A fictitious article about a child dying in a house fire has been posted through the doors of homes in Murston.

The leaflet drop was carried out by Sittingbourne firefighters to highlight the dangers of people parking their cars on double yellow lines and on the corner of junctions.

The move was prompted after two appliances were unable to reach an arson attack in Cowper Road because of the way vehicles had been left in nearby narrow streets.

James Ellis, his two year-old son Connor and friend Dave found themselves trapped in an upstairs flat after a wheelie bin was placed in front of the door and set on fire, meaning their only escape route was blocked.

Thankfully they were rescued by Wayne Raines, 40, who lives across the road, after he took a ladder from his garden for them to climb down.

Ian Maggs, 49, who lives in the bottom flat, put the flames out using buckets of water.

Mr Ellis said it could have been a different story had it not been for their quick actions, just before midnight on June 14.

It was the second time in less than a month that crews had been unable to get to a blaze at a property in that area.

On May 17, a firefighter was forced to run to an address in Shortlands Road and use a bucket of water to put out a fire in the loft because the fire engine was unable to turn out of Goodnestone Road.

Watch manager Mark Innes raised the issue at the local engagement forum meeting on Tuesday last week.

Speaking afterwards Mr Innes said: “Our priority is to get the appliance through but we are sympathetic to the issues of parking and we are trying to work with the council to come up with something that works for us and the residents.

“It will be months and months in the planning because different people have to look at how it’s going to be done and where the funding is coming from.

“At the moment it’s about heightening people’s awareness about where to park, looking at whether an emergency vehicle can get through and, if not, moving somewhere else.

“It’s not necessarily that people are parked illegally, it’s just that the vehicle won’t get down there.”