Valuable stone lions that were stolen from the Royal British Legion Village have been recovered, police said today.

The two ornamental lions, estimated to be worth £100,000 each, were recovered from a garage in East Malling last night following an anonymous tip off.

Both were found stored in a garage and a 57-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of theft.

She has been bailed until Wednesday, December 18 while the police continue to investigate.

The statues, weighing between two and three tonnes each, were stolen from Preston Hall on Sunday, October 27 and it was feared they might have been taken out of the county.

DC James Chichester, from Kent Police, said: "They have now been seized as evidence, but we will be seeking to hand them back to the true owners when appropriate.

"Although we have made an arrest we suspect there may have been others involved so would appreciate any more information."

The lions, carved in the mid-19th century, had sat on plinths either side of the main entrance at the manor house.

One depicts a lion killing a snake, the other is of a lioness with her cub.

They belong to the NHS, which owns the Preston Hall estate.

The site was once a hospital and has now been partly given over to housing and the Heart of Kent Hospice, as well as some NHS clinics.

Anyone with information is asked to phone PC Nick Pell on 01622 604284, quoting crime YY/21487/13, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.