A washing machine burst into flames and the fire spread to a garage.

The appliance caught alight in the outbuilding of a house in Brompton Farm Road, Strood, shortly before 10am on Tuesday.

Firefighters from Strood and Medway were called to the scene by the homeowner who discovered the machine alight, got out of the property and dialed 999.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Two crew members used breathing apparatus to enter the garage and put out the fire.

"They managed to contain the flames to the garage, but we would remind homeowners that if they are going to run appliances in rooms which are not monitored all the time they need to install smoke alarms in those rooms.

"We were on the scene for about half an hour.”