Crews tackle blaze on city centre tower rooftop

Colmore Row in the city centre was shut for several hours and drivers urged to find alternative routes

Roads were closed and bus and tram services disrupted as firefighters tackled a blaze on the roof of a 16-storey building under construction in Birmingham city centre.

West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) was alerted to the blaze on Colmore Circus Queensway at about 16:30 BST on Monday.

Colmore Row shut and people were urged to avoid the area, and to use different routes during rush hour. The route reopened on Monday evening.

Midlands Metro tram services were halted between St Chads and Edgbaston Village for about three hours during the incident. Cars and buses, however, were not allowed along Colmore Row while fire crews continued to work.

West Midlands Metro said the fire was in a building near its Bull Street stop and trams were operating between St Chads and Wolverhampton station before full service resumed.

National Express West Midlands said there were no bus services on Livery Street, Edmund Street, Newhall Street and Margaret Street on Monday evening.

Earlier, it had stated that services using Colmore Row would be terminating on Old Square and Snow Hill Queensway, with no services available on Colmore Row itself.

Transport for West Midlands reported buses were operating as normal on Tuesday morning.

Eight fire engines have been at the scene

Eight fire engines attended the scene, WMFS said, and the building was evacuated.

Crews made "good progress" getting water to the fire, the service said, adding officers had left the scene by 20:55 BST, with Colmore Row fully reopened.