A man who was killed on the Isle of Sheppey was hit on the head with a large concrete slab, locals have claimed. 

Shortly after 7 p.m. on Sunday, emergency services hurried to the Warden Bay Road area in Leysdown-on-Sea following reports of a confrontation involving a small group of individuals.

A man in his 40s was confirmed dead at the scene. A girl, aged 16, and two boys, 14 and 15, have been arrested and remain in police custody. 

A group of holidaymakers allege that the man was hit in the head with a large concrete slab before a local tried to save his life.

Andrew Owen said he heard shouts of ‘I’ve done him’ moments after the incident.

A man was then seen lying on the ground, before the local shouted back ‘you haven’t just done him, you’ve f****** killed him’, Mr Owen added.

One father-of-three, who asked not to be named, said he had seen the victim being chased along the sea path by a youth.

According to a witness, the victim’s face was injured, and rocks were near his body. A woman performing CPR claimed she saw a young person kick him in the face.

Police officers carry out searches near the scene in the Leysdown-on-Sea resort on the Isle of Sheppey after a man in his 40s died

Police at the scene of a suspected murder following the death of a man in his 40s in Leysdown-on-Sea 

Police officers are seen carrying boxes and plastic bags close to the scene of a suspected murder in Leysdown-on-Sea

A police cordon has been set up in a large clearing behind a beach in front of a caravan park

The eyewitness told the Daily Mail how he was alerted to a commotion on the coastal path behind his caravan.

He had seen one youth doubled over in pain with blood dripping from a wound above his right eye.

Further along the path, the man in his 40s was being chased by another teenage boy and two young girls.

At first, the witness believed the young person with an eye injury had been mugged, but as he continued further, he discovered an older man on the ground receiving CPR from two people.

The holidaymaker said: ‘My wife had seen a commotion by the sea wall and called for me to have a look.

‘I could see one young lad wearing an orange T-shirt standing with his hand clasped to his head bleeding.

‘Further along the path an older man and younger lad were running away. They were followed by two young girls.

A police sniffer dog and forensic teams have been deployed at the crime scene behind the popular Warden Bay Beach

Police search the area Leysdown-on-Sea at the scene of a suspected murder 

He mentioned, “Initially, I thought they had attacked the young man in the orange T-shirt. I approached him, but he was in too much pain to say much, moaning with a cut above his right eye.”

‘But a short while later the kid returned with the girls and it looked like that they were friends with the lad in the orange shirt.’ 

The eyewitness said one of the girls looked to be 15 or 16, while the other was a lot younger – seemingly around 12.  

He continued, “As I moved further along the path, I noticed a man lying on the ground, surrounded by people. A woman was attempting to administer CPR.”

‘There were rocks lying around him, I don’t know if he’d been hit with any of them but the injuries were all to his face.

He checked the man’s body and found no blood, indicating he had not been stabbed. The woman administering CPR, alongside another man, stated she witnessed a youth kicking the man in the head.

‘It was obvious to me he was dead and that nobody was going to bring him back. My 11-year-old son was with me, I tried to shield him as best I could and told him to cycle back to the caravan right away. 

Police working at the scene of a murder after a man in his 40s died in Leysdown-on-Sea on Sunday evening 

Police at the scene in the Leysdown-on-Sea resort on the Isle of Sheppey after a man in his 40s died after being attacked during an altercation

‘Eventually I found them by a fish and chip shop. I shouted to them ‘you’ve just killed a man. You haven’t just done him…you’ve f***ing killed him.

‘But no sooner had I said that, two police officers emerged from behind me.’ 

Kent Police officers erected a white tent in an area next to a caravan park, just meters from Warden Bay Beach, while a nearby footpath was also cordoned off.

A police sniffer dog and forensic teams have also been deployed at the scene behind the popular tourist destination.

The eyewitness said: ‘It’s shaken me up but my real concern is for my son. He shouldn’t have to see that at his age. We only arrived on Friday for two weeks holiday.

‘I don’t know anything about the man who died. He looked to be aged in his early 40s and was wearing a gold chain around his neck.

‘Someone told me that he was staying nearby with his wife and young daughter and that they had seen him being worked on by the paramedics.

‘It’s awful, this country seems to be getting worse and worse. It’s worrying.’

Police officers comb an area close to a popular beach in Leysdown-on-Sea after a man in his 40s died after being attacked during an altercation

A police van is parked in an area close to the scene in Leysdown-on-Sea on Monday

Another witness, who lives nearby, added: ‘I saw two ambulances and six or seven police cars go past and the air ambulance. I thought it was something serious then.’

Kent Police are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information that could help with their investigation into the incident.

Members of the public have been asked to call Kent Police on 01622 690690 quoting 10-1384.

It also possible to report anonymously via Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111 or by completing an online form.

A SECAS spokesperson said: ‘SECAmb were called shortly after 19:00 yesterday to reports that a man was assaulted near Jetty Road and Warden Bay Road in Leysdown, Isle of Sheppey. 

‘Crews attended the scene alongside The Air Ambulance Charity, Kent Surrey Sussex, however sadly, the man died at the scene.’

The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the north coast of Kent in the Thames Estuary. 

It is located around 42 miles from central London and has a population of over 40,000. 

The island, which is around nine miles long and four miles wide, was originally known as Sheep Island or Sceapige in old English.