Candles left lit inside a doll’s house have been blamed for a fire that caused damage to the ground floor and roof of a Shoreditch nightclub on Friday morning.

Fire engines from Shoreditch, Bethnal Green, Whitechapel and Dowgate fire stations attended the blaze thought to have broken out at Loungelover in Whitby Street at about 3.50am and took until 6am to get the fire under control.

More than 20 firefighters wearing breathing apparatus contained the fire to a kitchen area on the ground floor of the building. Around a quarter of the ground floor and part of the roof space was damaged by the blaze.

It is believed that tea lights left inside a wooden doll’s house were the most likely cause of the blaze.

A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said: “Candles are one of the most common causes of fire. It’s really important that you never leave a candle unattended and keep them away from curtains and anything else that can easily catch fire.”

Shoreditch Watch Manager Stuart Mackie, who was at the scene, said: “A member of the public raised the alarm and when fire crews arrived clouds of thick heavy smoke were pouring out of the roof.

“The fire started in the kitchen and spread along an air extraction system into the roof. The club was empty at the time and thankfully no one was injured.”