Houses evacuated after huge town centre fire

Houses have been evacuated and people urged to avoid the area as more than 100 firefighters tackle a large town centre blaze.

Police and fourteen fire crews were called to the scene on Frogmore Street, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, at about 20:35 GMT on Sunday.

The affected building, at the rear of the Magic Cottage charity shop, remained alight on Monday morning but no injuries were reported.

A number of nearby residents were evacuated, with Abergavenny Leisure Centre opened up to accommodate those affected and several people remain able to return to their homes.

Firefighters are using four water bowsers, two aerial ladder platforms, a High Volume Pump (HWP) to tackle the flames.

A cordon covering Frogmore Street, Regent Street, Princes Street and Baker Street is expected to remain in place for some time.

Gwent Police urged residents to ensure all windows and doors were closed due to the smoke.

Richard John, Conservative councillor for Mitchel Troy and Trellech ward, described the fire as "horrendous" and "heartbreaking" as he thanked emergency services on X, formerly known as Twitter.