A BETTING shop blaze spread to five nearby properties yesterday.

The fire, at Ladbrokes, in St Andrew's Street, Newcastle, at 9.30am, was believed to have started in an electrical box and spread between the buildings through electrical ducts. Paving slabs were removed and the area dug up so firefighters could check wiring.

The ceiling of Ladbrokes was damaged by smoke and heat and the buildings nearby suffered smoke damage. No one was injured.