Six fire engines and around 35 firefighters battled a fire at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, North London, last night and around 400 people were evacuated during a showing of Gone Girl.

The small fire damaged a kitchen on the first floor of the three storey complex which contains a medical centre, offices a theatre and the cinema.

A part of Kilburn High Road was closed off for around 90 minutes to allow fire crews to tackle the blaze.

Station Manager Sam Kazmanli who was at the scene said:  “Around 400 people were evacuated from the theatre and cinema on the upper floors of the building as a precaution but our crews worked very quickly to stop this fire from spreading and to contain it to a kitchen on the first floor.”

London Fire Brigade was called at 21.40 and the fire was under control by 23.10. Crews from West Hampstead, North Kensington, Willesden and Paddington fire stations were at the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Commercial buildings, non-domestic and multi-occupancy premises in England and Wales are already forced to undertake a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

While the overwhelming majority of premises do this, if the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.

Original sources

London Fire Brigade

Kilburn Times

Evening Standard