Breaking news: fire breaks out at shopping centre

Customers had to be evacuated from a Stroud shopping centre this morning, Friday, due to a fire.

Reports suggest an electrical fault in Peacocks at the Five Valleys Shopping Centre sparked the evacuation at 10.30am.

An onlooker told Stroud Times: “I could smell smoke inside the centre and staff and shoppers were quickly ushered outside. The fire broke out at Peacocks and the store has remained closed.”

A spokesperson for Five Valleys said: “We evacuated the centre this morning. There was a small fire in the basement. We are now back open – thankyou to the local fire service for attending and sorting so promptly.”