A man was rushed to hospital last night after a fire above a Selsdon estate agents.

London Fire Brigade sent six fire engines and 35 firefighters to battle the fire which broke out in a flat above Paynes, a firm of estate agents and surveyors, on Addington Road.

The man had managed to escape before the firefighters arrived and was taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service suffering from smoke inhalation.

Part of the first floor and the second floor were damaged by the fire and the roof was destroyed.

Firefighters from Addington, Croydon, Woodside and Bromley were called at around 11.20pm and had the fire under control by 12.45am.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Eyewitness Jay Ransom who saw the blaze on the way home from a late shift at Sainsbury's said: "Tiles fell constantly from the building and water sprays from the opposite side of the building got some bystanders standing at the bus stop drenched in seconds.

"As far as I know there was only a couple of people that were injured in the incident and were taken to hospital by paramedics for to be treated for smoke inhalation."