A BLOCK of flats in Rochester had to be evacuated after a chip pan caught fire in a ground floor apartment.

There were six people, four children and two adults, in the flat when the fire started at about 9.40pm last night.

The two adults had to be treated for smoke inhalation at the scene of the blaze in Shorts Way, Borstal. All the children, aged between three and nine, gathered in one bedroom while the man tried to put the fire out with a tea towel.

Martin Simmons, sub-officer at Strood fire station, said: "The partner went into the kitchen and put a couple of damp tea towels over it to stop the fire. They all went in the children's room and put damp towels around the door before climbing out of a window."

The smoke spread through three floors and six flats were evacuated. Mr Simmons added: "They were very fortunate because they didn't have a smoke detector fitted, so as a result we fitted one after the incident.

There was no fire damage in the block but an acrid smoke surrounded the building."