Firefighters stopped as many as 30 beer barrels exploding when a blaze broke out in a Folkestone pub car park last night.

The fire, which engulfed two cars, came dangerously close to reaching the nearby barrels at the Cherry Pickers pub.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service crews doused them with water to protect them from explosion.

Folkestone fire station watch manager Vic Thorogood said: "The barrels were empty, but had compressed air. So had they overheated they could have exploded like aerosol cans. We kept them cool with water.”

The blaze broke out in the pub car park in Ashley Avenue at about 11.30pm.

The flames had first smothered a Citroen Saxo and then spread to a Peugeot 309 estate.

The Citroen was destroyed and the Peugeot was severely damaged.

Crews were at the scene for an hour and 20 minutes. Police were called and the cause of the fire is being investigated.