Soho restaurant fire sparks evacuation
A fire in a Soho restaurant caused Christmas diners to be evacuated from nearby bars and restaurant, alongside revellers at Ronnie Scott's jazz club.
The fire on Frith Street is believed to have started in the extraction system of Delhi Brasserie.
Around 30 firefighters tackled the blaze yesterday afternoon. There were no reports of any injuries.
A member of staff at Ceviche restaurant, who gave her name as Katie, told the Evening Standard: "There was a lot of black smoke. It all happened very fast. It seemed to be coming from the roof and then the street flooded with black smoke.
"All the poor people from Ronnie Scott's had to run out in their party hats - they do Christmas lunches there at this time of year. But we weren't scared for our business, it was quite clear it was an isolated incident.
"It was certainly something you don't see every lunchtime. It was exciting for a few minutes. We were glad that we weren't affected and we were glad that Ronnie Scott's didn't burn down."
