FIREFIGHTERS in Maidstone are issuing a warning to the public after a neglected chimney caught fire at a public house in the county town.

Fire crews were called out to the Pilot Pub in Upper Stone Street, Maidstone at about 7pm last night.

Two appliances attended the fire, one tackling the flames from the outside and one working from the inside. The crews took about an hour to deal with the emergency.

The fire is believed to have been caused by the chimney not having been swept for some considerable time causing flammable waste to build up inside.

No significant damage was done to the chimney itself as the fire was confined to the inside of the stack where the waste was burned away.

Firefighters are now reminding members of the public that they must clean their chimneys regularly to prevent a build-up of dangerous waste materials.