A 27-year-old man has been questioned after driving his car into the Canterbury police station yard, sparking a full-scale security alert.

Explosive detecting dogs were brought in, the station was evacuated and traffic ground to a halt as roads surrounding station were sealed off.

The road closure was enforced just minutes after the driver was confronted in the car park at 7.45am yesterday.

A bag was discovered in his car and he was arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Police insist the evacuation of the station and section of Old Dover Road was necessary because of the UK’s state of heightened terror alert and urged people not to enter police premises without permission.

Canterbury commander Chief Inspector Mark Arnold said: "The incident was dealt with immediately and professionally and normal services to the public were maintained throughout.

"Clearly going on to police premises without permission can cause disruption to the public and people who do could face sanctions."

The driver has since been released without charge and handed over to the care of the health service.

Police lifted the cordon at 10.15am, but the alert caused widespread disruption throughout Canterbury, with delays on the eastbound ring road by the City Wall.

The incident followed a similar scare last Wednesday when a bomb threat was phoned in to the University of Kent campus.

No suspicious devices were found and no arrests made.

Previous security alerts include one in November 2014 when a suspicious-looking package was delivered to Canterbury Magistrates’ Court. It later turned out to be a licence and other driving documents.

And in February of last year, a group calling itself the New IRA sent a device to the army recruitment office in St Peter’s Street.

They had warned Scotland Yard about the device with a recognised codeword. An army bomb disposal unit made the device safe.