FIRE swept through an empty house in a Kent village this morning causing damage to 80 per cent of the property.

Both floors of the unoccupied house in Church Green, Marden, near Maidstone, were involved in the blaze, which was reported to Kent Fire and Rescue Service at 8.21am.

Four fire crews, two from Maidstone, one from Cranbrook and one from Paddock Wood, spent more than three hours at the incident.

A local authority building surveyor was been called in to check the safety of the structure.

No-one was hurt.