A homeless man has been flown to a London hospital with serious injuries after being run over by a van outside Maidstone Day Centre.

Emergency services were scrambled to Knightrider Street this afternoon to treat the casualty and the air ambulance was spotted landing in a car park off Mote Road.

Two police cars and a police van were also at the scene.

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It is understood the victim, who has not been named, was refused entry to the centre earlier in the day because he was intoxicated.

He then lay hidden from view near the front wheels of a van used by the shelter. This was parked outside in the right-hand corner of the car park.

He was hit when the driver began to move off.

The man was airlifted to Kings College Hospital with serious injuries to his legs and pelvis.

Angela Clay is secretary at Homeless Care, which provides support to vulnerable people in Maidstone through the centre and other projects.

She said: "We don't know how he is and obviously hope he is well.

"We don't want anybody to be hurt and our thoughts are with him and we hope he recovers. We are also thinking of the driver who must be really, really devastated."

Maidstone Day Centre opened in Knightrider Street in 2004 and is a vital lifeline for vulnerable people in the County Town.

It offers everything from hot showers, a meal and laundry to help to get access to a GP and housing.