Police Crackdown on Burglary and Theft Near Sussex Border
Marked and plain-clothed officers launched a two-day blitz targeting burglary and theft hotspots, including Edenbridge and nearby Sussex border communities. The operation ran from 5 to 6 May 2021, backed by the Rural Task Force and police dogs.
High-Speed Chase Ends with Abandoned Car and Seized Gear
Officers from Kent, Sussex, and the Metropolitan Police joined forces. On 5 May, a silver Audi A4 bolted from patrols in Chapel Lane, Sissinghurst. The driver ditched the car in Cranbrook, where officers found balaclavas and other suspicious items inside. The vehicle was seized and forensic checks are underway to ID the culprit.
Ford Transit Linked to Catalytic Converter Thefts Seized
That same day, cops chased a Ford Transit in Ditton, Aylesford, suspected of connection to a spate of catalytic converter thefts. The van was later found and seized in Tovil. Joshua Allen, 30, from Chatham, was arrested and charged with multiple driving offences, including driving while disqualified and failing to stop for police.
Stolen Quad Bikes Recovered and New Arrest Made
On 6 May, searches at a site in Star Lane, Orpington, found two stolen quad bikes. Intelligence from this led to the arrest of a 21-year-old man on 13 May for separate burglary offences.
Stopping suspicious vehicles in Edenbridge’s Hever and Lingfield Roads, as well as Cowden and Cranbrook, added valuable intel to ongoing investigations.
Sergeant Ed Kavanagh, 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.”
“Our rural communities are just as important as town centres. Targeted operations like this build vital intelligence to detect and prosecute rural offenders—even if arrests don’t always happen immediately.”
