by Lynn Cox

A student living in a caravan has lost all his possessions after the mobile home was burnt to the ground.

Firefighters found hardly anything left of the vehicle when they were called to a site behind the Fenn Bell pub, in St Mary Hoo.

A crew from Strood station spent at least an hour-and-a-half dealing with the fire and fears that a 13kg gas cylinder inside would explode were realised when the blast ripped the caravan apart.

The mobile home was owned by a university student from Cyprus, in his early 20s, who has been living at the site while he studies at the Universities at Medway campus in Chatham Maritime.

He was inside the caravan when the fire took hold but managed to escape, running out without any of his possessions - not even a pair of shoes.

Representatives from the Red Cross visited the student to give him some clothes after the fire, at about 9.30am on Tuesday.

The site is managed by tenant landlord of the pub, Terry Ballard.

He said: "It's sad he's lost everything, I was just glad he was all right and got out OK.

"He had been doing up the caravan as a project. He goes to university all week and had been doing it up at weekends.

"He was going to take it back to Cyprus when he had finished it. It's a real shame.

"The firefighters were great and got here really quickly, I must thank them for what they did.

"I gave him £50 so he could go out and sort himself out as he had nothing, not even any money."

A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "The guy had managed to get out, but he has lost everything - even his passport.

"We called out the Red Cross to help him as he was very upset, as he had nothing at all apart from what he was standing in.

"The cause of the fire has not been determined."

Do you know the man? Phone the newsroom on 01634 227803 or email medwaymessenger@thekmgroup.co.uk.