A Folkestone town centre war memorial has been badly damaged after it was hit by a lorry.

Police were called to the memorial in the Road of Remembrance yesterday afternoon.

The huge stone surrounding on the roundabout had reportedly been struck by a lorry around 4pm.

A police spokesman said the lorry was later located and the driver's details were taken.

He added: "Enquiries are ongoing."

Witnesses say they later saw a group of between 10 and 15 youths kicking and further damaging the memorial.

One onlooker, who asked not to be named, said the gang were seen in the town centre around 10pm kicking the stones.

He said: "We have got a real problem with a gang of youths round Folkestone at the moment.

"They have been smashing things up, starting on people, smashing up wing mirrors and generally being vandals.

"I was driving home, past the memorial, and I saw a big gang them jumping round and in it, smashing up the memorial and kicking the stones about.

"It's mindless vandalism."

The police spokesman confirmed they had also received reports later in the evening of young people being seen in the area of the memorial.

He said: "They were found and spoken to, but there’s nothing to prove at this stage that there was further damage to the wall other than what had been caused earlier in the day."