A SHOP'S stock went up in flames after it was torched, causing £30,000 worth of damage.

The manager of Forbuoy's newsagent, Ken Hatch, was woken by police on Friday morning to be told his shop in Dene Holm Road, Northfleet, was on fire.

When Mr Hatch, 55, arrived at the scene at 2.30am he found all the shop's stock, including Mother's Day cards, gifts and recently-bought Easter eggs, had been destroyed.

The shop, which Mr Hatch has run for 30 years, was forced to remain shut on Friday.

It reopened on Saturday but only sold the bare essentials which had been salvaged from a stockroom which escaped the flames.

Mr Hatch's son Tim said: "We think they pushed lit paper under the door.

"The fire travelled up the walls and took the shop up too.

"It is unbelievable, it still smells of smoke in here now and it will take a long time to get this finished."

He added: "The only things saved were the cigarettes as they were under a case.

"If it was not damaged by fire then it was wet because of the water used by the firemen."

The 24-year-old said: "It should have been a busy day for us but we did not have any Mother's Day cards left to sell.

"But the stock is replaceable. There are families and old people who live upstairs and I think the fact we have concrete ceilings stopped it from spreading.

"I think we will have to get shutters for the shop to stop this happening again.

Pensioner Joan Marriott, who lives above the shop, raised the alarm.

The 79-year-old dialled 999 after being alerted to the fire by an alarm.

Mrs Marriott said: "I went to have a look at what was going on and saw smoke coming up from the shop's canopy.

"I was a bit worried as I live above but we have concrete floors so I hoped it would be OK."

She added: "I have seen the damage and it is a bit frightening when you see it and think we were above it at the time."

The residents in the flats above the shop did not have to be evacuated.

Police confirmed the fire is being treated as suspicious and say it was started by someone putting paper under the shop door and setting it alight.

Anyone with information on the March 24 fire should call police on 01474 565211.