Firefighters deal with the Central London Blaze

Around 40 firefighters attacked a fire in the center of London, with smoke spreading over the skyline of the capital.

The crews were called to a fire near Tottenham Street on Thursday at 7:43 a.m., said the London fire brigade (LFB).

Six firefighters are present.

The LFB asked people to avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed to avoid smoke.

BBC Reporter Gem O'reilly, at the scene, described the smell of smoke as “terrible” and “like burning chemicals”.

There is a strong presence of ambulances and at least one person was seen by paramedics.

The LFB said half of the ground floor of the building was radiated.

The brigade uses one of the 32 -M plate players to combat the fire from above.

Crews from Soho, Euston, Islington and surrounding firefighters are on site.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, said the LFB.