A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson following a house fire in the early house of this morning.

Police, fire crews and paramedics were called to Square Hill Road, Maidstone, just after 12.30am to reports of a blaze in an upstairs bedroom of a two-storey property.

Witnesses reported hearing a huge bang as a window smashed and saw a small number of neighbours, including a mother carrying a young child, fleeing from their nearby homes.

Two fire engines attended and crews rescued a man from the building before handing him over to paramedics for smoke inhalation treatment.

A 25-year-old man from the Maidstone area was arrested on suspicion of arson and assaulting a police officer.

He remains in police custody while the investigation continues.

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