A mother and her two children were saved by a working smoke alarm which alerted them to a fire which had broken out in their home.

The Herne Bay family were asleep when the alarm rang out around their home in the Broadway at around 4.30am today.

They discovered a fire in their home and quickly escaped, closing the doors behind them and calling for help.

Two fire engines rushed to the scene and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the blaze in an electrical consumer unit under the stairs.

Crews used a positive pressure ventilation fan to clear smoke from the house and UK Power also attended.

Herne Bay crew manager Tim Green said: "This incident highlights just how valuable working smoke alarms are in the event of a fire.

"This incident highlights just how valuable working smoke alarms are in the event of a fire." - Tim Green

"They provide vital warning which can give you and your family time to escape. Without them, it could have been a whole different story."

"The family did exactly the right thing by getting out immediately and in closing the doors behind them they managed to significantly reduce the amount of smoke damage to their home."

"As this incident shows, fires can start without warning and when you least expect it, so make sure your family has the protection of working smoke alarms fitted on each floor and make sure you test them regularly to ensure they will work when you need them."

Herne Bay firefighters will be returning to the area this morning to provide fire safety advice to local residents following this fire.

For information about the free advice and services Kent Fire and Rescue Service offers call 0800 923 7000.