After a devastating fire destroyed part of the roof of the Camden Town nightclub Koko, its owner has paid tribute to the “quick action and hard work” of the firefighters who fought the blaze and thanked the public for their support.
Olly Bengough, who launched Koko on the site of the old Camden Palace and Camden Hippodrome venue, said: "We are deeply saddened by the fire that took place at Koko last night and pleased to announce there have been no casualties.
"We want to thank the London Fire Brigade for its quick response and how well it handled the situation.
"The amount of support we have received from the public has been amazing and we'll be doing our best to get the redevelopment of this iconic building back on-track.
"We will provide further comments as circumstances become clearer."
The blaze began during the evening and after the fire brigade were called at 8.56pm, crews from across north London spent the night tackling it. It was officially brought under control by 2.37am.
Station Commander Jon Lewis, who was at the scene said: "Firefighters quick action and hard work in the early stages meant the fire was contained to the roof and saved the rest of the building."
It is thought 30 per cent of the building's roof was ablaze at one stage,
As the fire unfolded, music legends and local politicians were among those to share their shock.
DJ Tony Blackburn tweeted: "I've only just heard about this. This is terrible news particularly as it was going through a refurbishment and we were hoping to hold our next BBC Radio London Soul Night Out there when it opens.
"Let's hope nobody has been hurt in the fire at Koko it's such a great venue."
Cllr Oliver Cooper (Con, Hampstead Town) was among those to tweet his concern as the fire ripped through the building.
He told this newspaper: "It did look like it took off very quickly, but I'm just relieved it was brought under control so quickly."
Cllr Georgia Gould, who leads the council, also tweeted: "Heartbreaking watching the Camden Palace / Koko up in flames this evening, a building that holds so many memories and means so much to us in Camden. Incredible how quickly @LondonFire got under control, we owe them so much for their swift and courageous response."
Koko closed in March last year for refurbishment and was covered in scaffolding at the time of the fire.
It was set to reopen within months after a "major state-of-the-art" revamp, including a renovation of the rooftop area, following the purchase of two adjacent buildings.
The Brigade was called at 2056 and the fire was under control by 0237. Fire crews from Euston, Kentish Town, Islington, Soho, Holloway and surrounding fire stations are at the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Additional reporting by PA Media.
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