A family fled their home after a hoverboard burst into flames, causing fire and smoke damage.

The mother noticed the toy ignited on the landing of her Bulleid Place home in Ashford last night after hearing a crackling sound at about 9.20pm.

She switched the power off, rushed her children and their friend out of her home and dialled 999.

Firefighters attended the scene and fought back the blaze wearing breathing apparatus from inside the building.

They used a high pressure hose reel to extinguish the fire and a special fan to clear the smoke and fumes caused by the burning plastic.

The landing suffered fire damage and the first floor of the property was badly smoke damaged.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue issued a warning over non-compliant electrical goods.

He said: "Make sure electrical goods have a British or European safety mark on them when you buy them.

"If it doesn't have one, it could be a fire hazard and only buy hoverboards from trusted sources.

"If possible charge them on a surface that is fire proof such as a stone/concrete floor.
"Avoid leaving them on charge for long periods of time – especially if you’re asleep or out of the house."

Hoverboards have widely been documented as fire hazards since 2015 and major airlines, including Easyjet, have banned the toys from their cabins and cargo holds.

Also known as rideables or segway boards, they have been burning up because of problems with their lithium-ion batteries.

The batteries are in everyday tech including smart phones and laptops, however those in hoverboards are more powerful and some are poor quality.