A man was treated by paramedics and 70 people were evacuated from a block of flats during a chemical incident near Tower Bridge.

Emergency services were called at 10.20am yesterday - February 9 - after the process of mixing chemicals for a swimming pool in the basement of a block of flats went wrong.

About 25 firefighters carried out a sweep of the mixed-use commercial and residential block in Tower Brigade Road where they found "elevated readings of chemical substances".

Crews evacuated about 70 people from the building and set up a 50-metre cordon as a precaution.

The incident lasted for nearly five hours, during which firefighters used specialist equipment to contain a chemical spill and ventilated the property.

One man was treated at the scene by London Ambulance Service (LAS) crews.

A LAS spokesperson would not confirm what he was treated for.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said gloves should always be worn when using cleaning products and that instructions for cleaning products and chemicals should always be followed carefully.

They added: "Don’t be tempted to mix them as it could produce hazardous fumes.

“Always keep them securely sealed and out of the reach of children.”