A shocking image appears to show the shadowy figure of a man clinging on to the back of a fire engine.

The picture, taken by Tony Scott, shows the 999 vehicle moving through the streets of Sittingbourne.

Mr Scott, who was returning from work at ITN at around 11pm last night, tweeted his shock at the sight of the man apparently risking his life on a busy street.

He later said: "I noticed this guy hitching a ride on the back of the engine.

"First of all I though it was a fire officer, then I thought 'of course it isn't'.

"Then when the engine stopped to turn right the guy jumped off."

Mr Scott said he was stopped and waiting for the fire engine to turn right when he took the picture.

The man then walked back across the road into the path of oncoming traffic.

Sittingbourne crew manager Mat Barney said the engine was returning to the station after firefighters had helped paramedics with a man who had been hit by a car in Sittingbourne High Street.

"We'd parked outside the cinema and unbeknown to us, a male adult had jumped on to the back.

"Had we picked up a shout, we would have pushed the button for the blue lights and that vehicle could have been doing 60mph. That could have killed him" - Mat Barney

"We pulled away through the lights, turning left into Crown Quay Lane and at this point four street pastors started running around the corner.

"We then turned left to come up to the station and slowed to turn right when there were people beeping and tooting.

"We put the engine in our driveway and I jumped out and saw a chap run across the road."

Mr Barney caught up with him in the road opposite the station. "I realised he was absolutely inebriated," he added.

"I asked 'Have you hurt himself? Are you OK? What were you doing?' Then he ran off."

The man had been fortunate not to have been hurt, Mr Barney said. "The message from us is please don't do that - it's dangerous.

"Had we picked up a shout, we would have pushed the button for the blue lights and that vehicle could have been doing 60mph.

"That could have killed him. We had no idea he was there. I'm only grateful he got off safely."

Mr Barney also advised anyone who sees someone doing anything similar to phone 999 immediately.

"Phone the emergency services on three nines straight away. Say where you are and control will get hold of us and we can take measures to care for people.

"It's not a game. Someone could have died."