A MAN has been charged following a fire which gutted the ground floor of a Middlesbrough shop in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Firefighters battled for more than an hour to control the blaze at Alias, an outlet store on Linthorpe Road.

A man in his 30s has now been charged with burglary and arson and is expected to appear at Teesside Magistrates Court this morning.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: “Another man and two women arrested in connection with the incident have been released from custody with no bail conditions while inquiries continue.”