by Sam Lennon

Firefighters battled for three hours to tackle a fire that erupted in a chalet bungalow.
The blaze broke out late last night at Buck Street, Challock, and a total of eight fire vehicles were needed to deal with it.
Next door neighbour Jim Ransley said: “A couple of lads came to my house and said your neighbour’s home is on fire.
“I called the fire brigade but found they had already been called. I could see the flames coming from the roof.
“Firemen were on safer parts of the roof pouring water down with a hose. They were also using ladders and a searchlight.”
Ashford crew manager Pat Hillman said; “It was a major fire but thankfully the occupants got out safely.”
Crews were called out at 11.15pm and battled to bring the blaze under control until 2.30am this morning.
The blaze had begun in the roofspace and destroyed half the roof and all the upper floor. The rest of the property was damaged by smoke and water.
Five people, all adults, were understood to have been in the bungalow at the time but escaped unhurt.
Three fire engines, from the Ashford, Charing and Wye stations, were first called out and an extra pump was called, from Chilham when the blaze turned out to be more severe than first thought.
Firefighters tackled the flames from the outside using ladders and a turntable ladder and a fifth engine, from Ashford, plus a water pump were also called in.
The number of fire vehicles rose to eight when an additional pump from Maidstone were also called and a command support unit, a vehicle from where a major firefighting operation is controlled..
As the blaze was brought under control some firefighters were able to leave the scene but a core stayed on until daylight in case pockets of fire re-ignited.
The cause of the blaze is not yet known.