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Fire crews battle blaze in a historic building

Hertfordshire County Council Three fire engines parked on Hadham Road with hoses strewn across the streetHertfordshire County Council
The fire service said the blaze affected the loft space and internal walls

Crews have been battling a fire in a historic town centre building that had been a "high end" clothing store.

Six fire engines and an aerial ladder were sent to The Chantry in Bishop's Stortford, at 12:47 BST.

Hertfordshire Police closed part of Hadham Road, as well as North Street, but they reopened at about 14:50.

Local historians said the building was built on the site of a chantry dating from the 16th Century and has most recently been occupied by the clothing shop Aristocrat.

Google The Chantry on Hadham Road, Bishop's Stortford - a white-fronted two-storey building with a central archway with shops on its ground floorGoogle
The building (pictured before the fire) is on Hadham Road, and police advised people to avoid the area

At 13:40, police warned on social media that the roads could be closed for at least two hours.

Mark Barber, assistant chief fire officer, said: “Crews located a fire affecting the loft space and internal walls, and firefighters worked for around an hour and a half to fight the fire from the inside and outside of the building.

"Fortunately nobody was hurt in the incident, and we believe the fire started accidentally."

He said two fire engines from Harlow in Essex helped with the operation, which he said was tackled "quickly and effectively".

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