Twenty-five firefighters were called to a fire at a block of flats on Kay Street, Hackney, which destroyed an internal bin storage room on the ground floor.

London Fire Brigade sent four engines to the scene on Saturday (June 12) night and found heavy smoke logging from the ground to the second floor.

Hackney Gazette: Kay Street in HackneyKay Street in Hackney (Image: Google)

A man and a woman were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews after suffering from smoke inhalation.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “The fire is believed to have been caused by a disposable barbecue that hadn’t been cooled properly before being thrown down a rubbish chute.

“Disposable barbecues that have been discarded can cause fires as hot coals smoulder for some time after the flames die down, so it’s really important that they’re cooled properly before being thrown away.”

The service was called shortly before midnight and were able to leave before 1am.

Fire crews from Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Shadwell and Homerton fire stations attended the scene.