Fire crews in breathing apparatus tackled a blaze in a busy residential street.

Fifteen firefighters were called to Balmoral Road, Gillingham, just before 2pm today where the living room in a ground floor flat was alight.

No one was at home when the blaze took hold, causing smoke damage to the flat inside a terraced house.

They put out the fire within minutes and gave out free smoke detectors, although there were already smoke alarms in the property.

A fire service spokesman said: “The cause is being investigated.”