Three men were arrested in an operation to target mobile phone thieves in Maidstone.

Plain clothes officers were deployed in the town on Friday and Saturday night - November 28 and November 29 - as part of Kent Police's "Stay Safe" autumn campaign.

The three arrests - all made on suspicion of theft of mobile phones - came on Saturday night. A 21-year-old man from Sevenoaks and a 22-year-old man from Maidstone both received cautions, while a 21-year-old man from Maidstone was charged with theft and will appear in Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 14.

Inspector Dave Coleman from Kent Police said: "It’s all too often an occurrence that mobile phone owners are leaving their phones unattended on tables in bars and clubs and then returning to find they have been stolen. It only takes a split second for an opportunistic thief to act, so my advice is to always keep your mobile phone in your pocket."

Kent Police are also working with second-hand stores in Maidstone to ensure thieves will not sell on stolen goods.

Police community support officers will be on patrol in Maidstone this weekend and will be at the Urban Blue bus in the High Street to offer advice on preventing phone theft.