A major store was evacuated when a deep fat fryer caught fire.

It happened in the kitchen area of the cafe at Asda in Bouverie Place Shopping Centre, Folkestone, at 8.30am yesterday.

Twenty staff fled the building but the store had not yet been open to customers.

Three fire engines, from Folkestone, Dover and Hythe turned and crews quickly snuffed out the flames using a dry powder extinguisher.

Crews were at the scene for half an our and the canteen was smoke-logged.

Later yesterday, at 6.30pm, Folkestone firefighters were called to a blaze in a fuse box in a flat in the town’s St Michael’s Street.

Two fire engines were called, the second from Hythe, and the occupants, two women in their early 20s, got out safely.

The fire was limited to the fuse box and meter.

There was also smoke damage to the living room where the equipment was and EDF Energy was called out to make it safe.