Two shopkeepers fled when their store suddenly caught fire.

The women, sleeping in an upstairs flat, dialled 999 when they were woken up by the smoke alarm.

The fire broke out in an industrial fridge at the Happy Store at Gladstone Road, Ashford, at 4am today.

Two fire engines, from the Ashford and Wye stations, were called to the blaze.

The shop floor was filled with smoke and crews tackled the blaze wearing breathing apparatus and using a hosereel.

The fridge was 50 per cent damaged by fire and the ground floor damaged by smoke.

Crew manager Tim Hanley said: "The women got out unharmed. They were protected in the upstairs flat by a fire door and the smoke alarm did its job.

"This is a message for everyone to make sure they have a working smoke alarm."