Firefighters have issued a cooking safety reminder after a fire at a restaurant with flats above on Leman Street in Aldgate.
Most of the restaurant and the ducting (the ventilation system) from the ground floor to roof level were damaged by the fire. There was also minor damage to flats on the first and second floor. There were no reports of any injuries.
The Brigade's fire investigation team believe the fire was accidental and was caused by an unattended charcoal grill which ignited food.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "This is a timely reminder to make sure you never leave cooking unattended. If you do have to leave the room, turn the heat off.
"Restaurant and take-away owners should also always take care to make sure their extraction systems are kept clean as a build up of fat and grease within the filters can lead to a fire.”
The Brigade was called at 1654 and the fire was under control by 1716. Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters from Whitechapel, Shadwell, Dowgate, Chingford, Bethnal Green and Shoreditch fire stations attended the scene.