A 49-year-old man was fighting for life in hospital today after a kite-surfing accident, police said.

Strong winds forced the man on to rocks off the coast of Lancing, West Sussex.

He was given first aid by an off-duty accident and emergency doctor before being airlifted to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, East Sussex, with life-threatening injuries.

The man was later transferred to the Hurstwood Park neurological centre in Haywards Heath, where he was described as being in a critical condition.

The accident happened at around 1.30pm last Friday but details were only released by police this morning.