A major route through a town has been closed this morning following an accident.

The A26 Tonbridge Road in Maidstone was shut near the Esso petrol station and Tesco Express after a crash involving a car and a motorbike at around 9.25am.

A man in his 50s has been taken to hospital for treatment to injuries and his next of kin have been informed.

Bus firm Arriva was unable to serve stops between Bower Lane and Cherry Orchard Way as a result of the road closure.

Police and ambulance crews attended the scene of the accident, near the junction with Western Road.

A police spokesman said: “Kent Police was called just before 9.25am to a collision between a car and a motorbike on Tonbridge Road, Maidstone.

“Officers attended the scene alongside South East Coast Ambulance Service, where a man in his 50s was taken to a local hospital for treatment to his injuries.

“His next of kin is aware and the road has since been re-opened.”