Birmingham fire: Cineworld cinema and Nando's evacuated after sign catches fire

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Filmgoers and diners were evacuated from a leisure complex after an outside illuminated sign caught fire.

The blaze happened around 6pm at the Cineword at the Five Ways Leisure Complex on Broad Street.

People eating in the nearby Nando’s and Tiger Bills on Bishopgates Steet were also evacuated.

No one was hurt, despite debris from the sign falling to the pavement below.

The West Midlands Fire Service attended the scene.

Louise Warren told the Birmingham Mail: “We were in Nando’s and we saw from the window drops of fire falling down.

“They shouted ‘Fire, everybody out.’

“When we came outside we could see the whole sign was on fire and it started to spread upwards.”

A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service said that fire fighters from Ladywood and Highgate stations tackled the fire.

A total of six fire engines managed to extinguish the fire within half an hour.

Cineworld reportedly reopened for business at 7.45 pm, although Bishopsgate Street remained closed while the debris was cleared from the pavement outside Nando’s.

A spokesperson from Cineworld said: “Cineworld Broad Street was temporarily evacuated on Sunday 6th December due to a fire ‎on the outside of the building.

"West Midlands Fire Service attended and the fire has now been extinguished. We would like to thank the emergency services for their quick response. The cinema has now reopened."