Fire at Paignton railway station extinguished as major disruption continues

A fire at Paignton railway station has been extinguished, but major disruption to rail services and roads in the town continues.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service was called to the incident at around 5.45am on this morning. Seven fire crews attended the scene to tackle the blaze.

In an update issued at 8.31am, the fire service confirmed the fire was out and crews were monitoring hotspots using thermal imaging cameras.

No injuries have been reported.

The incident has caused significant disruption to Great Western Railway services, with the line through Paignton blocked. All train services between Newton Abbot and Paignton have been cancelled or suspended, with Torre, Torquay and Paignton stations currently not being served. Disruption is expected to continue until at least 2pm.

Speaking to BBC Radio Devon, Great Western Railway's Dan Panes said the full extent of the damage was still unknown because emergency services were continuing to make the site safe.

He said: "At the moment we can't get close enough to assess the damage, but it does look very significant. Our priority is to get services back up and running as quickly as possible, but we won't be able to make those decisions until emergency services have finished their work."

Road closures also remain in place around the station. Torbay Road is closed in both directions between Queens Road and Victoria Street, while Victoria Street and Hyde Road are also shut.

Residents living nearby have been advised to keep their windows and doors closed because of smoke from the fire, while motorists are being urged to avoid the area.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.