A group of derelict houses has been struck by vandals for a third time in six months.

And this time louts wrecked nearly all of one house.

Firefighters were called to the blaze at Randolph Road, Dover, at 2.21pm today .

The blaze began on the ground floor but rose up the two-storey building, going through the roof.

A Dover Fire Station spokesman: “A total 80% of the house caught fire. There had been a lot of content, old furniture and rubbish, that caught light.

“We are treating this as a suspected malicious ignition.”

Three pumps were sent to the blaze, one each from the Dover, Folkestone and Aylesham stations.

Crews were at the scene for an hour.

The Dover station spokesman added: “We warn people that these are derelict buildings and they are unsafe to enter."

The house is among 12 on that street boarded up.

Arsonists set fire to a bedroom on a property there on March 5 and firefighters had to put out blazing rubbish on the ground floor of another property on April 12.

Resident Cally Dickens said: "We are angry that this has happened again because a lot of young children play in the area. Whoever did this knew that.

"I first realised there was fire when one of my neighbours was screaming at her children to come inside.

"The fire took hold very quickly and the area was thick with smoke. But the firefighters arrived quickly. You can't fault them."