Owners 'heartbroken' after fire damaged restaurant

Owners of a family restaurant in Kent say they are "deeply saddened" following a fire.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) was called to the blaze in High Street, Aylesford, just after midnight on Sunday.

A KFRS spokesperson said eight fire engines, a bulk water carrier and a height vehicle attended the scene.

Owners of the Hengist say they are "deeply heartbroken that their family restaurant has experienced such an awful incident".

Posting on Facebook, the owners said staff had left the premises safely at 23:35 GMT on Saturday.

"At about midnight, our alarm company contacted us to report that an alarm had been triggered. Upon checking our CCTV, we could see smoke developing in the reception area.

The fire crews remained on the scene until about 04:20 BST, a KFRS spokesperson said.

"We are very grateful to the fire service and police for acting so fast to bring the situation under control," the owners wrote.

"The fire appears to have originated in our ice room/storage area."

They continued: "A full investigation is now underway, and CCTV will be reviewed as soon as we are able to access the building."

They said they would be contacting anyone with bookings, adding; "Unfortunately, the building cannot be used at this time."

They also thanked the community for their support.

"It truly means everything to us right now."

KFRS said no injuries have been reported and the cause is not known yet.

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