Furious anglers in a medieval market town are fighting their local council's heartbreaking decision to ban fishing in a popular and historic moat.

They say they were given no reason for the impending closure which will end their pastime which they say eases the stresses of life.

Baffled fishermen and women say their local council suddenly ordered them to stop fishing in the 'beautiful' moat - which once surrounded a manor house - without fully explaining why.

The popular fishing spot at Park Farm in Ashford, Kent, has served as a place of quiet refuge for generations of anglers for more than 26 years.

Ashford Borough Council (ABC) suddenly announced that fishing at the moat would cease next month, without offering a suitable explanation to those who have spent countless happy days there.

Angry anglers who frequent the spot are now demanding answers as to why they must leave their favourite fishing spot behind.

Along with Kingsnorth Parish Council (KPC), the local fishing community is now banding together to fight the ban by launching a petition to save the moat, which has been fished in since 1996.

Members of the Stanhope Angling Club believe the moat needs to be de-silted in order to remove sediment, due to the moat becoming more shallow in recent years.

However, they understand ABC cannot afford to pay for this.

Robert Heath, a decade-long member of Stanhope Angling Club, spends a large amount of his time fishing the moat and explained that the ban would be incredibly sad for the local community.

He said: "I usually come here about five times a week. "

"I think the communication aspect of the decision is more upsetting. "

"They have said 'no fishing', but we have been asking the question, 'why?'."

"After 24 years of being someone's tenant, you would have thought out of respect that you deserve more than that."

"We have been led to believe it is a financial issue and we do know how much it is going to cost to de-silt this moat."

"What will happen to the moat is a bigger issue... It will go to rack and ruin."

"What happens when it is left unguarded and becomes a tipping ground? What if someone falls in and there is no one here?"

"I want someone to tell me where else kids can go for a day out at just £5 - because there are not many places."

"But come the end of March, they're mad if they think people won't come fishing here anymore. "

"There will be more people fishing here than we have in our club."

Jemma Coales, who has been fishing in the moat for around 18 years, most of her life, says the activity has helped her cope with her mental health struggles.

The 23-year-old said: "It's a really great nature spot and a beautiful nature spot."

"We've built a nice close-knit community around here where we all speak to each other."

"I've suffered with my mental health since I was about 15 and I turned to fishing to help me."

"It has got me out of a deep dark spot and it is a good distraction and a good coping mechanism that I use and I would hate to see it go."

Miss Coales, who fishes at the moat with her family every evening during the summer, says she cannot understand why hundreds of thousands of pounds were recently invested in a nearby playpark instead of the moat.

She added: "It is such a beautiful spot and it's so sad to see it dying out because there has been no support for it. "

"We are happy to come together and help as much as we can."

"We would happily get our waders on and clear out the roots so I just don't think we should give up on it so easily."

"They've just spent £400,000 on a new park next to the moat which is bringing so many people here and they want to bring their kids here and feed the birds and I just don't understand why you would want to get rid of such a naturally beautiful spot."

"It's just about the community sticking together."

Another fisherwoman, Sandra Clarke, says multiple generations of her family have learned to fish at the moat.

The 75-year-old said: "I have been in Ashford for 50 odd years and 22 years in Park Farm."

"I have always been a fisherwoman from a very young age - I taught my boys to fish and they have now taught their children to fish."

"I know practically everyone who fishes here and it is a great community."

"I have helped young kids here, too. It is a mental thing for everybody."

"The kids don't have much else to do in Ashford but if they can come here and pay £5 for a day they can spend all day here."

"It would be a shame for this historical site to go. We need it for the community."

"I don't think the council is bothered about the site. "

"Yes, it could do with the weeds sorting out, but I'm sure people would volunteer and get in there and cut it back because they want to save it."

"Everyone has the pleasure of coming around here."

In a bid to save the beloved site, KPC has launched an online petition to preserve the moat, which once surrounded a medieval manor house.

It is hoped the petition will reach 1,500 signatures, which would ensure it was discussed in council chambers.

KPC chairman James Ransley said members of the Stanhope Angling Club contacted him a few months back over concerns the moat was becoming shallower.

He said: "We've been trying to arrange for the moat to be de-silted so fishing can continue after discussions with ABC and fundraising, but it seems they don't have enough money to de-silt the moat."

"We started the petition to get the council to discuss it in more depth because we think the way they have dealt with it so far has been a bit brief."

Trish Cornish, the Ashford Independents councillor for Park Farm North, says a de-silt would be necessary for fishing to continue in the moat.

Cllr Cornish explained: "When I was elected in May 2020, I was made aware that the level of the water in the moat was low and a de-silt was necessary for the fish to survive."

"We explored every angle via ABC and other organisations who could provide a grant but to no avail. "

"There were temporary fixes to the situation, such as a substance being added to the water which can help to de-silt, but it appears to be throwing good money after bad."

A spokesman for ABC added: "Following our discussions in 2022 with the angling club, parish council and ward members an agreement has been reached to cease fishing at the moat site situated in Park Farm from the end of March 2023."

"The moat is not a public fishery, and to fish there you need to be part of the angling club."

"We will continue to maintain the site as a public open space and for the wider biodiversity opportunities that the moat provides."

The council is reportedly planning to carry out works relating to drainage and safety of the water, and says fish will be relocated to a 'more suitable location of the club's choosing'.

The Park Farm moat is thought to have been used for defensive purposes and for drainage of the clay ground on which the manor was constructed.

All that remains of the structure are some small areas of walling and terracing, which are thought to date back to medieval times.