Around 20 firefighters tackled a blaze in a food shop in the centre of Gillingham on Saturday morning.

They were called to reports of a fire in a ground floor shop, Qin Food Centre, on the corner of James Street and High Street at around 10.45am.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used hosereel jets to tackle the blaze in the three-storey property.

Four fire engines and a height vehicle were at the scene.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: “There was a fire in an electrical consumer unit in the shop which has spread through into the first floor flat, which was unoccupied. It was heavily smoke-logged.”

The area was sealed off while the emergency services dealt with the incident. The fire had been extinguished by 11.30am.

Damage to the shop was minimal. No one was injured in the fire.

Robin Juste Emery, who took photos at the scene, said: “I was just dropping my daughters off to their ballet lesson when I noticed smoke billowing up the high street.

“Smoke began billowing from the rooftop and chimney.

“Police were quick on the scene to cordon the area."