Fire breaks out at former Stoke register office building on Hartshill Road

Firefighters tackled a fire at a building on Hartshill Road in Stoke-on-Trent last night.

The fire was understood to have started earlier in the evening, with the incident still ongoing at around 9pm.

Pictures from the scene showed flames and smoke coming from the building, with fire crews attending the incident.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that crews were in attendance and urged people to avoid the area, while advising nearby residents to keep doors and windows closed.

The building was believed to be in the area of Hartshill Road opposite the Salvation Army hostel, although its current use and ownership had not been officially confirmed.

It was understood the building was formerly associated with Stoke's register office, although the current Stoke-on-Trent Register Office is now based at the Civic Centre on Glebe Street.

The exact cause of the fire was not known.