A health service van stolen from outside a Kent doctors' surgery was carrying hazardous materials, it has been revealed.

The NHS Ford Connect, registration plate GK56 OGU, was transporting letters between consultants and doctors from several local surgeries when it was taken from outside the Central Surgery in Cheriton Road, Folkestone, on Monday lunchtime.

It is understood the driver of the vehicle left the keys in the ignition when he went in to the surgery.

The van also contained a tray of 25 sample pots and needles which, although sterile and securely packaged, could be harmful.

A spokesman for the NHS Trust said the materials on board may be dangerous for children, or people with medical conditions.

Vans run between William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and local GP surgeries twice daily transporting patient samples and letters between consultants and doctors.

Despite the potentially sensitive nature of what is in the vehicle, staff at the East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust are telling patients that they should not worry.

Clinical director of pathology for the trust Dr Ruth Lapworth, said: "The information is not really useful to anyone else but it could be sensitive.

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"The samples on the van will now be unsuitable for analysis and those patients will now have to repeat the process."

Dr Lapworth said she was amazed the distinctive van had not been found yet.

She said: “The van is white and fairly ordinary but it does have the Kent hospitals logo on the front, back and on the side in blue print. We were hoping it would be recovered by now."