AN OFF-DUTY police officer spotted a car that had been used in a burglary on Romney Marsh and sparked a chase across Kent that ended in Biggin Hill.

Officers were called to a raid at the ironmonger's store in High Street, New Romney, shortly before 2am on Thursday after three men had been spotted loading equipment into a white Vauxhall Cavalier.

When they arrived the vehicle had left the scene but half an hour later an off duty policeman saw a similar car with three males inside on the A21 at Flimwell.

He alerted patrol officers who chased the Cavalier at speeds of up to 85mph through Lamberhurst to the Swanley interchange with the A20, towards the M26 and M25 heading for Surrey and back down to Westerham.

At one stage a stinger, designed to puncture car tyres, was deployed across the road but proved unsuccessful and the vehicle continued towards Bromley and Biggin Hill, where the Metropolitan Police took over from Kent.

The suspects dumped the car on a housing estate at Biggin Hill at 3.18am. Despite an area search with tracker dogs the men were not found. Two police vehicles were damaged in the chase, but no officers or members of the public were injured.

All the property from the theft, including various power tools worth £600, were recovered.