays were blocked off and in that split second would have carried on down to Westwood Cross to get what they need rather than stopping at the shops here, meaning we lose out.

"It is really important that we have this parking - it was definitely quiet last week for us.

"It's annoying because, like I pointed out to them, if the parking bays weren't there they'd would have had to have put it all somewhere else, like on the grass instead.

"But they said they wouldn't do that, because it's not convenient for them.

"They ended up taking up four parking bays outside our shop, and we are at the end of the bay so when people drove along from the Ramsgate end of the road, they saw it was blocked off and carried on going.

"It's an on going issue in Thanet, and it affects people's day to day lives."

Cathy's husband Steve, who also runs the pet shop, shared his concerns on Facebook yesterday.

The post reads: "Thank you Virgin Media for ruining our business..it’s a case of the big boys getting richer and the small ones going under.

"They have taken over our customer parking bay outside our shop to store their hardcore and rubble while they lay cables for their network, forcing our customers to go elsewhere as they cannot park.

"Another two weeks and we probably won’t have a business left.

"Cath has been on the phone every day and keeps getting told it will be moved but still there, so while Richard Branson is sitting on his private island counting his pennies, we have not got any to count so thank you Branson."

Virgin Media has been contacted for a comment.