A pothole was repaired by emergency workmen within an hour of a cyclist coming off his bike and suffering serious injuries.

Residents in Old Road West, Gravesend, saw a Kent County Council incident response unit arrive to fill in the hole on Sunday afternoon.

A team of three men spent about 20 minutes working at the scene.

The cyclist, a man in his 60s, was said to have suffered head, arm, neck and leg injuries but was not in a life-threatening condition.

He was said by witnesses to have "hit the pothole and flew".

The accident occurred just before 1.30pm last Sunday and was attended by several police cars, ambulances and the fire service. The air ambulance was also present, having landed in nearby Woodlands Park.

The cyclist was treated at the scene by the helicopter’s doctor and paramedic before he was transferred by road ambulance to King’s College Hospital in London.

A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance Service said the man, who has not been named, was fully conscious. Police confirmed earlier this week that he remained in hospital.

He came off his bike outside the home of Duncan Gray. Mr Gray did not witness the accident but arrived at his house while the road was still closed.

KCC later confirmed the pothole, which measured about 1m by 0.5m, had not been reported prior to the accident but Mr Gray spoke of his astonishment at seeing repairs being carried out so soon, and on a Sunday.

He said: “It was amazing that within 60 minutes a van turns up and they are doing the repair. They were working on a Sunday afternoon when it would have cost an absolute fortune. I was gobsmacked.

“They could have dealt with the issue in the week, before someone came off their bike, and saved the taxpayer money. We can complain about potholes and nothing gets done and suddenly they fill it up.”

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said the speed at which the pothole was repaired was "an insult" considering it had been in the road "for weeks".

The woman did not witness the accident but saw the aftermath. She said: "He must have hit the pothole. There was no damage to his bike as far as I was aware. But, according to other people around there at the time, they said he hit the pothole and flew."

Fortunately, the man was wearing a helmet. The resident added: "It was horrible. I wouldn't like to say he was lucky but he was lucky the road wasn't busy and he didn't land as a car came along.

"There were ambulances, the air ambulance and three police cars there. Just think of the cost, for just a small bit of tar - and the cost to the cyclist."

Old Road West was closed between Wrotham Road and Woodfield Avenue for about an hour. At least 10 people, including serious collision investigators, were at the scene.

The repair was temporary and will be made more permanent at a later date.

No other vehicles were reportedly involved but the driver of a BMW, believed to be the first to assist the cyclist, came forward after a police witness appeal.

KCC has a dedicated webpage, Find and Fix Kent, for residents to report potholes and other road faults. It states it prioritises potholes according to how unsafe they make the road and aims to repair them within 28 days, or two hours if it is an emergency.

KCC spokesman Thom Morris said: “We are concerned to hear the cyclist was injured. We were notified of an emergency pothole and made an instant repair by quickly filling the hole. This is to make the road safe straightaway while we schedule a full permanent repair.

“We had no reports of this pothole and would urge people to report potholes and other faults online at www.kent.gov.uk/highways

“Details can be easily uploaded and locations pinpointed on an interactive map. Providing this information has helped speed up the rate of repairs. In the event of an emergency, residents should call 03000 418181.”