By Luke Hollands

lhollands@thekmgroup.co.uk

A drink-driving octogenarian and a 77-year-old accused of theft...

These were just two of a startling list of alleged crimes discovered by a KM Group Freedom of Information request about elderly offenders.

Older people may often be seen as the victims of crime, but figures released by Kent Police showed 148 people aged 70 or older were arrested last year alone.

The reasons ranged from more minor crimes, such as shoplifting and drunkenness, to more serious issues including violence, drugs and sexual offences.

Two of the categories listed, 'All Other Crime' and 'All Other Non-Crime', were responsible for 26 arrests. They include offences such as failing to provide a specimen, blackmail, counterfeiting and affray, but police would not specify further.

The oldest person arrested was an 86-year-old from the mid-Kent area, arrested on suspicion of sexual offences, while the most common reason for arrest was alleged violence with 53 people arrested.

The figures were broken down into the county's policing areas. The greatest number of arrests was in the South Kent area, which includes Ashford and Folkestone. Police arrested 33 people older than 70.

The figures did not show which pensioners were charged or how convictions were secured.