Major alarm was caused as part of a building being demolished fell into Ramsgate High Street today.

In the midst of tremendous crashing and rumbling, one worker in a nearby office was so frightened she told her husband on the phone: "If anything happens, I love you."

It happened at just after 11am in a derelict building that has stood empty many years and is understood to be earmarked for redevelopment as flats.

Contractors had cordoned off a large part of the street opposite the building site - and prevented cars from passing during the demolition.

Dawn Hayward, working in Thorn Drury and Searles solicitors opposite, said: "I watched it with my heart thumping. It was like being in the Blitz.

"Bricks and rubble were falling across the road. It started with rubble and then it was 'crash, bang, wallop'.

"I was speaking to my husband on the phone and said 'if anything happens, I love you'.

"It might sound silly, but we had not long before visited the Normandy landings and it felt like that. My heart was really going."

She said workers had earlier cordoned off a large section of the road, almost right up to her office.

The demolished building had stood empty throughout the 14 years she had worked for the solicitors.

"The council are actively continuing with enforcement proceedings and are seeking legal advice on whether there are grounds for prosecution..." - Thanet District Council spokesman

Kent Police said they had not been involved with the incident, but Thanet District Council officers have visited the site after reports of an unauthorised demolition.

A spokesman said: "It is a criminal offence for any person to carry out the demolition of buildings within conservation areas without valid planning permission.

"The council are actively continuing with enforcement proceedings and are seeking legal advice on whether there are grounds for prosecution.

"We have reported the method of demolition to the Health and Safety Executive, and the unauthorised closure of the road to Kent Highways Services."