Squatters have been accused of glueing locks and starting fires inside a vacated office block next to a town centre development.

Fire crews were called to two separate blazes within 24 hours of each other at unoccupied premises along Lowfield Street in Dartford over the weekend.

Three fire engines were sent to the former offices of letting agents Accommodate on Friday, shortly after 4.30am. The fire is believed to have been started deliberately.

The next day crews were called to attend a "suspicious" blaze on Saturday morning across the street at the derelict former Two Brewers pub.

No injuries were reported at either blaze and while inquiries by police remain ongoing no suspects have been identified to date.

It comes just months after police said they were investigating another alleged arson following a fire at a derelict building in the same street on August 2. No suspects have been identified for that incident either.

However, a group of long-term squatters have been since been accused of starting Friday's fire at the office block which adjoins Bellway's flagship new homes development, Copperhouse Green.

The premises owner says it is not the first time and he has repeatedly warned the developer about intruders gaining access via its scaffolding. But Bellway says "there are no foundations" to these claims and entry is direct from the buildings.

Accommodate company director Robin Draper, 85, says his offices have been broken into on no less than three occasions.

The family business had been in the town since 1961 but moved out of its former premises in May 2018 after a Health and Safety Executive report concluded the dust and debris from building works put staff at risk.

It has since temporarily relocated away from the town to the other side of the M25 to premises at City Arms House in Stone.

Mr Draper believes the absence of suitable security has helped facilitate unlawful access to his business which has "been broken into, vandalised, and set on fire".

"Bellway have erected scaffolding projecting over the face and side of No 28," he said.

"This has been used by burglars and squatters on three occasions to break in through the upper storeys.

"Bellway has shut off the rear entrance, they have destroyed or facilitated the destruction of our side gate and allowed building detritus to be thrown into our back yard.

"At one time Bellway boarded across the whole shopfront so we could not enter at all."

The lettings boss claimed at no point has the housebuilders consulted them on changes to the shop fronts or access.

He added: "Bellway is doing nothing. They don’t care about their damage to others.

"We recently had the premises boarded up but still the vandal ripped the top coverings off before entering and setting it on fire. We cannot insure it."

There is also an ongoing dispute over a side entrance gateway which was padlocked by Mr Draper following an explosion when he says squatters tried to connect the mains to the derelict premises next door in an attempt to grow cannabis.

Intruders have also glued the front door lock so that entry is not possible, he added.

Mr Draper says this happened twice and on the first occasion police came and evicted a squatter.

A spokesman for Bellway said they were aware of the allegations being made by Mr Draper but said there were no foundations to the claims.

"Bellway was instructed by the local authority to carry out repairs to the office facades adjacent to the vacant premises that Mr Draper owns, which meant we had to erect scaffolding," he said.

"However, we understand that squatters in the adjacent buildings gained entry directly from these buildings and not via the scaffolding as alleged.

"We received no complaints relating to noise and disruption from our development during the period concerned and as far as we are concerned, the building has been vacant for some time.

"In addition, there are other commercial premises around the boundary of our development and we have received no complaints of this nature from any of them."