Picture: Max Hess

Fire swept through the top floor of a house in Etchinghill, destroying half of it.

The blaze struck at the property in Canterbury Road at about 5.45pm Tuesday. Firefighters were at the scene for five hours.

Mick Dennis, Folkestone fire station watch manager, said: "Fifty per cent of the top floor was destroyed by fire and the rest of the house was damaged by smoke and heat.

"The cause of this is still under investigation."

Four fire engines attended the incident, two from Folkestone and two from Hythe and no injuries were reported.