This Harry Potter-themed shop looked in need of a magic broom to clear up an "astonishing" heap of rubbish left outside.

Bags and boxes of waste were crammed into the doorway of the House of Secrets shop in Mercery Lane, Canterbury, last night.

The shop has sections dedicated to each wizarding house - Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.

Official merchandise such as rucksacks, scarves and stationery is available in each of the house colours.

However, the doorway of the shop could not be seen last night - not because of an invisibility cloak but due to a large heap of litter left outside.

Boxes and bags were stacked up, and waste was left scattered across the street.

The shop's assistant manager, who would give her name only as Silvia, described the picture as "astonishing".

The store shares the fortnightly collection with neighbouring business American Candy.

She says she had left some rubbish in the shop's doorway after closing up at 7pm on Sunday night ahead of it being picked up at 6am on Monday.

"It didn't look like that when I left," she said.

"It was just cardboard, and four weeks' worth as the last collection was cancelled because of the Queen's funeral.

"I don't know if people have added to it, maybe students.

"It would have been there for no more than 11 hours."

Silvia says before the Covid pandemic, a contractor used to carry out the collections at 8.30am on a Monday.

This allowed shop staff to keep any rubbish inside the door on a Sunday evening, to be taken away after they had opened up the following morning.

Now a private contractor arrives at 6am, so the waste has to be put out the night before.

"It can't be helped," she said.

"Every other shop in the town is the same, but we always keep it off the street and in the alcove of the shop."

A picture of the rubbish was shared on a local Facebook community group.

One person commented: "Alakazam, Alacazeer, make this rubbish disappear."

While another person said: "Now, that's magic."

Canterbury City Council spokesman Rob Davies says the authority is aware of the issue and has spoken to the owner.

"We're satisfied they have the correct waste collection arrangements in place and that this was a one-off incident, which was swiftly rectified," he added.