A lorry fire has brought much of Ilford town centre to a standstill.

Firefighters from Ilford Fire Station brought the blaze next to the roundabout in Winston Way under control by 5.00pm this evening and the road was closed by police as fire fighters moved the burnt out vehicle to the side of the road.

Bus route numbers 145 and 86 were affected as rush hour traffic backed up around High Road.

Witness Chris Harvey, 32, of Stradbrooke Grove, Barkingside, said: “The engine and the cab were completely burnt out, and the traffic is completely stuck.

“I knew it was big because I saw the smoke from a long way away.”

Fire fighters were called at 4.40pm, and it took them some 20 minutes to get the flames under control.