Firefighters spent more than seven hours tackling a blaze at a derelict pub.

The former Share and Coulter in Herne Bay caught fire in the early hours of yesterday.

The cause of the blaze at the once-popular but long-empty pub in Owls Hatch Road is not yet known.

The alarm was first raised at about 6.15am, with crews in four fire engines rushing to the scene.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used hydraulic cutters and spreaders to gain access and put out the fire using hose reel jets.

They left the scene just before 1.45pm.

As recently as 2015, the Share and Coulter pub was a family-friendly boozer which even had its own football team.

But after selling at auction in September of that year, the establishment quickly fell into disrepair.

In less than two years, what was once the heart of the community transformed into a makeshift tip and occasional travellers camp.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: “Five fire engines attended and crews wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using hose reel jets.

“No casualties have been reported and the cause is not yet known.”