A launderette seen ablaze in the early hours of this morning is believed to have caught fire after textiles put in a tumble dryer self-heated.

At around 1.30am today - Tuesday, May 31 - four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a building with flats above on Barking Road, East Ham.

Part of the ground floor laundrette was damaged by fire; there were no reports of any injuries.

The fire is believed to have been caused by self-heating textiles.

A London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesperson said: “These types of fires often involve textiles that become contaminated with oil, most commonly linseed, massage and cooking oil on tea towels, tablecloths and chef whites.

"Make sure you check the manufacturers cleaning recommendations of your textiles before washing."

The spokesperson added that it is important to "always use" the cooling cycle on a tumble dryer if washing and drying on a hot cycle, to allow the laundry to cool down before stacking items together.

The fire was under control by around 2.30am, with fire crews from East Ham, Plaistow, Stratford and Poplar fire stations attending the scene.