Crews tackle building fire in city centre

Crews were called to the fire on Ephraim Street shortly after 06:00 BST

A road has been cordoned off after a fire in a commercial premises in Stoke-on-Trent.

Firefighters were called to the blaze on Ephraim Street in Hanley, shortly after 06:00 BST on Tuesday.

Crews from Hanley, Longton, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Sandyford were in attendance, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

The fire service said there were no reports on any injuries and urged people to avoid the area. Officers from Staffordshire Police were also at the scene.

A fire service spokesperson said it had deployed a drone to monitor the fire and advised members of the public not use their own drones while theirs was in operation.

People living nearby were advised to keep windows and doors closed as a precaution, due to the heavy amounts of smoke coming from the building.