Four people have been arrested after an early morning raid on a jewellers.

Police were called to Ernest Jones, at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre, Gillingham, shortly after 2am on Wednesday following a call by centre security staff.

Police confirmed an attempt was made to break in to the shop and four people were arrested.

Hammers and crow bars are said to have been used to gain entry to the shopping centre, then proceeded to smash through the front of the shop in the early hours of this morning.

A significant quantity of jewellery is said to have been taken. Police believe that all item have been recovered but are awaiting verification of this.

Centre manager Mark Rumfitt thanked officers for their swift action in tackling the incident.

He said: “On site security captured some good images on CCTV which have been passed to the police and we understand some arrests have been made in connection with this incident.

"We would like to thank the police for their prompt action.”