Fire destroys Thames boatyard

A FIRE broke out on Monday at a boatyard on Platt's Eyot, an island on the Thames.

The huge blaze took hold sending a huge plume of smoke into the sky with flaming debris scattered by the wind, Keith Gudgin reports.

Kept residents away

This caused the police to keep people away from the fire and advise nearby residents to keep doors and windows closed.

There were explosions as gas cylinders were caught in the blaze, with the London fire Brigade busy attempting to control the conflagration.

Moving moored boats

People were busy attempting to move the moored boats away from the fire as the winds scattering the flaming debris was landing on the boats, that were mostly cruisers.

Eight fire engines were involved in the massive blaze with the boatyard now virtually destroyed.