BBC Rewind: Major fire rips through Peterborough city centre

Archive pictures showed a major fire in a city centre that destroyed a department store and badly damaged other shops.

The blaze in Cowgate, Peterborough on 22 August 1956 started at Robert Sayle Ltd and quickly spread to other buildings in the area.

A furniture store, a shoe shop and the headquarters of the volunteer fire brigade were among those affected.

About 50 firefighters from six counties were called to the scene.