QUICK-THINKING bank staff helped save an historic quarter of Maidstone town centre from going up in smoke today.

The drama began when an overheated electrical motor caused smoke to engulf the HSBC building in the high street.

Staff and customers were evacuated after smoke began billowing out through the bank's ventilation system shortly after 11am.

Within minutes, firefighters from Maidstone and Medway were at the scene, but took a further 30 minutes using thermal imaging cameras to find the basement source.

Sub officer Alan Stark, based at Maidstone fire-station, praised bank manager Ray Emery for his prompt evacuation of the building.

He said: "Time really was of the essence here and the fact the building was already empty by the time we got there meant we could get straight to work. Without the prompt action to evacuate customers and staff the incident might have been more significant than it turned out to be.

"Although the fire was down in the basement the smoke had spread through the ventilation system to the whole of the building, which made it difficult to locate.

"Being an old building it had many voids and the spread of fire to neighbouring premises through these spaces was a real risk.

"The basement is very difficult to access and because of the lack of ventilation the build up of smoke was very intense. We got there just in time."