ARMY Green Goddess crews who tackled a major blaze at a Kent factory have told how they fought to prevent gas canisters exploding.

Police cordoned off the entrance to Hoo Marina, near Strood, yesterday as two Green Goddesses were escorted by eight police cars to fibreglass company, LJM Mouldings.

A Royal Navy crew from Portsmouth - currently based in Medway for the duration of the fire strikes - was first on the scene. The three-man crew of fully-trained Navy firefighters, equipped with breathing apparatus and cutting equipment, also helped extinguish the fire.

As the fire raged, gas canisters stored in the yard behind the factory became an immediate concern. Royal Naval Petty Officer Les Willcock said that the gas canisters could have gone up at any moment, and were removed immediately.

He added: “Once at the scene we had to get in and ascertain the situation. We found several gas cylinders which needed cooling down. If they had been left for another few minutes, the place would have gone up.”

More than 20 soldiers attended the incident which took some 30 minutes to control.