Firefighters tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate a kitten and dog in a serious house fire last night in Swale Avenue, Rushenden.

The pets were found upstairs in the semi-detached property after the blaze broke out at 7.30pm.

A cat found in an understairs cupboard was safely rescued by a firefighter.

Tony Fox, watch manager at Sheppey fire station, said: "It was a well-developed fire when we arrived and it took an hour to bring it under control. Four firefighters using breathing equipment were needed to deal with the blaze and in attendance were two pumps from here and one from Eastchurch.

A teenager managed to safely escape and there was nobody else in the house at the time.

For more, see next week's Times Guardian.