A 24-year-old man has been charged with the attempted murder of an Army officer in uniform near a barracks.

Anthony Esan will appear in court on Thursday over the attack on the soldier, reportedly a Lieutenant-Colonel, in Gillingham, Kent, on Tuesday.

The serviceman, in his 40s, is in hospital in a serious but stable condition after being repeatedly stabbed.

Esan, who was arrested near his home in nearby Rochester, has also been charged with possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and will appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court.

Head of the Army, General Sir Roly Walker, condemned the stabbing as “horrific and unprovoked”, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “shocked and appalled”.

Sally Port Gardens where police said the incident took place is near Brompton Barracks, the headquarters of the British Army’s 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment.

The attack happened at around 5.55pm on Tuesday, with the suspect being arrested around 25 minutes later.