Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with a burglary in which four pieces of construction machinery were stolen and damaged.

HE Services Ltd, in Medway City Estate, last week offered a £10,000 reward to anybody who can provide information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the damage.

A 16-year-old boy from Gillingham and a 19-year-old man from Rochester have been arrested in connection with the incident, between 6pm on April 4 and 8am on April 7 at the Whitewall Road business.

They have both been bailed until May 29 pending further enquiries. It is alleged those responsible caused around £65,000 of damage after driving a JCB off a cliff and driving the others into a nearby chalk pit and damaging them.

HE Services chairman Hugh Edeleanu's offer of £10,000 still stands if anybody can provide any information leading to a conviction.

He said: "The machines that were stolen are incredibly dangerous, and the perpetrator's reckless behaviour has risked both their own and other people's lives."

All the vehicles taken off site - and damaged - have now been recovered. The company, which has been in Medway for more than 30 years, operates the UK's largest fleet of specialist excavators for hire in the construction, earth-moving and demolition industries.

Mr Edeleanu set up the company and also owns the nearby Diggerland Adventure Park.
The incident came just days before it was announced that Diggerland is expanding into the USA and is due to open a park in New Jersey next month.