Fire crews and staff were decontaminated after a blaze took hold at a warehouse.

Crews have now stood down at Amphenol Limited on the Chestfield Industrial Estate in Whitstable.

At its height there were six crews tackling the fire, which started around 7.30am today.

The warehouse,used for commercial manufacturing, is between the John Wilson Business Park and the A2990 Thanet Way.

Firefighters wore breathing apparatus and chemical protection suits as a safety measure due to chemicals being stored nearby.

Crews successfully extinguished the blaze in a plating room just after 9am, but had to stem a secondary chemical leak following the fire.

Later, fire crews and four members of staff at the site were decontaminated as a precaution.

Members of the Amphenol management team and Environment Agency officers have now declared the scene as safe. Buildings in the local area that were evacuated have now been re-opened.

During the incident, members of the public were advised to keep doors and windows closed as a safety measure, but there were no injuries.

Amphenol managing director Andy Bragg said: “The emergency service response to the incident was brilliant. Fire crews and safety managers at the company worked extremely well together, ensuring that there were no threats to public safety and containing the fire quickly. It was an excellent example of successful working practices.”