A 33-year-old man facing kidnap and firearms charges has been found dead in his prison cell.

Mark Bicker, who lived in Ashford, had been charged with two counts of kidnapping and with possession of an imitation hand gun following an incident two weeks ago.

Prison officers at Elmley Prison at Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey, found his body at 10.30pm on Wednesday, October 5.

A post mortem examination has been carried out but detectives say the results were inconclusive.

Mark Bicker was arrested, along with his brother James, 26, after an incident at their home in Canterbury Road, South Willesborough, Ashford, on Monday, September 26.

The latest developments in the case have seen another person, a woman, charged with false imprisonment. She is due to appear before magistrates at Ashford on Tuesday, October 25.

Acting Det Ch Insp Paul Fotheringham, who is leading the inquiry, said: "The case against Mark Bicker will be discontinued.

"However, we are continuing to pursue all other lines of inquiry into this very serious incident. He was just one part of the investigation."