Newcastle Central Motorway still closed after Carliol Square fire

Flames engulfed the building in Newcastle city centre

A major route in Newcastle city centre is still closed after a large fire broke out in a disused building.

Emergency services attended the fire at the three-storey site - the former For Your Eyes Only club - in Carliol Square at 19:00 BST on Wednesday.

The northbound carriageway of the A167 Central Motorway, near the Swan House roundabout, is still closed, with diversions in place.

The southbound carriageway was closed on Wednesday but has since reopened.

The A167 is still closed northbound

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said eight appliances and two aerial ladder platforms attended the scene, with 50 firefighters working to extinguish the flames. People in the area were asked to keep their doors and windows closed.

Witnesses said they could see large plumes of smoke over Newcastle and Gateshead

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Peter Heath said the fire had caused "significant disruption to the road network, businesses and residents".

"This is a disused building and we have not received any reports of anyone being unaccounted for. However, now the fire is extinguished, we will be moving into an investigative phase with Northumbria Police," he said.

"Enquiries will begin to establish the circumstances around the fire and - although we have been able to enter sections of the building - that investigation will also be able to confirm that nobody had been inside [at the time].

"Northumbria Police manage the road network but do not take the decision to close roads lightly - and we want to thank them, our other multi-agency partners, and also the Salvation Army, who attended and supported our operation."

Dozens of crews tackled the fire in Carliol Square

Northumbria Police Supt Aelf Sampson said: "Given the scale of the blaze in the city centre, and the effect that the smoke had on road visibility, we took the decision to close the Central Motorway in both directions to ensure everyone's safety.

"The southbound carriageway has since been reopened, but the northbound carriageway remains closed, with a diversion in place.

"I would like to thank everyone for their ongoing patience and cooperation. We will now be working with the fire service to establish the cause of the fire."

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service asked people in the vicinity to keep their windows closed

The scene on Thursday morning