Residents evacuated as fire shuts city centre road

The fire started in Princes Square in the city on Monday morning

Residents were evacuated from a building and a major city centre route through Wolverhampton was closed due to an early-morning fire.

Three fire engines were sent to Princes Square, just off Broad Street, at about 04:40 BST after the blaze, believed to have been started by rubbish, spread to a ground-floor outbuilding, closing nearby Broad Street for several hours.

Surrounding buildings were affected by smoke, including a shop with accommodation above on the first and second floor, which was evacuated, West Midlands Fire Service said.

There were no reports of any injuries, and crews left the scene at about 11:30, with Broad Street reopening at about midday.

Fire crews from Walsall, Bilston and Wolverhampton were sent to the scene and checked buildings to ensure no one was trapped, the fire service said.