A huge fire tore through Thurmaston Shopping Centre in Leicestershire early on Saturday, sending the roof of a Mountain Warehouse store crashing down as more than 40 firefighters battled the blaze. Eight fire engines and two aerial appliances were called to the scene on Barkby Thorpe Lane at 4am after multiple reports of a large fire affecting several units, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said. Residents were urged to keep windows and doors closed as a significant smoke plume spread across the area. The fire has since been extinguished, but a cordon remains in place in front of Mountain Warehouse, M&S and Greggs, which remain closed. Jordan Slack, 29, who lives nearby, said he was “shocked”. “I couldn’t believe it. Nothing has ever happened like this around here. I mean this shopping centre has been here for around 20 years and it’s the first big incident we’ve had here,” he said. “When I first saw the pictures, I thought the fire would take the whole shopping centre but thankfully it was stopped before it grew further.”
As firefighters dealt with the shopping centre, British Transport Police said they were responding to reports of a “collision involving two trains” near Bedford, with fire and rescue teams on the scene. No further details have been released by police.
“A shopping centre roof collapsed in Leicestershire, two trains collided near Bedford, and a boy was fatally stabbed in London.”
In a separate incident in London, a 17-year-old boy died after being stabbed on Glycena Road in Battersea at around 4.20am on Saturday. Police were called to reports of a stabbing and the teenager was found by paramedics with serious injuries. Despite efforts from the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Met Police have launched a murder investigation and a large crime scene remains in place.