FIREFIGHTERS spent almost seven hours trying to put out bales of hay which had somehow caught alight in a field in Bean.

A crew from Dartford fire station were sent out to School Lane, at about 3.30pm on Friday (Nov 21) and spent hours ferrying water to the scene to help put out the flames.

The stack of bales were well alight when the firefighters arrived, but their efforts were thwarted somewhat as there was no water supply nearby.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: “It was difficult to get access to a water source, so initially we had to ferry the water to the scene.

“After quite some time it was decided to move the bales which had rolled away closer together and contain the fire in one spot.

“We spent hours wetting the bales until it was decided it was safe enough to leave them smouldering.

"We left the scene at about 10.20pm.”

It is not known at this stage how the fire started.