'Blast' heard as major building fire breaks out

A number of cordons were put in place in Nottingham city centre on Sunday after reports of a "blast", which led to a building fire.

Emergency services were called to Curzon Street at 11:23 BST to reports of a fire at a derelict building.

Nottinghamshire Police said the cause of the fire was not yet known and there were no reports of any injuries. The force said it was looking at evacuating a number of properties on the street as a precaution.

Vedant Thakur, who lives in a nearby building, said: "I was cooking some food and then the alarm started sounding. I thought it was just a regular check, but then I heard a blast."

Police and fire crews attended, and a number of cordons were put in place around Huntingdon Street and Curzon Street, officers added.

Ben Clarke, 23, who lives in the area, said: "I heard a sort of boom, a bit like thunder, then I looked out of my window and saw smoke."

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said 10 crews were called to the scene.

It advised people living nearby to keep windows and doors closed as there was a large smoke plume.

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said: "We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

"We are asking people to avoid the area while the incident is being dealt with."

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