THE fire at Bicester Village spread across the top floor and roof of Carluccio’s, according to the fire service.

The shopping outlet was shut after a blaze broke out at about 8.40am at the Italian restaurant causing smoke to billow across the complex.

Firefighters will remain on site removing roofing tiles to ensure the fire is fully extinguished.

Grahame Mitchell, the group manager at Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said firefighters were alerted by a member of staff at the outlet village and it proved crucial to containing the blaze within the Italian restaurant.

The roof is badly affected but the majority of the damage is external rather than internal, the Oxford Mail understands.

Mr Mitchell said: "The first call came at 8.41am and within eight minutes we had about 40 firefighters here and that early intervention has managed to contain the fire to the roof.

"The fire was contained to Carluccio's and it was that excellent fireifghting that stopped the spread to other units within the village."

He added that it was too early to say what caused the fire but he did confirm it may have started outside the building rather inside.

Mr Mitchell would not be drawn any further but said there was a fire investigator at the site and he added: "We are working with site staff and we have excellent CCTV."

No one has been injured and Mr Mitchell said: "The first call came from a member of staff in the staff room here and it was an excellent, quick call. It was important they did a fast evacuation so that no one was put at risk at any time."

Firefighters are now dampening down hot spots within the roof and that is expected to last much of this afternoon.

Seven fire applicances, including the hydraulic platform, were called to the scene. That included help from neighbouring Buckinghamshire, Mr Mitchell said.

Bicester Village spokeswoman Miranda Markham said: "Bicester Village would like to express its sincere gratitude to both the police and fire services for their prompt and efficient handling of the situation.

"The major of the boutqies at Bicester Village will reopen at 1pm."

South Central Ambulance spokeswoman Gill Hodgetts said staff attended the incident at the designer shopping outlet but no one was hurt.

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