A teenager was arrested after a car was crashed and abandoned in the grounds of a church.

The collision, which was reported shortly after 9pm yesterday, left a trail of debris along the path towards the entrance of St Mary's in Speldhurst.

The driver fled but officers later detained a 17-year-old boy following a search of the area.

The teenager, from Woolwich, was arrested on suspicion of car theft and has been released pending further investigations.

During the incident a gate was damaged and a gravestone dating from 1815 smashed.

Reverend Douglas Wren said he hoped the cost could be met by the church’s insurers.
He added: “We are very thankful noone was hurt, if it had been a Sunday morning then it would have been terrifying.

“The gravestone didn’t belong to a family member of someone recently bereaved so we are saved that upset, but it will cause us hassle and mean we will have to spend £200 on the excess of the insurance. As it is it is just very sad.”