Large fire closes city road

A city road has been closed due to a large fire, with mobile phone footage showing thick smoke rising.

The fire on Stratford Road in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, started earlier this afternoon with West Midlands Fire Service asking people to avoid the area.

The A41 Stratford Road has been closed both ways between the A4540 Highgate Middleway/A4540 Bordesley Middleway/B4100 Camp Hill and Farm Road as a consequence of the fire.

10 groups of firefighters attended the fire which is now "under control", according to Incident Commander Wesley Williams.

Speaking on the West Midlands Fire Service's Twitter page, that it is likely that his team will be at the scene for the rest of the night and there is a risk of structural collapse to the building.