Firefighters battled through the night to put out a "serious fire" in Sunderland.

Emergency services were informed at midnight that a fire had broken out in a commercial property on Villiers Street.

The fire service response focused on two buildings and at the height of the fire 30 firefighters were involved putting the blaze out.

Seven fire engines were deployed to the incident and they brought the fire under control.

Firefighters will remain at the scene assessing the situation.

Residents are still advised to avoid travelling in and around the area until a further update from the service.

A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we responded to a serious fire at a commercial property in Sunderland in the early hours of Friday morning (10th May).

“An emergency call which reported a fire on Villiers Street was received at midnight. The incident focused on two buildings as part of the commercial garage. At the height of the fire, 30 firefighters tackled the blaze. 

“We deployed seven fire appliances to the incident, including an Aerial Ladder Platform.

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“The fire is under control, and our crews are currently still on-scene continuing with firefighting operations and assessing the situation. 

“We would still advise local residents to avoid travelling in and around Villiers Street and to await further updates from the service.

“We have been working with our blue light colleagues at the police throughout the incident.”