Liverpool fire: Previous concerns about building, councillor says

Dozens of firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control

A councillor says there had been several concerns about the Liverpool building where a large fire broke out.

There were no reports of injuries following the blaze at a four-storey premises in Fox Street in the city centre on Saturday afternoon.

Everton councillor Jane Corbett, who had visited the site three times since December, said it had been "handed from developer to developer".

"It's just desperate. The way this has been managed is appalling," she added.

The extent of the plume was captured by a plane passenger flying from the city's airport

Large plumes of smoke could be seen across the region while about 50 firefighters tackled the blaze.

They extinguished the main body of the fire within three hours and worked overnight into Sunday to dampen hotspots.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said it was working with police to establish the cause of the blaze, which broke out at about 14:20 GMT.

Merseyside Police's Ch Insp Jon Smith said the cause could not be confirmed until the building was safe enough for investigations.

Appealing for information, he added that CCTV was "being examined and potential witnesses spoken to in order to ensure any investigative opportunities are not missed".

Police have been gathering footage from the surrounding area as part of their investigation

Speaking about the building, Ms Corbett told BBC Radio Merseyside: "People have been really, really concerned about it.

"It's got a very long chequered history - this whole development site. This is in the middle of the community."

The local area was evacuated due to concerns the building, which was believed to be abandoned, could collapse.

Local residents described feeling the heat, even from a distance, and football fans could see the smoke above Goodison Park as Everton faced Luton Town in the FA Cup.

Jose Garcia, who has lived on Merseyside for 20 years, said it was "the biggest fire I have seen in Liverpool", while resident Michael Pearson said abandoned buildings in the area around the blaze had been a source of concern for locals.

He said the fire was as an "awful situation that potentially could have been avoided".

"To see it go up in flames is quite shocking, but actually I think that people who live in the Everton area may not be that surprised," he added.