The director of a motor repair shop says they were "lucky" not to have suffered more damage after a blaze broke out last night.

Eight fire engines, a height vehicle and a bulk water carrier were sent to Beautiful Body Repairs in Manor Way Business Park in Swanscombe.

Crews were called at around 8.22pm and were there until 12.14am.

Director Lisa Brookshaw said the fire hadn't been in the main workshop but in a separate container. There had been some damage to the panelling at the back of the workshop but not much more.

She said: "It is a terrible shock. It could have been catastrophic but the fire brigade was fantastic and limited the damage. It is nothing that we cannot replace.

"We are just lucky there were people around to call the emergency services. They have done an amazing job. The damage has been limited, it is just really the panelling work on the buildings.

"It is not terrible. I think that we were just lucky."

Firefighters donned breathing apparatus and used compressed air foam, fog spikes – a tool used to punch holes into a structure and deliver water into the inside – and hose reel jets to extinguish the flames, which affected three buildings.

The shop has had to close today because of the incident but is hoping to be open in the next few days.

Lisa added: "It is quite a shock really. The workshop was full of smoke. We have not lost any tools but there has been an electrical fault so we cannot use any of our equipment at the moment.

"All my lads have come in and are helping clear everything. We are just picking ourselves up, all we want to do is keep going."

Kent Fire and Rescue Service's volunteer response team also attended.

Ky Mace, who works for neighbouring company RTS Waste, was working when the fire broke out.

He said: "I was here for the whole four hours. We saw smoke and then all of a sudden it was alight.

"I finished work at eight but did not leave until one. It is a bit close to home, we would have thought all of this would have gone up."

No casualties have been reported and the cause is not yet known.

Duty of care was left with Kent Police.