A man is in a serious condition in hospital after being mauled by a pack of dogs at his home.

Firearms officers were called to the address in the town of Westerham in Kent after receiving a report that the man had been bitten by the bullmastiffs.

A Kent police spokesman said the injured man was taken to hospital with serious injuries and five dogs had been removed from the property.

“Officers including firearms officers attended to assist and, to ensure public safety, the road was closed for a short while. A man was taken to a London hospital with serious injuries,” he said.

“Five dogs believed to be bullmastiffs have been safely removed from the property and work to ensure their welfare is ongoing by police and partner agencies. Inquiries into the incident are ongoing.”

The five dogs were sedated and removed from the property one-by-one in individual kennels.

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said on Sunday: “The RSPCA can confirm that we were called to an incident in Westerham, Kent, this morning by Kent police following reports that a man had been attacked by dogs.

“An RSPCA inspector and an independent vet attended the incident to assist officers in sedating and handling the five dogs at the scene.” The dogs are now in police care, she added.