On Saturday, December 28 at 10am, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene of a fire on Dean Road in South Shields. The blaze broke out in a shop called Techniserve, which sells computer equipment, CCTV systems and security cameras. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. Overall, six fire engines and 30 firefighters attended the scene, arriving at 10.03am and leaving at 6.05pm. Dean Road was closed for several hours and had a 300ft cordon put in place, between John Clay Street and Milton Street, while emergency services dealt with the fire. Eye witnesses to the incident report seeing a 80ft high black smoke cloud above Dean Road. Take a look at some of the dramatic images as fire crews tackled the huge blaze.
9. All in a days work
Firefighters worked hard to contain the fire and ensure that it would not spread to neighbouring properties. | JPIMedia Photo: Tim Richardson
.JPG?crop=4:3&trim=&width=640)
10. Black smoke
People at the scene describe seeing plumes of black smoke 60ft to 80ft in height, above Dean Road. | JPIMedia Photo: Tim Richardson
11. From the seafront
Some eye witnesses report being able to see the cloud of smoke above Dean Road from South Shields seafront. | JPIMedia Photo: Tim Richardson
.JPG?crop=4:3&trim=&width=640)
12. Cause unknown
The cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation. | JPIMedia Photo: Tim Richardson