NORTH Kent police are trying to track down a group of six teenagers in connection with a fire which gutted the upper level of a double decker bus yesterday afternoon.

Passengers had to be evacuated as the blaze ripped through the bus.

It took firefighters more than 20 minutes to extinguish the flames.

The group of teenagers police want to question got on the bus at Bexleyheath Clocktower and went to the top deck.

As the driver reached the junction with Princes Road and Dartford Road, Dartford, he looked in his mirror to the top deck and saw something on fire.

The bus stopped and the teenagers got off and ran towards Crayford.

The driver evacuated the bus and police and fire crews were called.

Police closed the roads around the area, including part of Havelock Road. One lane of Dartford Road was re-opened at 4.30pm.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Matt Long said: "We believe the teenagers that got on the bus have information that could help with our inquiries and I would urge them or anyone who knows them to contact police."

The teenagers are described as white boys, aged between 15 and 16.

One of them was wearing a pink polo shirt and two of them were wearing shorts and no tops. One boy is described as having a sun-tanned complexion with light blond shoulder length hair and wearing a blue tee shirt and white trainers.

Police have carried out door-to-door inquiries along the road and are currently viewing CCTV footage from the Clocktower and also McDonald's in Bexleyheath where the teenagers are thought to have been prior to getting on the bus.

Eyewitness Richard Goslitska said: "At first I thought there had been a terrorist attack. The smoke was bellowing into the nearby flats it looked like there was 200ft of flames coming from the top floor."

  • Anyone with information about the fire, which started around 3.40pm, is asked to contact police on 01474 565220 quoting reference 17134 or Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 calls to this number are free.

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