A fire that broke out at a Wilko store in Medway is being treated as suspicious.

Gillingham High Street was partially shut yesterday afternoon after the blaze - with eyewitnesses reporting a "strong smell of smoke" coming from the store.

The fire service was called to the scene at about 3.15pm.

Three fire engines attended and crews wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire, before using a high pressured fan to clear the building of smoke.

No casualties were reported and the cause is not yet known.

At the time, Medway Council encouraged motorists to avoid the area.

One eyewitness said: "There is no obvious fire, but a strong smell of smoke is coming from Wilko. Hopefully everyone is OK."

Another person reported seeing the shop "taped off".

A spokesman for Wilko thanked staff and fire crews adding: “Customer and team member safety is our top priority and we’re proud that our Gillingham team reacted quickly to ensure the store was quickly evacuated and that everyone was safe.

"The store is closed but will reopen as usual tomorrow, so that local shoppers can once again have access to the things they need.

"We’d like to thank the emergency service teams for their speedy response to this incident."

A spokesperson from Kent Police said: "Officers were called to a report of a fire at a business in Gillingham High Street at around 3.20pm on Friday.

"Officers assisted Kent Fire and Rescue Service with a cordon and are treating the fire as suspicious. Enquiries are ongoing."