The owner of Tenterden Tackle and Gun Shop chased an 'overweight' would-be thief out of his store this afternoon.

Graham Parry was in his High Street store at lunchtime today when he says he noticed a customer acting suspiciously.

He said the man - described as a lookalike of Harry Potter character Dudley Dursley - walked towards the door with two coats worth £720 over his arm.

Mr Parry said: "He made a bolt for the door and ran. I chased after him and managed to get up close enough and shouted in his ear. I didn't lay a hand on him and he dropped the coats.

"He then ran off and jumped in a waiting car."

The man has been described as around 20-years-old, very overweight, with black hair and wearing jogging bottoms.

The incident was witnessed by the team at Sales Friend, also based in Tenterden.

They tweeted saying: "Just saw local shopkeeper tackling a shoplifter and getting his goods back.

"Thief was fat guy around 20, dark hair and made off in black Ford Ka.

"The black Ford Ka was waiting with a driver outside the shop with hazards on. Thief looked just like this guy."

They also tweeted a picture of actor Harry Melling who plays Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films, claiming the culprit bore a resemblance to him.

A spokesman for Kent Police said: "We were called at 12.56pm to an attempted theft at a shop in Tenterden, which is reported to have happened at 12.43am.

"The caller states that a man went into the store, picked up two coats and tried one on.

"It’s then reported that the man ran off and got into the passenger side of a vehicle that was being driven by a dark haired woman.

"The vehicle is described as a small black Ford KA. The car drove off in the direction of High Halden/Ashford."

Anyone with information is asked to call Kent Police on 101.

Stories you might have missed

Police hunt stabbing victim

Bus passenger hurt after concrete smashes window

Video: Animal rights group exposes abattoir cruelty

Vet guilty of failing to treat dying dog