A vehicle which failed to stop for police was later found abandoned with balaclavas and other suspicious items inside.

Officers gave chase after the silver Audi A4 refused to pull over in Chapel Lane, Sissinghurst, as patrols took part in a two-day operation targeting rural crime in the west of the county.

The vehicle was later found in the Cranbrook area and forensic checks are being carried out in a bid to identify the driver.

Both marked and plain-clothed patrols took part in a wider operation designed to crack down on crime in the countryside, particularly burglary and theft.

The operation took place on May 5-6 and involved officers from the Kent Police rural task force and police dog patrols. It was also supported by officers from Sussex Police and the Metropolitan Police.

This focus on rural criminality follows a spate of violent break-ins at homes in the Weald in the last year.

Sgt Ed Kavanagh, of the Tunbridge Wells community policing team, said: "We remain absolutely committed to tackling rural crime and working with communities to identify, disrupt and catch criminals who believe they are beyond our reach.

"We remain absolutely committed to tackling rural crime..."

"Our rural communities are just as important to us as those in and around town centres and we will continue to engage with the people who live and work there to ensure we remain focused on the issues that matter most to them.

"Targeted operations such as this may not always result in arrests, but they do enable us build up important intelligence in order to detect and prosecute those involved in rural crime."

On May 5, the same day the Audi was recovered, officers in Aylesford attempted to stop a Ford Transit suspected to be linked to the theft of catalytic convertors but it failed to stop.

It was later located in Tovil and the driver - Joshua Allen of Cottall Avenue in Chatham - was arrested.

The 30-year-old was charged with driving whilst disqualified, driving without a licence or insurance, driving without due care and failing to stop when requested by police.

A day later the operation saw searches carried out at a site in Star Lane, Orpington, where two quad bikes which had been reported stolen were recovered.

As a result of intelligence gained from this address, yesterday a 21-year-old man was arrested in connection with separate burglary offences and taken into custody.

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