An Asda supermarket which was suffering from a “ridiculous” lack of trolleys has had a new batch delivered.

The trolley shortage at the Ashford store earlier this month was blamed on people taking them home – or chucking them in the river.

Baffled customers visiting the Kimberley Way shop had described the situation as “ridiculous” and said it was making their shopping experience “difficult”.

But the trolley bays have now been replenished.

The new batch includes £1 locks on them, meaning customers need to insert a pound coin to release one.

When KentOnline visited the store after the delivery, some shoppers couldn’t get a trolley as they didn’t have the right change to hand.

But litter pickers – who have previously fished trolleys out of the River Stour – say they have seen fewer dumped in the water.

Member Chris Pimm said: “If I’m honest, the amount of trolleys that we’ve been getting has been less and less.

“At the moment the river has lots of brambles and weeds around it.

“It’ll be interesting to see whether local youths dump the trolleys again when the brambles are cut back in the Autumn.”

He says Asda has relocated the area where any broken trolleys get put, which has helped reduce the number which get chucked in the Stour.

“Before they were just left down the side of the store,” he said.

“People could easily take them and put them in the river.”

In April, KentOnline accompanied the group on a litter pick where several trolleys were pulled out of the river and returned to the store.

Since this litter pick, Mr Pimm says the group has received nothing but support and a grant from Asda to help them in their efforts to keep the river clean and trolley-free.

“We were successful after applying for the grant which a new manager in the store told us to do and we got £917,” he said.

“We got a new barrow as ours was a bit unstable,” he said.

“We got more litter pickers too and have a bit of money left over to use.

“We also got £350 from the South Willesborough and Newtown (SWAN) Council so that all went into the pot.

“Boys Hall also donated a wheel for the old barrow that we had.”