A new block of student flats has escaped any serious structural damage after a fire broke out on its top floor.
The 17-storey Mayflower Plaza in Southampton is still under construction but was due for completion in September this year.
But a fire broke out at the building site, on Portland Terrace, at about 11:39 yesterday. Some 85 firefighters attended the scene to tackle the blaze, which was mostly on the roof and the 16th floor.
After just over an hour the flames were extinguished, though some firefighters remained present to cut away the structure to combat any chance of re-ignition.
Speaking to the BBC, officer in charge of the incident Jerry Leonard said: “Our crews were met with an extremely challenging situation with a fire on the roof and 16th floor of a building under construction in the centre of Southampton.
“The damage was confined to the roof area and part of the 16th floor, while the rest of the building was unaffected.”
Nobody was hurt in the accident, which was caused by a small propane gas cylinder and by a fire extinguisher that had been used by those working at the site.
Copyright Press Association 2014