More than 170 firefighters are tackling a fire at a police station in east London.

The roof of the police station in Forest Gate is “completely alight”, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said, with more than 30 fire engines and 175 firefighters on the scene.

Emergency services were called at 4.17pm on Wednesday and firefighters will likely be carrying out operations into the night.

According to the Metropolitan Police, the fire is in the third floor of the building and there are no reports of injuries.

London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, posted on X that people should “avoid the area” and keep windows and doors closed.

Commander Kyle Gordon, from Newham Police, said policing “continues as normal in Forest Gate”.

“The fire is still ongoing and the scene is expected to be in place for some time,” he added.

“We’re working with the London Fire Brigade and partners to minimise the impact on the local area.”

Firefighters are using three 32-metre turntable ladders and one that is 64 metres long to “attack the fire from height”, LFB said.

Former Met sergeant and policing commentator Graham Wettone described damage to the building as “devastating”, based on images shared on social media.

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It is a “significant patrol base” in a busy part of London, he said, adding: “[The] Met have business continuity plans but this will be challenging over some time.”

The cause of the fire is not known.

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