Engineers assess Camden market after fire

BRITAIN: Police have urged people to stay away from London's Camden market, as engineers assess the damage to buildings caused by Saturday's huge fire that swept through one of the British capital's most popular tourist districts.

No one was injured but the London Fire Brigade said it had to send 20 fire engines and 100 firefighters to tackle the blaze at the market in north London, a bohemian area usually crowded with shoppers and people enjoying local pubs and clubs.

As the clean-up operation began, a number of streets, including the busy Chalk Farm Road and Camden High Street, have been closed.

"These closures and restrictions are expected to remain in place for the next three or four days as structural engineers assess the damage to buildings," said a police statement yesterday.

The fire devoured the Hawley Arms pub, a popular haunt of celebrities including singer Amy Winehouse and model Kate Moss.

Market storage areas and shops were also set ablaze, adjoining houses were damaged and some local residents had to be evacuated as a precaution, before the blaze died down late on Saturday.

The blaze appeared to have started in market stalls, though police said there was nothing to suggest the fire's origins were criminal.

According to the Camden market website, it is the largest street market in Britain and the fourth-most-visited tourist attraction in London, with about 500,000 visitors a week.

The market, which is next to Camden Lock, opened in the 1970s and has grown into a sprawling complex of market stalls, shops, workshops, studios and cafes.

Shops sell everything from arts and crafts to designer clothes and antiques.

© 2008 Reuters

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times