Police have praised an 86-year-old man who stood up to two young men who threatened him with a knife.

Officers are appealing for information after the incident at Lympne, near Hythe.

The elderly man was watching television at about 3.30pm on Sunday when he heard a noise at the back of his home near Aldington Road.

The man went to check his property and found two young men in his garden who told him they were looking for a football. They suggested coming into the house to look for the ball but the pensioner refused and asked them to leave.

One tried to push past the pensioner but he stood his ground - even when he was threatened with a knife. He pushed them away and they left his garden. It is believed they were driven away by a blonde-haired woman in a silver Mini One car.

DC Kayti Brown said: "This elderly man acted with great courage in resisting these two men who tried to con their way into his home with a story about a football.

"We have carried out house to house enquiries in the area but we need to hear from anyone else who may have been in Lympne on Saturday afternoon and may have seen these young men or the silver car."

Anyone with information is urged to phone DC Brown at Kent Police on 101, giving reference ZY/10354/13.

A 16-year-old boy, from Sittingbourne, and a 20-year-old woman from Maidstone have been arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery and released on bail pending further police investigation until May 22.