Body found after huge Newcastle city centre fire

An 81-year-old shopkeeper is believed to be the victim of a huge fire in Newcastle city centre yesterday.

In a statement, the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said the believe the body found to be that of Brian Sandells, a popular local figure and the owner of the Kard Bar - the shop caught up in the blaze.

The Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue service has confirmed that a police dog has discovered a body at the scene of the fire which started in central Newcastle yesterday (December 1).

It started at Kard Bar in Cross Street.

Emergency services are still at the scene.

Concern remains for a person unaccounted for after a fire at a shop in Newcastle.

Police and fire crews are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze.

A spokeswoman for Tyne and Wear Fire Service said there was "concern about one person."

The person remains unaccounted for after the fire, which took more than 50 firefighters several hours to bring under control on Tuesday.

Emergency services are worried about the whereabouts of one person who they fear may have been inside the building engulfed by fire in central Newcastle today (December 1).

Firefighters have been unable to go inside the premises on Cross Street.

Northumbria Police say they do not know whether anyone is in the building.

They are liaising with the with the family of the person currently unaccounted for, and supporting them.

A fire in central Newcastle is now under control, but it remains unclear whether any people are trapped inside.

The building will now be assessed by structural experts, who will check whether it is safe for firefighters to enter, Tyne and Wear Fire Service said.

If deemed safe, they will then enter to check if there are any casualties.

The service earlier said it could not guarantee there were no people inside the building.

it is understood that people may be inside a building currently on fire in Newcastle city centre, the local fire service has said.

In a statement, Tyne and Fire and Rescue said it is believed that people could be on the upper floors of the building, which has been ablaze for around three hours.

A new picture released by Tyne and Wear Fire Service shows a building on Newcastle's Cross Street badly damaged by fire, as several hoses work to contain the blaze.

Fire crews are now attempting to control a fire in Newcastle city centre from above.

Pictures posted on Twitter by Metro Radio News showed officers on a crane above the building on Cross Street, which contains the shop Kard Bar and three stories above it.

Fire officials initially received reports that people were inside the building, which has been on fire for around three hours, and since said they have no guarantees that it is now empty.

Firefighters at the scene of a major fire in Newcastle city centre have said they cannot guarantee the building is empty, ITV Tyne Tees' Gregg Easteal reports.

People have been warned to avoid Newcastle city centre due to the large building fire in Cross Street.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said the area was filled with "large amounts of smoke".