A mother and three children had to be evacuated after a small fire broke out in a flat.

Two fire engines were called to Tonbridge Road in Maidstone at around 11.30am yesterday following reports of the blaze above My Coffee House.

Coffee shop owner Monir Zaman says he was working downstairs when he saw smoke coming from the windows and ran to help.

“I heard it and my coffee shop is underneath so I went to rescue them,” he explained.

“We used a fire extinguisher to stop the flames but the fire brigade made sure the home was safe.

“Thankfully nobody was hurt and it was not that big.”

Firefighters say two fire engines attended, however, the blaze was out on arrival.

Crews cleared the property of smoke using a high-pressure fan.

The cause has been linked to food cooking on the hob.