Restaurant, deli and flats badly damaged by fire

Crews were called in the early hours of the morning

A fire has badly damaged a three-storey building in the middle of a Worcestershire town.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said everyone got out safely from the site in Pershore.

Firefighters were called to Bridge Street at about 00:20 GMT and it took them more than five hours to bring the fire under control.

One neighbour told the BBC people living nearby were told to leave their homes for safety and he spent several hours in his pyjamas in a pub across the road.

The fire service had started investigating the cause of the fire and said Bridge Street would remain closed for several hours.

The building contained flats, a delicatessen and an Italian restaurant called Benvenuti.

Neighbour John Scanlon said it was "a wonderful place and they always make people feel very welcome".

He lived two doors away and was one of those told to leave their homes by the emergency services in the middle of the night.

Mr Scanlon said: "The police and fire service were knocking on our doors and our windows and I went to the door and they said you need to get out now."

He was told he did not have time to get changed into clothes and added: "Fortunately the people in the pub opposite opened their doors and let in those of us who would otherwise have been stuck in our pyjamas in the street."

He spent three hours at the The Angel Hotel before he was allowed to return and reported his home had not been damaged.

Benvenuti restaurant was also damaged

David Hill, from the fire service, said they were called to reports of "fire coming through the roof" of the building.

But because the residents had all been able to get out safely he added "we managed to put all our efforts into firefighting instead of rescuing people".

He said access to the rear of the property had been difficult and they had to force entry to get to the fire.

Mr Hill could not say how long the fire investigation might take.

A spokesperson for the Benvenuti restaurant said they were “absolutely gutted” by the blaze and would remain closed until further notice.