Three men were arrested after a couple of Orpington shops were targeted in daring midnight raids by an alleged international criminal gang of burglars last night.

The Sunrays tanning shop in Crofton Road was broken into shortly after midnight on Sunday, May 19, before the gang then used power tools to break through an adjoining wall from the tanning shop into a jewellery shop next door at around 4:15am.

The suspects reportedly crawled through the wall and stole a quantity of jewellery before then crawling back and fleeing the scene.

A water pipe was also damaged when the hole was made by the suspects causing some flooding to the building.

MORE: Four teenagers arrested after breaking into Morrisons in Sidcup

However, a passing police patrol saw the three men as they ran away and intervened.

One suspect was stopped from leaving the scene, but refused to come quietly and violently assaulted a female police officer before trying to make a run for it.

Fortunately the officer was not seriously injured and helped detain the suspect after a short foot chase.

CS tear gas was used by officers during the struggle to help restrain the violent offender.

MORE: Gun and drug smugglers who 'brought misery to their communities' jailed

Onsite officers called in more units, including a dog unit, and pursued the two remaining suspects on foot who were later detained in the nearby Bromley Common.

A quantity of evidence has been recovered from the scene including property stolen from the jewellers.

Brian Raul Morales, 39; Jorge Antonio Naverette Contreras, 40; and Christian Marcello Estay Guvman, 35, of no fixed abode but are all nationals of Chile were arrested.

Morales was also charged with the assault of an emergency worker.