Firefighters have come to the rescue of villagers whose much-loved pond was in danger of drying up.

With the county basking in heatwave conditions for days, things were starting to look decidedly dicey for the fish and birds who call the watery haven in the centre of Matfield home.

Shallow and wide, the pond's waters have been evaporating at an alarming rate in recent days, prompting anxious neighbours to raise their concerns for the resident wildlife on social media.

Sandra Fisher, a headteacher who grew up in Matfield and now lives in Paddock Wood, read about what was happening and rang up firefighters in nearby Tonbridge to see if they could save the day.

"It's too shallow and wide," she said. "So the water just evaporates. Nothing was being done about it, we had dead fish floating around, the fish could not be moved because of the type they are.

"I grew up in Matfield and my parents still live on the Green. When I heard about the state of the pond, I had to act.

"I emailed the Environment Agency and phoned the fire brigade, and they were happy to come.

"Tonbridge fire station have been there today filling up the pond for us, to save the wildlife. The pond is central to Matfield, it's a place where people can go and sit, find some space."

Ms Fisher says she plans to bake some cakes for the fire crews to tuck into as a way of showing her gratitude, and villagers have arranged for drinks at the village pub.

The pond is on the village green, said by the local parish council to be the largest in Kent, and is overlooked by several buildings of typical Kentish construction from timber frames with white weatherboarding.

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