Three children charged with murder after the death of a man in a Kent seaside resort have appeared in court.

Police were called to the Warden Bay Road area of Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey shortly after 7pm on Sunday after a disturbance involving a small number of people, Kent police said.

Alexander Cashford, 49, was confirmed dead at the scene, which was attended by officers and the South East Coast ambulance service. Police said he had sustained a number of injuries.

A 16-year-old girl and two boys, aged 14 and 15, were jointly charged with murder on Tuesday and appeared at Medway magistrates court on Wednesday afternoon.

The three teenagers, all from London, are thought to have been on holiday in Kent at the time of the attack. They were accompanied in court by their parents, while other family members watched from the public gallery.

Prosecuting, Dylan Bradshaw said: “What we know is that Alexander Cashford, a 49-year-old male, shortly after 7pm on Sunday August 10 went to the beach area of Warden Bay. About an hour and five minutes later he was pronounced dead – during that period, he was the subject of a violent assault.”

The attack is alleged to have involved a glass bottle and rocks being thrown, the court heard.

The 16-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy both cried during the hearing, while the 15-year-old boy looked at the floor, rocking slightly.

The three, who cannot be named because of their ages, were remanded into youth detention accommodation to appear on Thursday at Maidstone crown court.

Another girl, 12, who was arrested in Basildon, Essex, on Tuesday, is still in custody while the police investigation continues.

Detectives urged any witnesses who had not yet spoken to the police to contact them. Kent police confirmed that Cashford had allegedly been assaulted after a disturbance involving a small group of people.

Residents said the incident was shocking and that “nothing ever happens” in the area.