Three men have been charged following a police investigation into the theft of a Land Rover from a driveway.

The suspects were arrested during the early hours of Wednesday following earlier reports of suspicious activity involving another vehicle in Tonbridge.

Patrols had initially stopped a Volkswagen Golf in the High Street area of Hadlow at around 1.40am. A search of the vehicle led to a number of items being seized and the driver and passenger were arrested on suspicion of going equipped to steal.

A Land Rover was then seen to pass the stopped Volkswagen and was subsequently stopped by other officers a short distance away. It was suspected the Land Rover had just been stolen from outside an address in Vale Road, Tonbridge and its driver was then also arrested.

Ashley Rutledge, aged 27, of Willow Way, Hurstpierpoint, Hassocks, along with Tommy James, 34, of no fixed address and Paul Batchelor, aged 32 and also of no fixed address, were all subsequently charged with offences of theft of a motor vehicle and attempted theft of a motor vehicle.

They have been remanded in custody to appear, via virtual link, before Medway Magistrates’ Court today.