Residents were evacuated from a block of flats following a gas explosion.

Firefighters from Woodford and Walthamstow fire stations were called to the three-storey building in High Road, Woodford Green, on Friday afternoon at around 4.30pm.  

The ground floor flat was damaged in the explosion along with a car parked outside that was hit by flying debris. 

A man living at the flat had left before firefighters arrived and was treated at the scene for paramedics. 

Sixteen people were evacuated from the block for over two hours.  

The incident was over by 6.30pm.