Sleeping residents woke up in fear after a suspected arson attack saw their gardens engulfed in flames.

Firefighters were called shortly before 1am yesterday following reports of trees and fences alight in an alleyway between Betsham Road and Munford Drive in Swanscombe.

Two fire engines attended and crews used hose reels to extinguish the flames.

In total, the blaze destroyed 12 conifer trees and 11 fences panels.

No casualties were reported and the cause is being treated as deliberate.

Swanscombe councillor Emma Ben Moussa (Lab) said: "It is probably one of the scariest incidents I have had since becoming a councillor.

"They (residents) are alright now but they were terrified - luckily they were alerted in time.

"It must have been absolutely terrifying for them to wake up to that."

Cllr Ben Moussa also praised the speedy reaction of the fire service, adding if they had arrived any later "it could have been a lot worse".

She and fellow Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town councillor Peter Harman went to visit the scene following the incident where they sought to offer reassurances to worried residents.

Cllr Ben Moussa returned this afternoon when she said forensics had arrived to inspect the scene.

"Hopefully they will be looking into it," she added. "That could have gone very badly."

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