Herne Bay pub The Bun
Penny was destroyed in a fire on Thursday morning. Picture: Barry
Goodwin.

Police are treating the fire which
completely gutted a Herne Bay pub as arson.

Thursday morning's fire at The
Bun Penny, on the corner of William Street and Central Parade, is
now being investigated by the police's East Kent area major
inquiry team.

Det Insp Nick Greenan
said: "Kent Fire and Rescue Service’s fire investigation team have
now completed their report and we are satisfied the fire was
started deliberately using an accelerant.

"We are appealing for
anyone who was in the area on Wednesday night and saw someone going
to or leaving the building to contact us immediately.

"Because an accelerant
was used to start the fire it is likely it took hold fairly quickly
so the crucial times are between about midnight and 1am."

Firefighters from the
town, Whitstable and Canterbury were sent to help tackle the
flames.

The building was well alight
when around 20 firefighters arrived and flames had spread to
both floors and the roof. It took almost three hours to bring
the blaze under control.

Crews had to fight the flames from
outside due to the dangerous nature of the building.

Dylan Tuck, Herne Bay crew manager,
said: "It was too dangerous for crews to go inside the pub.

"It was completely gutted and the
roof eventually fell in."

No one was injured and
the pub was unoccupied at the time.