FIREFIGHTERS battled for three hours to put out a blaze at a parade of shops.

Six fire engines and 35 firefighters were sent to Cranbrook Road, Ilford at around 3pm on Saturday (March 25).

When they arrived they found a fire had started at the back of a newsagent and spread to neighbouring shops.

Two people managed to escape the flames without any injuries before the the fire brigade arrived.

Crews finally had the fire under control three hours later at 17.58pm, when buses through central Ilford were redirected back to their original routes.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.