Blaze forces town centre shut down

A total of 10 fire engines were sent to tackle the blaze

Parts of a north Wales town centre have been cordoned off after a major fire which began on Monday evening.

Police have said the shop at the centre of the blaze in Wrexham is in danger of collapsing internally and emergency crews are likely to be damping down the remains of the fire until Wednesday.

The fire raged for over six hours

Two of the main shopping streets have been closed while structural engineers survey the damage.

A total of 10 fire engines were sent to tackle the blaze at the WH Smith's store in Hope Street which raged for over six hours.

The Mackays store next to the two-storey building was also badly damaged in the fire which began at around 2110 BST.

There have been no reports of any injuries and the cause of the blaze has yet to be established.

North Wales Fire Service Divisional Officer Meirion Hughes said: "The fire investigation is ongoing at the moment we have police here and scenes of crime officers.

"The cause of the fire at the moment is still under investigation and as yet we have not ruled out the fact that this a could have been a deliberate incident."

The council is working with managers to make the best of what is an awful situation

Isobel Watson, Wrexham County Council

Road diversions have been put in place and Yorke Street, High Street and Hope Street are closed to traffic.

Buses have also been diverted away from the area.

But Wrexham County Council are anxious to limit the disruption to trade in the town centre.

Town Centre Manager, Isobel Watson, said every effort is being made to find alternative accommodation for the two stores affected by the fire.

Mrs Watson said: "We are anxious that this is one of the peak trading times in the lead up to Christmas and therefore we want as little disruption as possible for traders and shoppers alike.

"The council is working with managers to make the best of what is an awful situation and will continue to work with them throughout their refurbishment programme."

The Butchers Market and the Central Arcade have also been closed until further notice.