Three Kent Police officers are to appear in court accused of lying about the existence of CCTV footage of an arrest.

PCs Brett Wright, Geoff Keen, and Daniel Short - all based at Canterbury police station - are accused of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

It follows an incident at Debenham's in Canterbury High Street on July 11 last year, in which shoplifter Jack Harbour was detained in a holding room.

A CCTV camera recorded the arrest and the footage was later leaked online.

But the officers allegedly conspired to pervert the course of justice "by failing to retain and reveal that CCTV was available" of the arrest.

Harbour, 23, from Murston in Sittingbourne, was later convicted of theft - but a charge of assaulting the police officers was dropped when the footage emerged.

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The three officers were suspended from duties in October and the case was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

It was later handed back to Kent Police to investigate themselves.

The three officers will all appear at Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, March 5.

Video: Officers restrain shoplifter Jack Harbour in Canterbury

Police spokesman Karen Noble said: "Kent Police has summonsed three people for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

"Brett Wright, aged 40, Geoff Keen, aged 31 and Daniel Short, aged 37, are all from Canterbury police station.

"The three were summonsed on 28 January 2014 and will appear at Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court on 5 March."

Debenhams refused to comment on how the footage of the arrest was leaked online.