HUNDREDS of bales of straw were destroyed early today when a blaze ripped through a barn in remote countryside at Burham, near Maidstone.

About 200 tonnes of straw went up in flames at the barn in Old Church Road shortly after 4am. Two fire engines and a water unit from Larkfield Fire Station and another crew from Halling arrived to discover that the fire had engulfed the bales of straw, although the roof was still in place.

Larkfield's leading firefighter, Dave Roots said: "The roof was intact but the flames were quite ferocious and were weakening the roof."

The barn, used to store straw and hay, was well away from the main farm buildings and there was no damage caused to other buildings. No one was injured.

Firefighters had to leave the blaze to burn out. Although it was extinguished by 11am, a crew from Larkfield stayed on to continue damping down.

The cause of the fire is being treated as suspicious and is under investigation.