Major fire spreads to nearby tower block

The fire at Hotspur House in Manchester spread to a neighbouring building

A fire that broke out at a landmark Manchester city centre building - causing it to partly collapse - spread to a neighbouring tower block.

Embers from the blaze at Hotspur House reached 1 Cambridge Street, resulting in the evacuation of residents from the building, Greater Manchester Fire And Rescue Service (GMFRS) told the BBC at the scene.

Anyone who has nowhere to go is set to be put up overnight by Manchester City Council.

The fire at the former printing press building broke out at about 17:00 GMT, forcing the cancellation of all trains through Manchester Oxford Road station.

The fire service urged the public to stay away from the area and said 20 fire engines from across Greater Manchester were on the scene.

A spokesperson said the blaze had spread to three floors of Hotspur House, and aerial units had been used to bring the fire under control.

The spokesman added: "The two apartment blocks at number 1 Cambridge Street have been evacuated.

"A cordon is in place on Cambridge Street and we ask that the public stay away from the area.

"Residents nearby should keep doors and windows closed due to smoke in the area."

The fire service told the BBC at the scene that the fire was no longer a major incident.

Footage taken at the scene showed parts of the building had collapsed.

National Rail said all lines were blocked and warned that services running through the station may be cancelled or delayed until 21:00 BST.

It said rail replacement buses were running for Northern customers from Manchester Oxford Road at 18:20 BST and 18:25, calling at all stops to Warrington Central.

There have been no further updates on disruption to rail services.

Part of the former Hotspur Press appears to have collapsed due to the fire

Buses were also leaving Warrington Central at the same times, calling at all stops to Manchester Oxford Road.

A bus will depart Manchester Oxford Road at 19:00, calling at all stops to Earlestown.

TransPennine Express said rail replacement buses had been requested for the following routes:

• Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street in both directions

• Manchester Piccadilly to Preston in both directions

East Midlands Railway said it had bus replacements services on standby at Warrington Central, Stockport and Sheffield.

TransPennine Express said customers at Liverpool Lime Street could use their ticket at no extra cost to travel on TransPennine Express services to Manchester Victoria.

It also advised customers at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road to use the free Transport for Greater Manchester bus link to Manchester Victoria, where they could change for connecting services towards Liverpool.

The fire at the former Hotspur Press printing works is close to Manchester Oxford Road railway station

The fire-hit building, also known as Medlock Mill, closed as a printing site in 1996.

Developer Manner's plan to regenerate the historic building into a 36-storey student tower was given planning permission in May 2024.

However, it recently redesigned its proposals and they will now be submitted to Manchester City Council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said earlier this month.

The fire broke out in the former Hotspur Press building in Manchester city centre