An elderly man had to be treated in hospital after a fire broke out in his home.

Firefighters were called to Malvern Road in Gillingham in the early hours of this morning.

A blaze had broken out in one of the bedrooms but it had been put out by a family member before the crews arrived.

The occupant of the bedroom, an elderly man, was given oxygen at the scene and then he was taken to hospital to be treated for the effects of breathing in smoke.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue said: “A pile of rubbish was alight in one of the bedrooms. One of the other occupants had put it out with a bucket of water. The cause of the fire is not known.”

Firefighters remained on the scene for about an hour to give safety advice and to fit smoke alarms in the terrace property.