Three people have been arrested following reports of distraction thefts at a Sevenoaks cashpoint.

Elderly people in particular were being lined up as victims of the scam.

The con was exposed by a concerned customer in the queue at the cash machine at 11.20am on Tuesday.

A victim in his 70s was approached by a man and a woman while getting money out of the High Street hole in the wall.

It is alleged the woman was wearing a lanyard and may have claimed to have been working for the bank.

They were challenged by a witness who suspected a scam was taking place and police were called.

Patrols received details of the suspect’s vehicle, a blue Ford Focus, and further inquiries linked it to previous similar incidents in Sevenoaks..

The vehicle was initially tracked to Biggin Hill, where its movements were followed from a police officer helicopter

It eventually stopped in a car park in Warlingham, Surrey, where the driver fled on foot and scaled a fence onto a railway line.

He was found hiding in a nearby shed by a police sergeant and arrested. Two women in the car were also detained.

Searches of the vehicle and immediate surrounding area led to the recovery of a suspected cloned number plate. Several addresses linked to the suspects were searched in Beckton, London, where 10 phones and more than £1,000 was seized.

The man, aged 37 and two women, aged 30 and 32, were all later bailed pending further enquiries, to return to a police station on April 12.

DC Tony Hatcher of West Kent CID said: "We are carrying out an extensive and comprehensive investigation into the activities of these three suspects and have to also consider the possibility there may be other offences we are not yet aware of.

"If you think you may have seen any suspicious activity at cash machines in or around the Sevenoaks area in recent weeks please contact us, any information you have may be very important."

If you have information which may assist the investigation contact police on 01622 604100, quoting reference 46/48713/22.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or by using the online form on its website.