Twenty people were forced to leave their homes after a gas explosion.

Residents living in Lenham, rushed to the house in Old School Close after smoke from a barbeque spread to the fence.

The residents successfully extinguished the blaze but 15 minutes later there was a gas explosion in the home which belonged to Peter Griffin.

Mr Griffin and his family are now staying at the Dog and Bear hotel as they can't return to their homes.

He said: "We will not be moving back home for months so we don't know how much this is all going to cost us.

"The neighbours have been really amazing as well as the social club.

"We have had offers of food, clothes and tooth brushes, the community has been brilliant."

Firefighters were called at 2.10pm and two firefighters were taken to hospital as a precaution but have since been discharged.

No injuries were reported and SGN and UK Power Networks remain on site today and a local authority building inspector has assessed the structural safety of the property.

One of the residents, who also lives in the cul-de-sac and is unable return home, praised the actions of the emergency services.

He said: "The bang from the explosion was so loud that I could feel it in my chest.

"The firefighters were absolutely stunning. They have been simply amazing from when they arrived.

"We are all just so happy that none of the residents were injured and hope the firefighters are all okay."

Hannah Hale said her husband and mother rushed to the fence to put the fire out.

She said: "I was at work so I watched firefighters going across my house through my ring doorbell.

"It was really scary as my husband was not answering."

Five homes were evacuated by the fire crews and people gathered at Lenham Social Club which opened its doors to serve teas and coffees until 10pm.

Chequers Fish Bar donated fish and chips to the misplaced group.

Bar manager, Sue Marchant, said despite the explosion the twenty evacuees remained calm throughout the night.

She said: "We all know each other so we were happy that everyone was okay although people just wanted to go home but they were all very calm.

"At one point we were getting ready to put one older neighbour up but he was allowed to go back home."

"This sort of thing doesn't happen in Lenham."