A construction worker suffered major burns after drilling through a high-voltage cable.

The worker is believed to have drilled through the cable while working on a Kent County Council development in Burial Ground Lane, Tovil, on Friday.

The accident happened just after 2pm on the site where KCC is building 40 assisted care homes. Ambulance crews went to the scene after receiving reports of a man suffering an electric shock.

A spokesman confirmed they treated a 28-year-old man for severe burns to his head, face, chest and arms.

He was airlifted to a hospital in London, where his condition is said to be stable.

Mike Summers, 66, from Tovil Green, was one of the first people on the scene. He said: "I was in my garden and I heard this massive bang. I dashed over to the site and saw this man standing up, screaming in pain.

"At first I thought he had been hit on the head with a bucket but then I saw the smoke and realised the man was black all over.

"We managed to get him over to the grass and calm him down. He was breathing deeply, but still shaking and obviously in shock." Mr Summers said the man was treated at the scene for almost 90 minutes before being airlifted away.

A spokesman for KCC said: "The Health and Safety Executive and police are involved in investigating what happened, as they would be in any industrial incident such as this one.

"KCC and Housing 21 will wait for information from the Health and Safety Executive and construction company United House before deciding how to go forward."

It is understood power was lost in the area for several hours after the accident.