Five uninsured vehicles were taken off the streets and three people were arrested in a crackdown in west Kent.

Last Thursday officers across Tonbridge and Malling, Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells used automatic number plate recognition and held stop checks, resulting in five vehicles being taken off the roads.

The drivers were all found to be driving without valid insurance.

In Ulcombe a man was arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis and his house was subsequently searched. He was charged and will be appearing before court in May.

A 45-year-old man from Paddock Wood who was wanted for shoplifting was also charged.

A third man, arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, was released without charge.

Acting Sergeant from Kent Police Giacomino Vail said: "This enforcement was about using the technology we have at our disposal to prevent crime and disrupt criminal activity.

"We stop-checked a number of people who are known to police and gleaned valuable intelligence, and we also removed five uninsured vehicles from the road.

"We were supported by various departments across the force, as well as senior officers who joined us on our patrols. It is important for our local communities to know that we will be running successful operations such as this one again soon."