Overnight garage fire burns for hours

The fire was at a commercial property on Villiers Street in Sunderland

Emergency services worked for hours to tackle a large fire at a city centre garage.

The blaze at a commercial unit on Villiers Street in Sunderland was reported at about midnight on Friday.

At the height of the fire, up to 30 firefighters battled the blaze well into the morning, before leaving the scene at about 14:00 BST.

A spokesman for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) said the fire had been extinguished and that there had been no casualties, but warned streets near the building would "remain closed for a prolonged period of time".

Dozens of firefighters worked through the night to stop the fire from spreading

"We got a call to reports of the garage on fire and, at its highest, we had six appliances in attendance," the spokesman said.

"We have alerted the gas board, electricity board and the Environment Agency and are asking residents to keep windows and doors closed, as there is still a large amount of smoke in the area."

TWFRS later said seven engines and 30 firefighters were at the scene during the height of the blaze.

The fire impacted some neighbouring buildings

Earlier, at about 04:00 BST, Northumbria Police said several road closures had been put in place and advised motorists to avoid the area.

Reporter Jim Scott was at the scene at about 08:30 BST and described seeing blackened debris strewn across the street and gas workers in attendance.

Gas engineers were among many emergency workers at the scene

The BBC understands the fire has impacted neighbouring buildings, with crews concerned that a wall is at risk of collapse.

At about 10:00 BST, a TWFRS spokeswoman said the fire was under control.

An update later in the afternoon confirmed the fire had been extinguished and that further investigations were to take place between the service and the police.