A crane pumping concrete has toppled over on a building site in Whitstable today.

Earth beneath the outrigger – the metal stands holding the truck the pump was on – gave way as it turned muddy having been frozen hard a few weeks earlier.

The incident happened at lunchtime when heavy rain was falling over east Kent.

The site manager, who did not want to be named, said: “This ground was frozen solid a little while ago and we did exactly the same operation and it was fine.

“But the ground has since then been turned muddy. It’s not a difficult job to get it straightened up – it’s just annoying.”

The Joy Lane site lies next to the Whitstable to London railway line and is where Groombridge Properties is building three deluxe homes.