Part of the ground floor, first floor, and roof of the building are alight, the London Fire Brigade revealed in a statement. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

       Station Commander Paul Green, who is on the scene, said: "Firefighters are working hard to bring this significant blaze under control.

       "Due to the nature of the business, there are a lot of materials including bed linen and towels inside which have caught alight.

       "The fire is creating a lot of thick smoke so we would ask local residents to keep windows and doors closed.

       "There are a number of local road closures in place, including Chigwell Road which has been shut from Southend Road and Maybank Road."

       According to the London Fire Brigade, the situation at the building is under control and as of writing there are no reports of any injuries.

       The fire department wrote in a tweet: "The fire in #SouthWoodford is now under control, but firefighters will remain on scene throughout the night damping down.

       "There are no reports of any injuries at this stage"