A man was taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke after a fire broke out in his home.

The homeowner, thought to be 56, has to be rescued from his flat after a fire broke out in the kitchen shortly before 7pm on Friday.

Firefighters and paramedics were called out to the maisonette in Montfort Road, Strood, after the property filled with smoke.

It is thought the fire may have broken out after a pan caught fire on the hob.

Crews from Strood and Medway fire stations were sent to the scene and used breathing apparatus to enter the property and put the flames out.

They also used a positive pressure fan to disperse the smoke from inside.

The man was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital, in Gillingham, suffering from the effects of breathing in smoke and another man was give first aid at the scene.