Bishopsgate fire: Firefighters battle blaze in London's financial district

Dozens of firefighters have tackled a blaze in London's financial district.

Four fire engines and 25 firefighters were called to Bishopsgate, in the City of London, just after 9am on Thursday.

A cooling tower on top of an office block went up in flames, leaving half of it damaged.

Large plumes of black smoke could be seen billowing across nearby buildings but the blaze was brought under control by 10.19am, London Fire Brigade said.

Primrose Street was closed to pedestrians and traffic but it has since reopened.

LFB said around 65 people left the building before crews arrived from Shoreditch, Dowgate, Shadwell and Bethnal Green stations.

Emma Carr, the station commander on scene, said: "The alarm was raised by two police officers who saw smoke coming from the roof of the building and called the brigade.

"Road closures were put in place whilst crews worked to bring the fire under control."

The cause of the fire is not yet known.