HUNDREDS of children were evacuated from a theatre after a fire alarm went off during a pantomime performance.

Pupils at St Michael's Junior School, Douglas Road, Maidstone, and Temple Mill School, Strood, were at the Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone, on Wednesday afternoon to see a performance of Peter Pan when the alarms sounded.

The matinee show was stopped and more than 200 pupils and teachers evacuated from the building.

Kirsten Deery, eight, a pupil at Temple Mill, said: "We were all really scared at first but we were allowed back inside to watch the show and I really enjoyed it."

A spokeswoman from St Michael's Junior School, said: "There were some bangs and smoke from the stage and then we were all ushered out of the auditorium to gather outside.

"We were only outside for about 20 minutes and the kids were very excited to see the fire engines. The actors made light of it when we went back inside though."

Eric Lund, production manager for the Hazlitt Theatre, said a plumber carrying out welding work underneath the theatre had set off the alarm.

"Whenever an alarm goes off in one these buildings, we have no choice but to evacuate for the safety of everyone inside the theatre," he added.