A young farmhand saved the day with his quick thinking as he worked “tirelessly” to stop a wheat field blaze as it spread perilously close to homes.

Ryan Cooper, who lives in Canterbury, was on his way to the pub with his dad on Sunday afternoon when they spotted smoke and smelt burning wheat at the Wonky Parsnip Farm in Chartham Hatch.

The 20-year-old, who has worked at a neighbouring farm for four years, quickly fetched a slurry tanker and began spraying the fields with water to contain the flames.

“We had the tanker ready there for us for when we started combining but the farmer needed it," said Mr Cooper. "So that’s part of being part of a farming community really."

Mr Cooper’s mother, Samantha, 45, who watched the drama unfold, said: “I don’t know how it started.

"We arrived and it was already ablaze. My son was thinking ‘What the heck can I do to help?’ and dashed off to get the tractor and slurry tanker, thinking at least we can get some water on the field.

“The fire crew put out the main fire but there was concern that it might jump to the next field or to close-by houses.

"So my son went around to dampen all the shrubbery around the edge of the field.”

Six fire engines were called to the scene off Cockering Road just before 3pm.

Witness Adam Pond says the flames came "very close to the back of properties" in nearby Stour Road.

The 23-year-old told KentOnline: "I was walking from Canterbury to Chartham with my girlfriend when I saw the fire.

"At first it looked like it was a bonfire, and I thought it was one of the worst days of the year to have one - but the smoke was thick and black.

"It was very close to the backs of some properties, and the residents were scared it might get closer to their homes.

"It was concerning - the fire was large.

"I think one of the tractors was trying to cut the crops in the fields before it spread."

A fire service spokesman confirmed the fire was out just after 3.30pm, but that crews remained at the scene to "damp down".

It is estimated that Jo Pickett, the farmer of the land where the blaze took hold, lost about 20 acres of standing wheat crop.

"We are absolutely devastated to have lost a huge amount of crop..."

Mr Pickett’s wife, Laura Brady, said the couple had been left in shock.

“Everyone is safe and there were no injuries which is the main thing," she said in a Facebook post.

"We are absolutely devastated to have lost a huge amount of crop.”

While the cause of the fire remains unclear, Mr Cooper suspects it might have something to do with litter left in the field.

“It’s as good a time as any to tell people not to leave glass bottles in the fields. It really doesn’t help the combine drivers.”