An appeal to help 16 families left homeless by a devastating fire has been launched by a Kent weekly newspaper.

The Kentish Gazette has urged readers to donate after residents were told they will not be returning to their homes following a blaze which engulfed a block of flats in Canterbury.

The campaign was launched at midday on Tuesday and 24 hours later almost £2,000 had been pledged.

The aim is to raise £10,000 which will be given to the charitable foundation connected to social landlord Town and Country Housing, which managed most of the properties affected.

Gazette reporter Alex Claridge lives directly opposite the homes that have been wrecked and was able to provide live online updates, update social media channels, take video and collect audio for owner KM Group’s kmfm radio station.

A special edition of the Gazette, pictured above,  went on sale yesterday.

Editor Leo Whitlock said: “Just like every newsroom in the country, we covered the initial drama.

“Then some really heartbreaking stories started to reach us about the plight of those affected.

“We decided we had to do something about it and news editor Joe Walker set up our JustGiving page.

“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our readers and advertisers.”

The Gazette spoke to those left with nothing following Saturday’s fire, including mother-of-four Colette Scott.

It is the second tragedy to hit the 34-year-old in recent years, following the death of her fiance Callum Osborne in 2011.

The groundworker was in a trench on a building site in Swalecliffe, near Whitstable, when it collapsed on him.

His daughter Star, now four, was born after his death, and all her pictures and mementos of her late father were lost in the fire.

Among the others affected are the mother of a one-week-old baby and a couple settling into their first home together.