Brighton Road has reopened after a fire tore through flats in Purley yesterday.

Nine people evacuated the building before ten fire engines and 72 firefighters and officers arrived at the scene.

Station Manager Paul Cartwright, who was at the scene, said: "Our Control Officers received the first of a dozen calls about the fire at 3.01pm.

"We quickly realised this was a large fire and made it up to 10 fire engines.

"We expect crews to be there into the evening damping down and making the scene safe."

There have been no reported injuries, despite witnesses telling the Croydon Guardian that the fire was moving very quickly.

"It was above the estate agents on Purley High Street," one man said.

"The police were stopping cars pass through the high street. There were fire trucks on either side of the building."

Fire crews from Croydon, Norbury, Sutton, Wallington, Addington and other surrounding fire stations are at the scene as well as colleagues from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service all attended the scene.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.