A man has been taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition after he was struck by lightning while playing golf at a course near Watford earlier this afternoon.

The ambulance service received a call at 2.04pm and sent an ambulance, a community first responder and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance to the scene.

A spokesman for East of England Ambulance Service Trust said: "The man, who we believe to be in his 60s, was on a golf course when the incident happened and it caused him to go into cardiac arrest. Medics were quickly on scene and began giving advanced life support. He was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital, in a life-threatening condition.

"Fortunately incidents involving people being struck by lightening are quite rare, but when it does strike, it can cause serious and potentially fatal injuries."