Vandals smashed the windows of two banks in Folkestone town centre on Monday night.

Bank staff returned to work on Tuesday morning to find windows smashed at the both the HSBC and Barclays branches in Sandgate Road.

They have since been boarded up after vandals hurled bricks through the window.

HSBC said it did not believe that the attack on its branch was an attempt to raid the bank.

A spokesman for the company said: “There was some vandalism overnight.

"A brick was thrown through the window so the branch opened half an hour late this morning [Tuesday].

“But we are open as normal now. Police attended and are investigating.”

A police spokesman confirmed the incident at Barclays had not been reported to them.

But they added: “It happened at some time between 7pm on Monday night and 8.30am on Tuesday morning.”

A spokesman from Barclays said: "A window to an under stairs cupboard at the branch in Folkestone was broken at some point over the weekend.

"The damage was discovered on Monday morning when the team arrived but the branch opened as usual."

Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to contact Kent Police by calling 101.