Careless smokers may have caused a fire that burned shrubbery near a school sports hall.

Firefighters were called to the land near the Ashford Christ Church school hall at 10am on Monday after the shrubbery caught light.

Ashford fire station crew manager Tim Hanley said: “We believe that the cause was smoking materials.

“Youths had been seen smoking in the area.”

One fire engine was called to the incident at Kingnorth and the crew was at the scene for 20 minutes.