A MAN was feared missing as a fierce blaze swept through a Victorian house in Chatham this afternoon.

Firefighters from all over Kent rushed to the inferno in Maidstone Road at 2pm after reports that he was still unaccounted for.

The missing man was believed to have been working in the house when the blaze broke out.

About 30 firefighters were all on the scene as police cordoned off the busy road for several hundred yards each way. A height vehicle was used to get a good view over the building as firefighters in breathing apparatus frantically searched the four-storey house.

The fire caused the roof to collapse and building safety inspectors were called in to assess the damage.

As flames leapt several feet from the roof of the building, the crews fought to stop the fire spreading to neighbouring properties.

The flames did spread to one adjacent house, but firefighters finally contained the blaze.

Houses and shops nearby were either evacuated or people told to stay indoors for their own safety.

Kerry Kitchin, who works at Images Unlimited photographic studio just a few doors along from the fire, said: "We were told to close all the doors and windows and not go out while firefighters tackled the blaze."

A smokey haze hung over Chatham town centre as a result of the black smoke that billowed out of the three-storey building.

A Fire Brigade spokesman said the blaze spread upwards from the second and third floors. Fire crews had to tread carefully because parts of the building were unsteady.

An eyewitness said: "There was black smoke coming out of the building and you could feel the intensity of the heat if you get too close.

"There were flames leaping several feet above roof level and the roof itself looked like it had collapsed."