Members of the emergency services were on fire at the weekend when they smashed a Guinness World Record for ladder climbing.

Firefighters took back a record they held two years ago by climbing a total distance of 42,290m in eight hours onto a 10 metre high scaffold platform in Ashford town centre.

Organiser, Ashford firefighter Mike Pitney, said: “On several occasions the record attempt looked as good as dead as three times rain hampered efforts when the fire-pole erected to come back down from the scaffolding became dangerously fast for descents.

"On the third occasion a thunderstorm together with lightning made it seem everything was against us. But in the last hour it was worked out that with a huge effort it was maybe just possible."

Eventually the record was broken by just four trips up the ladder or 40 metres in distance.

Full story in this week's Kentish Express.