Stolen digger recovered by Dartford patrol officers after early-hours stop

Police car side view
Stock image — not from this incident

A 37-year-old woman from Orpington was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and driving without insurance after Kent Police officers spotted a Ford Transit van towing a digger through Dartford at around 12.30am on 3 September 2026.

Officers patrolling Hawley Road in the early hours of Thursday 3 September 2026 spotted a Ford Transit towing an empty trailer. The van reappeared shortly afterwards on Green Street Green Road — this time with a digger loaded on the trailer — and was followed until it stopped in Darenth Park Avenue, where checks confirmed the machine had been reported stolen.

A 37-year-old woman from Orpington was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and driving without insurance. She has since been released on police bail while enquiries into the incident are completed.

No charges have been brought.