A mother and daughter had to be rescued from a house fire in Kent - but two puppies were killed.

The blaze broke out in the kitchen of a detached property in Monks Close, Canterbury at around 2.10am Friday.

A woman and her daughter, who is aged under 16, were rescued from a first-floor window by firefighters, but two Welsh border collie puppies in the kitchen died despite efforts by fire crews to revive them with oxygen and heart massage.

Canterbury fire station watch manager Hudson Peacock said: "There was no smoke alarm in the house. Had there been one we may have got the call earlier and been able to save the puppies.

"We would urge all householders to fit smoke alarms – there is no need for anyone not to have one."

The woman and her daughter were treated at the scene by paramedics for smoke inhalation and shock but did not not need to go to hospital.

The cause of the fire is thought to centre round a pile of clothes left in the ktichen. It is not thought to be suspicious.

Fire crews left the house at 4.50am.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service offers a free service where people can have their property assessed and a smoke alarm fitted.

For more news from Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay and Faversham visit kentishgazette.co.uk >>>