A midnight blaze ripped through the ground floor of a newsagents in a suspected arson attack.

Fire crews were called to Sturry News, in Mill Road, Sturry, at 12.05am yesterday and spent 40 minutes tackling the flames.

The cause of the fire is believed to be suspicious and police and fire investigators spent much of yesterday at the building.

Charred remains of sweets, pork scratchings, wrapping paper and magazines were strewn across the pavement outside the shop.

The word 'closed' has been daubed in black paint on the three front windows of the store, but it is unclear who wrote it.

Neighbours said the shop has a history of closing and reopening and had only started trading again under a new owner shortly after Christmas.

Linda Arnold, 65, of Sturry High Street, said: “It’s a nice little shop and we used to go round there all the time.

“The new owner had tidied it up and it's a shame that this has happened.”

The newsagents is 100 yards from Sturry fire station, in the High Street, which was shut earlier this year despite opposition in the village.

Cllr Heather Taylor, the new Sheriff of Canterbury and the city council's member for Sturry South, fought the closure.

She said: “This seems to be a most unlucky shop. It’s also amazing to think that we’ve had two significant fires in the village since the station closed - this one and the one in the library next to the fire station.”