A pet dog was rescued from a house fire in Strood after the dishwasher caught light when the owner was on the school run.

Firefighters from Strood and Medway were called to the semi-detached property in Abbey Road at 8.25am this morning (Wednesday) after a neighbour heard the smoke alarm go off and called 999.

Crews, wearing breathing apparatus took about half an hour to put out the blaze and rescued the family’s shitzu.

Strood crew manager, Nick Bate, said: "We believe the owner had taken her children to school and left her dishwasher running.

"We managed to limit the fire damage to the kitchen but, the rest of the house suffered smoke damage.

"There are some important lessons to be learned from this fire. Firstly never leave electrical appliances running while you are out of the home or when you are in bed at night.

"Secondly, fit smoke alarms on every floor of your home and test them regularly. They really are the single most important piece of safety equipment in any home to protect you and your family from the threat of fire."