A man has been taken into custody in connection with an alleged three month shoplifting spree, which saw nearly £3,000 of items stolen from shops in Folkestone.

Mathew Farley, 27, of Guildhall Street, has been charged with 21 shoplifting offences following an investigation by the Folkestone victim based crime team.

The thefts from stores were reported to have taken place between May 16 and August 21 and included items such as cosmetic sets, candles, alcohol, speakers, headphones, frying pans and perfume.

The items were reported to be worth an estimated £2,900 in total.

Farley was also charged with two counts of assault, which relate to incidents in Folkestone on August 19 and 21.

He was arrested on Tuesday and appeared at Folkestone Magistrates' Court the next day, where he was remanded to appear at Medway Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, August 30.