Firefighters have this afternoon extinguished a fire started by a carelessly discarded cigarette.

One appliance from Dover was called to Cannon Street in the town centre at 1.10pm.

A cigarette had fallen into a hollow in the pavement causing a small fire.

The crew used a fog spike to extinguish it, before leaving the scene at around 2pm.

A Kent Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said: “A fog spike is a new piece of equipment used to penetrate a hard surface. It’s really good for small fires in hard to reach places.

"It really helps reduce the time it takes to put a fire out.”

It is understood the cigarette had been discarded and rolled into the hollow.

Kent Fire and Rescue is asking people to take extra care when discarding cigarettes especially during the summer.