A blaze broke out at a house in Ashford last night after cigarettes were left unattended.

Two engines and around 10 firefighters were called to the property in St Stephen’s Walk at 10.30pm and spent 30 minutes tackling the fire. The home needed ventilating and suffered damage to the paintwork.

Watch manager Timothy Handey said: “The property was not fitted with smoke alarms, and although there wasn’t a great deal of damage this time, the fire would have been detected a lot earlier if smoke alarms had been in use.

“We would just like to reiterate to everyone the importance of smoke alarms.”

A woman' was taken to hospital suffering from the effects of breathing in smoke after a fire at a flat in Tunbridge Wells. Firefighters were called to the property in Alandale Road just before midday yesterday - it's thought a portable grill had been left on in the kitchen.

A passer-by raised the alarm and woke the three adults who were asleep in the flat.