Police are warning farmers to lock away their valuable equipment after a rise in tractor and trailer thefts.

There has been a spate of reported crimes in rural areas including Marden, Yalding and East and West Farleigh within the last month.

Last Wednesday a Ford Transit van was found burned out on Broomfield Road, Kingswood. It is believed to have been stolen from Lower Road in East Farleigh up to two days earlier.

Thieves are believed to have taken a tractor from a field in Shingle Barn Lane, West Farleigh between 12pm on on Friday, March 3 and 10.30am on Monday, March 6.

And between Wednesday, March 1 and Thursday, March 2 a trailer was reported stolen from Claygate Road in Laddingford.

Sgt Rachael Cumberland said: "I’d like to reassure residents that Kent Police will not tolerate crime within Kent and will continue to crackdown on those who target others in our community.

"We will do all we can to help target those who commit crime in rural Kent by continuing to provide crime prevention advice, running rural crime initiatives, providing a visible police presence and providing a quick response when required.

"I’d also like to encourage those living in these rural communities to be aware of strangers or incidents which raise suspicion and to encourage people to report crime via 101 so it can be investigated thoroughly."