A runaway van which was on fire travelled about 40ft along a road in a residential area of Rochester.

When firefighters arrived the Ford Transit had come to a halt in St William's Way leaving a trail of burning debris in its wake.

A crew from Strood was called out just after 10.30pm and discovered the cab and bonnet of the vehicle well alight.

Crew manager Andy Cook, said: "It was a mystery when we got there. It was resting on the kerb and had obviously rolled, although the hand brake seemed to be on. There was burnt plastic, like melted wing mirrors along the road.

He added: "It could have been a lot worse. No other vehicle was damaged and nobody was hurt."

The road was partially blocked while firefighters cleared the damage.

Mr Cook said they informed the police. The van is believed to have been stolen from the City Way area of Rochester.