A CHARITY shop and servicemen’s club were badly damaged when vandals set fire to a wheelie bin in a Kent town centre at the weekend.

Fire crews were called to Market Street, Deal, just after 2.30am on Saturday after a police patrol noticed flames coming from the wheelie bin which was up against the windows of a building.

The heat from the bin broke the windows, and flames then entered the building, causing severe damage to Barnardo’s charity shop, and smoke damage to the British Legion club premises upstairs.

The previous night, sacks of household rubbish had been set alight in Middle Street.

Fire officers are urging residents not to put rubbish out at night, but to put it out early on the morning when it is due to be collected.

Staff at shops and offices which use wheelie bins are being reminded that the bins are lockable and should be secured at night to prevent such fires.