Soho fire: 35 fire fighters battle blaze in heart of London

London Fire Brigade confirmed that flames were under control and that there had been no casualties

An office worker captured the scene as the fire blazed (Justine White) (Justine White)

A fire has broken out in a restaurant in the heart of London’s West End with 35 fire-fighters battling the blaze.

Six London Fire Brigade engines were called to the scene in Wardour Street, Soho, at around midday after the blaze started inside the kitchen of a restaurant.

A LFB spokesperson confirmed that there were two kitchens involved in the blaze, but that the official cause of the fire was yet to be determined.

Although the fire has now been brought under control, the spokesperson told The Independent that crews would remain in the area to “damp down” the remnants of the fire.

There were no reported casualties although 20 people were evacuated from the building.

Witnesses claimed on social media sites that the blaze appeared to have started above Latin American eatery Floridita.

Pictures on Twitter showed thick plumes of smoke rising above the central London streets.