KENT Police has arrested six people on suspicion of stealing plant machinery valued at around half a million pounds.

Machinery valued at £250,000 was stolen from a premises at Trottiscliffe, near West Malling, sometime between 10pm on the evening of Thursday, September 7, and 5.30am on Friday, September 8.

Police officers from Kent later recovered this, on Friday 8 September, together with around another £250,000 of plant machinery which had been stolen from Essex.

Five men and one woman from Dartford, Orpington and Bromley were arrested later the same day by Kent Police. All six have now been bailed to Maidstone Police Station on November 7, pending further enquiries.

All of the plant machinery was recovered by police at a premises in Dartford on Friday, September 8.