A man has died after falling from scaffolding

A man has died after falling from scaffolding which collapsed outside a house in Kent.

The man, thought to be aged in his 50s or 60s, fell in Chalkwell Road, Sittingbourne, at about 11:00 BST.

Fire crews were called to the scene to remove scaffolding so paramedics could treat the man. A crew from Kent air ambulance treated the man for head injuries after he "fell from a height", but he died at the scene, they said.

The Health and Safety Executive said it was making "initial inquires" into the man's death.

A witness told reporters: –

“You can see the scaffolding tower that’s collapsed. You can see the top of it at a jaunty angle underneath the side wall of the house. There’s fresh paint at the apex of the roof. It looks as though the man has been painting the top of the house and for some reason the scaffolding tower has collapsed. I saw some completely distraught people on the pavement nearby in an absolute state of bewilderment and crying their eyes out. They were being consoled by the police.”