ONE of two serving Ashford police officers at the centre of a car-ringing investigation has been killed in a motorcycle accident.

Det Con Laurence Holmes, 43, died when his powerful machine was in collision with an HGV in Rye, Sussex, two days before he was due to answer to his police bail.

On Thursday Mr Holmes had been due to find out whether or not he would face charges as part of Operation Cameo, the £500,000 Kent police investigation into an organised ring of car thieves and ringers that saw 18 arrests back in May.

Mr Holmes was from Woodchurch, near Tenterden, but it is understood he moved to Rye shortly after he was suspended.