A man is having an operation on his leg today after being hit by a steel beam at a metal works in Gillingham.

Fire, police and ambulance crews, including the air ambulance, were called to steel fabricators Weldrite, in Bredgar Road, yesterday.

A 24-year-old man was taken by road to Medway Maritime Hospital after the heavy beam fell onto his leg.

A colleague at Weldrite said: "He's going to be OK, but does have to have an operation on his leg today.

"It was an accident - we were hoisting a steel beam and one of the straps broke and it fell onto his leg."

"It was an accident - we were hoisting a steel beam and one of the straps broke and it fell onto his leg..." - victim's colleague

Emergency services were called just after noon and within 17 minutes the young man was at the hospital.

A Kent Police spokesman said yesterday: "Kent Police was called at 1pm today to a report of an industrial incident in Bredgar Road, Gillingham.

"A man was taken to hospital to deal with leg injuries. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed."

Geoff Watkins, who tweets as @InstructorGeoff on Twitter, posted a photo of the air ambulance above Yokosuka Way, Gillingham yesterday afternoon.

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