Three people have been arrested as part of an investigation into romance fraud.

It comes as a man was tricked into handing over more than £80,000 to someone he believed he was in a relationship with after meeting them on an online dating site.

Officers from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, who are tasked with tackling serious organised crime and the terrorism threat across the eastern region, made three arrests yesterday.

They carried out warrants in Northbourne Road, Deal, and Gardeners Place, Chartham, and arrested a 61-year-old woman, a 38-year-old man, and a 34-year-old man on suspicion of fraud by false representation.

Det Sgt Marc Cananur, from the unit's proactive economic crime team, said: “Romance fraud is a particularly upsetting type of crime in which the victims hand over money to people who they genuinely believe they are in a relationship with.

"We’d urge people to be suspicious of any requests for money from someone you have never met in person, no matter how much you feel like you trust them.

"Speak to your family and friends to get further advice and if you think you may have been a victim of such a scam, please do report it immediately to both your both and Action Fraud."

All three people have been released under investigation pending further enquiries but the 34-year-old man had been wanted on recall to prison for the last two years and has now been returned to jail.