A 50-year-old road contractor was airlifted to hospital this afternoon after being struck by a van on the A249 at Detling, near Maidstone.

The accident happened at around 1.50pm on the Sittingbourne bound carriageway, just past the turn for Yelsted.

The man is believed to have been part of a highways team carrying out resurfacing work on behalf of Kent County Council.

Traffic had been restricted to a single lane to allow the contractors to complete the stretch from Scragged Oak Road to the Stockbury Roundabout in safety. The man is now understood to be in a critical condition at Maidstone Hospital after suffering serious injuries. His next of kin have been informed.

Traffic police closed the carriageway for more than two hours to allow the crash debris to be cleared.

Two other men, believed to include the driver of the van, were uninjured in the accident but received treatment for shock.