West End BT fire disrupts broadband and phone service

BT released a picture of equipment damaged in the fire

Tens of thousands of people have lost telephone and internet service after a flood and fire at a BT exchange.

The exchange, in the West End, central London, was damaged by a flood from a neighbouring premises.

A fire then broke out, leading to the loss of service. People writing on Twitter have said credit card readers in the area are not working.

A BT spokesman said it was too early to say when the fault would be fixed but called it a "complex" job.

BT said in a statement on the incident: "A number of customers in central London are currently experiencing a loss of service.

"Following clearance from the fire brigade, BT's engineers are on site and working around the clock to repair the damage and restore service as quickly as possible."