Eleven firefighters brought the blaze under control. (Image: Archant)
A fire which led 50 cinema-goers to be evacuated last night is being investigated as arson.
Firefighters were called to Stratford Picturehouse shortly before 11pm last night after flames spread from a palm tree outside the Salway Road site to the timber decking at the back of the cinema, filling it with smoke.
No one was injured in the blaze, which crews from Stratford and Leytonstone brought under control in half an hour. A storage room underneath the cinema was completely destroyed and the exterior has sustained damage.
No arrests have been made and enquiries continue. Anyone with information should call the police on 101.
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