The fire-damaged Georgian building in the heart of Margate should be rebuilt in keeping with the surrounding terraces.

Cllr Iris Johnston, whose Margate Central ward includes Cecil Street where the fire broke out in the former Beaconsfield Conservative club, said: “This is a lovely old listed building and I am saddened at yet another major fire in Margate but thankfully no-one was hurt.

“I have spoken with conservation officers at Thanet council and there is a strong will for the building to be restored to its original state. Every effort should be made to ensure it is in keeping with the properties in the area.”

Investigation teams from Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the police are sifting through the wreckage to discover the cause of the fire early this morning.

The four-storey property is a blackened and charred shell after the blaze which engulfed it shortly after midnight.

At the height of the blaze, around 70 firefighters, 10 appliances and two height vehicles tackled the flames, after being called to the building at 00.43am. Crews tackled the fire which had developed on the third and fourth floors before spreading into the roof space and to an adjacent building.

Initial reports that people were trapped in the building proved unfounded and no-one was injured during the blaze.

Fire crews evacuated eight people from nearby flats and warned those living in the area to keep doors and windows shut.

Margate fire station manager Manager Andrew McPherson was in charge of the operation. He said: “It was well alight when the first crew from Margate arrived after just a few minutes and it was a difficult job because the roof had collapsed so it wasn’t safe to fight from within.

“The building itself is severely damaged but the crews have done an excellent job of stopping the spread to an adjacent building and fortunately no-one was hurt.”