A fifth teenager has been arrested after a serious assault on a 16-year-old boy near Sheerness train station.

The victim, a boy from Sheerness, is in a stable condition in hospital after undergoing emergency surgery.

A 17-year-old boy from Sheerness was arrested yesterday (Monday) after voluntarily attending a police station. He was later released on police bail.

Four other teenagers, also from Sheerness, have been arrested in connection with the assault and all have been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

They are a 16-year-old girl, a 17-year-old girl, a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man.

Police say the boy was assaulted between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Thursday near the taxi rank.

He returned home after the attack but was later taken to Medway Maritime Hospital by his father.

The teenager was then was taken to a central London hospital where he underwent brain surgery and is now making good progress.

Police are still appealing for witnesses to the attack and anyone who saw anything is encouraged to come forward.

Det Supt Ashley Croft, senior investigating officer, who described the attack as vicious, said: "We are continuing to make local enquiries and ask any members of the public with any information about the incident to come forward.

"We now know from our investigation into the attack that a number of people were near the taxi rank around the time of the incident and we are urging them to come forward and talk to us."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.