Evacuation after blaze next to shop
From front could be smelled over Maidstone town centre.
Steve Sargent, of Steve Sargent Cars, based opposite the shop, said: “At one point you could see 10ft flames and they got hold of the Tesco building.
“There were people walking up the road covering their faces because of fumes and smoke.
“There was lots of activity with firefighters running about with hoses, but they got it under control.”
Fire station manager Stuart Albon said: “Crews arrived to a large plume of black smoke appearing to come from the roof of Tesco.
“Once they managed to get access to the side of the building they found it was coming from next door, where people were burning a large amount of waste.
“The smoke and flames had impacted on the external wall of Tesco, so crews were cutting away there to make sure it didn’t spread inside the store.”
A Tesco spokesman said: “Our colleagues worked really hard to ensure our customers were safely evacuated from the store. We’re working with the authorities and will reopen the store as soon as possible.”
After traffic was initially stopped, lane closures were later put in place to get vehicles moving.
Nobody is believed to have been injured. A Harrietsham woman who kept her dogs in squalor has been banned from owning animals for 10 years.
Charlotte Giles chained German shepherd Shadow and West Highland terrier Benji to dilapidated kennels in the back garden of her home at Water Lane Caravan Site.
When RSPCA inspectors visited the address in June they found the dogs living in filthy conditions, visibly malnourished and poorly maintained.
Shadow had an infected wound on his neck which was caused by the chain he was wearing and had not been treated by Giles. Both dogs were taken away by the inspectors.
The 52-year-old admitted three