Firefighters helped pump flood water away from six homes yesterday afternoon.

One appliance from Maidstone and another from Southborough were called to the two-storey properties in Mile Oak Road, Paddock Wood, at 4.25pm.

It's believed the flooding was caused by a nearby ditch which had overfilled.

The crews managed to pump water away from the front of the buildings as well as water that had entered some of the houses. They left the scene two hours later.

Kent County Council handed out 100 sandbags to residents to prevent further damage as none of them wanted to move to temporary accommodation.

A Kent Highways officer is expected to attend today to find the cause.

Other areas affected by flooding include:

Loose Road at the junction of Sheal's Crescent in Maidstone, at around 5pm yesterday. It is now clear, as is The Street in Bearsted, which was also affected.

Lenham Road, Maidstone, was temporarily blocked yesterday due to a tree falling on a BT cable. Engineers attended and cleared it.

Millennium Bridge, Maidstone, was closed to pedestrians last night because the lights were not working and the pathways were slippery due to the temperature dropping. The situation is likely to continue tonight.

The footpath alongside the River Medway, by the Malta Inn at Allington, has also been closed as a precaution due to possible flooding.

Villages throughout Kent are urged to stay vigilant as heavy rain and strong winds continue today.

Three flood warnings still remain in place - affecting Grove Ferry near Canterbury, Pluckley and Bethersden and the river Medway near Allington.

Meanwhile environment secretary Owen Paterson has praised the work of soldiers based in Maidstone and Folkestone who have helped during the floods.

He said: "I'd like to thank the Environment Agency, local councils, public utilities and emergency services who have worked tirelessly over the last week. I'd also like to thank soldiers from 36 Engineer Regiment and 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles who have helped to fill additional sandbags in Kent."