One stolen Chatham First World War memorial recovered by police

Seven people have been arrested in connection with a theft

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 29th May 2025

One of two military memorial plaques stolen from a churchyard in Chatham has now been recovered.

The plaque, which honours those who gave their lives during the First World War, has been retrieved from a scrapyard in Essex yesterday (Wednesday 28th May).

The other stolen from Christ Church on Luton Road at around 10.00pm on Friday (23rd May) remains missing.

Two men aged 25 and 26 from Dartford and five men from the Medway area, aged between 22 and 51, have been arrested as part of the investigation.

The lychgate at Christ Church in Chatham, where the plaques were stolen from

PC Alanya Spiller from Kent Police said:

"We received a call about the location of the stolen property and patrols were immediately deployed across the Dartford Crossing.

"Officers are still seeking the other plaque and we urge anyone who may be able to assist to contact us. This includes residents with private CCTV and motorists with dashcam who may have relevant footage.

"The loss of these memorials had a considerable impact on the local community, and we were delighted to return one of the missing items to the parish within a few days of the incident."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kent Police by calling 01634 792209, quoting reference number 46/87178/25.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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