Man in hospital after being pulled from flames in central London fire

One man has been taken to hospital after being rescued from the building by firefighters

Plumes of smoke can be seen across the capital on Thursday morning (LFB)

Plumes of smoke can be seen across the capital after a building caught fire in central London.

One man was pulled from the flames and taken to hospital as around 40 firefighters battled to extinguish the huge fire at a mixed-use building on Tottenham Street in Euston.

Chris Jordan, owner of Gigs Fish and Chips just outside the cordon, told The Independent: “I think it came from a new business or one of the flats above.

“Luckily the smoke went up and out, so it looked a lot worse than it actually was on the ground. There was a lot of smoke, more smoke than fire for sure.”

He added: “There were a couple of old boys that needed oxygen but the firefighters have got it all under control now.”

Six fire engines attended the scene, a London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said they were first called at 7.43am on Thursday morning, adding: “Most of the ground floor was damaged by the fire.

Around 40 firefighters battled to extinguish the huge fire at a mixed-use building on Tottenham Street in Euston (LFB)

“One man was rescued from the building by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus using a fire escape hood and was taken to hospital.”

Fire escape hoods can provide people with up to 15 minutes of protection from deadly smoke and gases.

The fire brigade took 14 calls to the blaze as thick plumes of smoke could be seen for miles across a clear morning in central London.

One witness told the BBC the area was full of smoke and a "toxic and acrid" smell.

The LFB said the incident was over for firefighters nearly two hours after the first call.

A spokesperson added that the cause of the blaze is under investigation.