Firefighters rescued several cats from a house fire in the early hours of this morning.

Crews saved the six pets from the property on a Rochester housing estate.

It's believed an electrical fault linked to a kitchen appliance sparked the blaze at the house in The Tideway.

Two fire engines were called out at about 3.20am and crews, wearing breathing apparatus, entered the property to put out the flames and clear the smoke.

A Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) volunteer response team provided support to the residents. There were no reported injuries and the fire was under control within an hour.

A KFRS spokesman said: "While the exact source of the fire is not known, fire crews are reminding people to avoid running washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers overnight, and to switch off items that do not need to be on."

All the animals have been accounted for.