A man has been charged with arson following a series of fires in Gillingham.

Police and fire crews were called to a number of bin and rubbish fires in Grange Road, King Edward Road, Forge Lane, High Street, Canterbury Street and Copenhagen Road, in the early hours of Saturday September 25.

At one of the incidents, a gas main caught fire causing damage to the front window of a house in Copenhagen Road, and forcing emergency services to evacuate residents in the area.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service extinguished the fires and police later arrested a man after carrying out enquiries.

Marin Marinov, of Grange Road, Gillingham was later charged with two counts of arson being reckless as to whether life of another was endangered, and one count of arson.

He was also charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour, in connection with a separate incident on September 25.

On Monday the 29-year-old appeared before Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court, where he was remanded to a hearing at Maidstone Crown Court on October 25.

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