Westfield Stratford temporarily closes after fire starts in shop

East London's Westfield Stratford was forced to close yesterday due to a fire inside a first floor shop, evacuating thousands of customers to the nearby residential areas.

Witnesses said the first floor concourse of the shopping centre "filled with smoke" as the centre was evacuated just after 10:05am. The fire had been brought under control by 11:45am.

The shopping centre remained closed until 3pm, when the London Fire Brigade gave the all clear to reopen. Watches of Switzerland remained closed due to fire damage with cordon tape sealing off the store entrance.

A spokesperson from London Fire Brigade said: "Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were called to a fire at a shop on Montifichet Road in Stratford. Firefighters tackled a small fire within a shop on the first floor of a shopping centre. The shopping centre was evacuated and no injuries were reported.

"Fire crews from Stratford, Leytonstone, Leyton, Plaistow and other surrounding fire stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire will be investigated."

Westfield commented on social media: "Thank you to all the authorities for safety managing the incident and to retailers and customers for their patience."