A Maidstone scrap yard was targeted as part of a national day of action to tackle metal theft.

The dealership was one of 31 sites raided by Kent Police on Wednesday, March 6.

The exact address has not been published.

Officers were joined on the operation by British Transport Police, BT, UK Power Networks, Trading Standards and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Teams inspected each target to ensure dealers were not trading stolen metal, cabling or vehicles.

The Environment Agency detected eight offences in relation to waste carrier and transfer notices, 10 people were referred to the DWP due to possible benefit fraud and Local Authority Enforcement officers detected seven offences and issued the relevant fines.

DC Jon Saxby, of the Kent and Essex Serious Organised Crime Unit, spearheaded a warrant at the Maidstone scrap yard.

He said: "It is important to carry out operations such as this as it sends out a clear message that we will not tolerate illegal transactions at scrap metal yards in Kent.

"Our visits have been useful for intelligence gathering and to enforce compliance with the recent changes in legislation but also have allowed us to disrupt criminality and reassure the public.

"I’m pleased that Kent Police was able to work closely with its partner agencies and we will continue to carry out these operations in the future."