by Sam Lennon

Firefighters have been damping hotspots following a major blaze at a disused food factory.

At it height 40 firefighters, six engines and a specialist height vehicle were needed to battle with the fire at its height.

It had swept through the former McLaren Foods in Beaver Road, Ashford.

Ashford Fire Station crew manager Andy Harris said: “When we got there part of premises were well alight there was lots of smoke in the area.

“As we realised the scale of the fire we found we needed more and more fire engines.”

Firefighters were called out at about 7.20pm on Friday 3 September to the former food plant at the Beaver Industrial Estate.

The fire was believed to have started in the main cold store and at first two fire engines were called out.

Their numbers built up to six as the scale of the fire was realised and an aerial appliance, with a height ladder and water tower, was also called.

Crews managed to get the blaze under control by 10.30pm and Beaver Road and Norman Road were closed to traffic and they battled the flames.

Neighbouring businesses were also evacuated.

They were still there the following day damping down hotspots.

The main buildings had 70 per cent fire damage and attached buildings were also damaged and smoke logged.

Fire crews believe the fire was started deliberately and say this is the third arson attack on the premises in the last six months, the last one needing four pumps.

Police are investigating and are treating the blaze as suspicious. The following day officers kept the scene preserved to search for clues.

Nobody was hurt in the blaze.