A new town on the Hoo Peninsula could lead to an increase of thousands more crimes that Kent Police will struggle to deal with.

The force said it would be unable to maintain an "effective and efficient" service - unless the developer contributes more than £200,000 to pay for extra officers and support staff to cope with a surge in demand.

Land Securities wants to build 5,000 homes, schools, shops and offices in Lodge Hill, Chattenden - the site of a former army base.

Developers claim the scheme will create 5,000 jobs over 20 years, including in office space on the site and in schools and health centres.

In a submission to Medway Council as part of public consultation, Kent Police claims it would have to deal with an estimated 2,300 more incidents a year by 2026 if it gets the go-ahead.

Trevor Hall, developer contributions manager at Kent Police, said the force "is not funded for such matters" and the projected increase in crime could threaten the viability of the whole project.

He said: "The result of this will be crime and disorder will rise and detections will fall.

For the full story, see today's Medway Messenger.