Five people have been arrested after a suspected bulk shoplifting spree when cosmetics worth £2,500 were allegedly stolen.

Businesses in Maidstone town centre were first alerted to suspicious activity on the area’s radio-operated monitoring system used to detect and combat crime.

The police were then called at around 5pm on Monday (September 30) to Boots in Fremlin Walk shopping centre.

Patrols stopped a Volkswagen Golf near Fairmeadow and a search led to the recovery of several large bags containing makeup, medicines and confectionery.

Cristian Vaduva Dumitru, aged 21, of Bradwell Avenue, Dagenham, and Cristina Vaduva, also 21, of no fixed address, were later charged with theft.

They were bailed to appear before Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on October 18.

Two teenage boys and a teenage girl remain under investigation and were bailed to return to a police station on Saturday (October 5).