An elderly man has been taken to hospital by air ambulance with serious head injuries after he was found lying in a street.

The victim, believed to a local man in his 70s, was found injured in The Avenue, Hersden, this morning.

Paramedics rushed to the Canterbury village just before 7am before calling the police, believing the man may have been assaulted.

An air ambulance was also sent to the scene.

An ambulance spokesman said: "The patient was treated at the scene before being airlifted to a London hospital in a serious condition.

"The helicopter left the scene at about 9am."

The Elms, just off The Avenue, was cordoned off while emergency services dealt with the incident.

Police carried out investigations at the scene, but concluded the man had not been assaulted.

A spokesman said: "Officers attended the scene and, after carrying out a review of CCTV, established that no criminal offences were committed."

It is not known how long the man was in the road before he was found.

A neighbour said: "All I know is that they think he fell in the middle of the road, or somewhere out there, last night or earlier this morning.

"He banged his head quite badly."

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