Up to 30 firefighters tackled a major fire at a family home in Broadstairs.

Crews from Thanet (Westwood), Ramsgate and Margate were called to Bridleway Gardens at 11.20am on Wednesday (Nov 19). They were later joined by a team from Herne Bay and a second appliance from Margate.

An aerial ladder was also used and many firefighters had to wear breathing apparatus as they tackled the fire.

The blaze was extinguished by around 12.20pm but crews spent more than an hour dampening down 'hot spots’ inside the property.

A spokesperson for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said that the roof and the first floor of the house had been completly destroyed.

The house is owned by Matthew and Natasha Slade who live at the property with their two sons. Nineteen-year-old Bradley, a student at Thanet College, Broadstairs, said: “The first we knew about it was when we smelt smoke but originally we believed this was a bonfire in a field nearby, and this was nothing out of the ordinary.

“We checked around the house, opened a bedroom door and found the room full of smoke. We called the fire and rescue service, got the family pet dog and cat, and left as soon as possible. I didn’t even stop to put on a pair of shoes.

“At the moment I believe the cause of the fire is unknown.”