Joe Sharpe said he can see the incident from his home in Hoo, told KentOnline.

He said: “I woke up to get ready for my day at around 6am, and I went into the garden and could see this smoke up into the sky.

“I instantly thought it would be an industrial fire as there was so much smoke going in the sky, and I hoped everyone would be OK.

“It has created a massive shadow across the Medway towns.”