A man was pulled to safety from the River Medway during a dramatic rescue in the early hours of this morning.

Firefighters, police and paramedics were called to the scene at Kingfisher Meadows near Lockmeadow in Maidstone just after midnight.

Three fire engines attended, along with a water safety unit and support vehicles.

Eyewitness say neighbours tried to help the young man by pushing out a kayak for him to hold onto, before a firefighter entered the water to aid him.

The fire crews then launched a small inflatable from further up the riverbank, adjacent to Clifford Way.

They used a rescue sled to pull the man to safety and he was placed in the care of paramedics, following the hour-long rescue mission.

Resident Ian Chadwick, who lives nearby and witnessed the rescue, said: "The night was dark and again it emphasises how dangerous the river is.

"It also identifies there are limited access points of entrance and exit in the event of an incident."

A stop-time was declared at 1.36am.

Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone