Chris Derrick was arrested at his home in Hunt Road, Tonbridge

by Stuart Woledge and Chris Hunter

Armed police forced a man out of his home at gunpoint and bundled him into the back of a van – only to release him without charge half-an-hour later.

Chris Derrick has relived the moment when he awoke to find his house in Hunt Road, Tonbridge surrounded by police.

The 42-year-old claimed he was ordered out with his hands up while marksmen trained their rifles on him.

"i didn't want to open the curtains because i thought i might get shot. i was frightened for my life​..." – chris derrick

He said: "I was woken by someone bashing on my door. They were shouting 'armed police, make yourself known!'

"I didn't want to open the curtains because I thought I might get shot. I was frightened for my life."

Mr Derrick claimed he was told to come out of the house with his hands up and turn slowly to show he was unarmed. He was then handcuffed and "shoved" in the van, where he was grilled by detectives.

"At the time I was so confused, I didn't know what to think. They weren't telling me anything. I was in shock. Then they just left and I was wondering what the hell was going on."

Armed police surround the home of Chris Derrick

The operation in Tonbridge was in connection with a robbery at a home in Four Elms near Edenbridge about 2am that day.

Mr Derrick claimed the police were looking for his 19-year-old son, who is also called Chris Derrick, but lives in Maidstone.

Mr Derrick senior said his son visited police later that day of his own accord. He has since been arrested.

Two other suspects were arrested later that day, last Tuesday, one at a separate address in Tonbridge.

Teams of armed police descended on Hunt Road in Tonbridge

Last week, detectives released a CCTV image (below right) of a fourth man they are hunting in connection with the raid.

He is described as around 6ft 3ins and with a thin face, who may be local to the Tonbridge area.

During the raid, the woman was awoken when a group of masked men broke into the home brandishing a handgun.

They entered her bedroom and ordered her out of bed, before stealing jewellery, including men's watches.

A getaway car was found abandoned in Lansdowne Road, Tonbridge, and has since been checked over by forensics experts.

DI John McDermott said: "This was a particularly nasty offence with a woman being threatened and robbed in what should have been the sanctity of her own home. The family have been left terrified."

The three arrested suspects arrested have all been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the man pictured is asked to phone DI John McDermott or DS Andy Nicoll at Kent Police on 101 - quoting incident YY/5202/13 - or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.