A significant blaze at a Poundland store in south-east London has led to the destruction of a building and considerable disruption.

At approximately 04:30 BST, fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters responded to the incident, which involved a portion of the two-story retail establishment igniting on High Street in Penge.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) reported that a substantial area of the ground floor was engulfed in flames.

Nearby structures were evacuated, and residents were advised to keep their windows and doors closed because of smoke in the vicinity, while the High Street remains closed to traffic.

Firefighters utilized a 32-meter turntable ladder as a water tower to combat the fire from an elevated position, and the brigade’s drone team supplied aerial imagery to assist in managing the emergency response.

Crews from Beckenham, Forest Hill, Woodside, West Norwood, and adjacent fire stations managed to control the fire by 09:00.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.