Some 90 firefighters are battling a huge paint factory fire in north London that could be seen for miles around.
Fifteen fire engines were sent to deal with the blaze at Staples Corner, a major junction near Brent Cross, which broke out at on Monday night and completely destroyed a paint factory.
London Fire Brigade said factory workers had left the building before crews arrived and the cause of the fire was not yet known.
The brigade urged people to avoid the area and those living nearby to keep doors and windows shut.
Passers-by have taken to social media to alert others of the blaze, which has been described as a “huge fireball in the sky”.
The fire service said its control room had taken 45 emergency calls about the blaze after receiving its first call at 9:20pm.
A fire brigade spokesman: “This is a significant fire at a paint factory off the North Circular which can be seen across London.
“We’d ask people to avoid the area if possible and local residents to keep their doors and windows shut.”