An electrical fault in an airing cupboard is thought to have started a fire this morning which ripped through the upper floor of a detached house.

It happened in Bicknor Close on the Hales Place estate in Canterbury shortly before 11am.

The owner, Barrie Clayson went upstairs to investigate a smell of smoke and found a bedroom well alight.

He said: "I opened the door and flames poured out which singed my eyebrows.

"We just called the fire brigade and got out quickly and let them do their job but the fire has done a lot of damage."

Mr Clayson, a quality control analyst, said he had to be given oxygen after breathing in smoke.

He added: "It's just lucky it happened when it did and not at night. Two upstairs bedrooms are wrecked and much of the rest of the house has smoke and water damage.

"The place can't be lived in because of the damage and we'll have to go into B&B while the insurance sorts it out."

Firefighters who attended the blaze later said no working smoke alarm was installed in the property.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus entered the house and used a hose reel jet and a main jet to extinguish the fire that had spread to both bedrooms on the third floor of the house.

The fire, which is believed to have been caused by a fault with an immersion heater in an airing cupboard, caused severe damage to the third floor.

The remainder of the property was damaged by smoke and water from burst pipes, which crews also isolated.

Watch manager Paul Wood, said: "Unfortunately, the property had no working smoke alarms, so the couple had very little warning about the fire which is likely to have been developing for some time before it was discovered.

"We advise residents to ensure they have working smoke alarms fitted on each floor of their homes and that they are tested weekly, to ensure they will provide early warning.

"If you suspect a fire has broken out in a room of your home, while it is natural to want to open the door to investigate, but we would advice you to avoid doing so, as opening the door as the air will provide extra fuel for the fire.

"As this incident highlights, this could result in injury and increase the risk of the fire spreading. If the door feels hot to the touch, we would advise you to leave the property immediately, closing the doors behind you and to call us out."

Firefighters will be returning to Bicknor Close this afternoon to provide fire safety advice to residents and provide information about the range of free services that Kent Fire and Rescue Service provides.