Shoppers and drinkers are being warned not to leave mobile phones and other valuables on town centre tables after a series of distraction thefts.

Police are investigating three incidents across Maidstone and Tonbridge where an iPhone 5 was left on show in a coffee shop or bar and snatched while the owner was distracted.

On Saturday, August 10 a 20 year-old woman told police she had been approached by a muscular Turkish-looking man with dark skin, around 6ft tall with short black hair, inside Costa in King Street in Maidstone at 2:45pm.

They are reported to have been wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans and placed a leaflet on the table over her phone, which he then left with.

Another incident was reported by a 30 year-old woman who said two Arabic looking men, with black hair and about 5ft 7ins tall, on Monday, August 19.

She was at the Humphrey Bean pub in Tonbridge High Street at 2:10pm when the men asked her about a newspaper. Shortly after she realised her phone was missing.

A day later at Pret-a-Manger in Fremlin Walk, Maidstone, a 43 year-old woman’s phone was reportedly taken by three dark-skinned men with leaflets, all around 5ft 9ins tall and in their mid-20s. One of the men had gold rimmed sunglasses hanging to the back of his head.