Investigation after fire at Preston restaurant

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Four fire engines attended the blaze at the Smoke and Grill restauarant on Walker Street at around 3.30am on Tuesday, January 9 after an automatic fire alarm sounded at the premises.

Crews arrived to find the two-storey building heavily smoke logged with a fire "well alight" on the ground floor of the premises.

Watch Manager Mark Woodward said: "The owners were alerted to the fire by an automatic fire alarm and opened up to find the building heavily smoke logged.

"They called us out and we committed a team with breathing apparatus and a hose reel.

"The team quickly located and extinguished the fire which started in the ground floor seating area."

Fire fighters say the ground floor of the restaurant was severely damaged by heat and the rest of the building suffered smoke damage.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Crews remained a the scene for an hour and a half.

Nobody was injured during the incident.