Four men have been arrested after a man in his 20s was found with gunshot wounds in Acacia Walk, Swanley, on Thursday night. Police say it was an isolated incident.
Four men have been arrested after a man was found with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds in Swanley on Thursday night. He is in a London hospital in a serious but stable condition. (Kent Police, Witnesses sought following serious assault in Swanley)
Kent Police says the people involved are believed to know one another. It is treating the shooting as an isolated incident.
What police say happened
Officers were called to Acacia Walk at about 8.50pm on Thursday 8 October. Acacia Walk is a footpath on the White Oak side of Swanley, off Birchwood Corner.
Police and paramedics went to the scene. According to the force:
- a man in his 20s had injuries consistent with gunshot wounds
- he was taken to a London hospital, where he remains in a serious but stable condition
- two men were arrested later the same evening and remain in custody
- two more men were arrested on Friday 9 October in connection with the incident
None of the men has been named. The force has not said whether anyone has been charged. An arrest is not a charge.
What police are saying to residents
Chief Inspector Paul Diddams said officers remained at the scene on Friday, with cordons in place while the investigation continued.
“The parties involved are believed to be known to one another and we are treating this as an isolated incident,” he said.
He said patrols would stay in the area “for community reassurance”.
How to help the investigation
The force wants to hear from anyone with information who has not yet spoken to police. It is particularly keen to hear from people with private CCTV or dashcam footage who may have been in the area at the time.
- Call 101 and quote reference 08-1577.
- Mention CCTV or dashcam footage if you have it, even if you are not sure it shows anything.
What it means for residents
The police statement gives no sign of a wider risk to the public. Officers describe the incident as isolated and say patrols are there to reassure people.
Expect a police presence around White Oak and Birchwood Corner while enquiries continue. We will update this page if the force reports a charge or releases more information.
For how often crime is recorded locally each month, see our Sevenoaks crime figures.
Sources
- Kent Police, Witnesses sought following serious assault in Swanley, published 5.53pm, 9 October 2026
Image: London Road, Swanley, by David Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph (Wikimedia Commons). Timeline graphic by Sevenoaks Online.
Have your say