A man has been charged with the attempted armed robbery of a bank in Whitstable.

Martin Johnson, of Cromwell Road, is accused of raiding the Nationwide in the High Street while armed with a knife.

He was arrested last Wednesday shortly after the bank was targeted at 12.10pm.

The 49-year-old has also been charged with being in possession of a knife in a public place.

He has been remanded in custody and will appear at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday, May 11.

Nationwide spokesman Sara Batchelor said: "We can confirm that there was an attempted robbery at Nationwide’s Whitstable branch on the High Street on Wednesday on 22 April 2015.

"The branch was closed for the afternoon and no one was hurt. The branch reopened to customers the following morning.

"The matter is now subject to a police investigation."

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