Two men suspected of stealing fuel from lorries were tracked down in a field by a police dog.

At around 3.45am on Monday (March 13), officers travelling along the A249 Maidstone-bound near Bobbing, noticed a car parked close behind an HGV in a lay-by.

Two men fled the scene as the patrol car approached and police dog Ciara and her handler were called to assist in a search across fields.

Both suspects, one aged 30 and the other 21, were found shortly afterwards, arrested and later released on bail pending further enquiries.

A number of cannisters of fuel were also seized from the scene.

Insp Steve Dunnett of Swale’s Local Policing Team said: "The theft of fuel from lorries can be hugely damaging to business owners who already spend thousands every year keeping their vehicles on the road.

"We take a very dim view of people who help themselves to fuel or other goods that do not belong to them, and will use every resource available to us to bring them into custody."