EDENBRIDGE councillors have named and shamed the Co-op for allowing the town's largest store to become a litter-strewn eyesore.

The supermarket, in Mont St Aignan Way, has been criticised by town councillors for failing to do enough to tidy its car park.

In a scathing attack on the supermarket chain, town and district Councillor Bob Orridge likened the site to a "rubbish tip".

He said: "The Co-op site makes me weep every time I see it.

"They told me they'll clean it up when they can. I'm sorry, that's not acceptable. I walk around that corner and there is rubbish everywhere.

"There's litter amongt the bushes and shrubs. I know Co-op doesn't throw it there, but it really looks quite terrible. I think we should shame them."

The car park, which holds 100 vehicles, is used throughout the day by Edenbridge shoppers from as early as 7am up until 10pm.

At a planning and transportation committee meeting on Monday, councillors agreed to speak out publicly to put pressure on the Co-op.

When the Courier visited the site on Tuesday the bushes were littered with bin bags, empty beer cans and newspaper, and the recycling bins – the responsibility of Sevenoaks District Council – were overflowing.

Town councillor Jill Davison said: "The pictures are evidence enough of what the Co-op site is like.

"It's making a mess in the town which we try so hard to keep clean."

Mr Orridge said he had raised the problem with the store manager.

But he added: "He says they have a tight budget but there's no excuse. It's looking very scruffy.

"This publicity ought to be a wake-up call."

Community warden Richard Gordon, who patrols the parish and deals with environmental issues, also said talks with Co-op staff had failed. He said: "The manager has always expressed a willingness to do it but it's not always materialised.

"I suspect that's down to resources.

"They may clean up the area immediately outside the store but they don't always manage to get the whole place tidied up."

Co-op spokeswoman Helen Seed insisted that the car park was cleared every day.

She said: "The Co-operative endeavours to ensure that its car parks are cleaned frequently and kept to a high standard for customers."