Blaze leads to city centre diversions

A CITY centre road was closed to traffic as firefighters battled a blaze at two properties in Perth.

Emergency services rushed to a flat in South Street following reports of a domestic fire.

It then emerged that the outbreak had spread from a first-floor flat into the Holdgates fish and chicken bar below.

All occupants of the flat escaped unhurt from the fire, which was reported at 8.46pm yesterday.

However, residents of the street were diverted from the scene for around two hours while four fire crews made the area safe.

Five police cars and an ambulance were at the scene, and South Street was closed to cars from its junction with Scott Street.

Firefighters were still in attendance at 9.20pm.

A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue said: “We were in attendance at a fire in a property in South Street, Perth. We had four pumps in attendance.”

Police confirmed the fire began in the flat and went into the roof space above the chip shop.

“It was a chip shop in Perth and the road is now closed,” said a Tayside Division spokeswoman.

“We were updated at 9.20pm that officers were assisting the fire service. It looks like the fire started in the flat above and went into the roof space to the shop below.”