A fire at Maidstone Crown Court is now being treated as a suspected arson attack, police have confirmed.

Officers were called to reports of a suspicious incident at the site, in Barker Road, just before 8am on Friday.

It is understood a man was seen on CCTV pouring liquid from a plastic bottle into letterboxes at the main entrance.

Footage from the court, and also the new McDonald’s restaurant opposite, has been inspected by police.

The letterboxes - which were sealed off - were believed to have been empty, preventing the fire from spreading.

One employee at the court said: “It could have really got out of hand if there had been post in the letterboxes. There has been a very strong smell coming from there.”

A spokesman for the courts and tribunals service said: "The incident is subject to a police investigation and there was minimal damage to the building."

Police have confirmed the incident is being treated as attempted arson and anyone with information is urged to call 101 quoting reference YY/6873/16.

The court is just 300 yards from Kingfisher Meadow, where police are investigating an arson attack which took place on Monday.

Emergency services descended on the scene, off Hart Street, at about 3am after three wheelie bins caught fire in the building's storage area.