An alleged shoplifter was caught with hundreds of pounds worth of products which were reported stolen.

Police officers tracked down the man after it was said he had committed two thefts in Sittingbourne.

The items stolen included electric toothbrushes, toothpaste, six bottles of Calpol and a Marie Curie charity box - worth £650 in total.

The suspect was arrested and remains in custody.

It comes as officers continue their campaign against retail crime following a 17% rise in shoplifting reports last year.

Shopkeepers across the county are also reporting thieves are becoming more and more brazen in their attempts, with one even shouting “same time tomorrow” as they left with handfuls of goods.

One store boss in the centre of Cranbrook which has been hit countless times, previously said: “There is no rhyme or reason to it. They are all ages, all types and no particular time of day, either.

“It seemed to get really bad when the cost of living crisis hit. People were stealing anything and everything - food, alcohol, toiletries, you name it.”

In Kent, there were 13,255 counts of shoplifting in 2022/2023, up from 11,718 in 2021/2022. It is the highest since records began in June 2013/2014.