Tonbridge Man Charged Over Community Centre Burglary and Knife-Threat Robberies Across Kent

A 34-year-old man from Tonbridge has been charged with burglary, theft from a shop and robbery, following a string of incidents that began with a break-in at a Tonbridge community centre in September and ended with his arrest in Canterbury last week.

Kent Police said the first incident was reported on Tuesday 1 September, when a community centre in Northwood Road, Tonbridge, was broken into. It's alleged a side door was forced to gain access to the bar area, where £140 in cash, two charity collection pots and alcohol were stolen.

A second incident was reported on Sunday 4 October, when a man is alleged to have entered a Subway restaurant in Rochester High Street and threatened staff with a knife before stealing £150 in cash from the till. A third followed on Tuesday 6 October, when a man allegedly tried to leave a supermarket in Gravel Walk, Canterbury, with two sandwiches without paying; when challenged by security staff he's alleged to have fled, and to have reached for a knife when they caught up with him, shortly before officers arrived and arrested him at the scene.

On Thursday 8 October, a 34-year-old man of Annison Street, Tonbridge, was charged with burglary, theft from a shop and robbery over the three incidents. He appeared before Margate Magistrates' Court the same day and was remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance, at Maidstone Crown Court on 6 November. Source: Kent Police