A woman's hair was allegedly pulled in Bluewater's Apple store on 17 October. A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and witnesses are sought.
A man has been arrested after a reported assault on a woman inside the Apple store at Bluewater on Saturday afternoon, Kent Police says. The force is asking witnesses to come forward.
Officers were called on Saturday 17 October. The force says it is alleged that at around 5pm a man made inappropriate comments to a woman, pulled her hair and touched her lower back over her clothing.
It is reported that before this, the man had approached three girls in the Marks and Spencer Food Hall and made inappropriate comments to them.
Officers went to the scene and arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of assault. Kent Police said on Sunday that he remained in custody pending further enquiries (Kent Police, 18 October 2026).
The force has not named the man, and he has not been charged.
How to help the police
- Call the north Kent appeals line on 01474 366149
- Quote reference 46/172206/26
- If you were at Bluewater around 5pm on Saturday, or drove nearby, check any dashcam or private CCTV footage you have
You can also report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Crime at Bluewater: the recorded figures
Bluewater is one of the busiest places in the borough, and the police.uk figures show what is usually reported there. Police.uk places each crime at the nearest of a set of anonymous map points. Three of them sit on the Bluewater site and are labelled “Shopping Area”.
| Month | All crimes | Shoplifting | Violence and sexual offences |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 148 | 120 | 9 |
| July 2026 | 140 | 115 | 6 |
| August 2026 | 147 | 113 | 9 |
Source: police.uk open data, street-level crimes within a mile of Bluewater, read 20 October 2026. August is the latest month published.
So most crime recorded at the centre is shoplifting, about eight in every ten reports. Violence and sexual offences, the category an assault falls into, ran at between six and nine reports a month over the summer.
What it means for you
If you saw something at Bluewater on Saturday afternoon, in the Apple store or in the Marks and Spencer Food Hall, call 01474 366149 and quote 46/172206/26. Even a small detail can help an investigation.
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