Fire stops Den game

Millwall's First Division encounter with Watford at The New Den last night was postponed following a fire near to the stadium.

Police said they had no choice but to call off the game due to health and safety reasons after the incident in Bolina Road. The Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis said: "As I approached The New Den at 1.30pm I could see the smoke from the industrial units that are a little to the east of the ground.

"These units are very close to our Academy Centre, the club shop and one of the entrances to the ground. A few minutes later I heard an explosion, which was one of the cylinders inside a car repair unit.

"The Fire Brigade quickly evacuated people. A bit later there was another explosion. At that point the intensity of the heat and fact that the fire had spread to other units resulted in the game being called off.

"It is necessary for there to be a 24-hour period after such an explosion before the area could be rendered safe and with other cylinders still in the units, there would have been no guarantee that one or more would not have exploded, even after the fire had been extinguished."

No new date for the match has been set.