A Maidstone bookshop which was destroyed by a massive fire that caused more than £5 million in damage almost three years ago has finally re-opened.

The devastating blaze, thought to have been started deliberately, broke out in The Works in Week Street in the early hours of June 8, 2015.

Some 90 firefighters tackled the inferno at its height, which saw the building engulfed by flames across all three floors.

Remarkably, no one was hurt in the fire, but neighbouring shops Hotter and Thomson were also badly damaged as well as the roofs of Boots Opticians and Cornish Kitchen.

The gutted shop was demolished the following March, as surrounding buildings were shrouded in scaffolding while teams carried out repairs along the stretch of the street.

Now, some 34 months on from the attack, the store once again opened its doors to customers on Tuesday.

Supervisor Adam Shallcross said: "There wasn't much going on at the beginning because we weren't entirely sure what to do with the place, as well as with the insurance, but we got it all sorted out and it was prime time to bring it back because everyone missed it here.

"Now they're loving it, they're coming in and saying 'well done' and 'good luck' and they're just saying they're going to come back constantly. It's 100% been missed, they've been saying they've been waiting for it to come back, and now it has, they're going to come in every day.

"It was just a case of getting the place back up, and luckily enough with the customers responding to it so well, it's going to be back on its feet perfectly in no time."

Police launched an investigation into the arson and a man was eventually found not guilty following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.