A investigation is under way after 25 people were forced to flee a block of flats in Canning Town last night after a fire broke out.

Thirty firefighters from Plaistow, Stratford, Silvertown, Poplar and Bow tackled the blaze in Ordnance Road from about 9.30pm.

The damage was confined to one flat on the third floor of the six-storey building, with most of the occupants absent. Nobody was injured and the blaze was under control by 12am this morning.

Plaistow watch manager Paul Green said it was too early to say how the fire had started.

He said: “When we got there we were greeted by one of the occupants and there was smoke coming out of the building.”