The cause of a fire that severely damaged a house at Woodnesborough is being investigated.

Neighbours raised the alarm and the two-storey home was well alight when firefighters from Sandwich, Eastry and Wingham arrived at the scene in Foxborough Close just before 1am Tuesday.

It is thought one of the two occupants was at work when the fire started and a woman who lived in the house had escaped unhurt before emergency services arrived.

Steve Tancock, crew manager at Sandwich Fire Station, said: "The house is now gutted from top to bottom."

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said the fire was not being treated as suspicious at the moment.

* For more details pick up a copy of this week's East Kent Mercury newspaper.