Ellesse Norris, 15, with her mother, Emma, right, in the ruins of their Aylesford stables after the fire

by Angela Cole

A fire that tore through stables causing £10,000 of damage might have been started deliberately by an 11-year-old.

Two sick horses narrowly missed being caught up in the blaze at Forstal Road, Aylesford.

Fire broke out half an hour before owner Emma Norris's daughter Ellesse had been due to bring two of their four horses in for the evening.

An 11-year-old boy from Aylesford has been arrested and charged with arson.

The fire has left Miss Norris counting the cost as she was not insured.

The animals must also be found alternative stabling as two out of the four horses – Gypsy, Buttons, Doug and Lil – have the crippling disease laminitis and must be kept in overnight.

Only half of one stable remained standing after the fire, which was attended by two crews from Maidstone and one from Larkfield, who used hose reels and jets to bring it under control and took more than an hour to extinguish.

Along with the buildings, all the equestrian equipment including showjumps, and feed, also went up in smoke.

Mrs Norris, from Wouldham, said: "I’m going to have to find stables for two of them urgently. At the moment they are just out on the grass, but because two of them have laminitis, they can’t stay out.

"The horses were out in the back field, but my daughter brings one of them in around that time every day. Thank God none of them were in there at the time."

The fire broke out at around 4pm on Monday.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been bailed to appear before Sevenoaks Youth Court on Thursday, August 16.