A 71-year-old man drowned after walking out onto mud flats in the River Medway and getting washed away by the tide.

Emergency services launched a rescue operation but the man’s body was found later near the M2 bridge at Rochester.

The man has not yet been named but was from the Rainham area. He was seen by witnesses as he walked out on to the mud.

The incident happened at about 7.30pm on Tuesday when people living in houseboats at Cuxton Marina alerted the emergency services.

Marina residents tried to help the man by going out in their dinghies to try to get him out of the water but he was washed away by the strong current.