West Kent Local News
A parked motorbike (file image, Norwich, 2020) - not connected to the incidents reported. Image credit: Evelyn Simak / Geograph, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Maidstone Police Recover Three Stolen Motorbikes as Officers Target Vehicle Thefts, Two Teenagers Arrested
Kent Police say they've recovered three suspected stolen motorbikes in Maidstone over the past week, as officers continue what they're describing as a crackdown on vehicle theft in the town.
Drone deployed after Boxley Road theft
In the early hours of Saturday 10 October, police received a report of two people stealing a motorbike from outside a property on Boxley Road. Officers were on the scene within minutes and traced the bike to Mote Park, where it was recovered and returned to its owner. Despite an extensive search that included drones, the suspects got away - an investigation to identify them is ongoing.
Two teenagers arrested the next day
A second theft happened the following afternoon: at 4.32pm on Sunday 11 October, two boys are reported to have stolen a motorbike from a community centre car park on Cumberland Avenue. Patrols quickly located a group of teenagers near Clay Gate in Mote Park, where a 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle; a 15-year-old boy was arrested the following day in connection with the same incident. Officers later recovered the bike from a garage near Kent Avenue.
A third bike, returned within two days
A third motorbike, stolen from Park Wood Trading Estate, off Bircholt Road, on Friday 9 October, was recovered just two days later with help from a member of the public and returned to its owner.
Police response
Chief Inspector Adam Duke said: "Kent Police is aware of community concerns about motorcycle thefts in Maidstone, and local officers are working proactively to investigate reports and identify and arrest those responsible. We would like to thank residents for their vigilance and for reporting suspicious activity." He added that owners should lock, chain and cover motorcycles, store them in a secure outbuilding where possible, and consider alarms, trackers, immobilisers or property-marking to deter thieves.
Where it happened
1 - Boxley Road: first bike stolen from outside a property here in the early hours of Saturday 10 October, traced to Mote Park within minutes. View full interactive map →
2 - Cumberland Avenue / Clay Gate: second bike stolen from a community centre car park on Sunday 11 October; two teenage boys were arrested nearby, at Clay Gate in Mote Park. View full interactive map →
3 - Bircholt Road, Park Wood Trading Estate: third bike stolen from the industrial estate here on Friday 9 October, recovered two days later with help from a member of the public. View full interactive map →
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Anyone with information is asked to call the West Kent appeals line on 01622 604100, quoting reference 10-0198 for the Boxley Road theft. Source: Kent Police
