A mother and son escaped uninjured after a kitchen fire forced them to flee their home.

Fire crews were called to Gunnis Close in Parkwood, Gillingham, at about 4am on Saturday, July 2, when a faulty fridge-freezer caught fire.

The fire caused smoke damage but was restricted to the kitchen by fire crews from Medway and Rainham, who were on the scene for about an hour.

Firefighters said the occupants would have detected the fire sooner with the help of a smoke alarm, and warned other homeowners to check their smoke alarms were working.