A KENT garden centre has been targeted for the second time in a month by ram-raiders.

In the latest incident at the Wyevale Garden Centre in Hythe Road, Ashford, they smashed through security gates and stole two luxury hot tubs worth about £11,000.

Three weeks ago thieves carefully removed the gates before making off with a hot tub, Christmas lights and fireworks worth £2,000.

The man who runs the hot tub firm, David Foad of APL, says crime appears to be getting worse.

The raiders caused £4,000 worth of damage to the main gates and £1,500 worth of damage to the APL gates around their enclosure within the centre at 4am on Tuesday morning.

Mr Foad said: “We have CCTV but police say it is difficult to identify the culprits. They left their lorry in pieces across the road from the entrance.

“It is getting worse here. We have been robbed ten times in the past year. It is ridiculous. “

Police say the raiders used a dark coloured Suzuki jeep and a lorry marked with distinctive Corrals logos.

Det Con Roy Wensley is investigating the raid. He wants to hear from anyone who may have seen the lorry parked on the hard shoulder of the coastbound M20 near Junction 10 on Monday night.

Contact Ashford CID on 01233 896208 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.