A middle-aged woman was killed in Gravesend today after she was hit by a dustcart.

The accident happened at the junction of Stone Street and Clive Road at about 9.30am near the Anglesea Shopping Centre.

One workman on the centre's roof said he heard the victim scream. The pedestrian was killed instantly by the impact. An ambulance crew removed the body to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford .

The driver of the dustcart was treated at the scene for shock. One shopkeeper, who works in Stone Street, said he rushed out after the crash and saw the victim. He said: "It was very sad and shocking."