Stow Hill former night club blaze leads to evacuations

A large fire in a derelict Newport nightclub has led to more than 40 people being evacuated.

It broke out in the building on Stow Hill that was once known as Zanzibar and has spread to an adjoining church.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service described it as a "large incident" with more than 70 firefighters tackling it.

It tweeted a warning for people to stay away from the area on Friday night as crews try and bring it under control.

The message read: "Please respect your emergency services at scene requesting members of the public to stay well away from the immediate area, this is entirely for your safety...thank you."

Those who have had to leave their homes have been taken to Newport Leisure Centre.

Newport Bus has also diverted all its services away from the area.