Dramatic pictures of huge fire at world-famous Camden Lock Market

Dozens of firefighters tackled an enormous blaze at Camden Lock Market in north London on Sunday night (9 July).

Dramatic pictures showed flames towering above the popular tourist spot as black smoke billowed into the night sky.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said about 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines were sent to the incident, which happened just before midnight.

The first, second and third floors, plus the roof of a large building containing a number of different businesses were damaged by the blaze, the LFB said.

Station Manager David Reid, who was at the scene, said: "Crews worked hard to get the fire under control and to stop it from spreading to neighbouring buildings."

It took firefighters around three hours to get the blaze under control, with no reported injuries.

One eye-witness, Joan Ribes, 24, said the "fire was flying through the air to the surrounding areas. The fire was moving very fast. People were watching, but we were scared the building could explode at any time since there are restaurants with kitchens nearby," she told Press Association.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Crews will remain at the scene overnight damping down remaining hot spots. Road closures are currently in place at Chalk Farm Road junction with Hartland Road and south up to Hawley Crescent.

Camden's markets are an epicentre for tourism with around 1,000 shops and stalls.

The area sees an estimated 28 million visitors a year, with crowds drawn by the shopping, entertainment and nightlife on offer.

It is the third time in recent years that the north London market has been hit by a serious blaze. In February 2008 the Camden Canal Market was destroyed by an inferno that wrecked several local businesses and put the waterside market out of action for 15 months.

Six years later, in May 2014, another fire broke out in Camden's Stables Market, gutting a number of businesses.