Around 40 firefighters tackled a blaze at a shop for more than two hours.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to Roman Road in Bow at around 4pm on Wednesday (September 13).

Part of a ground-floor shop was extensively damaged by the fire as well as an internal staircase to the building, which also contains flats.

People were asked to avoid the area while firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.

The fire was extinguished at around 6.10pm.

Six fire engines from Bethnal Green, Homerton, Shadwell, Stratford and Whitechapel fire stations attended the scene.

A LFB spokesperson said that the cause of the fire is under investigation.