Two women and children were rescued by fire crews in the early hours of this morning, and their road remains closed following a subsequent gas leak.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called to East Street in Tonbridge around 2.30am, to a mid-terraced house.

Two fire engines were sent, and two women and two children were rescued by crews, assisted by a member of the public from the flat roof of the property.

The fire was in the front, ground floor kitchen. Kent Police were also called and officers closed the road while firefighting took place.

The blaze caused heavy smoke damage to the whole property, fire damage was limited to the exterior of the property and a small area of the kitchen.

Two cats were also found in the property, and were rescued.

Fire crews handed over duty to Southern Gas Networks around 5am, due to a subsequent report of a gas leak, resulting in a neighbouring property being evacuated as a precaution.

East Street remains closed between Hadlow Road and Tonbridge High Street, and Southern Gas Networks (SGN) workers are still at the scene.

A spokesman for SGN said: "We were called to East Street in Tonbridge earlier this morning by the emergency services.

"One of our gas service pipes had caught alight as a result of a fire.

"Our engineers made safe by turning off the gas supply off to the property and carried out safety checks."

Police are also at the scene to assist with the road closure.

There is a signed diversion in place.

Andy Edwards, head of technical services at Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, said: “There was a gas leak and fire in East Street, Tonbridge this morning, which our Community Services team attended.

"A number of properties were temporarily evacuated whilst Southern Gas Networks carried out emergency repairs but have since returned to their properties.”

There is not yet an estimated time for when the repair work will be completed.

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