DETECTIVES say robbers who escaped with £53m from a Securitas depot in Tonbridge last Wednesday left about £1.3m in one of their vehicles.

The abandoned Transit van also contained guns, balaclavas and body armour, police have disclosed.

In a series of raids today, police made a sixth arrest. The man, aged 49, was later released on bail. All of those so far arrested and questioned have now been released on police bail.

Detectives heading the the investigation say the raiders are making mistakes because they are under pressure.

Fourteen metal cages and packaging material found in fields near Coldblow Lane, near the villages of Thurnam and Detling are now undergoing detailed forensic examination.

The cages, used for moving cash, are being directly linked to Wednesday morning’s multi-million pound robbery.

Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Leppard said: "We know the cages were dumped at about 9.30am on Wednesday and we believe they were dumped from the back of a white lorry. It could be that this was the same white Renault Midlum lorry used in the robbery itself.

"We would obviously like to speak to anyone who may have seen this vehicle or any other suspicious behaviour in the area on Wednesday morning. Local people may know the area, as it is near the transmitter masts on the top of Detling Hill.

"Where has the lorry been since and where is it now? ‘We would urge people out and about this weekend to be alert. Have you seen a lorry somewhere you wouldn’t expect, maybe abandoned? Is there an unfamiliar vehicle in a car park or road near you?

"We know the lorry displayed a 54 number plate, but CCTV footage suggests it was an older type of vehicle. We know it had a plywood floor and a white rail inside the cargo area."

Meanwhile, detectives have been following a number of leads as information continues to come in. Search warrants have been executed at a number of addresses in Kent over the past 24 hours, some involving firearms because of the possible risks involved.

Forensic experts are still examining the white Ford Transit van found at the Ashford International Hotel on Friday. This is now known to have contained £1.3m cash, plus firearms, balaclavas and flak jackets similar to body armour.

Police and Securitas continue to work to support depot manager Colin Dixon, his wife Lynn and son Craig, nine, following their kidnap ordeal on Tuesday night.

ACC Leppard stressed: "They have asked me to thank the public for their support and to say they are still managing the trauma of the event. Their message to their family and friend is that they are doing OK."

He added: "We have now had more than 1,000 calls from the public and as a result we are following up a number of good leads. If you haven’t called, but have seen anything that could help us in our investigations, please get in touch. It may be that you saw something unusual, or perhaps someone living near you is acting strangely or maybe has not been around over the last few days.

"Something that you may not think is important could be highly significant to us, so please call us on 01622 652361 or 01622 652366."

Securitas has now started its final count of the missing cash which should be completed on Monday.

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